Lokman Slim#Early life and career

Lokman Mohsen Slim was born in Haret Hreik, what was then a village near and is now Southern Beirut. He was the scion of an influential Lebanese-Shia family with strong ties to the Christian elites.{{Cite book|last1=Deeb|first1=Lara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1WeYDwAAQBAJ&q=lokman+slim&pg=PA232|title=Leisurely Islam: Negotiating Geography and Morality in Shi'ite South Beirut|last2=Harb|first2=Mona|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2013|isbn=978-0691153667|location=Princeton and Oxford|pages=232}} His mother Salma Merchak, who survived him, is a Christian from Egypt.{{Cite web|last=Jalkh|first=Jeanine|date=5 February 2021|title=Lokman Slim, la liberté à tout prix|url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1250856/lokman-slim-la-liberte-a-tout-prix.html|access-date=5 February 2021|website=L'Orient-Le Jour|language=fr}} His father Mohsen Slim was a deputy (MP) in the Lebanese parliament from 1960 to 1964 and in 1977 founded the Shia-dominated party of the Union des Forces Libanaises, which demanded the disarmament of the militant Palestinian forces in Lebanon.{{Cite book|last=Kuderna|first=Michael|title=Christliche Gruppen im Libanon: Kampf um Ideologie und Herrschaft in einer unfertigen Nation|publisher=F. Steiner|year=1983|isbn=|location=Wiesbaden|pages=103|language=de}} Later in the course of the Lebanese Civil War he moved his law practice to Paris.

Lokman Slim moved to France in 1982 to study philosophy at the Paris-Sorbonne University.{{cite web |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2021/02/04/Who-is-Lokman-Slim-A-profile-on-Lebanese-activist-Hezbollah-critic-shot-to-death |title=Who is Lokman Slim: A profile on Lebanese activist, Hezbollah critic shot to death |website=Al Arabiya |date=4 February 2021 }} He returned to Beirut in 1988. Two years later, he founded Dar al Jadeed Publishing House,{{cite web |url=http://www.index-pro.net/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=334&sobi2Id=15780&Itemid=120 |title=شركات - نشر وتوزيع - Dar al Jadeed Publishing House |access-date=28 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326080556/http://www.index-pro.net/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=334&sobi2Id=15780&Itemid=120 |archive-date=26 March 2012 }} which publishes Arabic literature and essays of controversial content. Its publications range from books banned by the Lebanese General Security to the first Arabic translations of the writings of Muhammad Khatami, the former Iranian reformist president, which generated controversy within the Shia community in Lebanon.

Several of Slim's articles, essays, and translations have been published in English, French, and Arabic newspapers and books.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

He lived and worked in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut, Greater Beirut, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.{{Cite news|last=SPIEGEL|first=Daniel Steinvorth, DER|title=Boost for Militants in Lebanon: Hezbollah Riding on a Wave of Confidence|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/boost-for-militants-in-lebanon-hezbollah-riding-on-a-wave-of-confidence-a-723870.html|newspaper=Der Spiegel|date=20 October 2010 }}{{Cite web|title=Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Independent Shia politics|url=http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=147051|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902192504/http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=147051|archive-date=2 September 2012|access-date=28 June 2011}}

File:UMAM-Hangar-SouthernBeirut RomanDeckert15122018.jpg

In 2001, Slim moved into film with the establishment of Umam Productions, which has produced several films, including Massaker{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/nov/04/2|title=Rory McCarthy looks at Lebanese film Massacre|author=Guardian Staff|date=4 November 2005|website=the Guardian}} co-directed by Slim and his German wife Monika Borgmann. It won the Fipresci Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2005.{{cite web|url=http://www.fipresci.org/awards/awards/awards_2005.htm |title=FIPRESCI - Awards 2005 |access-date=1 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605190418/http://www.fipresci.org/awards/awards/awards_2005.htm |archive-date=5 June 2011 }}

In 2004, he co-founded Umam Documentation & Research (D&R), a non-profit organization based in the southern Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik, where the organization is creating an open archive of materials concerning Lebanon's social and political history. The organization organizes and facilitates exhibits at its famous “Hangar” for artists to openly address the scars of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), which is considered taboo and taught neither at the elementary or high school levels.{{Cite web |url=http://www.babelmed.net/index.php?c=4923&m=&k=&l=en |title=The Hangar, the sheikh and the Hezbollah. Incursion in the Dahiye... | Mediterranean | Culture et politique en Méditerranée: Information et identité Méditerranéennes avec Babelmed |access-date=28 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404022932/http://www.babelmed.net/index.php?c=4923&m=&k=&l=en |archive-date=4 April 2012 |url-status=dead }} Umam also organizes film screenings, art exhibitions, and discussions relating to civil violence and war memory.{{Cite web|url=https://www.umam-dr.org//main/|title=UMAM D&R|website=UMAM D&R}}

One of Umam's ongoing exhibits since 2008 is “Missing,” a collage of photographs depicting persons missing from the Lebanese Civil War. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with the "Committee of the Relatives of the Kidnapped and Missing in Lebanon," "Support of the Lebanese in Detention and Exile (SOLIDE)," and the "Committee of the Families of Lebanese Detainees in Syria," along with hundreds of individuals related to the missing.{{cite web |url=http://www.umam-dr.org/projectInfo.php?fromTab=pastProjects&projectId=58 |title=COPEX |website=www.umam-dr.org |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326080907/http://www.umam-dr.org/projectInfo.php?fromTab=pastProjects&projectId=58 |archive-date=26 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}

File:OfficeLokmanSlim-UMAM-Beirut RomanDeckert22112021.jpg

Slim's project Hayya Bina (HB) (an Arabic phrase meaning "Let’s Go") is an initiative which began during the 2005 parliamentary elections in Lebanon with the aim of promoting citizen involvement in the political process and opposing Lebanon's sectarian system. Slim himself compared the religiously-based sectarian communities to “cells in which the Lebanese are jailed."{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4583697.stm |title=Analysis: Religious voting in Lebanon |website=BBC |date=27 May 2005 }} Hayya Bina implements projects nationwide, working particularly in the Shiite communities of South Lebanon, the “Dahieh” of Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley regions.

In 2008, Hayya Bina participated as a partner with the National Democratic Institute's (NDI) “Citizen Lebanon” project.{{cite web |url=http://citizenlebanon.org/newsletters/CL%20Newsletter%20April%2009.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=28 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326080558/http://citizenlebanon.org/newsletters/CL%20Newsletter%20April%2009.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2012 }} In conjunction with leadership and civic participation trainings conducted by NDI, Hayya Bina spearheaded a number of public advocacy projects in Shiite areas of Lebanon. In Baalbek, Hayya Bina's field staff organized a pesticide project in order to help boost the economy of local farmers; in Shmustar, staff coordinated with residents to publicly advocate for garbage collection services to prevent communicable diseases from spreading; in Hermel, a region-wide project to clean up the Assi River. This project included environmental awareness activities, cleanup days, and formal discussions with elected officials.

Hayya Bina continues to implement Lebanon's only nationwide English education program for adult women, “Teach Women English,” recruiting teachers in rural areas in order to bring classes to economically depressed areas in the south and Bekaa Valley.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Lebanon-News/2010/May-28/58988-us-embassy-launches-english-courses-for-rural-women.ashx|title=US Embassy launches English courses for rural women |website=www.dailystar.com.lb|access-date=4 February 2021|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917000536/https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2010/May-28/58988-us-embassy-launches-english-courses-for-rural-women.ashx|url-status=dead}} The program's pedagogy combines formal grammar with substantive nodes, such as human rights, civics, workplace, and around-the-home vocabulary. The program's cross-regional emphasis has also enabled rural teachers who have never left their villages to travel across the country for teacher training programs.{{cite web |url=http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=219914 |title=Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Women teach English in rural areas |website=www.nowlebanon.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218213225/http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=219914 |archive-date=18 February 2011 |url-status=dead}}

File:GraveLokmanSlim-UMAM-Beirut RomanDeckert22112021.jpg

Slim stated in 2019 that Hezbollah's leader was responsible for alleged incidents where people came to his home and offices to chant slurs and threats. He also reported death threats after a debate during the 2019–2020 Lebanese protests. Slim has stated a belief that Hezbollah had a role in the 2020 Beirut explosion.

On the night of 3 February 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Lokman was returning alone in his rented car to Beirut, after visiting a friend in the village of Niha, Tyre District, and was not traceable in the next hours. Later his car was discovered in a remote area between the villages of Addousiyeh and Tafahta in southern al Zahrani district, Sidon District,{{cite web |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/anti-hezbollah-activist-lokman-slim-found-dead-in-south-lebanon-1.1159577 |title=Anti-Hezbollah activist Lokman Slim found dead in south Lebanon |website=The National News |date=4 February 2021 }} and Lokman was found dead inside it, after being shot four times in the head and once in the back. He was admitted to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. His sister said that "probably there's an ideological and political background in the assassination".{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/4/lebanese-anti-hezbollah-activist-found-dead-in-this-car|title='A huge loss': Lebanese anti-Hezbollah activist shot dead|website=www.aljazeera.com}}

Slim had, in the days before the killing, stated that Hezbollah supporters had been threatening him at his home and accusing him of treason.{{cite news |last1=Jenkins |first1=Cameron |title=Lebanese activist who spoke out against Hezbollah found dead in car |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/537474-lebanese-activist-who-spoke-out-against-hezbollah-found-dead-in-car |access-date=10 February 2021 |work=TheHill |date=4 February 2021 |language=en}} After the death was confirmed, Jawad Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah's leader, tweeted: "The loss of some people is in fact an unplanned gain #notsorry". He later deleted the message and denied that he had been referring to Slim.{{cite news |last1=Chulov |first1=Martin |title=Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim found dead in Lebanon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/04/hezbollah-critic-lokman-slim-found-dead-in-lebanon |access-date=5 February 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=4 February 2021}}{{Cite web |last=DC (ACW) |first=Arab Center Washington |date=2024-03-01 |title=The Limits of Justice in Lebanon—and What It Means for the Future of the Country |url=https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-limits-of-justice-in-lebanon-and-what-it-means-for-the-future-of-the-country/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Arab Center Washington DC |language=en-US}} It was part of an attack and hate campaign on social media targeting Slim.{{Cite web |last=DC (ACW) |first=Arab Center Washington |date=2024-03-01 |title=The Limits of Justice in Lebanon—and What It Means for the Future of the Country |url=https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-limits-of-justice-in-lebanon-and-what-it-means-for-the-future-of-the-country/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Arab Center Washington DC |language=en-US}} Hezbollah condemned the killing, denied any involvement and called for an immediate investigation. DW judged that Slim was "one in a long list of killings" befalling Hezbollah's critics, and that "no one in Lebanon expects any resolution to Slim's murder".{{cite news |title=Lebanon: Coronavirus lockdown weighs heavy on a country in crisis |url=https://www.dw.com/en/lebanon-coronavirus-lockdown-weighs-heavy-on-a-country-in-crisis/a-56477049 |access-date=6 February 2021 |work=DW.COM |date=6 February 2021}}

The investigation into Slim's death was completed by the Internal Security Forces. In May 2021, the public prosecutor for southern Lebanon closed in the investigation with no arrests and charges having been made.{{Cite web |date=3 February 2022 |title=Lebanon: Flawed Investigations of Politically-Sensitive Murders |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/03/lebanon-flawed-investigations-politically-sensitive-murders |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203051156/https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/03/lebanon-flawed-investigations-politically-sensitive-murders |archive-date=3 February 2022 |access-date=4 February 2024 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}} Following complaints by Slim's family, the case was referred to an investigative judge.{{Cite web |date=3 February 2024 |title=Still No Justice for Slain Lebanese Researcher's Family |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/03/still-no-justice-slain-lebanese-researchers-family |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203205653/https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/03/still-no-justice-slain-lebanese-researchers-family |archive-date=3 February 2024 |access-date=4 February 2024 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}

In 2022, Human Rights Watch raised concerns about the "flawed" investigation, citing evidence including the ISF's failure to secure the crime scene, potentially leading to the contamination of evidence. Slim's family criticised that the investigation was initially led by local officers in Srifa and Zefta, prompting the ISF to transfer the investigation to its Information Branch. They also commented that the investigation appeared focused on Slim's death being as a result of a personal dispute or suicide. The investigations of the murder as well as the Beirut Port explosion lead to Unit 121 assassination squad that was headed at the time by Salim Ayyash.{{Cite web |last=DC (ACW) |first=Arab Center Washington |date=2024-03-01 |title=The Limits of Justice in Lebanon—and What It Means for the Future of the Country |url=https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-limits-of-justice-in-lebanon-and-what-it-means-for-the-future-of-the-country/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Arab Center Washington DC |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Schenker |first=David |date=2024-11-26 |title=Lebanon Is a Global Sanctuary for Criminals |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/08/02/lebanon-crime-hezbollah-salameh-port-explosion-corruption/#cookie_message_anchor |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Foreign Policy |language=en-US}}

In November 2023, the judge overseeing the investigation, Charbel Ali Samra, retired. Slim's family reported that Samra only interviewed three witnesses during his two years of involvement. The following month, Bilal Halawi took over as the investigating judge.

In February 2024, Human Rights Watch renewed its appeal for prosecutorial and investigative authorities in Lebanon to ensure justice for Slim.

As the fourth anniversary of Slim's death approached, calls to renew the investigation into his murder grew. However, the president and prime minister-designate remained firm in rejecting these demands. Later, MP Ashraf Rifi was quoted by MTV Lebanon: "closing the investigation file into the assassination of the martyr of the word, Lokman Slim, constitutes a black stain on the history of the judiciary and an underestimation of the values represented by the great martyr. We also consider it a blatant transgression,".{{Cite web |title=ريفي: طيّ ملفّ اغتيال لقمان سليم لطخة سوداء في تاريخ القضاء |url=https://www.mtv.com.lb/News/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/1544828/%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%8A--%D8%B7%D9%8A--%D9%85%D9%84%D9%81--%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%84%D9%82%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85-%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%AE%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A1 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=MTV Lebanon |language=ar}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-30 |title=Despite pressure, the president and PM-designate stand their ground |url=https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1445706/despite-pressure-the-president-and-pm-designate-hold-firm.html |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=L'Orient Today |language=en}}

Lokman Slim was married to Monika Borgmann.{{Cite web |title=Lokman Slim's widow: 'His work lives on in all of us' – DW – 04/11/2021 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/lebanons-lokman-slims-widow-his-work-lives-on-in-all-of-us/a-57138762 |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=dw.com |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.hayyabina.org Hayya Bina]
• [http://umam-dr.org UMAM Documentation and Research]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Slim, Lokman}}

Category:1962 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:Paris-Sorbonne University alumni

Category:Lebanese activists

Category:Businesspeople from Beirut

Category:Assassinated Lebanese newspaper publishers (people)

Category:Lebanese newspaper publishers (people)

Category:Lebanese Shia Muslims

Category:Deaths by firearm in Lebanon

Category:Lebanese people of Egyptian descent