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.

posted by Lazarus, 8:59 PM