12 Facts About Fares al-Khoury

Fares al-Khoury was a Syrian statesman, minister, prime minister, speaker of parliament, and father of modern Syrian politics.

Fares al-Khoury was the grandfather of noted Syrian novelist Colette Khoury.

Fares al-Khoury Khoury was born in Kfeir in the Hasbaya District in modern-day Lebanon to a Greek Orthodox Christian family that, according to Faris' own memoirs, had originally came from the village of Ayn Halya in Kaza Al-Zabadani.

Fares al-Khoury started his career as an instructor at AUB and became involved in Al-Fatat, the leading anti-Ottoman movement, after its creation in Paris in 1911.

Fares al-Khoury's post was renewed by Prime Minister Hashim al-Atassi in May 1920.

Fares al-Khoury held this position until King Faisal was dethroned and the French Colonial forces imposed their mandate on Syria in July 1920.

Fares al-Khoury was a member of the Syrian delegation that negotiated the Franco-Syrian Treaty in Paris in 1936.

Fares al-Khoury Khoury was the first Syrian statesman to visit the United States and represent his country in 1945 at the inauguration of the UN.

Fares al-Khoury became Prime Minister from October 14,1944, till October 1,1945, then again president of the parliament till the military coup of Husni al-Za'im who dissolved it in April 1949.

Fares al-Khoury continued to travel to attend annual law conventions in Switzerland, until he fractured his leg and was forced to stay at home for the final two years of his life.

Fares al-Khoury received presidential honors at his funeral as one of the founders of the Syrian Republic, unlike any prime minister before or after him.

Faris Fares al-Khoury's death came three months after the dissolution of the United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria during which he was an active political opponent.