(Part 1) Gibran and Rihani: Two of Lebanon's Best Thinkers
The Arab literary world has had many talented individuals who have left their mark in history as great writers. Two of those greats are Gibran Khalil Gibran, and Ameen Rihani. Both men were from Lebanon, both exceptionally passionate in their work, and both left their native country at the age of twelve to come to America in the late 1800's. Gibran and Rihani were writers, primarily, but they were more than just writers. They were, in essence, great thinkers -- social and political activists -- who expressed their thoughts on society and hopes for humanity through essays, stories, poetry, public speaking and, for Gibran, through art as well.
Gibran Khalil Gibran (1883-1931)
Gibran Khalil Gibran was born in 1883 to a Christian Maronite family in Besharri, Lebanon, a lush green and mountainous area in the northern region. When he was a child of twelve, his family traveled to America and settled in Boston in 1895. Gibran's artistic talents were recognized early by a school teacher who introduced him to a local artist. In 1898, because his knowledge of Arabic was poor, his family sent Gibran back to Lebanon to finish his education and learn Arabic. In 1902, he returned to the United States, with a good knowledge of Arabic and French and an interest in poetry and writing.
He published his first work in 1904, an essay in an Arab immigrant publication called "Al-Mouhajer" ("The Emigrant"). However, although Gibran had returned to Lebanon to learn Arabic better, his writing in Arabic was never as well received as those in English. Thus he later concentrated more on writing in English. Not long after Gibran's first publication, he began a column in that same Arabic publication called "Tears and Laughter." His column drew the attention of another Arab writer, Ameen Rihani himself, and a friendship soon developed between the two. Later, the two writers, who shared the same Maronite religious background and involvement in social issues, toured London together.
In 1910, Gibran returned to the U.S. to concentrate on his writing. Soon, with the onset of World War I, Gibran became more active in politics. With the hope of freeing Syria from Ottoman rule, he implored his Arab Christian and Muslim brothers to unite against the Ottoman rule. Through his contributions of articles to a number of different Arabic publications, Gibran began to have a well established place in the Arab world. Throughout the 1920's he was writing a great deal on Arab culture and society, and suggesting the need for Arab countries to adopt the positive aspects of Western culture. However, because of this view and other liberal views regarding the Church and clergy, Gibrans writing was largely considered controversial in the Arab world. Eventually, he concentrated his efforts on writing in English and further developed his style of writing. By 1926, he had become known internationally. Unfortunately, at the height of his success, in 1928, he began to have health problems. After experiencing bodily pain brought on by nervousness and anxiety, he began drinking heavily. At the age of 48, Gibran died in a hospital in New York in 1931.
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