or minds. Later on in his political life, Abdallah El-Yafi's political opponents brandished his thesis as a weapon of defamation to tarnish his reputation. According to them, he was not a "righteous Muslim" but a French minion who had given in to the French authorities—the colonial mandate authority in Lebanon at the time—in blaspheming the Islamic religion in reward of a "Doctorat d’État". These were aimed at ruining the honest image that he so carefully cultivated throughout his life. Personal life On 1 August 1937, in Damascus, Abdallah El-Yafi married Hind El-Azm, a Damascene from one of the most prominent political families in Syria. Her uncle was Prime Minister of Syria Jamil Mardam Bey. They have five children: Ghada El-Yafi (born 1939), a physician hematologist, who ran for Lebanese Parliament in year 2000. She has one daughter: Hind Kaddoura fathered by Mohammad Kaddoura. Nahila El-Yafi (born 1942) is a physician ophthalmologist. Children: Tarek, Hisham and Zeinab fathered by Hani Al Hassan. Aref El-Yafi, (born 1944) the eldest son, is an entrepreneur. Spouse: Joumana El-Yafi (née Noueiri). Children: Abdallah El-Yafi, Ghaith El-Yafi, Sara El-Yafi and Firas El-Yafi. Wassek El-Yafi (born 1946) is a physician cardiologist. Children: Jamil El-Yafi and Walid El-Yafi Ghias El-Yafi (born 1949) is an entrepreneur. Spouse: Leila El-Yafi (Née El-Azm). Children: Khaled Yafi and Tarek Yafi. Political career In 1933, for the first time, Abdallah El-Yafi ran for parliamentary elections in Beirut. He waded through the process because a good friend of his, Khayreddin al-Ahdab, was aiming for the same position. As the tension rose, Abdallah El-Yafi decided to step down famously stating "I will not sacrifice my friend for a parliamentary position". Abdallah El-Yafi eventually went on to become Prime Minister of Lebanon twelve times. He was appointed Prime Minister in the government of every Lebanese President with the exception of Fouad Chehab because Abdallah El-Yafi was opposed to the idea of appointing a military general to the post of Presidency. In 1947, Abdallah El-Yafi was appointed, alongside future President of the Republic Camille Chamoun, to the Lebanese delegation to the UN that voted against the division of Palestine. In the aftermath of the Suez Crisis, Yafi pressured President Chamoun to officially sever ties with France and Grand Britain in alignment with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's demands. He resigned along with oil minister Saeb Salam on 16 November 1958 in protest against Chamoun's refusal to do