The number 20 is a round number, considered by some to be more beautiful than 19 or 18. Some say it represents a memory, something from the past, and therefore only matters insofar as it is beautiful. Not everyone realizes that the past is the present and the future. We cannot overcome the past; sometimes its burdens continue to affect our lives. Nostalgia is not tied to time, and how we express it may vary, but sorrow and pain are deeply etched within us. This is the case with those we love. They never leave us; they reside in the corners of our homes, and more importantly, in the corners of our hearts.

And what if we are speaking of great individuals who gave their lives for a cause? Can they be forgotten by time or place? The names of Bechara El Khoury and Riad Al Solh, among others, still stand as a memory from history and are deeply rooted in our present. Following them, there are many names: Presidents Bachir Gemayel, Rene Moawad, and Rafic Hariri... The list goes on. It suffices to mention the victims of the Cedar Revolution, for which Annahar paid a heavy price; beginning with the assassination attempt on Marwan Hamadeh, followed by the assassination of Samir Kassir, and then Gebran Tueni.

With Gebran, whose memory we honor today (12-12-2005), national sentiment is inseparable from professional and familial emotions. I mention the familial last to not limit Gebran to our small family or even to the Annahar family, because his impact reached far beyond: across the nation and beyond its borders. He fought alongside the World Association of Newspapers for freedoms; defending the profession, standing with the oppressed and the persecuted, and supporting the journalists who continually strive for greater liberty.

For Gebran, the past becomes the present. The freedoms he fought for remain a cause for every time and place. Gebran, who left 20 years ago, still lives in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. What is particularly heartening is that many under the age of twenty ask about him, seek out his articles and photographs, and visit Annahar to learn more about his life. Gebran is strongly present in Annahar, the newspaper they once attempted to silence. Yet, it resisted, expanded, grew, achieved and soared, achieving that historic headline penned by Ghassan Tueni on 13-12-2005: "Gebran Tueni is not dead. Annahar will continue."

Annahar, the newspaper of Ghassan, Gebran, and all honorable, patriotic and free people who defied death and oppression, has achieved global success, earning international awards and, earlier, expanding in the Arab world with the launch of its publication in the United Arab Emirates, while aspiring to reach more Arab countries and capitals.

Annahar strengthened its human resources and partnered with leading global companies to restructure and reorganize its operations  in line with its past, present and future, while firmly establishing its presence across social media and modern digital platforms.

This is the Annahar that Gebran, my father, dreamed of. We have restored the offices in their finest form, after he had designed and built them to be among the most prestigious in the world, before a devastating explosion struck on August 4, 2020, claiming hundreds of lives and destroying thousands of properties.

Gebran, on your twentieth anniversary, and I do not say in your memory, we celebrate all the love you planted, all the enthusiasm you embodied, all the courage with which you faced challenges, all the patriotism that accompanied your journey, and all the passion for journalism for which you fought your battles.

Gebran, my father: Twenty is just a number like all numbers; it signifies neither antiquity nor aging, but rather more determination, more will, more perseverance, more love, more passion, and more loyalty.