{{Short description|Lebanese politician}} {{multiple issues| {{more citations needed|date=December 2018}} {{COI|date=December 2018}} {{one source|date=April 2017}} }} '''Khatchig Babikian''' (1924–1999) aka '''John Babikian''', was a philanthropist, attorney, a [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] politician of [[Armenians|Armenian]] origin, and a former member of the [[Parliament of Lebanon|Lebanese Parliament]] (1957–1999) and Lebanese government minister on many occasions as minister of Health, Tourism, Information, Planning, Foreign Affairs, and Justice.<ref name=":102">{{Cite book |last1=Najem |first1=Tom |title=Historical Dictionary of Lebanon |last2=Amore |first2=Roy C. |last3=Abu Khalil |first3=As'ad |date=2021 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-2043-9 |edition=2nd |series=Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East |location=Lanham Boulder New York London |pages=47}}</ref>
Babikian was renowned for his multilingual proficiency, philanthropic efforts, and support for the [[Armenians in Lebanon|Armenian community]]. The Khatchig Babikian Fund, a charitable initiative founded by his family in his honor, aims to support Armenians, particularly in Lebanon.<ref name=":102" />
== Biography ==
Born in [[Larnaca]], on the island of [[Cyprus]], Babikian studied in France, Lebanon, and Italy. A [[polyglot]], he spoke Arabic, Italian, French, Armenian, Turkish, English, and Latin. He was imprisoned in 1940 in a concentration camp in [[Italy]], where he finished his baccalaureate. He later obtained his law degree from the [[Saint Joseph University of Beirut]].
Babikian was elected and appointed Armenian orthodox of [[Beirut]] in 1957 and remained a member of the Parliament until the date of his death in 1999. He was replaced by [[André Tabourian]]. He was a minister of State to the administrative Reform (1960–1961), of Health (1969), of Tourism, of Information (1972–1973, government [[Saëb Salam]]), of the Plan and the Foreign Affairs (1973, government [[Hafez Amine]]) and of [[Ministry of Justice (Lebanon)|Justice]] (1980–1982, government [[Chafic Wazzan]] and 1990–1992). Babikian was also the former chairman of the executive council of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia — Antelias, [[Lebanon]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.townonline.com/lexington/homepage/x2110147400|publisher=Hürriyet|title=Lexingtonians help Armenian school|date=2007-08-26|access-date=2007-08-26|archive-date=2007-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927192555/http://www.townonline.com/lexington/homepage/x2110147400|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 1969, during Babikian's first year as Minister of Health, he attained and distributed 1.5 million doses of the polio vaccine throughout Lebanon for all children aged under 5. Polio cases dropped from 600 nationwide in 1969 to 22 in 1970.
For his notable contribution to the French language, Babikian was awarded the [[Legion of Honour]] (officer rank) in 1986 along with one of the highest ranks of [[:fr:Ordre_de_la_Pléiade|L'ordre de la Pléiade]] in 1998 which recognises the work and contributions to the development of the French language globally.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Assaf |first=Christine Babikian |title=Mes Vies, Memoires de Khatchig Babikian 1922-1999 |date=May 2025 |publisher=Antoine |year=2025 |isbn=978-9953-73-924-3 |edition=1st |pages=184 |language=fr}}</ref>
In 1972, Babikian pioneered social housing in Lebanon creating the country's first state funded housing in the Beirut suburb of Fanar. The project called Leylavan focused on providing housing to displaced Armenian families and was composed of 272 housing units, a school, a social and sport club, a medical dispensary and several work places.<ref name=":0" />
===Khatchig Babikian Fund=== The Khatchig Babikian Fund was created in January 2007 by his five daughters. The fund honors the memory of Babikian.
The fund is to contribute to the welfare of Lebanese Armenians in particular, and [[Armenians]] in general. It was the will of Babikian to establish such a charitable fund to benefit Armenians in humanitarian, educational and cultural projects. In addition to the donation to St. Stephen’s, the Babikian Fund has made large donations to Beirut’s St. Joseph University and the American University of Beirut, providing scholarships for needy students.<ref>{{cite web | title=Lexingtonians help Armenian school | website=Wicked Local | date=25 August 2007 | url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/lexington-minuteman/2007/08/25/lexingtonians-help-armenian-school/39116556007/ | access-date=9 July 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Foreign Ministers of Lebanon}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babikian, Khatchig}} [[Category:People from Larnaca]] [[Category:Cypriot people of Armenian descent]] [[Category:Cypriot emigrants to Lebanon]] [[Category:Lebanese people of Armenian descent]] [[Category:1924 births]] [[Category:1999 deaths]] [[Category:Members of the Parliament of Lebanon]] [[Category:Saint Joseph University of Beirut alumni]] [[Category:Information ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:Health ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:Planning ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:Justice ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:Foreign ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:Tourism ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:Ministers without portfolio of Lebanon]]