Dubai family reunited with Mexican relatives through Facebook

• Image Credit: Courtesy: Masri family
• Rashad Masri’s sister Rima and her children wear the Mexican hats sent to them by Yamille, their cousin.

Dubai: A Lebanese family based in Dubai has been reunited with their Mexican relatives following a series of chance encounters leading to a meeting on Facebook.

Rashad Asaad Masri and his sisters Boshra, Randa, Rima, Rabiaa and brothers Khaldoun and Rawad from Lebanon tried for many years to locate their cousins in Mexico in vain.

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My father Shafiq died in 1999. Before the death of my father, he told us that my grandfather Kasem got married again in Mexico and had three children — Manuel, Fareed and Elma.”

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Rashad Masri | Lebanese expatriate

Masri, who lives and works in Dubai, told Gulf News that his grandfather left Lebanon for Mexico in 1920 leaving behind his two sons — Shafiq and Asaad. “My father Shafiq died in 1999. Before the death of my father he told us that my grandfather Kasem got married again in Mexico and had three children — Manuel, Fareed, and Elma,” said Masri.

Masri said his family was originally from Al Kalaa Village, Mount Lebanon.
“My uncle Asaad never got married and died in 1959 in Venezuela,” he said.

“We had no chance to get to know our cousins in Mexico, we didn’t even know their names. We only knew that we had two uncles and one aunt there