“Humanism is the universal law!” » Omar Harfouch receives the 2024 Universalism for Peace Prize

It was with great emotion that Omar Harfouch, pianist and composer, was awarded the Universalism for Peace Prize, during the Iftar organized this Monday evening in Paris at the prestigious Hôtel du Collectionneur.

Omar Harfouch received his award from David-Olivier Kaminski, President of the CRIF Executive Board, and Patriarch Jacques III of Antioch and Jerusalem. The latter also announced to Omar Harfouch that he would decorate him with the Order of the Patriarchal Legion of Honor.

During this evening, very symbolic and placed under the sign of peace, many representatives of the political and religious world were present, such as Yael Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, Stanislas Guerini (Minister of Transformation and of Civil Service), Sarah El Haïri (Delegate Minister for Children, Youth and Families), Patricia Mirallès (Minister of Veterans and Memory), or even Jean-Michel Blanquer, former Minister of National Education.

Omar Harfouch owes his reward to his unfailing fight against anti-Semitism and racism, a fight that he waged tirelessly despite numerous obstacles, notably via a world concert tour during which, accompanied by his numerous musicians, he advocates a message of peace between peoples.

Born in Tripoli, Lebanon, Omar Harfouch experienced the horrors of war and hatred between religions during his childhood. A hatred that he has been able, over the years, to transform into love, as he recently declared in one of his concerts. His piano, under which he hid when he was little during the bombings, today serves him to transmit his message of peace throughout the world, as we saw in a video broadcast during the evening.

During this award ceremony, David-Olivier Kaminski praised the courage of Omar Harfouch, whose commitment has not dried up despite the obstacles. As a reminder, the businessman is fighting against the corruption of the Lebanese elites, who, to take revenge on him, initiated a trial before the Military Tribunal of Lebanon, which accused him in 2023 of having simply "been in the presence of Jews, pro-Israelis and Israelis" during a conference organized at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels. The charges have since been dropped.

David-Olivier Kaminski said: “I remember, it was June 21, 2023, the Senate welcomed us to pay tribute to Omar Harfouch. And I must say that we laid this first stone of the building, and that the progress was brilliant, rapid, so that Omar Harfouch could go to the UN General Assembly. Today, his worries with Lebanon are behind him. Finally, in a simple action we were able to demonstrate that by being simple activists, men who wanted to talk to us, we were able to break down all these barriers. So this evening, it is an immense pleasure to award Omar Harfouch this prize for universalism. Why universalism? Because universalism is respect and fraternity between men, wherever they come from"

Very moved, Omar Harfouch punctuated this ceremony with words that were both strong and touching: “Refusing to speak with someone because they are Jewish, Christian or Muslim is anti-Semitic and racist. I refuse to do this despite the fact that Lebanon does not agree. I am Lebanese, I remain Lebanese, and I defy the laws of my country, which in my opinion must change, because humanism is the universal law"