Daily Archives: October 10, 2007

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Returning to Naher al Bared "As Symbolic As Returning To Palestine"

The reverse exodus back to the ravaged Naher al bared camp has begun. A serious debate should start on what’s to happen next.


Coming back home.

The first 100 families of those who live in undamaged neighborhoods have started returning. The camp is now a shadow of its old self with buildings devastated beyond recognitions. But that did not stop 60-year old Um Akram Awdeh to see the return as a symbolic triumph:

“I’m so happy about going back, even if it’s to just one inch of what’s left of my home. It’s as symbolic as returning to Palestine,”

As the dust settles on this crisis, the attention will be directed to a problem that has plagued Lebanon since 1948: That of the Palestinian refugees and the universal refusal of the Lebanese to allow them to stay permanently in Lebanon.

One of the factors that will push the problem to the limelights is the imminent shortage in reconstruction cash. Only $37 million of the 382.5$ million estimated for reconstruction and relief have been pledged.

Politics will make this very issue explosive. If too little money is available, the government will be criticized for being inhuman with the Palestinians. If on the other hand, any signs of generosity were shown, the government will be attacked for wanting to nationalize the Palestinians, or worse for preferring the Palestinians over the Lebanese citizens who still haven’t been compensated after the 2006 war.

But among the Lebanese, an important debate has to take place: To the kids in the bus in the picture above, what does “home” mean?

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Lebanese Christians Attempt To Speak With One Voice

Lebanon’s most democratic sect wants to become more like its Muslim counterpart.

You can’t blame the Christian clergy for panicking. Now that the international press is syndicating articles with titles like “Christian Split in Lebanon Raises Specter of Civil War“, the guardians of the Maronite church are scrambling to save face for this once glorious and now beleaguered sect.

Very roughly, the problem with the Christians is the following: There is a cold war between the Sunnis and the Shias, but the regional stakes are too high for them to actually face off, so they do it via Christian proxies. In other words, the conspiracy buffs will tell you, the Christians have been divided to conquer each other. As a result, Sunnis and Shias will benefit to produce an nonthreatening President.

The above is not entirely imaginary. After all, it is Hariri (a Sunni) and Berri (a Shiaa), who are negotiating and trotting the globe to produce the next (Maronite) President. No one is really fooled by the “mandate” March14 Christians have given Mr. Hariri, and no one really believes that Aoun wants Berri to speak for him.

It is precisely that dynamic that gave momentum to Bkirki’s new initiative, which seeks to find common grounds for the Lebanese Christians. Both March14 and March8 Maronites have overlooked their differences and shown interest in reaching “something”, because both sides feel that they can change the rules of the game by speaking as one voice.

But is that a realistic outcome? And more importantly, is diversity really a disadvantage for the Christians?

It is a shame that in the Lebanese political paradigm, the diversity that has produced such rich debate and creative ideas is considered a liability that should be fixed. In an ideal world, it is the Muslim Muftis who should have been busy spinning off their constituencies.