Hussein Hajj Hassan (Arabic: حسين الحاج حسن; born 1960) is a Lebanese politician from Hezbollah, founder of the Islamic Union of Lebanese Students in France and minister of industry. He was the head of Hezbollah's "Educational mobilization" unit. As agricultural ministry he signed a cooperative agreement Jihad al-Binaa to provide agricultural vocation. He is said to have focused his ministry's funds to Hezbollah constituencies.
Hussein Hajj Hassan | |
|---|---|
حسين الحاج حسن | |
.jpg) Hussein Hajj Hassan, 2014 | |
| Minister of Industry | |
| In office 15 February 2014 – 31 January 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Tammam Salam Saad Hariri |
| Preceded by | Panos Manjian |
| Succeeded by | Wael Abou Faour |
| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 9 November 2009 – 15 February 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Saad Hariri Najib Mikati |
| Preceded by | Elias Skaff |
| Succeeded by | Akram Chehayeb |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 23, 1960 Al-Nabi Shayth, Lebanon |
| Political party | Hezbollah |
| Alma mater | University of Orléans |
Early life and education
editHajj Hassan was born into a Shia family in Nabi Chit in the Beqaa Valley in 1960.[1] He holds a PhD in Chemistry and Natural Physics, which he received from the University of Orléans, France in 1987. [1] He founded the Islamic Union of Lebanese Students in France.[1] He worked as a professor in the science faculty of Lebanese University.[1] He took part in the founding of the Hezbollah think tank: The Consultative Center for Documentation and Studies.[1] He was the head of Hezbollah's "Educational mobilization" unit in 1991.[1]
Political career and views
editHajj Hassan is a member of the Lebanese Shia party Hezbollah.[2] He ran on the latter's electoral list in Lebanon's 1996 general election and was elected MP of the Beqaa's Baalbeck/Hermel constituency.[1] In May 1998, he argued that although Islamic state is an ideal solution, Hezbollah is aware of its inapplicability in Lebanon.[3] In 2000 he was the head of the Lebanese Agriculture and Tourism committee.[1]
He was reelected in the 2000, 2005 and 2009 polls.[4][5] In 2009, he was among Hezbollah's 11 members of parliament.[6] In June 2009, he met with the then European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Beirut, representing Hezbollah.[6] From 2000 to 2005 he led the parliamentary commission on agriculture and tourism. He is part of the "Loyalty to the Resistance", an opposition parliamentary bloc.[7]
He was named on 9 November 2009 minister of agriculture in Saad Hariri's national unity government.[8] In January 2011, he and other two ministers, Gebran Bassil and Mohamad Jawad Khalifeh, resigned from the cabinet, leading to the collapse of Hariri government.[9]
He was appointed to Najib Mikati's cabinet again as a minister of agriculture in June 2011.[10] As minister he signed a cooperative agreement with Jihad al-Binaa, in order to provide agricultural vocation. This move was criticized as allowing Hezbollah to take credit through Jihad al-Binaa of government provided projects.[11]
As minister for agriculture, he allegedely funelled funds and government funds "selectively" to Hezbollah constituencies.[11]
In 2018 he was reelected to Lebanese parliament as representative of the Bekaa III (Baalbek/Al-Hermel) constituency.[1]
Life
editHajj has 4 children and is married to Hayat Salhab.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Hussein al-Hajj Hassan | Hezbollah". hezbollah. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- ^ Greenberg, Joel (11 February 2000). "Lebanon Fighting Ebbs in Claims of Victory". The New York Times. p. 10.
- ^ Staten, Cliff (2008). "From Terrorism to Legitimacy: Political Opportunity Structures and the Case of Hezbollah" (PDF). The Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution. 8 (1): 32–49. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ "Elections in Lebanon" (PDF). IFES. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Murr Releases Official Results of Lebanon's Second Round of Elections". Albawaba. 5 September 2000. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ^ a b "EU's Solana meets Hezbollah in Beirut". BBC. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ Bathish, Hani M. (30 December 2006). "Hizbullah flays Jumblatt as a fickle friend". The Daily Star. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Lebanon has a new cabinet". Ya Libnan. Beirut. 9 November 2009. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ Blanford, Nicholas (12 January 2011). "Hezbollah-led pullout brings down Lebanon's government". The CS Monitor. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Lebanon gets pro-Hezbollah Cabinet". Gamut News. Beirut. UPI. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ a b Khatib, Lina (2021). "02 Influence through state institutions". Cathamhouse.