Lebanon: “Pity The Nation”
Lebanon is dying
‘Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation’ – Kahlil Gibran.
The above picture illustrates what can happen in a Lebanese street when a fight breaks out over parking space; a four-hour street war leaving three people dead. Members of small, well armed private armies roam the streets of Beirut.
Photo from article written by: Associated Press Writer Elizabeth A. Kennedy
Not only are Lebanese separating themselves from the Arab world, but when asked who we are, we answer with “ana Shia” or “ana Sunni” or “ana Maruni” (meaning I am Shia, I am Sunni, I am Maronite). Within the small country of Lebanon there are around 16 major religions. As if we could make ourselves any more complex, we specify not only if we are Arab or Phoenician, but what kind of Lebanese we are. This demonstrates how complex it is for some people to just say “Ana Libnani” (meaning I am Lebanese).
The separation within the nation has caused many disputes and countless deaths. Is it really that hard to just say you are Lebanese? – contribution from another blog
anne frandi-coory 