Friday 25 January 2013 Page 13
LOCAL NEWS
The Obayda family in Switzerland BY JANUARIA PIROMALLO They left behind their countries in flames: hers Lebanon and his, Iraq. Switzerland welcomed them like a protective “aunt.” Libana and Nabil Obayda, little more than children, found each other here in the shadows of the Alps. Libana attended school at the Rosey, which was followed by a degree in History and Art from Ecole Cammondo in Paris. She then completed her studies in International relations at the Webster University in Geneva. Nabil holds a masters degree in Economics & Financial Management, also from Webster University in Geneve. Libana and Nabil married in Le Grand Theatre of Geneve and produced four children. The first John and Emily who are 15 years old now, are twins, then there is 12-year old Micheal and 11-year old Elina. They have lived in Dully, a little village by the Lake of Geneve, for 15 years. 2012 was the first year living part-time in Gstaad whilst they have entered the two youngest children at the John F Kennedy School.
non. At the time it was a healthy and sparkling Lebanon. The capital Beirut was called the ‘Monte Carlo of the Middle East.’ There was a famous Casino frequented by the international jet set and the progressive and enlightened president of Lebanon, was Suleiman Frangieh, the Grand Uncle of Libana. The dolce vita of the country seemed to pose no risk until1975 when the country exploded into civil war. Until then Muslims and the Maronite Christians lived in harmony. The family of Libana then left the country that was considered the “Switzerland of the Middle East.” The son of the then President Suleiman Frangie, the cousin of Libana, was killed with his family only his son survived, today he is an important politician in Lebanon.
Nabil’s father was the first and the largest distributor of MercedesBenz in the Middle East, however in 1964 nationalization occurred resulting in the entire family business and property being confiscated. The father started again in Leba-
But the worst still had to come: in 1978, many Syrians were going to occupy Lebanon thus fulfilling their ancient dream of a “Greater Syria,” since Lebanon was regarded as a Syrian province of the state and not as a national entity in its own right. In 1982, Israel’s invasion in Lebanon broke out into the first Israeli-Lebanese war. In 1990, the civil war officially ended: 15 years of fighting, bloodshed and destruction transformed Lebanon from a country of ‘bon vivants’ into a pile of rubble.
The Obayda children (from left): Emily, Elina, Michael & John.
Nabil & Libana.
The first thing that strikes you about Libana is her strong sense of family. When she was 11 years old, to keep her away from the cross-fire of machine guns, she was placed in Le Rosey. “I grew up alone, my parents far away. For my children, I want instead, to give that sense of family warmth, a unity that I have missed.” Libana and Nabil met each other in the tearoom of the Richemont Hotel in Geneve. She was sitting with a common friend of theirs. From their first meeting Nabil was smitten. Then he presented to her an invitation to Venice for his 30th birthday. Accompanied by the magic of Venice, on a gondola under the “Ponte dei Sospiri,” Nabil courted her. Together they studied for the entrance exam for Swiss citizenship. Amongst other questions the Swiss Commission asked Libana how to prepare a fondue. To Nabil they asked if he would be a good Swiss citizen. He replied, “With all due respect, I will be more than you. I’ve already lost two countries. Nothing will take me away from Switzerland.” Both the families of Libana and Nabil are engaged in the reconstruction of their home countries. Libana, with her green eyes, is an uncommon beauty. And the mag-
Libana Obayda. netism of her gaze is startling. “At one time, I had an infection that put me at risk of losing my sight. After several pilgrimages from one doctor to another, we tried Lourdes. They washed her eyes with holy water from the source of Bernadette, the shepherdess to whom the Virgin Mary appeared. After a few days, the infection was completely healed.” Besides their love for Switzerland, religion also joined the couple, both being devoted Catholics. “Some people think that you can love ideas and ideologies, more than anything else. Others believe that you can only truly love human beings, made of feeling and emotions. Our God has taught us that we should not do to others what you would not want done to yourself. And if he, on the cross, forgave us, then we also have forgiven those who have stolen our countries. In the end we found one another.”