The World Will be a Better Place Without the Arguileh Cafe
It’s a symbol of laziness, wastefulness and ignorance and a bane on public health. I will shed no tears for the demise of this horrible institution.
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 29, 2012
Blogging Lebanon
since 2005
Blogging Lebanon since 2005
Lebanon is not an Anarchy. The Law Still Means Something. (Updated)
A campaign admonishing the Lebanese to quit smoking in public placesOn the eve of the smoking ban in Lebanon, I think it is worth talking about an issue that a lot of Lebanese regularly misrepresent online and in their everyday conversations: Is Lebanon a country where the law is casually ignored and not enforced?
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 27, 2012
Is it Because They’re Poor?
There’s this theory making the rounds in certain circles in Lebanon and in the foreign media, which sees the events in Tripoli as simply the outcome of stark poverty and wretchedness in that miserable part of Lebanon. Many statistics are produced, about Tripoli having some of the poorest people in the country and the highest unemployment rate, to support this theory. This makes for a neat narrative, but I think this econocentrist view doesn’t adequately represent what is happening in the city.
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 25, 2012
No featured image
Clashes in Tripoli. Will There be a “Victory”?
This is not a post about right and wrong. I’m not here to ask who is to blame for the fights in Tripoli, or to rant about the powerless government and the sheer madness of urban populations lobbing grenades and missiles at each other. This post is simply to ask a question many of you are asking: Is there a point in this struggle? Is there a desired outcome in the mind of any of the two parties or is this just a mindless brawl?
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 22, 2012
Facing Lebanon’s Two Great Delusions
I hate to admit this but I think I’m coming around to the positions of Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Suleiman.
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 15, 2012
In Lebanon, an Accidental Experiment in Rule of Law
Michel Samaha’s legal troubles leave the political class scratching its head
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 13, 2012
A Cyber Attack Against Lebanese Banks. Virus Gauss in Context.
Yesterday, many of us read about Virus Gauss, the sophisticated state-sponsored virus that hit Lebanese banks. Most of the coverage of the virus so far was about its technical prowess and mystery. But to me the more important story was what the virus was after. In my new article in Al-Monitor, I put the virus in the context of the recent campaign against Lebanese banks. I also talked about why this virus matters to Lebanese citizens and policy makers
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 10, 2012
One Arrest, Many Questions
The arrest of ex minister Michel Samaha brings intrigue and many questions to the Lebanese political scene.
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 9, 2012
Each Lebanese Law Costs 1 Million Dollars to Make
Some back-of-the-envelope maths about how much it cost to produce each Lebanese law in 2011.
Mustapha Hamoui · Aug 7, 2012
