This is an excerpt of the eulogy presented by Dr. Fouad Sarouf at the memorial service for Dr Jamil Talhouk:

“Jamil Talhouk was an excellent doctor in knowledge and moral character in all the phases of his life. Jamil Talhouk, with his pure instinct, rooted in ancient lineage and noble traditions, realized that the oath of Hippocrates, called upon him on the day he raised his oath to adopt it as a constitution and an approach, to allow his knowledge and experience to be available to every student, so that no one would be turned away from his door, and that he be of assistance, so that no hardship would discourage him from rushing to whoever was in need – For he who needs medicine, and for his essence as a human being and a doctor to prevail over all sectarianism, segregation or discrimination. The impact of this oath reinforced in him a correct understanding of the nature of modern society, and that science and social responsibility have become one in this era, intertwined and should be inseparable.

“Jamil Talhouk responded to the motives of pure instinct, sound understanding, and the sacred oath, the response of the noble Essence to the rays of light. He used to treat everyone in need and did not accept payment, and he often added medicine to his service, the price of which would be paid from his own pocket or from his pharmacy’s box.

“In his view, the doctor is not only the one who treats the ills that afflict people, but he is also a man who studies their social problems that may be inherited by the ills, and he solves them or seeks to solve them so that they avoid the ills and their consequences.

“He is an educator who teaches people that health is not only the prevention or abstinence of disease, but rather it is in the body and mind all in good state that allows a person to perform the best that he can for his family and his people, then he is in addition to this and that an accountant who knows thanks to what he has learned and practiced that people are the original capital and he will not dispense with them, no matter how rich and palatable natural resources are.

“Between the righteous ancestors from whom Jamil Talhouk descended and the righteous citizen to whom Jamil Talhouk became, there is a long and rugged road, whose bumps were paved with action rather than words, for he knew the saying of Ali, may God be pleased with him, “He who slows down his work does not speed up his lineage.”

“He eased his hardships and overcame his difficulties by serving without calling, remembering that a caller without action is like an archer without a bowstring. It is a path that he took from the glory of lineage to the glory of reckoning, so he was in the chain of life, a strong link that connectsbetween a glorious past and an honorable present, despite its pains and tribulations, from the height of his generation to farther horizons.

“This is a bounty that God bestows on whomever He wills and deserves from among His children. Didn’t life bless with what it did, by allowing me to get to know Dr. Jamil Talhouk intimately, and to know from one of his sons, cousins and his aunt who carried the message of love in Lebanon for generations, following a group of men who descended in me to the highest and most honorable status, but I felt that I had set out to draw this picture –  This image is that I have become a nobler and greater human being, if I increase the knowledge of his worth among men and thanks to him being an example to be emulated among the citizens.”

“We are the sons of the American University of Beirut, wherever the processions of life take us, we are honored that Dr. Jamil Talhouk was our brother and colleague, and one of the sons of the university loyal to its ideals and mission in science, service and good citizenship.”

“Dr. Jamil Talhouk was one of the few men who demonstrated sincere patriotism, a sound opinion, a determination to work and a love for the country. From the mayor of the municipality, to the prosecution, to the ministry, to opening the clinic and pharmacy, to the social services that he performed for his citizens, there was an unyielding determination and a man who never stopped moving.

“We pray to God that the biography of his life, his exploits, his virtues, and his righteousness, be a supreme example for us to follow, and a shining beacon to guide us in combining knowledge and virtue, between words and deeds, between adherence to an authentic heritage and embarking on an unknown future, so that we may be for our society and our country the best torch by which to light the horizons … In this way, we will be truly be the son of righteousness, raising the status of the homeland and the Arab nation.”