The Koura region, along with the rest of the north, bid farewell to the journalist and author Edouard Zoghbi in a grand funeral held at the church of his hometown, Bziza, presided over by Bishop Joseph Sweif, assisted by a group of priests. In attendance were MP Ghayath Yzbek representing the president of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, as well as MPs Fadi Karam, Adib Abdel Massih, and George Attallah. Mr. Mark Jabbour represented the head of the Lebanese Kataeb party, Sami Gemayel, and Ms. Vera Yammine represented MP Tony Franjieh, alongside former MP Jwad Boulus, political and media figures, cultural personalities, and a crowd of townspeople, friends, and neighbors.
Bishop Sweif delivered a sermon in which he outlined the virtues of the deceased, who "carried the message of word and humanity, distinguished by the elegance of his journalistic work, whether in the newspaper An-Nahar, to which he devoted 35 years of his pen's ink, or in the newspapers 'Nidaa al-Watan,' 'Al-Mustaqbal,' and 'Al-Tamaddun,' and on platforms of media, oratory, educational institutions, and radio programs."
His brother, writer and lawyer Elias Zoghbi, delivered a eulogy on behalf of the family, stating: "Words withdraw in the presence of their master, whether absent in body or present in spirit. He who has taught generations, not only in schools and institutes, but also on the platforms of journalism, oratory, literature, and poetry for nearly sixty years. He was a school for his students and colleagues alike, in the art of reporting, essays, and sublime political literature, in the flow of poetry and prose, like a sweet, clear stream, enchanting in its expression and handwriting. He was described by a prominent figure in politics as 'shaking the north with his fingers through An-Nahar newspaper.'"
He reached the limits of miraculous in crafting texts, leading readers to perceive them as prose when they were poetry in meter and rhyme, gathered in the covers of his two books: "Sorrows Under the Fingers" and "No Plan No Station." He will return to you posthumously, on one of the anniversaries of his memory, in a book from his vibrant memory, containing texts and articles chronicling half a century of the fluctuations of the north and all of Lebanon, some of which were published on social media, while others remained unpublished.
"Edouard Zoghbi, from you on our tongues, we extend thanks to all who bid you farewell, those who attended, those who called, and those who wrote from among the noble and esteemed pens." In your farewell, the people of your village raised words that included: "Your words have filled the earth, so now write on the page of the sky."
