Greetings,
I am trying to trace my husband Mohamad Kassem Said's family. The surname is "Said." Some of his brothers / cousins, etc. use the surname of "Al-Said" & "El-Said." His father is Kassem Ahmed El-Said who passed away this past May 2011 in Doha, Qatar. His grandfather's name was Ahmed Kassem El-Said. I believe he passed away in Lebanon at one of the refugee camps about 5 - 10 years ago.
The name "Said" is derived from an Arabic word meaning "happy." There are other variations on the spelling to include "Sayeed" & "Sayid" among others.
The information I have on the family starts in what was once Palestine in the Acre District, in the Village of Kuwaykat. My research indicates that the Crusaders called the village by the name of "Colcet." In addition, I am told that my husband's grandfather Ahmed, was an only child & that both of his parents died when he was quite young, leaving him to be raised by relatives, perhaps an uncle & his family. I am also told that one of the few relatives that Ahmed had, possibly an uncle or a cousin, killed a Turkish soldier & "escaped" to Cyprus & was never heard from again.
It should be noted that the entire village of Kuwaykat was "ethnically cleansed" by the occupation in 1948. At that time, the Said (Al-Said, El-Said) family were relocated to the refugee camps in Lebanon. A number of the family, including my husband's parents & children (I believe that there were 2, possibly 3 at the time) left the camps in 1954 wherein they settled in Doha, Qatar. To my knowledge, there is no one living in the village (family or otherwise) at this time.
Today, the family is far-spread to include the United States, England, Poland, Lebanon, & now Canada.
If there is anyone who has any information that I can add to what I have that is PRIOR to 1948, I would greatly apprecite your help. It would be wonderful to find new family!
Regards,
Kat. Turek-Said