What's Next?
Assuming that the implementation of either system is of the same complexity, which formula is better for Lebanon: confessionalism, or secularism?
It might be easy to look back at past eras in our history and say that confessionalism must be removed, based on historical incidents, but that alone is not sufficient. Other factors come into play that must be taken into consideration before banishing a "system" into the "failed" bin. This is a common approach used by some people when they say "the left is not good enough", basing their analysis on what has happened in USSR, Cuba, etc. Is that a fair approach? Is that enough to say that center-left governments don't work?
Confessionalism failed miserably in the past. The questions we should be asking are: what factors accentuanted its failure? Are those factors present today? If those factors aren't present, is it viable as a system in the long run? Is its alternative better for stability?
By removing the initial assumption, implementing secularism is much more intense and harder to accomplish than leaving confessionalism. However, if the switch is worth the effort, then the current "revolution" should continue - a change of personnel does not imply a changed nation. If the only formula that would allow Lebanon to "work" is secularism, then that should be taken by the horns.
If confessionalism is key, then Lebanese have to ensure that the current political and social environment is conducive to a secure and stable state. One negative aspect of this system is the possible lack of opportunity. I come from a minority that does not allow me to be more than an MP. I don't mind that, but what is interesting, is if my child is born here, in the US, he can become president, while in Lebanon, he cannot. If we are to emulate anything from the US system, it is this: equal opportunity. Can this exist with confessionalism? Confessionalism may make sects feel "comfortable" that they have some power, but it can also make them feel "threatened" if they don't have enough. How can we overcome this?
It is often said that a confessional system does not allow the "best man for the job" to earn his position. I won't get into that, but what I do want to mention is this: a secular state does not imply the people have one voice, or that the people themselves don't live in sectarian communities. Simplistically, it means that the civil status of an individual will trump his religious status. Is that dangerous for Lebanon? If so, how?
The main question that Lebanon has to answer is: How viable is Lebanon in its current nature?
Is the sectarian divide within Lebanese communities so strong that a confessional system is needed to keep Lebanon in existence? How much political energy will be used to sustain this system, instead of being used in other endeavors? If the divide is strong enough, would it be preferable to physically divide Lebanon?
Alot of questions ... some which may be insignificant, and others which may be relevant to the current nature of Lebanon. Should they be answered? Should time be spenting on studying the positives and negatives of the different governmental alternatives? Or is the current system good enough for there to be no need for this entire discussion?
Dangerous Incidents (Updated)
1 - "
A bomb exploded and another was dismantled in a Palestinian camp in south Lebanon. Political sources said the explosion occurred Tuesday night in the refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh, which in recent years has become a safe heaven for criminals and outlaws wanted by Lebanese authorities. They said a hand grenade was tossed at the home of a Syrian member of one of the Palestinian groups based in the camp, which like other refugee shantytowns in south Lebanon, is outside the control of the Lebanese authorities. There were no casualties but minor material damage."
2 - "
Three members of a Palestinian family were murdered and three others wounded in their home in the Beddawi refugee camp early Tuesday morning in what camp leaders called a "personal, nonpolitical settling of scores." Camp sources said that at "around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning, during an electricity blackout, gunshots and what sounded like a hang grenade" were heard by residents of the Tripoli camp."
3 - There is one more that happened in the north, unrelated to Palestinians. I don't have much information yet, so I'll update later.
Update: "
Zghorta MPs condemned clashes on Tuesday between members of the March 14 Youth and those loyal to former Minister Suleiman Franjieh. The March 14 Youth, in Zghorta to celebrate their victory in Tripoli's St Joseph University elections, were attacked with stones by Franjieh supporters as they were driving out of the town." Note that a brief firefight broke out.
Links of the Day
- Vote topples Canadian
Government- Christian party officials killed in
Iraq- State or No State:
Enough Lies!!- Hayyabina slams politicians over
fiefdoms- Babies to be freed from
limbo- 'Palestinian economy represents golden opportunity for Arab
investors'
- Morgan Stanley moves
Middle East- Malaysia, Syria strengthen
agriculture tie- How Europe is choking itself - and the
world- More Brotherhood arrests in
Egypt
On ... Stuff
Should we be chasing after national unity? What exactly is that? Does it entail leaders shaking hands and saying they agree today, or should it be the Lebanese who are willing to accept each other? More importantly, should Lebanon focus on national unity, or on socio-economic reform?
You've all heard the saying "No victor no vanquished." No winners, and no losers. Only Lebanon has lost. Should that mean that there are no debates and no controversies and no friction between parties as they try to do something for Lebanon? If one party does take the lead in some initiative, is that so bad?
Aoun currently
insists on national unity, especially with regards to Hezbollah. Let's hope that Bassil's words "We are genuine in the search for an exit of the country's political deadlock" are true, but Aoun's words "March 14 is our own house. The others were temporary guests ... they are welcome back at any time." make me wonder. Of course, a small part of the distrust I have goes back 3 years to an interview he had with Pat Robertson: "Hezbollah is not a separate entity from Syria. It is under the Syrian operational control. [He is 100% sure about that]".
If his opinion has really changed, then he should explain why. How else can he build trust in those who don't have it?
Last week the demarcation of borders was in the air, yet Shebaa was to be glanced over. Yesterday, it was bluntly
said that Shebaa was lebanese. Good. Finally it's out in the open, but will we stop in words? Or will documents, besides land ownership papers (which is what was used in 2000 versus the maps which Israel used), be displayed to the UN? What has happened with Seniora and Syria to change the current situation? We have a right to know.
A new development has been Mr. Houssam - will that degrade the Mehlis report? If his last testimonial is all a lie, was he not capable of lies with dealing with Mehlis and Lebanon? Look at what happened to Saddik. It will be interesting to read the report in December (which will be done on the flight back home). How will this interview be used later on?
We need answers and explanations. At least to try to understand why. This is how true national unity is built, not by shady deals and secret meetings. Otherwise Lebanon is just the same as it always was ... the only difference is that the Syrians aren't here.
Links of the Day
- Kiss of death for nut allergy
girl- Mehlis's Murky Past; US and Isreali Proxies Pushing the
Next Neo-Con War- Syria says ties with Lebanon
revived- Spain, Venezuela seal defence
deal- Aide: Peres may join Sharon
party- Arab miniseries takes on
militants- Sharon looks to sell Israel's
birthright- In Lebanon, Arab fighters are ready to die in
Iraq- Economic reform delay can send Lebanon back into debt
spiral- Saddam on trial: Ten reasons justice may not be
served- Charity cash for Palestinian poor was siphoned to suicide
bombers- U.S. Catholics Are Divided Over New Directive on
Gays- Study group spends £40,000 on proving that a hangover
hurts- End of the road for the
Bedouin
Starting from Somewhere
Can some of the politicians do more?
Yes. Here are four things they can do from the top of my head.
1 - Women rights. Check here for
more. It doesn't do to say "look at Nayla Mouwad and Bahia Hariri - they're politicians." or to say "our society is structured like this". Should religion influence how things are divided among men and women?
2 - Education. It is compulsary for children to go through secondary school. That isn't enforced yet. More public libraries can be built, and those that exist can be expanded. Teachers can be motivated more by getting paid more (600 $ in a private school and 400$ - last I heard - in a public school is not motivation). Interaction between schools, via sports, field trips, art competitions.
3 - Gay rights. The first politician that declares some need for this will automatically have my respect (mainly because he/she would know that by doing so, they have alienated other supporters ... assuming the supporters aren't "sheep" ...). Denying it is being blind. Using male hormones as treatment (which is what the UAE did) is backwards, and inhumane.
4 - Industry facilitation. Opening a company ... or even a branch ... is not easy work. Lots of opportunities lost with that, ranging from employment to taxation.
There are more, but these are just examples. Freedom comes in many flavors. We should always keep that in mind.
...---...
I rolled by on my bike, and it lay on the road, sodden with the tears of its hapless fate, which had erred by turning the squirrel right into death instead of left into life. The driver probably cursed his luck, and moved on. Blood had been sprayed slightly, yet I didn't even stop to wish it peace.
I'm staring out the window, yellow leaves trampled on the sidewalk, soiled by yesterday's rain. Something hollow here is growing again, an open cave I rediscover once a year. This year, partly because my family is on the other side of the world. Phone calls are just not enough. Home is not a fluid concept, and I've spent part of the weekend in my hollow room, letting music exorcise my demons.
I had an interview today, 8 hours long. I've been thinking of changing lanes, and if I get this job, I will. I think I will. We'll see.
It's strange. This year has been a good year. Only typical regrets. Some serious doubts. Some caused by memories I want to forget. I've forgotten how to do that.
Links of the Day
- What Iraq will look
like- Kuwait deeply dismayed over repeated Israeli violations against
Lebanon- Israel urges citizens to refrain from entering
Gaza- French Lessons for
Israel- Japan’s Kamikaze Pilots and Contemporary Suicide Bombers: War and
Terror- Harry Potter passes $400 mln at world box
office- Chinese decry toxic
coverup- Half a million flee homes after Chinese
earthquake- Iraqi prostitutes now live in fear for their
lives- At times, the spirit offers better results than the
letter
The Chase for the Truth, Part 2
*Drawing by Armand Homsi - Annahar
Nahla Gone?
Has anyone heard anything about
Nahla Atiyeh? Is the rumor that she has been fired from the Daily Star just a rumor, or more?
Links of the Day
- No wonder al-Jazeera was a
target (Robert Fisk)
- Lebanon to begin privatization of
EDL- Web site offers Saddam uniform for
sale- Gay Arab Men Face Hormone Treatments,
Lashings- India, China to bid for oilfields in
Syria- Police beat Azerbaijan
protesters- Police restrict voting in Egypt
runoff- Jackson to build a mosque in
Bahrain- In Israel, Likud crashes into
'walls of reality' - Arafat report 'broke BBC
rules'
The Mine Problem
While we continue trying to build a semblance of political independence, a sence of civic responsibility, while we wait for the Mehlis Investigation to move on, and for the international donor conference to happen, while we wait for people like Samir Qantar to be released, and for prisoners in Syrian jails to be given freedom, while we wait for Farran to be returned, there is actually one thing that we can continue working on now.
During the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon, the Israeli military spread landmines. That is understandable (though not condonable) from a militaristic point of view, but five years on, there are still over 400,000 landmines spread about. Israel should have maps of their locations in order not to risk a "self-goal", but has not and probably will not anytime soon provide the Lebanese government with information. Internationally, Israel is under no obligation to do anything since it has not signed the
Ottawa Treaty (which has a ban on landmines, unlike the UN
Convention on Certain Conventional
Weapons. Note that Lebanon hasn't signed it either.).
The Daily Star's recent
article says there are approximately 550,000 mines placed throughout the country, of which only
60,000 have been cleared. To be "fair", Lebanese factions also plaed mines, but the south has the highest concentration.
The National Demining
Office, along with the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for coordinating all humanitarian mine-related activities in Lebanon. One of its partners is the Mine Action Coordination Center - Southern Lebanon, which receives
funding from various countries and organization. A quick glance shows that UAE has been the most generous donor. A list of mine action projects in Lebanon can be seen
here. Some assistance was provided by
Australia in 2001, China is
preparing to do so in order to "fulfill its obligations under the protocol [on conventional weapons]", and the USA, which has provided almost 800 million dollars throughout the world, has given around
8 million to Lebanon.
Up till 2003, 1000+ victimes died, and around 1700 injured, but the number of victims has been
decreasing each year. Much more work is needed in Lebanon, and part of the reason for the time it is taking is the lack of proper funding (the amounts noted above are not enough). AUB is working on developping an infrared based
technology that will ease the danger involved the demining process. There is also work going on for an global ban on Landmines, since 40 countries have still
not yet signed the Ottawa Treaty. This post was mainly "information oriented" since I wanted to learn more about what was going on (some of the provided links have much more information and are very interesting), and all these different initiatives, although possibly lacking national momentum, are quite motivating.
Links of the Day
- UN Assembly blocks debate on
Darfur- Teacher accused of giving 'liberal'
quiz- Palestinian president opens Gaza-Egypt
border.
- Forward
planning - Moral stakes of exiting
Iraq- A Big Oil spill in
'Syriana'- The 50 largest
US charities- End of the Ashkenazi
era- Dinosaurs, evangelicals and the
state- Russian sacrifice:
Poland
Links of the Day
- Unfamiliar questions in the Arab
air.
- Putting a face on the Arab
world.
- The countdown to Black
Friday.
- China Defends Handling of Spill in
River.
- Up close: the reality of Iraq's hidden
war.
- Silent Steve: Little Oscar Marketing or Publicity for Spielberg’s
Munich.
- An American
Imam.
- France rejects job quota for
minorities.
- The end of the road: George Best 'enters his final
hours'
- France does have a drink problem, survey
reveals.
One Less Turkey
So today (well, yesterday, but I'm still awake) is Thanksgiving Day. Actually, to me it's a relatively meaningless day, but unlike last year, when I was invited by family and their friends, this year I had dinner with people more my age. During dinner I asked my friend what was so special about this day, and apparently most of the crowd heard me ... but none of the citizens could give me a convincing reason (besides the lines that are usually used). A Syrian friend explained it by saying that unlike the other holidays, this wasn't religious, so everyone could share it together, and that it isn't filled with commercial hype, in the same way Christmas is (which is overwhelmed by the issue of gifts). I like that reason. There was alot of food - turkey (with cranberry sauce, which I still don't understand), yams, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and halawet jibin (which the Syrian brought). The proof of my mediteranean blood was that I could eat while ignoring the warning signs my stomach stunned my mind with. The jovial conversation going on before the food was served was suddenly shut down for around 5 minutes while most of the Americans with us looked down at their plate and ate without pause. I found that strange. Part of the conversation was about Black Friday (November 25). This is the day the profit margins of retailers turn black (i.e. aren't in the red anymore). Some were planning on going down at 6 am in order to be there first. I won't be going down. I'll just wait a few weeks, then go down to Gilroy and shop for some clothes there. For me, a day or a month that is preceded by the word "Black" has a much more negative connotation than "shopping". Enough said. It was a good day, but all this food has to be burnt off somehow. In the morning I'll go jogging in the surrounding hills. Goodnight.
Links of the Day
I'm going to try a new idea, which, if works, will become a daily post. I'm aiming collecting a set of links that I find interesting, and sharing them with y'all. For those in the US, have a Happy Thanksgiving!
- Israel's message to Lebanon from above only adds insult to
injury.
- In blow to [Israeli] PM, B-G Univ. president joins
Labor.
- INTERVIEW - Syria needs democracy, tolerance - Muslim
Brothers.
- Iran President
rebuffed.
- BBC Perspective: Are you a Christian in the
Middle East.
- Huge new wave of blogging in
China.
- A son's jihad reaps only bitter
teardrops.
The Lebanese Differential Equation
Ok. Quick review for those who have forgotten, and a short introduction for those who never dealt with it. A differential equation, in its simplest form, relates the present to current inputs and to the past. It's the foundation of mathematical sciences (for example, it defines classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, circuits, optimization, chemical reactions, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, etc.), but besides all that, it is also used to model visual effects (by companies such as "Industy, Light, and Magic" and Pixar) in movies such as Monster's Inc. (remember the scene with the doors? all differential equations), and is used in both economics and sociology (there are computer programs that simulate social networks and growth of communities). It includes feedback loops and time-variant relationships. In short, it explains every dynamical system, and one can even go as far as saying that life itself is simply a differential equation (albeit an infinitely complicated one).
So what is the Lebanese Differential Equation? It is a system of nonlinear equations consisting of multiple variables (as well as their n-th order rate of change) and time-varying coefficients. It can be used to define the breakdown of Lebanese society (by knowing the breakdown, you can also model the cohesion) as a function of America, France, Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Collective memory, social inequalities, Hezbollah, Aoun, Lahoud, Jumblatt, Hariri, Seniora, etc. It models the dynamics of Lebanon, and allows the approximate understanding of the effects each of its variables has.
This dynamical system becomes harder to model if more details are to be retained. Yet at a certain level, it is necessary. Too many of us, myself included, have been guilty of putting forth an opinion based on our own observations and understanding of what we have seen and read, but such experiences are not comprehensive enough to accurately model much. With an explicit model, we would be able to understand what effect Western "advice" has. Would it increase the breakdown of the Lebanese state? A simple dynamical system with positive coefficients predicts that it would exponentially increase. That doesn't seem to be the case. Other inputs and other relationships counteract such an increase, possible by damping the result. Or maybe that coefficient is simply negative.
This is where the government would come in. It's optimal action is modeled as an input that would minimize the breakdown by counteracting and possibly limiting the other inputs, and by damping past changes. With constant inputs (this is a reasonable approximation with a short time frame), a steady-state solution would hopefully be reached, but that does not imply stability, since a sudden impulse might throw the system into disarray, in which the output would not decay back to a finite value. Stability would only be obtained if the government would actually be able to control the effects the different inputs have, or if it could actually limit them.
Mustapha
discusses how the government is not doing enough. Assuming we can model the entire social and political dynamic system that we call Lebanon, we can then compensate for the inputs (be it America, Israel, Hezbollah, Syria, Aoun, Jumblatt, etc.). But there will always be sporadic jolts to the system, such as the Mehlis Report, Bashar's recent speech, Hezbollah's attacks, Israel's current political shakeup, which could completely rearrange past relationships. Should the government's job be only to react? Or should it attempt to change the system itself so that its input is dominant and so the intervariable coefficients are under its control? This is what the government is lacking.
The past does affect the present, in the same way the present will affect the future. Predicting this, considering that we do not know the future inputs, is an estimation problem, and is considerably difficult. I had no idea, when I jotted down two years ago that "Disregarding the aftershocks on regional and world politics, the loss of life is enough to make all of us shed at least one tear" with regards to the Iraqi invation, that Iraq would turn into the nightmarish quagmire it is today. That may be an extreme example, so let's look at Egypt. The US has been trying to promote rapid "democratic change", but has begun to back off because of the
strong gains the Muslim Brotherhood has made. Simply put, they incorrectly modeled the dynamical system. And now they are attempting to correct it by reducing the magnitude of their input (in this case, interference). Will that be successful? Time will tell. A key point to keep in mind is that seemingly benign inputs today may blow the system up tomorrow. It isn't logical just to compare two ills and then say that the "less dangerous one" is the one we will support, without fully understanding their effects.
So does the Lebanese model exist? Not yet. This blogger does not have the time nor the information to even attempt such a gargantuan (and probably impossible) task. But even if people did have the time and the means, they simply do not have the information. A fundamental source of information that would shed the initial light on the coefficients of interdependency are unknown, simply because a
census has not been taken since 1932. Lebanon can't even be approximated. Who can understand the basics if a comprehensive census does not exist? We each have our own theories on how Lebanon would react to different events, and some may be closer to reality than others, but who can know?
Yes, such a census may reveal shockingly disproportionate demographics, and would reveal surprising social inequalities, but that should come in second place when compared to understanding the Lebanese dynamics (apparently, Jordan publishes the population size in the newspaper ... on a daily basis). With the foundation a census would provide, and with more detailed analysis, Lebanon might be understood in terms of an approximate model. The government's job is to attempt and manipulate that model in order to minimize the result - which is the breakdown of Lebanon. The alternative is to continue doing what we do now - second-guess those that have destructive and constructive influence, and then just sit on the sidelines and wait to see how close our guesses were.
Apologies for the mathematical analogies ... tomorrow is Thanksgiving ... I had an hour to kill before leaving town ... and ... what better way to spend it than to write something that intertwines two things I enjoy.
Open Your Eyes
I watched
Vanilla Sky around 3 or 4 years ago. I had come out dazed with its ideas and images, but after some thought, it turned into an empty shell. I was told that the original
Open Your Eyes was a much greater movie, and now, I finally agree. I've forgotten the soundtrack for
Vanilla Sky, but the music in
Open Your Eyes was mesmerizing. It is this music that always gives a great movie the extra dimensions, and when I was younger, I would never really concentrate on it. It was just "background", and although I probably did react unconsciously, it was never anywhere near as important as the dialogue or the acting or the cinematography. That changed when I started watching movies with I.H., currently a musician studying in Paris, who would always make it a point to share the hidden story that was only found in music. Music has now become a conscious and effortful act when watching movies, and the experience has morphed into something on a much higher plane. Even the lack of music, as in
No Man's Land, provides the details and a life not found in the film. In some movies, such as
The Red Violin and
The Legend of 1900 music is one of the essential characters, and in others, such
Schindler's List, it has a much more subtle role, and without it the movie would be almost meaningless.
Garden State is defined by the chosen soundtrack,
Lord of the Rings is just another fairytale without the sounds of John Williams, and
Catch Me if You Can shares the tale of the lone counterfeiter with the tunes of the lone saxaphone. The purpose of film music is to let you understand the story before you even know it, and can turn something which is potentially passive, into a uniquely enjoyable hour and a half.
A Letter from Abroad
A
letter from Israel.
Six Million ...
... is a number I don't comprehend. Yet every one of these
people fully understands it.
Hunger kills 6 million children a year. In 1996, leaders met at the World Food Summit to try and reduce such deaths in half by 2015 - yet it seems that such an oath will not be met. Developping weapons is a much more profitable business than developping lives.
This is truly a forgotten and ignored crime that is still being committed. Is it the effect of globalization? I don't know, and I actually don't care, because there are obvious ways that this can be dealt with through funding, even with globalizaiton.
I won't bluntly compare this to another crime against humanity, in which 6 million people were slaughtered, because that would be "tasteless". But the slaughter that is hunger is not ignorable either.
The New Barbie
First there were the
Egyptian Comics. Then came the
Shamsoon. And now ...
Fulla: The Arabic Barbie Girl. She comes dressed in a abaya or a full-length robe. You have over 200 accessories to chose from.
Another Picture
of Ibdaa.
The 86 Year Divide
Proclamation... Our military operations have as their object, the defeat of the enemy and the driving of him from these territories. In order to complete this task I am charged with absolute and supreme control of all regions in which British troops operate; but our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators... Your citizens have been subject to the tyranny of strangers... and your fathers and yourselves have groaned in bondage. Your sons have been carried off to wars not of your seeking, your wealth has been stripped from you by unjust men and squandered in different places. It is the wish not only of my King and his peoples, but it is also the wish of the great Nations with whom he is in alliance, that you should prosper even as in the past when your lands were fertile... But you, people of Baghdad... are not to understand that it is the wish of the British Government to impose upon you alien institutions.
This was not written in 2003. This was written in 1917.
In 1920, there was an insurgency in Fallujah. The British inflicted heavy attacks on it.
The analogies go on, and on, and on ...
Connecting the Dots
It has been a while since I've posted about Lebanon - other events made the political haggling seem trivial - with only one
exception. To call up an old cliché, Lebanon's "political winds have not stopped blowing", and days after Bashar's infamous
speech, it is interesting to note the continual divergence and convergence of the paths people are willing to take.
In a few days, Lebanon will have its
Independence Day - our independence from the French (which I just had a barbeque for). In April, people will celebrate another independence - from the Syrians - and in May some already celebrate independence from Israel. Regardless of the day you think is most important, it has been 62 years since the first one, during which Lebanon has been burnt several times over. Claiming that history does
repeat itself - although partially true - gives free rein to thinking that "there is nothing we can really do" - so for now, assuming a historical "veil of ignorance" might be more productive. The question we should be concentrating on is: Is Lebanon taking a turn for the better?
Reading certain media outlets gives the impression the answer is yes. Some bloggers also seem to
agree, and others
outline what may happen to Lebanon in the near future. Excluding the danger of Syrian retribution, political divisions are being engraved by personal aspirations, dreams of Lebanon's future, allegiance to foreign powers,
ideological hubris, socio-economic instability, real (and perceived) correlations between sect and class, etc.
With all this as a backdrop, it is interesting to visit our southern "neighbor", and look at Israel's new Labor Party leader, Amir Peretz, who is a Moroccan born Israeli. In Jewish classifications, he is a
Mizrahim. Mizrahims are at times classified below other groups of Jews (and just above Arab Israelis), and are deprecatingly called "Tribes of the East". As evident in Israeli media, and as voiced by some Israeli acquaintances, there is rising racism aimed at Peretz, simply because "he who is below should not be above". Yet, he was able to make it. How will our system allow the less fortunate to make it? It is so easy to divide our society along concrete lines, as some have. The Maronites are the leaders, the Orthodox the intellectuals, the Sunni the business owners, the Druze marginal, and the Shiite ... well let's just say the Shiite are looked down upon because "they don't voice their opinion against Hezbollah", although a slight scratch tears this veneer and reveals deeper veins of condescension. If Peretz succeeds, he can revolutize the Labor Party. Will the FM or the PSP or the FPM let a Shiite become leader any time soon? Or are their leaders, advocates of democracy, in their positions for life?
At this moment, the Shiite have only a couple of representatives. Others had tried to emerge during the elections with no success (one was accused of being a CIA agent). Because of this, it is extremely easy to equate the "Shiite community" with Hezbollah - and people find it "logical" to just coagulate them together in their analysis, which is in itself a fundamental flaw in political reasoning. Currently, Hezbollah has the only Lebanese militia. Ignoring the fact that others who were once in militias (during the war) still have their weapons (and that several months ago, some stated that they would be willing to use them agains "certain factions", and that hordes of weapons have been found with other groups), the militant arm of Hezbollah must be disarmed, if only to provide the perception of a fairer playing ground (although there are more reasons). This could effectively force Hezbollah to restructure itself in order to strengthen its political power base. It is also hard to ignore that Hezbollah has taken several wrong turns, with an apparently blatant disregard to the direction it is pulling Lebanon - something that lead to a possible
comparison with the SLA. There is also the constantly nagging fear in certain circles that Hezbollah wants Lebanon in the image of an Islamic Republic, and that negating confessionalism would allow Hezbollah to become a political majority. Statements like "we don't want to be another Iran" are already rife, and on a more subtle level, comparisons to the recent advancements of the
Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt are being put forth. This criticism does not reduce the governments responsibility towards villages in the south, in which Hezbollah, unlike the government, does actually have a comprehensive social network. Because of this, constantly attacking Hezbollah without offering a viable substitute is tantamount to providing even more of a reason for Hezbollah to continue along its current stance.
As a result of Hezbollah's "extremist nature", and their "disregard for democracy", a percentage of Aoun's supporters (and those who don't support him) are slightly uncomfortable with his current
relationship with Hezbollah, but for many more, "Aoun jeyih min allah", and thus the reciprocal courtship poses no internal conflict. An
economic explanation has been put forth, which others have (correctly or incorrectly) noted is one-dimensional. The post's explanation follows along the lines of the Marx-Engels perpective that history is put in motion by economic forces, but the past 100 years have shown that other social and psychological factor play a role. The economic drive may be there, but it should also not be forgotten that the facets of human behavior are not coplanar. The apparent strength of Hezbollah (due to arms), and the fears people have with regards to these arms, as well as the rising dominance of Sunni politicians has led to a continued disenfranchisement of Christian groups (whether their fear is real or perceived is inconsequential), leading the Patriarch to issue certain reproachable statements several months back, to his more "nationally oriented" one a short while ago, and his much more recent call that "Christians Unite", which to some may seem pertinent given, among other things, the recent student
outbursts. Gemayel is trying to rise again through the Kataeb, although a fan of his father's recently told me that he "isn't going about it in the right way". Although leaders may not voice this publicly, a large part of the Christian constituency (I should actually be more specific with regards to the sect ...) insists that Lebanon is a "Christian nation", a statement at complete ideological odds with their worries of an Islamic one.
Anyone for secularism?
It seems that several leaders are trying to cross sectarian lines to unite for common causes. If this is done for reasons other than personal aspirations, I will applaud them. But keep the ratio of leaders to people in perspective when we announce that this shows the "healing of our wounds". Reality doesn't hide itself too well, even if you do live outside the country.
What about the West's "positive influence"? It is interesting (and easy) to try and pose Lebanon's crisis in terms of international flows - the battle of East and West. The clash of civilizations. The Islamic Jihad and the Christian Crusades. Things can make sense, in the same way things made sense in the 70's under Kissinger's enveloping view of world as a function of the Cold War, which completely and erroneously negated regional factors. Arabism is a
concept that has to be dealt with, if only because it is constantly in the air. Some circles excessively try to
undermine the West, and these circles have become easy targets for those who insist that there are only two choices. It has been said that the West
aren't the ones who supply weapons to militias, but there is a cycle here that can't be ignored. All forces push and shove, and weighting them according to immediate and current dangers, which might be a seemingly logical approach, takes away from the idea that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Attacking one side of the coin - even if that side is more dangerous in present times - ignores that both sides belong to the same coin. There aren't many Lebanese fans of
Angry Arab, but he hit on something when he wrote: "The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan gave us the Taliban. The American occupation of Saudi Arabia gave us Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. The Israeli occupation of Lebanon gave us Hezbollah." Saudi influence also exists - there are others who are in a better position than I am to judge to what degree that influence exists, but it does exist - and downplaying it is either a result of partisan ideology, or because it is simply easier to blame other (possibly more negative) influences such as Iran. Of course, the ongoing violent discourse between some factions of Islam doesn't help, since it is spilling over into Lebanon, thus muddling the mix even more.
Seniora does seem to be ahead of the other political players in terms of action, control, and direction, and although I may share in some of the enthusiasm, I do not share in the emergence of trust, partly because of his past positions, among other reasons. However, it can't be denied that he may be the closest to becoming a national leader, regardless of how "nationalistic" other leaders (and their followers) may think of themselves. A national leader is not someone who appeals to all sects, but someone who is willing to have an agenda independent of sectarian lines. This might be a result of his business acumen, but that is only something history would eventually judge. He is one of the proponents of privatization (and is up against the usual groups), but if Lebanon is to become a player in the global market, one factor that has to be taken into consideration before the savy "pro-liberal economy" advocates jump in pleasure, is floating the Lebanese currency, which has been pegged because of its extreme instability. Are we willing to have it devaluate 2,3, or even 4 times?
And then, there is Jumblatt. The Jumblatt that lead people six months ago, the Jumblatt that has voiced his "Arabism" yearnings, and who nostalgically recalls the "great" Syrian days under Hafez Al-Assad. The Jumblatt of many faces. Because of his quick backtracks and propensity for changing lanes, Jumblatt has been said to be
destabilizing. His sly political antics don't always work for the benefit for the country, but he does have one strength that Aoun does not have - Jumblatt cannot be president. Aoun is in the States lobbying for something now. Jumblatt is in the Arab countries lobbying for something else. Whose lobbying will bring more to Lebanon (or to himself)?
There was a marathon a short while ago, which people portrayed as the will of the Lebanese to unite together. I will not downplay this, because in a certain light, this is true. We do want life to go on peacefully. Our main clashes lie not in thinking that "our" way is better than "theirs", but in not comprehending why there is a "them" to start with.
Therein lies our problem. Going past all the current political maneuvers, attempts for stability, and assume that all the leaders are truly working for Lebanon, and are willing to put behind them any personal aspirations. Ignore all the yesterdays. Today, there are fundamental faults in Lebanese social life. Sectarianism. Poverty. Class divisions. Lack of Freedoms. These aren't mutually exclusive, either, and the major flaw, which encompasses all of the above, is the lack of
opportunity. The current political "solutions" amount to nothing more than a quick fix, and a complete revamping of the system is also out of the question for now (as
Hassan points out, this can lead to anarchy). The lack of development - be it economic, social, democratic - is enough for a pervasive line of thought to dominate public perception of leader vs. party. Lebanese tend to support the man. The party is all "ceremony". I've said this before, but
Kais said it best in a very recent comment: "The fact of the matter remains that in Lebanon there are "leaders" and "followers". Real citizens do not exist." In the US, an individual may be a staunch Republican, but I have not met someone who thinks of Bush as divine. And this doesn't even touch upon the issue of accountability. Being even more cynical, it is fair to say that the high-end leaders are working only for their personal gain. Everything that has happened can be understood from that selfish angle. Should the citizens be that marginal? Some will say the government cares - they just funded 3,000 LL for the diesel. But it was just declared yesterday that this may result in an increase of the VAT. I will also remind you of the case of
Farran. Assafir just had an article on this a couple of days ago describing how his body has still not been found, and how his family has given the government a letter asking for some sort of inquiry. Some fisherman were taken today by the Syrians because they crossed the boundaries. What about the prisoners in Syrian jails?
Since injecting new blood into the system is difficult, and since the most influential politicians are the ones who have sheep as followers (although not all followers are sheep), a different path has to be taken by the citizens. This time, I won't end my "rant" without some sense of action. In my mind, change in Lebanon will not mainly be instigated from political levels. It is easy to say that X and Y are united, and thus Lebanon is now in a stage of national unity. However, that negates the power of perception - perception of being a victim. And these are defined by different lines. Lebanon is a social time bomb. Making it politically stable does not imply much, unless that stability is built on a solid social foundation. Look at
France.
Social change is generational. Bringing adults together for round-table discussions in an attempt to break through misguided perceptions will not do much, since this change has to be instigated with children. Fear of the other is not something to be taken lightly, yet it is constantly overlooked. How can it be eradicated? How can social networks be expanded past communal fault lines? I could quote the sectarian conversations and hateful comments I've heard by people who also claim that they "have Muslim friends" or "have Christian friends", but there is no need. What about children? Can't something be done at that stage in their lives, when still in elementary? Can't schools partner up with other schools in different districts - a sort of "sister" relationship, which could include "penpals", and possibly a yearly field trip? What would this do? For one, it would break down walls. It would give the "other" a human face. Would it change the current structure of society? I don't know. I do know that it wouldn't hurt. There have been examples of this in South Africa (after apartheid) and in Afghanistan (between different tribes) - with positive results. How positive these results are will only be known a decade or two later, but we have to start our steps somewhere. One thing is for sure though. Something has to be done soon.
They Gave Us The Choice
They slammed their feet on the ground.
They slammed their feet,
And ran across the stage -
Sways of purple blending with green,
Shimmering golden silhouettes with
Swirling black waterfalls -
And leapt, caught in midair,
Trapped in memories of stories told,
Drowning in tears and pains,
And in the remorse their grandparents
Never discuss, an image of peace
Seared in perceptions of death.
They beat their chests,
Twenty fists challenging history,
Clearing life’s scattered remnants,
Making something out of nothing.
They stood, flag raised, chanting
For their rights and for their homeland,
Simply asking for solidarity and not charity,
For equality and not pity.
Their youth brought with it color
To age’s dusty vision,
Children lecturing adults.
They gave us a choice, they said.
They gave us the choice between death and death.
They gave us this choice,
And we chose Life. We chose Life.
IBDAA
To Create Something Out of Nothing
I just finished watching
Ibdaa perform. It is a "grassroots organization providing social, educational and cultural programs for the children ... in Palestine".
It was inspiring.
I've posted quite a bit over the past several days, but this is a must. Here they were, barely teenagers, out to show the world that Palestinian children can do more than just "throw stones". They had their cause, and they wanted the world to understand it.
We need more of this, regardless of the cause they sponsor. I have posted several pictures below. I will not post for the next few days, in order to leave these pictures as an attestation of the power the social aspects of life can bring, in a time when we are being drowned in political nuances. They are a sign of hope, a growing olive branch that brought smiles and tears to the audience. They are what I wish this life was about, and for now, I am satisfied with the acknowledgement that there are some people out there, who are willing to wade past their constraints, and "to create something out of nothing."
Searching For What Others Have Said
A while back, I decided to deviate from the things I usually do, and read what some intellectuals written on justice, and its derivatives. I was pointed towards Rawls, Nozick, Sen, and Pogge. There's a very short comment on each below.
Nozick and Rawls swim in theory, each from their own base. Nozick's
Anarchy, State, and Utopia concludes with the ideas that
A minimal state, limited to the narrow functions of protection against force, theft, fraud, enforcement of contracts, and so on, is justified; that any more extensive state will violate persons' rights not to be forced to do certain things, and is unjustified; and that the minimal state is inspiring as well as right. Two noteworth implications are that the state may not use its coercive apparatus for the purpose of getting some citizens to aid others, or in order to prohibit activities to people for their own good or protection.
Rawls'
A Theory of Justice has its virtues ... and its vices ... and something that has always been on the critical end of my view on it is its applicability, and how in "touch with reality" it actually is.
This is where Sen comes in with his
Development as Freedom, and challenges the idea that "development" is judged with economic factors. He argues that development is "a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy", and on a more practical level than the above two authors, specifies that the types of freedoms can be categorized into political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, trasparency guarantees, and protective security. In his chapter on "Freedom and the Foundations of Justice", he, among other things, takes on Rawls and Nozick.
And finally, Pogge - a dependancy theorist. Although he is not against free trade, in his book
World Poverty and Human Rights, he attacks the differential bargaining power that globalization brings, and the effect it has on poverty. Fifty percent of the world live with less than the World Bank 2$/day line, and a quarter of the world with less than 1$/day. He sees the deaths caused by poverty as one of humanity's worst crimes, and his comparisons are on the level of the Holocaust.
These are interesting reads, each in their own way, but ... I feel I'm back to square one ... the questions I had are still left unanswered. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places. Maybe not.
I guess for now, I'll just go back and do what I usually did.
Koreans Unite ...
... against Mubarak.
This has to be the strangest set of politicial images I've seen in some time ...
Conspiracy?
A few days ago, I read that there were some evacuations of Israeli citizens from Jordan before the attacks. I dismissed the notion as just another crazy conspiracy. The past few days, I've found certain articles claiming that the Radisson Hotel bomb was planted in the ceiling, as both
Reuters and
The Belfast Telegraph did. Maybe this was common knowledge at the time, but I hadn't heard of it. Blame Israel for it? I don't think so. An inside job? I also don't think so. But if it is, that might add another dimension to why 11 advisors just
resigned.
Addendum: Aljazeera says that Abdullah II dismised them ...
Palo Alto's Yuppies
In the middle of Palo Alto, there is a giant egg ... made of circuit boards.
For those who don't know, Palo Alto is almost in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. Hewlett-Packard (HP) started out and is based here. Google is a five minute ride from here, and was actually developped a minute away. Cisco and Yahoo have headquarters within a fifteen minute radius. Startups rise (and fall) here almost every day. Palo Alto is right in the middle between San José and San Francisco ... and the money that flows between these two cities, through Palo Alto, is easily described with 8 and 9 (and sometimes 10) digit numbers.
Because of all this ... because of the almost free money being handed out by venture capitalists to "good ideas" and the powerful temptation of "making it big", Palo Alto, besides housing this egg, is also home to an uncountable number of
Yuppies. They surround you, everywhere.
Their "breed" is easy to find - among other distinguishing traits, they all carry a
Blackberry , and constantly make the obvious gesture of reaching out and checking it every several minutes. If you know a few, go out with them. Enjoy their conversation. It never touches upon politics - excluding of course office politics and political correctness. Besides reciting names of venture capitalists, technological ideas, web-based applications, latent jealousies towards those "who have made it" - although this last one will only poke its head once you have developped a "friendship" with some of them - the in vogue topic of the year is business ethics. If you don't know any, just go to any of the cafés and pubs - there is this new tea café that some have just loved to try - spot that Blackberry, and go up ... and ask ... "What does your startup deal with?" Have a camera ready.
What is interesting is that less than five minutes away from this demographic black hole is East Palo Alto - one of the most dangerous places in the States. Doesn't affect the yuppies at all.
Talking to some of them is truly interesting ... They want to make it big. We all do, in our own way. For them, Palo Alto is their base. It's where people with startups on their mind tend to gravitate. It's California's Bermuda Triangle ... and for that period of time before they actually make it or quit, it has enough to offer to make it yuppie heaven.
The Blame Game
Within the Middle East, it's everywhere.
But, I have to admit, this angle is new. Nahla Atiyah, in her
"The Discreet Charms of the Domestic Worker", takes this game to a level I never imagined.
She basically complains about a human rights lawyer from Bangladesh, who has said that Lebanon needs to control human trafficking.
So what does Nahla do? She forgets about the exploitation the lawyer is fighting against, and puts the spotlight on the workers. They have come to Lebanon to "make money, ten-fold" what they would make at home. They live among us using "clandestine ways" and "shy exotic smiles", living in an "intriguing underworld", and have the mentality that "cohabitation is an accepted social custom".
Human rights? What for? They are using us, right? They are taking our money, and our poor society is losing since the time when "our helpers were also Lebanese" is long gone. These foreign workers "spit in our soup" - how can this lawyer have the gall to speak about human rights?
Sarcasm - the weapon of those who know they have lost. Nahla ends with commenting on how her "Philippina" has spent "her first pay on a walkman" even though she came here "to send father to hospital and brother to school."
You have to love this holier than thou attitude.
I wasn't going to blog this. Nahla's view doesn't deserve the attention. But this blog is one way to get the nagging feeling off my mind. This post should have been written in rage. The Daily Star should have known better than to publish this. But the Daily Star is ... the Daily Star, and I have just learnt to accept.
To see the real plight of workers in Lebanon, to know that Nahla's deprecatingly racist point of view is no different than colonial attitudes who justified the existence of their colonies with the clichéd "we are more civilized than they are", all you have to do is go back to the story of
Sushar Rosky.
Look Into My Eyes
Outlandish has an interesting song (on Palestine) on their new album "Closer than Veins". You can watch the video
here, but reading the
lyrics would probably suffice.
Here is an excerpt of the lyrics:
Each day you wake in tranquility
No fears to cross your eyes
Each day I wake in gratitude
Thanking God He let me rise
You worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay
I worry about my vulnerable life
And if I'll survive another day
Your biggest fear is getting a ticket
As you cruise your Cadillac
My fear is that the tank that has just left
Will turn around and come back
...
See I've known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It's the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
Unfair, Unjustified, and Exceedingly Unkempt
I just don't understand how a
rumor of desecrating the Quran can lead to the
burning of 2 churches by 1500 Muslims.
And here I'm assuming that it WAS burnt, although it is being denied vehemently. As a policeman said,
"We don't know who is right and who is wrong, but the fact remains that hundreds of people today attacked two churches and burnt them"
Let's put aside this church burning act for a few seconds. It isn't the first time the burning of the Quran has led to mass revolts by people ... people who don't revolt against the deaths of Muslims by those
pretending to act in the name of Islam.
Maybe I just don't understand the concept of a Holy Book. But I think it's fair to say that there is something fundamentally wrong (to put it mildly) when 1500 people have the motivation to burn down two churches because a Holy Book was destroyed, but feel no urge to at least shout in anger when others have usurped Islam and used it as an excuse for murder.
Forgetting
There was no peace today. Not in the news. Not in those mourning the dead.
There was only peace in a walk I took a half hour ago. I was surrounded by red leaves, waiting for their chance to move on. I envy that they don't remember, since I keep proving to myself that I never forget.
Playing with Lives
I mentioned briefly at the end of a previous post that
May the souls of those who were brutally and pointlessly killed in Jordan today rest in peace.
Around 60 people were killed. Hundreds injured. You can watch the destruction
here. A wedding disrupted. What kind of memories will the people who suffered this have?
Al-Zarqawi's group, as expected, has taken
credit.
Jordanian
blogs have voiced their opinions, fears, and anger.
The only heartwarming aspect of this all, and I hesitate to use that word, is the solidarity of the Jordanian people. It is reactions like this which let me believe that T.S. Elliot was wrong, when he
wrote "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper".
But, I also worry. The coldheartedness of these terrorists - and in this case, there is no blurry line on whether they are or aren't terrorists - will only spread. I worry because these actions have become "normal" in Iraq. I worry because life has become but a word, and humans are looked at as statistics.
As one Jordanian blogger said, "Terrorists, go to Hell".
Akh ...
... it was truly ironic watching Bashar, in his speech, say the phrase "slave of his masters" ...
Some of his other quotes were
interesting as well, such as:
The truth is those people, or most of them, are blood merchants. They created a market out of Hariri's blood and this market makes money and creates positions. Everything has a price, every position has a price and every television hour has a price.
'I'll Burn Damascus to Ashes then Commit Suicide'
Apparently, those are Assef Shawkat's words, as well as:
I used to be one of the most powerful men in Beirut. It's impossible for me to be questioned by Mehlis or any Lebanese Judge. Me and Maher are ready to face anyone who dares to touch us.
You can read the article
here.
I have not made a comprehensive search in other news sources to see how substantiated those claims are - when I find out that they are baseless or true, I'll update this post.
However, it does seem as if there is some inkling of truth - especially when seen in light of recent
developments.
On a different note - May the souls of those who were brutally and pointlessly killed in Jordan today rest in peace.
The Lebanese Bloggers are Back
For their own reasons, they were off on a short hiatus. They're back, at lebanesebloggers.blogspot.com. Note the "s".
The French Pain
I'm impressed. Although I have had issues with
Amanpour's perspective on a few other issues,
this time she presented a realistic view of the inherent racism in French society.
Simplistically speaking, this rebellion (to be differentiated from "Intifada", which some media outlets have been trying to use) is a result of disenchantment, social unrest, juvenile delinquency ... in addition to the darker fringes of society, such as drugs and gangs.
Attempts by Sarkozy (the Interior Minister) to attack the underground economy of course did not help - but neither did the media's rendition of his statements in the first few days of this strife.
Having said that - this is not the way awareness should be created. Even though violent upheavals quickly bring ignored issues to the forefront (in this case, within hours), the negative social repercussions and political ramifications are not minute. It is also interesting to note that this is one case where
blogs are not helping.
You can read more
here and
here. As Simpson says in the previous link,
It is not enough to demand that these people drop their sense of themselves and fit in with the way France has traditionally ordered its affairs.
After all, this racism and "double standards" are the result of some of the more dangerous aspects of nationalism - more specifically, the concept that you can be related "by blood" to a certain country ... in this case, to France.
People around the world will be watching to see what effect the curfews will have. If they do work, it will remain to be seen what steps will be taken to, as Khalil Gibran said, pull the "decayed teeth … rotten, black and dirty … that fester and stink" from their base in French society, as it exists today.
Update: The New York Times has
op-eds on
this.
K's Frustration
Several years ago, I used to be confrontational with people when discussing the leaders they (blindly) followed, mainly because I just couldn’t understand the concept. I still don’t to a certain degree, but now instead of arguing, I usually just ask questions to try and understand their personal motives for placing different leaders on pedestals.
K, a very close friend, started our conversation by sending me an
article on Aoun, after which he commented (
Disclaimer: His opinions do not reflect mine.):
inno he's rubbing it in every Lebanese face … Aoun......he says he's against corruption and people who abuse power........and he's using all ways possible....even immoral ones just to become president … he's dying to become president.......he's like a child that'll do anything for ice cream … a guy who proposes to pardon Lahoud for Hariri's death should not be elected president by the parliament …
It went on, with me mainly listening to his outburst. After a while, and knowing his political tendancies, I asked “i don't understand how you can hate aoun so much, but still like jumblatt”
His reply was expected to a certain degree.
Jumblatt man is a seasoned politician.......he'll switch sides and try to appease everyone.......his predictions always come true.....he knows what he says … he has some annoying instances.......but all his positions have logical reasons to support them … when he says Syrian regime should not be changed....and that he's for Arabism........I used to get mad … but if you think about it........keep the Syrian regime.......put only the members involved in jail......but keep the regime or else if you change it you'll have a new iraq and it will spill over to lebanon......and when he says Arabism.......I get him.....he's trying to say Arabism is what will unite us instead of religious sects dividing lebanon......so basically he means we should think as one … people.......as Arabs
I interjected and said “he is willing to be a sectarian chief, instead of a national leader, he is willing to be the middleman, instead of the one making the important decisions ... his continuous battle with aoun is childish ... and uniting lebanese as arabs? why not just unite them as lebanese?”
He replied:
Aoun is battling with him........FYI … Aoun hates him because he can't stand having a powerful druze leader leading the way … true [about my uniting comment]......but he uses Nasser's Arabism as an example of how powerful Arabism can be......if it is applied right … it's enough Aoun said "Druze are a minority........Maronites are not......so we should rule....not them" …
I do understand where he’s coming from. I have mixed agreements and disagreements with his statements, which were discussed during our conversation, but his comments show the one-sided filter that people apply to what they hear.
K is the same person who told me two years ago that Jumblatt acted like a “Mafioso” in the druze community, by imposing “taxes” on personal businesses, and was the same person who told me after February 14, 2005 that Jumblatt is the defender of the Druze. I always saw K as "educated" – he lived in the Gulf, California, Lebanon, Canada, recently finished his bachelor’s degree, opened a successful startup company during his studies, and now is moving up the corporate ladder at a very prestigious firm – but his opinions reflect the classical sectarian denial. This is one thing in Lebanon that has to be amended, regardless of political change (or lack of). Ideally, these biases (and the attitudes/environment that allow such biases to ferment) have to be battled in most social circles – at the minimum, they have to be challenged in the “educated” ones, who are most likely to become leaders.
Then, K went on to say something which is key to understanding his frustration – and his bias.
as if as a Druze i have no future or right to become a leader of my country … Jumblatt is trying to kill that.......he wants anyone to have the chance … no matter what your religion …I'm a Lebanese.......but I can't run for president, speaker, PM, or head the army........that's why Lebanon is messed up......we're limited with a few leaders and the good ones can't serve because of their religion.......which is pathetic … that's why I hate Lebanese......how can i call my self a Lebanese when i'm not treated as a full Lebanese … 3rd class citizen
“how can i call my self a Lebanese when i'm not treated as a full Lebanese”. I don’t think K knew how eloquently he summarized the Lebanese conflict. It was at this time I asked him if he would mind my blogging the conversation.
Some things do have to be changed on the political forefront – the assassins need to be held accountable, Palestinian militias need to be disarmed, Hezbollah has to eventually give up its armed side (for which dialogue should at least start now) …
But let’s not fool ourselves. Let’s not kid ourselves and say that such things are necessary, without looking at other more fundamental issues. Let’s not just focus on the economy.
Let’s focus on the social fabric of Lebanon, with all its tears and creases. There have been quite a few “communal fears” that have been intentionally and unintentionally disregarded by different figures, who don’t comprehend that the effect of dismissing perceived fears are as dangerous as dismissing real fears. Let’s focus on the communal memory that has intensified some memories and diluted others, and try to work at making it less dissociated from reality. Let’s focus on the power of integration. Let’s focus on reducing communal ignorance.
K’s views can be understood from his personal biased and sectarian background, but his last few words were true. It isn’t enough to accept Gibran’s
words “You have your Lebanon, and I have mine”, without attempting to form “Our Lebanon”. The country may never be “Ours”, but as long as large groups of citizens feel like they are 3rd class, stability will always be more than an arm’s length away.
Messenger of Peace
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th
Dalai Lama, gave a series of lectures the past couple of days. One of them was a forum titled "The Heart of Nonviolence" which gave the audience a chance to ask questions.
After discussing different aspects of nonviolence, an expected question was asked - what about the Iraq War?
His answer?
History shows the Second World War protected the Western World - protected democracy ... The Iraq War - it's too early to say, right or wrong.
Maybe it is too early to say with regards to the Iraq War ... maybe the Zayyed Iraq Peace proposal would not have been enough to avoid war ... but it is not too early to say that the Second World War would have gone on a different path if, in 1936 (and even before then), a certain group of nations had taken a more "constructive" approach to Hitler's actions.
The basic premise that he based the above statement on - something that was apparent in a few other comments - was that certain sets of actions could be justified if they reduce future suffering, even if lives are lost. So to a certain extent, the end justifies the means.
Even though he is "one of the foremost spiritual leaders in the world", I respectfully disagree. There are always other paths that can be taken. Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. have already shown that with more effort, those roads could be found.
The French Cohesion
Jean-Louis Borloo said that
"officials need to react firmly to the unrest but that France also must acknowledge its failure to deal with decades of simmering anger in the impoverished suburbs of Paris" and that "We cannot hide the truth: that for 30 years we have not done enough."
I won't post much on this now (you can read more
here), but once again, I will refer you to a
speech given on October 4, 1963.
The goal of the equality of man which we seek is the antithesis of the exploitation of one people by another … this evil is to be shunned where it does not exist and crushed where it does … This very struggle is a struggle to establish peace, and until victory is assured … That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion.
How close are we to fulfilling his statements?
A Search for Priorities
I just watched two people – one Israeli my age, and one Palestinian twice my age – give a lecture on the Wall. They spoke about their collective resistance against this West Bank encirclement, about how some Israelis and some Palestinians have decided that enough was enough. No more violence. No more deaths. No more injustice. Their solution was a nonviolent and peaceful uprising – all they carried were signs. Fifty-five demonstrations later, only one had sadly been killed – out of the large number of rubber bullets the IDF used, a few were actually live ammunition. This movement, however, is not portrayed in popular media. Shame.
After watching them, and then later privately talking to them to discover their personal (and different) motivations, I couldn’t help but feel slightly ashamed. That might be the wrong word, but here were two people who had initiated their own attempt at creating a semblance of peace between the two cultures because they were frustrated with the hypocrisy inherent in governmental attempts. I look at Lebanon, and I can’t see such constructive social mobilization. If I “zoom out”, I see the same stories being written, although the details have changed. But I can’t keep complaining. I can’t keep discussing what is wrong in Lebanon, knowing that at this phase of my life, I don’t have the power (or maybe I don’t have the will) to instigate change at the necessary levels. Comparing myself with these two is probably not mentally healthy, but it is definitely making me think about whether I have my priorities in the right order.
Comic Relief
Too many things on my mind lately - maybe I'll get around to writing them eventually ...
In the meantime, enjoy the following. Thanks H.
An Ignored Crime
Here is an
incident that happened over a week ago. It hasn’t been given much attention – and considering the responses I got, some from people who are usually much more up-to-date with news than I am – it is safe to say that it got much less attention than it deserved.
Why should it? It’s only about a poor fisherman named Farran.
It’s only about a poor fisherman who went fishing one Saturday, and all that was found was a bullet-ridden boat which was claimed to be near an Israeli vessel. This is only about the disappearance of a Lebanese citizen, whom the authorities have neglected to follow up.
This can be seen in several angles. One of these is the lack of proper civil structure. Another is a social disease that has always existed, but is now becoming more pronounced.
Let’s just call it the
Savior Complex. It may even be a subset of
histrionics.
The Syrian Regime committed a crime, and for that, they must be punished. But within that chase for “justice”, there has been a lot of random noise: the Americans want to dominate us, Lebanon is becoming a Saudi stooge, the Egyptians would rather support Syria then Lebanon, Arabs have the need for dictatorships and thus are willing to sacrifice us, we should work with this group, that group, etc. There has also been a continuous call for justice for the crime – but in reality, justice should be blind with regards to the victim and the perpetrator, and only care about the crime. Yet no one has really cared about the crime on Farran.
The international opinion with regards to Lebanon is important, but some of the above noise has to be filtered. That, however, won’t happen until we truthfully seek to understand how WE view ourselves. If we can’t protect our citizens, then why should other nations, who are understandably working on their own goals, even care?
Update:Apparently, the government still hasn't done
anything.
Addendum: Kais has a great (and disconcerting)
post about other serious crimes in Lebanon, that haven't gained the necessary attention.
