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Rashid Abdul Hamid Karami (December 30 1921 June 1 1987) was a Lebanese politician. He was one of the most important political figures in Lebanon for more than 30 years, including much of the time when the Lebanese Civil War was occurring, and he served as Prime Minister eight times.
Karami was born in Mariatta, near Tripoli in northern Lebanon. He was elected to Parliament in 1951 and soon became justice minister.
Karami served as Prime Minister from 1955 to 1956, 1958 to 1960, 1961 to 1964, 1965 to 1966, 1966 to 1968, 1969 to 1970, 1975 to 1976, and from 1984 until his death. He also served as foreign minister several times. He had a stormy relationship with Lebanon's presidents, who appointed him because of his political connections even though they often did not wish to.
Karami was a part of the Islamic Leftist faction in Lebanese politics. During the 1950s, he was a political follower of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. He was a supporter of Palestinian political causes, particularly during the 1960s. During the 1970s he started forming broader coalitions with other Lebanese factions, and he became a supporter of Syrian intervention, allowing him to revive his seemingly stagnant political career as he became Prime Minister in 1984, at a time when Syrian influence was growing after Israeli intervention, which he strongly opposed.
Karami was killed in a helicopter crash near Beirut. His helicopter was brought down by sabotage as part of an assassination plot. He was succeeded by Selim al-Hoss. In 1999, Samir Geagea and 10 other members of the Lebanese Forces, a Christian militia group, were convicted of Karami's murder and were given long prison terms.
Rashid Karami came from one of Lebanon's prominent political families. He was the brother of current Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami. Their father was Abdul Hamid Karami, a Lebanese politician who served as Prime Minister for a few months in 1945.
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