Why Lebanon Matters
Lebanon is approximately 40 percent Christian and 60 percent Muslim - that is if you count the Druze as Muslims, something they themselves don't do. Most people who live here - but sadly not all - have had enough of hatred and sectarian violence. They desperately want to bury the past. They spent the last 15 years learning to tolerate one another without going on rampages. Now they are moving beyond mere tolerance and are learning to like each other. It's so easy to break a truce. Much harder to break a friendship.
Beirut may not be the only place in the world where you can find a church and a mosque right next to each other. But it's certainly a more common sight here than anywhere else. No other country has so Christians and Muslims living in the same place that you'll regularly hear both Christian church bells and the muezzin's call to Muslim prayer downtown at the same time.
It's important to understand that the democratic opposition in this country not only wants Syria out, democracy in, and the remaining militias (Hezbollah and Amal) disarmed. Just as urgently they want to bury tribalism and hatred forever.
Hate is and has been Lebanon's weapon of mass destruction. That weapon was not a gun pointing outward, but a suicide-bomber's belt strapped around Lebanon's very own waist.
Some of the tent-city residents have told me their goals are not only national. The goals of some of them (but not all of them) also are global. They truly believe they are resolving the clash of civilizations here in Beirut by proving that Christian and Islamic civilizations can co-exist in peace and in friendship. Lebanon has long been a bridge between East and West. In the future it may play the crucial role of a peace broker.
But it is not going to work if Lebanon cannot become a mature liberal democracy. Dictatorships notoriously use divide-and-rule tactics to pit their enemies against one another. Syria has been playing that game inside Lebanon - and on the world stage - for a long time. Terrorism is only one of the sinister byproducts of that. War is another.
Lebanon's civil war drew in four foreign powers: Syria, Iran, Israel, and the United States. Those four powers are still simmering in a state of cold war today. Naturally enough, the two that are ruled by dictatorships - Syria and Iran - are also state sponsors of terrorism.
A victory by Lebanon's democratic opposition will deliver a blow against Syria, a blow against Iran's Hezbollah proxy, a blow against dictatorship, a blow against terrorism, and a blow against hate. I've said it before and I'll say it again: These people are fighting not only for themselves and for their own country, but - sometimes consciously and sometimes not - on my behalf and for my country too.
If you care about the people of Lebanon, if their victory - by no means assured at this point - over terror and dictatorship is important to you, please help us help them. You can donate as little as five dollars, or as much as you can afford. Every little bit really does help.
That is a beautiful symbol something the world must find if we are to survive this century.As you point out, in much of the world it would seem an absurb image, and often a dangerous image. Your lucky to be there as this happens, Michael. We're all lucky to be able to watch from afar.
Posted on 2005-04-26 18:08:30 by Jay D.Some have seen in the advent of Muslim European populations a potential disaster brewing: Eurabia, the conquest of Europe by the Muslims. This, of course, was the age-old dream of the Ottoman Empire, and the age-old nightmare of European Christendom. There are blogs devoted to warning of this possibility. The usual implication of such thinking is that this is an invasion to be repelled, for defense against the alien/barbarian ideas of the Muslim world.
But a democratic, peaceful Lebanon shows another way: Muslims and Christians living together in peace, harmony, and mutual benefit. We in the year 2005 have the Lebanese civil war etched so firmly in our memory that we ignore the century and a half of peace and prosperity before it that made their civil war so painful. This is a country where Muslim/Christian cooperation lived once, and appears to now live again. Can Europe and the Middle East both learn from Lebanon's example?
Posted on 2005-04-26 18:08:40 by Catfish N. C.Lebanon and Iraq have an opportunity to change the ME. Democracies can actually give minorities better conditions than authoritarian regimes if they are united. The Sunnis in Iraq may actually be playing Kingmaker in the future, with Kurds and Shiites both trying to buy their support. If the differing religious and tribal forces in Iraq and Lebanon can actually get along and make their Democracies work then the ripples across the Middle East will become waves.
Posted on 2005-04-26 22:13:35 by Daniel B.Wonderful fotos, Michael -- and a wonderful symbol, too.
Great comments on hate, and the four powers in a cold war. The dictatorships have GOT to go; preferably peacefully.
Posted on 2005-04-26 22:58:12 by Tom G.Typo alert: "No other country has so Christians and Muslims"
so MANY Christians.
Posted on 2005-04-26 22:58:56 by Tom G.Interesting pic. A good article on the state within a state that Hizballah created in Southern Lebanon: <a href="http://www.iags.org/hizballahland.htm">Hizballahland</a>;
Posted on 2005-04-27 16:39:30 by Jens C.Interesting pic. A good article on the state within a state that Hizballah created in Southern Lebanon: <a href="http://www.iags.org/hizballahland.htm">Hizballahland</a>;
Posted on 2005-04-27 16:43:45 by Jens C.That cross is great. It seems the media willfully ignores things like that.
My wife just spent some time in southern India working on Tsunami relief and was amazed to see Muslims, Hindus and Christians living, working and playing together everywhere she went. Whenever one religion has a feast day, everyone goes. She even saw pictures of a Living Nativity at a girls school where Mary was played by a Muslim girl and the three wisemen were Hindu. Rather a startling contrast from what one normally sees.
Posted on 2005-04-29 15:48:32 by Matt D."A victory by Lebanon's democratic opposition will deliver a blow against Syria, a blow against Iran's Hezbollah proxy, a blow against dictatorship, a blow against terrorism, and a blow against hate."
I wanted to have some questions to the author that I appreciate if he can respond on. When you talk about Amal and Hizballah, it seems that you are misunderstanding the reality especially after I saw the article "Hizballahland" suggested by one of the commentators. When you talk about them, you should not talk about terrorism only, but also about 90% of the shiite community that constitutes 40% of the Lebanese population (http://www.socialistworker.org/2005-1/535/535_04_Lebanon.shtml : Bush and his acolytes in the press had tried to link popular demands for Syria’s withdrawal to the U.S. agenda of extending its domination throughout the Middle East. But Bush’s demands for “democracy” in Lebanon are based on support for the Maronite Christian minority--which accounts for about 20 percent of the population. The Shiite population, largely considered to favor the Syrians, makes up about 40 percent of the population). In reality, Hizballah alone has supporters that are 30% of the population distributed in the south, Bekaa, Beirut and Mount Lebanon. So by what standards you are measuring democracy and how do you think democracy will be a blown for them? The actual truth is that if you get rid of the sectarian quotas imposed in Lebanon, instead of their current 20% positions in the parlament and other institutes, they (shiite) will get more. After all, the problem may be that they are Lebanese too and believe me, they are never (consciously and unconsciously) fighting for your country. I would appreciate if you explain (author) how you are hoping for democracy without considering 40% of the population? PS: I like the sign and I hope that everybody will see it as a sign of understanding and acceptance of the others.
Regards
Posted on 2005-04-30 15:18:25 by Samer H.In fact the friendship of christianity and Islam is a feature of bith Syria and Lebanon.
THese two countries might be in a political torment but there is no doubt that there are huge resemblances between their cultures.
Check out the following link. It clearly shows how muslims and christians live very well together in Syria.
http://www.damasceneblog.com/the_damascene_blog/2005/12/on_coexistence.html
Of course this is a feature of all countries where different religions have lived side by side for a logn time. THey have learned to coexist
Posted on 2006-01-20 13:31:57 by mark m.In fact the friendship of christianity and Islam is a feature of bith Syria and Lebanon.
THese two countries might be in a political torment but there is no doubt that there are huge resemblances between their cultures.
Check out the following link. It clearly shows how muslims and christians live very well together in Syria.
http://www.damasceneblog.com/the_damascene_blog/2005/12/on_coexistence.html
Of course this is a feature of all countries where different religions have lived side by side for a logn time. THey have learned to coexist
Posted on 2006-01-20 13:32:09 by mark m."Lebanon may be the only place in the world where you can buy a necklace with a Christian cross and a Muslim crescent moon fused together as one. What other country would even think of making something like this? I've never seen one before. But now I own two." PLEASE-- I want one! Would you be able to get one for me or tell me how I could order one? Thank you so much.
Posted on 2010-07-24 14:57:12 by Erica T.
