Barbar Beik el Khazen

Barbar Beik el Khazen, son of Cheikh Fendi el Khazen and Sultana daughter of Cheikh Chahine el Dahir was born on September 21 1861. On 15 November 1896, he married Therese daughter of Ghandour Beik El Saad, sister of Habib Basha El Saad, who gave him four children: Fendi and Najib el Khazen (who died young), Chafik and Rafik. His wife died in 1922. Since his young age, his father assigned a teacher to enlighten Barbar on the rules and ethics of work and everyday life. He was enrolled later on in the Jesuits School in Ghazir and then transferred later to the Lazaristes School in Tripoli. Few years later, he started and managed his own business until 1891 when he was appointed head of the Zouk area in the Keserwan District and stayed in this position until 1897.  During this time, he was blessed by Pope Leon XIII for his goods deeds and charity work and honored with the medal of St Gregoire. Cheikh Barbar had also considerably supported Minister Salim Basha’s initiative to help the poor through financial and various means.

In 1902, after earning various honors and medals, Barbar was upgraded to the Excellency rank and was voted a board member in Mount Lebanon of the Keserwan district.  He performed his duties for 8 months when he was appointed as ‘Minbachi’ over the Lebanese armed forces.  With the death of Lebanese Armed forces “Mir Alay” Melhem Beik Abou Chakra,  he was promoted to a higher rank before being proclaimed on 10 March 1905 Commander of Mount Lebanon’s  armed forces also known as  مير آلاي الجند اللبناني. He died on 17 January 1928 and was buried at the family church of Saint Tadross on the Khazen Hill in Al Zawiya, Ehden. 

Cheikh Barbar was mentioned in many literature and poetry works by: Fares Beik Abou Chakra, Father Boulos Mansour(Lebanese missionary), Youssef Afandi Khattar Ghanem, Father Youssef Mrad Saade, writer Francis El Chemali, Habib El Jalkh, Poet Boulos Zein, Khalil El Boustany , Edwar Zeid Hatem, Saleme, Cheikh Nassif el Khoury, Milan Chebli El Helo, Youssef Mikhael Bchamouni, Amin Youssef, Antoine Youssef Jadoun, Khalil Daher Boutros, John Rida El Daher, Said Saadallah Akl, Amin Milan El Helo, Fouad Tanious Ghosn, Francis Gerges El Bouari, Father Youssef Lattouf, Genadios John el Hajj, Cheikh Youssef Francis Bou Saab, Poet Najib Beik Houwawini, Sleiman David Abou Rizk, Hanna Youssef El Khoury,  Tanious Beik Fraifer, famous Poet Chebli Afandi Mallat and Poet Chaker Azar.

Famous letters, quotes and speeches that included him were written by Arij Sajaan Saade, Poet Youssef Fakhouri, Judge Mohamed Beik Zein El Din, Cheikh Assad Hbeich, Said Beik Boustani, judge Amin Beik Tali3, Judge Elias Beik El Basha, Dr. Chaker Beik El Khoury, Boulos Afandi Zein, monseigneur Youssef Charaf El Khazen, Prince Said Erslan, Father Boulos Mansour, Tannous Toubia El Helo, Father Johanna Maroun, Father Estfan Daou, Habib Saleme, Youssed Aga Melhem, Cheikh Sleiman Massaad.

Cheikh Barbar received many important honors and recommendations, most notably from: Patriarch Elias Boutros El Houaik on 10 March 1905, Bishop Youssef Abi Najem, Cyprus Bishop Naamtallah Selwan , Saidnaya and Zahle Bishop for Greek Orthodox Germanos , Father Andraos Alexandrian, Father Gebrayel Bassil, Druze Sheikh Mohammad Hamadeh, Druze Sheikh Mohammad Talii, Monseigneur Kheirallah Estfan (Maronite Patriarch’s official representative in New York) and many others …