December 2017
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“
For it is in giving that we receive”
Francis of Assisi
Web site: www.aub.edu.lb/webleague
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Letter from the President
D
ear members,
Christmas is almost here! The spirit of Christmas is everywhere, it’s in the
mind and heart.
Christmas is the spirit of love, of holiness, of family reunions, warmth and
f
estivity. It brings also friends together, it is an atmosphere of joy and
happiness.
Christmas is the season to be merry and think of others who are less fortunate
than ourselves and extend a helping hand to them. Love of our fellow men
s
hould prevail over all hatred and bitterness. But the true meaning of
Christmas is the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
This year Christmas is coming when our country is having political problems
due to the resignation of our Prime Minister, which is suspended temporarily.
H
oping that a solution will be found soon to give us stability and peace that
our country deserves.
A
lso in few days, we will celebrate the birth date of The Prophet Mohammad.
L
et me seize this opportunity to wish you from my deepest heart a very Happy
N
ew Year. May all your wishes come true and let us hope that there will be
p
eace in Lebanon and in the countries around us.
M
erry Christmas and a joyful vacation to you all.
S
alwa Damiani
WL Mission Statement
The WL is an organization
of women from different
Nationalities. Its purpose is to
promote a broad
acquaintance to socialize,
learn and support one
another and establish
social network. Its wish is to
secure a yearly scholarship
fund for a disabled student.
at AUB.
LECTURE OF THE MONTH
Rudyard Kipling once said: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten” This
what exactly happened on 6
th
November, 2017 during The Women’s League General Meeting where Dr.
Emad Mrad gave a lecture in Arabic on Emir Fakhr-al-Din ll, the founder of Modern Lebanon.
Dr Mrad is a holder of PHD in History from The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK). He is the Professor of
History and Political Science at The Lebanese University,( Branch 2) . Dr. Mrad’s lecture was very informative
and very interesting. He talked to the attendees about Fakhr-al-Din ll whose father is Emir Qorqmaz and his
mother Sit Nasab of The Tannukhi Family. Fakher-al-Din ll,”Man of Lebanon” is considered the founder of
Modern Lebanon since about 400 years. He was only 13 years old when his father Qorqmaz was killed. His
mother, Sit Nasab, took him with her other children to Al Khazen family in Ballouneh accompanied by her
brother. Later, when the Emir took office to rule, he set out to unite the perpetually warring Maronite and
Druze Districts of Ottoman Lebanon which was realized after defeating Al Sayfa and Al Freikh. In order to
secure his position, The Emir Fakher-el Din ll sought an alliance with The Italian Grand Duchy of Tuscany to
get rid of the Ottomans and has Independence. The Ottomans were uncomfortable with The Emir’s increasing
powers, ambitions and his relations with Europe. In 1632 Kuchuk Ahmad Pasha, The Muhafiz of Damascus ,
being a rival to the Emir and a friend to Sultan Mrad lV attacked Lebanon and deposed The Emir. Fakhr-al-Din
ll was taken to Constantinople, kept in prison for 2 years and was executed on 13/04/1635.
However, Fakhr-al-Din ll rule was marked by Economic and Cultural prosperity. He introduced The Printing
Presses, encouraged Foreign Missionaries to open schools, built three ports and built bridges over rivers. The
Emir was tolerant and equidistant to all Lebanese so that many could not know if he is a Druze, Moslem or
Christian. He built mosques and synagogues. He used to fast Ramadan and had four wives. The Emir also
introduced from Europe the red roofing tiles for houses and castles, imported livestock including horses and
introduced the growing of Olive trees.
Dr Mrad concluded that whatever is the religion of The Emir or whatever are his political views and
strategical plans, Lebanon is in need of a man like him nowadays!
All guests were then invited to The Tea Table to join The Women’s League members in cutting the cake for
two dear occasions: The Independence day of Lebanon and The Woman’s League 98
th
anniversary.
TRIP OF THE MONTH
The Woman’s League monthly trip took place on 15
th
November, 2017. After a short stop at The Wooden
Bakery/Hazmieh, two buses with 70 ladies headed to Anjar or Haoush Mousa where we were warmly
welcomed by the Head of the municipality Mr. Vartkes Khochian. Mr. Khochian talked to the group about the
history of Anjar and the Armenians. He said that Anjar was a deserted place when The Armenians came in
1939 as refugees from Musa Dagh in Sanjak Iskandarun which Turkey annexed to its territories. Later, The
Armenians worked hard to transform the place into a commercial, agricultural and industrial place. We
toured some of the beautiful green areas of the town then we went to the Ruins of Anjar which are recognized
as a world heritage site. The Omayyad City of Anjar was founded by the Caliph Walid Bin Abdel Malik in the
beginning of 8
th
century . The city sits at the crossroads leading from Homs to Tiberias and from Beirut to
Damascus. Finally, we went to a local shop to buy homemade products!! Thanks to Mr. Khochian and to all the
members of Anjar municipality for their hospitality!!
Our next stop was in Majdel Anjar (The tower or high place). The town is one of the Bekaa Valley towns that is
located at the borders of Lebanon and Syria. We visited the old mosque called” Omar bin Al-Khattab” also
known as
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which was built in 920 AH (1514 AD) and rebuilt in 1425 AH (2004 AD) since
it was bombarded in year 2000 AD. The mosque was rebuilt same as it was originally been but the area was
extended to receive more people. Shiekh Mohammad Abdul Rahman, the Imam of Majdel Anjar and Sheikh
Assem welcomed us warmly and thanked us for the visit. Sheikh Abdul Rahman gave a resume on the history
of both: Majdel Anjar and the Mosque advising that it was built by the Caliph Walid Bin Abdel Malik as he used
to spend the summer in Anjar. He also talked about the importance of the town in terms of its agriculture ,
trade and location. The town is also famous for its “castle” being an ancient cathedral.
Our final destination was The Cascada Mall at Taanayel. The Cascada Mall presents a unique retail mix of local
and international brands, multiple of indoor and outdoor dining options and the largest family entertainment
center. After having lunch at the ”Diwan Al Atlal” we met Mrs. Faenza Torbay , one of the owners of the Mall,
whom we thank for her hospitality not to forget her beautiful daughter Ms Amira Torbay who was our tour
guide in the Mall.
In fact, it was pretty amazing to end our day watching the sunset at The Cascada Mall beside the lake beneath
the trees…!!!!
JESUS IS THE REASON
Matthew 22.37-40: Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Christmas Traditions that some countries do it differently!!
Norway: There is no cleaning on Christmas Eve in Norway - All brooms are safely hidden away, in case they
are stolen by witches and evil spirits.
Germany: Germans hide a pickle in the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve - the first child to discover it in the
morning receives a small gift.
Czech Republic: In the Czech Republic, unmarried women stand by a door and throw a shoe over their
shoulder - if the toe is pointing towards the door when it lands, they will get married within the next year.
Estonia: On Christmas Eve, Estonian families traditionally head to the sauna together.
Great Britain: An age-old tradition that each member of the family must stir the Christmas pudding mix in a
clockwise direction before it is cooked, making a wish as they do so.
Slovakia: In Slovakia, the most senior man of the house takes a spoonful of loksa pudding and throws it at the
ceiling-the more that sticks, the better.
Finland: Finnish people traditionally mark Christmas with a touching tribute to the dead. Families light
Candles at the graves of their departed loved ones, making Finnish graveyards a beautiful sight.
-There will be No trip in December, 2017 as it is replaced by the Annual Christmas Lunch.
- Our next General meeting will be next year on January 8
th
2018
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Ghada Shoujah,
Editor of the Bulletin
THEWOMEN’SLEAGUEEXECUTIVEBOARDMEMBERSFORTHEYEARS20172019
Mrs.SalwaDamiani
President
(71829327)
Mrs.MiriamGhubril
VicePresident
(03254420)
Mrs.YollaSowan
Secretary
(03288432)
Mrs.NafaaKabbani
Treasurer
(03231147)
Mrs.SuaadKhoury
ProgramChairperson
(03241206)
Mrs.HalaFarah
TripChairperson
(03296770)
Mrs.GhadaShoujah
EditoroftheBulletin
(03375068)
Mrs.ZeinaArab
HospitalityChairperson
(03611899)
Mrs.NadaMaktabi
MembershipChairperson
(03979621)
Mrs.RawaaBaltaji
Representativetothe
LebaneseCouncilofWomen
(03241066)
