Veteran Lebanese writer and thinker Karim Mroueh passed away on Wednesday morning, January 10, 2024, at the age of 94 after a remarkable journey during which he made significant contributions across political, partisan, intellectual and cultural domains.

His extensive journey through various facets of life leaves behind a legacy that has left a lasting impact on the intellectual landscape.

Over his 40-year career, Mroueh dedicated himself to writing after retiring from active involvement in daily politics. His writings were characterized by a blend of criticism and self-reflection. He delved into the significant transformations occurring globally, consistently seeking a path towards a better future for his home country, Lebanon, and other Arab countries.

Karim Mroueh, one of the leaders of the Lebanese Communist Party since the 1960s, and a member of the Political Bureau from 1964 to 1999 and was elected Deputy Secretary-General at the Fifth National Congress in 1987.

He was born in 1930 in the town of Haris Amelia in southern Lebanon where his educational journey began at the age of eight when he studied the Holy Qur’an, later advancing his studies under the guidance of elders in his village.

At 17, Karim Mroueh moved to Najaf to pursue further education, joining his cousin Hussein Mroueh, who abandoned his turban shifted his focus from religious studies, and Karim followed suit.

In 1948, Karim Mroueh actively participated in the uprising in Iraq against the Treaty of Portsmouth, aligning himself with the Iraqi Communists in their cause.

Karim Mroueh penned over 20 books during his prolific career, notable among them are ‘The Lebanese Communist Party: Its Policy and Objectives,’ distributed alongside the Lebanese newspaper Al Muharrir in 1969, and ‘How to Face the Crisis in the Arab National Liberation Movement,’ published by Dar Al Farabi in 1971.

In addition, Karim Mroueh authored ‘What After the October War’ published by Dar Al Farabi in 1974, ‘Resistance Ideas for Discussion’ by Dar Al Farabi in 1985, and ‘Dialogues on Socialism, Democracy, Nationalism, and Religion’ by Dar Al Farabi in 1990.

Furthermore, he penned ‘The Controversy on the Conflict and Peace with Israel’ in 1994, ‘The Difficult Homeland and the Impossible State – a Dialogue between Karim Mroueh and Karim Bakradouni’ by Dar Al Jadeed in 1996, and ‘The Dialogue of Ideologies’ in 1997, and ‘The Arab Thought and the Transformations of the Era by Dar Al Farabi in 2006.

In addition, Karim Mroueh authored ‘The Crisis of the Arab Regime and the Problems of the Renaissance’ by Dar Al Intishar Al Araby publishing house in 2006, ‘The Iraqi Phenomenon’ by Dar Al Mada in 2007, ‘The Big Four Communists’ by Dar Al Saqi in 2008, ‘The Pursuit for the Future’ by Dar Al Saqi in 2009, and ‘Towards a New Renaissance of the Left in the Arab World’ by Dar Al Saqi in 2010.

Veteran Lebanese Writer Karim Mroueh Passes Away At 94