Raymond Lakah
Encyclopedia
Raymond Lakah, born Rami Lakah (رامي لكح), is a French
-Egyptian
, Roman Catholic Christian
magnate
, and former owner of the French newspaper
France Soir
.
Lakah was born to a wealthy Christian Catholic Egyptian family, and first came to prominence with his brother Michel Lakah in the mid-1990s. They had holdings in construction, healthcare management and aviation. In November 1998, their holdings were floated on the Cairo Stock Exchange with Rami owning 38% and Michel 31%.
at the relatively young age of 40. His election raised the question of the legality of dual nationals holding government offices since Lakah was a national
of both Egypt and France
. In January 2001, the Minister of Interior officially declared that his election in 2000 was invalid. Discussions about his financial debts, which had started before his election, also intensified.
His indebtedness amounting to 1.2 to 1.4 billion Egyptian Pounds with many government bankloans in Egypt unpaid. When law suits were filed against him, he fled Egypt and settled in France. In August 2001, a court verdict in Egypt ruled that he could not be a member of the Egyptian Parliament due to his dual nationality. In October 2004, the Egyptian parliament installed a new rule that dual nationals are not allowed to serve in the parliament.
Lakah was once interviewed on AlJazeera satellite TV channel, bringing with him what he said is evidence that charges against him were politically motivated. The interview was cut short and Lakah stormed out of the studio [réf. nécessaire].
Lakah maintains that all his debts were paid off.
In France, he took the name Raymond, instead of his Arabic birth name Rami, and started establishing himself in several business ventures, including Star Airlines
, and in October 2004 he bought the France Soir newspaper.
that caused a lot of havoc and anger among Muslims around the world. The cartoons were originally published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
on September 30, 2005. France Soir republished the cartoons under the headline, "Yes, One has the Right to Caricature God."
The same day Raymond Lakah fired the editorial director, Jacques Lefranc. Le Monde
reported that Lakah issued a statement saying he fired Lefranc as president and director of the newspaper in "a strong sign of respect to the intimate convictions and beliefs of each individual." The statement continued, "We present our regrets to the Muslim community and to all people who have been shocked or made indignant by this publication."
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
-Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
, Roman Catholic Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
, and former owner of the French newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
France Soir
France Soir
France Soir is a French daily newspaper that prospered during the 1950s and 1960s, but it has declined since then under various owners. It was re-launched as a populist tabloid in 2006.-History:...
.
Lakah was born to a wealthy Christian Catholic Egyptian family, and first came to prominence with his brother Michel Lakah in the mid-1990s. They had holdings in construction, healthcare management and aviation. In November 1998, their holdings were floated on the Cairo Stock Exchange with Rami owning 38% and Michel 31%.
Egyptian Parliament
In November 2000 Lakah was elected to the Egyptian ParliamentParliament of Egypt
The Parliament of Egypt is the currently dissolved bicameral legislature of Egypt. The Parliament is located in Cairo, Egypt's capital. As the legislative branch of the Egyptian government, the Parliament enacts laws, approves the general policy of the State, the general plan for economic and...
at the relatively young age of 40. His election raised the question of the legality of dual nationals holding government offices since Lakah was a national
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
of both Egypt and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In January 2001, the Minister of Interior officially declared that his election in 2000 was invalid. Discussions about his financial debts, which had started before his election, also intensified.
His indebtedness amounting to 1.2 to 1.4 billion Egyptian Pounds with many government bankloans in Egypt unpaid. When law suits were filed against him, he fled Egypt and settled in France. In August 2001, a court verdict in Egypt ruled that he could not be a member of the Egyptian Parliament due to his dual nationality. In October 2004, the Egyptian parliament installed a new rule that dual nationals are not allowed to serve in the parliament.
Lakah was once interviewed on AlJazeera satellite TV channel, bringing with him what he said is evidence that charges against him were politically motivated. The interview was cut short and Lakah stormed out of the studio [réf. nécessaire].
Lakah maintains that all his debts were paid off.
In France, he took the name Raymond, instead of his Arabic birth name Rami, and started establishing himself in several business ventures, including Star Airlines
Star Airlines
XL Airways France is a French airline with its head offices on the grounds of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Tremblay-en-France. It operates scheduled flights mainly to long-haul destinations in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean as well as charter flights to medium-haul destinations...
, and in October 2004 he bought the France Soir newspaper.
Cartoon controversy
On February 2, 2006, France Soir published the Muhammad cartoonsJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
that caused a lot of havoc and anger among Muslims around the world. The cartoons were originally published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
Jyllands-Posten
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Viby, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark...
on September 30, 2005. France Soir republished the cartoons under the headline, "Yes, One has the Right to Caricature God."
The same day Raymond Lakah fired the editorial director, Jacques Lefranc. Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
reported that Lakah issued a statement saying he fired Lefranc as president and director of the newspaper in "a strong sign of respect to the intimate convictions and beliefs of each individual." The statement continued, "We present our regrets to the Muslim community and to all people who have been shocked or made indignant by this publication."
See also
- Lists of Egyptians
- List of Copts
- Collège de la Sainte FamilleCollège de la Sainte FamilleThe Collège de la Sainte Famille , مدرسة العائلة المقدسة often referred to as "Jésuites", is a private Jesuit French school for boys in the Faggala , Daher , and Heliopolis districts of Cairo, Egypt...
- France SoirFrance SoirFrance Soir is a French daily newspaper that prospered during the 1950s and 1960s, but it has declined since then under various owners. It was re-launched as a populist tabloid in 2006.-History:...