The Declaration Of An Arab Identity Of A United Lebanon

Syria and Lebanon are two dramatically different states with a deeply intertwined history. They were both born out of French interventionism following World War 1, and have experienced complex and strained relations ever since. The two nations have both experienced prodigious political turmoil since gaining their independence, with both suffering from civil wars and conflict with their mutual neighbor, Israel. The war and turmoil that has plagued these two countries can be traced back to various competing national interests, as well as a struggle for regional power. The various religious groups in the area have historically formed transnational advocacy networks with the intent of influencing regional politics. These groups have proved to of been a major factor in the history of both nations.

In document B it is stated that “ with a Sunni-dominated opposition facing off against an Alawite heavy regime… Sunnis and Alawites increasingly hold one another collectively responsible for violations real and percieved. This… has given rise to a grim, self-perpetuating cycle of sectarian violence.” In document C it is stated that “ Most of the shabiha are Alawites, and resentment against them run high: many people accuse them of killing thousands of unarmed civilians.” Sunnis being the majority of Syria, shows that in the end having a minority rule a majority leads to nothing good. This violence stretches to before the civil war, but continues to be a constant fuel for the civil war, as tensions between the two ethnic and religious groups never seems to lessen. Whether or not either side is right or wrong is not the point, as long as this conflict continues between the groups and the alawites stay in power, there will always be rebellion, which will always lead to harsh response. Overall, the tension and violence not only provided one of many catalysts for the civil war, but also a fuel source for

The perspective which I upheld about my childhood city of Tripoli Lebanon remained unchanged for the largest portion of my young life. Until a planned visit alongside my family in 2012. It would be only my second visit since my initial immigration to Canada in 2006. During this presumably safe trip, a vicious civil war occurred only two weeks into our vacation. Bombs went off, streaks of bullets zoomed by, televisions and radios blared as the extended family anxiously listened to the news. But that’s not the Tripoli I know. The Tripoli I know is the thriving markets, historic sites, crashing blue waves on the shore and close knit families and neighbourhoods. It’s the same Tripoli which has shaped my identity as I have been surrounded by a never ending learning experience

This does not mean to exclude those economic and other related institutions, but focuses this dissatisfaction on the political institutions as key to this process. This dissatisfaction is only exacerbated by the government’s inability or unwillingness to engage with this segment of the population in order to resolve the emerging conflict early in its development. Instead, the government ignores or even attempts to repress this expression of dissatisfaction, resulting in allegations of human rights abuses, among other symptoms. This only fuels a greater desire for secession in this marginalized and underrepresented segment(s) of society, as secessionism is seen as the only option available for the group to alleviate the injustices it feels is levied against it. This results in a “balkanization” of ethnic and religious groups as the

Syria is currently all over the news regarding what many have to come to see as a civil war. A term like civil war needs to identify the players and the reasons for the war. In this case the players are being identified as pro government or antigovernment with a Sunni or Shia overtone. Sunni and Shia are the two major sects of Islam and both have a historical based conflict going back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad and how Muslims should be governed. This conflict has caused tensions and violence to flare up throughout Islamic history. This conflict has carried into modern times and has becoming a rallying point for Muslim people calling for change with their government and across the Middle Eastern region. The

From Lebanon and Syria to Iraq and Pakistan, many recent conflicts have emphasised the sectarian divide, tearing communities apart.

In this day and age, we find ourselves at odds with our “identity” as we find that not only are we representing ourselves, but we also have ties to religion, sect, tribe, and family (Angrist). This shows that despite the cohesiveness and threads that attach us, it has the power to pull people, families, and in some cases countries apart. This conflict comes to a head when religion and ethnicity are interwoven. Hence when divisions occur, this can lead to violent wars that destroy trust between individuals. This can ingrain a sense of uneasiness and distrust that plagues people’s ideas and leaves a country divided. This is particularly evident in Lebanon. Ethnic and religious division led to the festering of feelings of marginalization and discrimination, which boiled over into the Lebanese civil war, a war that claimed the lives of 150,000 people (Szekely). The anger and frustration birthed from this to chaos, and conflict has in turn increased the division between ethnic and religious factions and led to the crumbling of Lebanese nationalism. This essay is specifically aimed at assessing the relationships between ethnic and religious divisions in Lebanon and explores how it contributed to the civil war. This is done by identifying and analyzing the main actors and makes an explanation of the historical divisions stemming from the National Pact, branching out to include the consequences of the civil war on the political structures and the identities of the

In the mid-twentieth century, an Arab nationalist fervor overtook Syria, leading to a series of coups which would eventually install the ostensibly socialist Ba’ath party at the head of state -- a rule that lasts tenuously to the present day. In the chaos of the aftermath of European occupation the seeds were sown for the conflict that rends Syria today as a nation struggles to define itself outside of the context of both factionalist terrorism and the autocratic al-Assad regime which has reigned since that period. When Hafez al-Assad, father of current president Bashar al-Assad, came to power in 1970 he seized the whole of the nation’s political power, placing it firmly in the hands of his family and therefore those of the military

The Arab-Israeli conflict exposed Lebanon as a “penetrated country” (Tür 109-110) and for this reason, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) relocated their headquarters to Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut where they proliferated their attacks on Israel. Israel reciprocated back and this led to a civil war within Lebanon borders which disintegrated the army in Lebanon (Tür 110). Religious communities formed militia groups and fought against each other. Muslims fought against Christians to determine the political and religious influence of each group in the nation, Syria saw an opportunity to intervene and try to stop the civil war in Lebanon. However, their intervention only intensified Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon through the “Operation Litani” (Tür 110). Israel’s invasion led to

Lebanon is a small country in the middle east, bordered by Syria and Israel. Like most Mediterranean countries it has cool wet winters with hot dry summers, while the Lebanon mountains experience heavy snow in the winter time. Rainfall varies from region to region, but mainly falls in heavy storms from march to November. Due to the geography of the land the mountainous areas of the country receive considerably less rain. In fact some of the northern plains of the region are almost too dry to grow anything, so livestock is relied upon by the few villages that inhabit this area. All of the major cities in Lebanon, such as Tripoli and Beirut, are located on the coast making maritime plain and coastlines the most populated

Hizbullah, a main political party in Lebanon, is affecting the social world by promoting their ideological and political position. Although all the countries surrounding Lebanon are facing conflicts and war, we are still taking neutrality as a Lebanese government. However, Hizbullah are deeply involved in the conflict happing in Syria, leading a huge military action outside the Lebanese borders. Hizbullah’s General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah has always been a highly appreciated leader with substantial followers. His decision to support the Syrian regime affected the internal politics of Lebanon. However, NAsrallah’s political performances and his skillful use of political

The history of the contemporary state now known as Syria began with The Sykes-Picot Agreement between the French

July 2006 an unforgettable date for all the Lebanese and Israeli citizens, 12 July was the beginning of the visible war between these two parties and which was semi-finished in 14 august or in other words after a month from its beginning.one of the main reasons behind letting the volcano between these two parties to explode is the reply of Hezbollah by firing rockets at Israeli borders towns and this was a because of a clear alteration of an anti-tank missile attack on two protected Humvees patrolling the Israeli side of border town. And this act resulted in death of some Israeli soldiers as well as adduction of some others and they were taken by Hezbollah, and Hezbollah refused to release any of them except if an exchange of Lebanese prisoners is done with Israel. Israel refused to do so and by that Israel didn’t hesitate to start a war with Hezbollah and decided to continue what she have begun with and started to fire rocket to Lebanese towns with no fear that she is harming citizens with no fault other that they are Lebanese. Hezbollah here didn’t also hesitate to calm down the problems but replied to the Israeli by firing more rockets on their towns and by that both Lebanese and Israeli towns were on fire. This war resulted in death of thousands of Lebanese citizens and hundreds of Israelis, since both of the two parties have used weapons which cause

When will Lebanon ever be at peace? As one problem is dealt with another rises and many places Lebanon are in trouble again. The latest problem we, as Lebanese, are faced with is the garbage problem. Living in a country without a president, for over a year, Lebanon has tried its best to strive forward and become a better place; however this has not been possible. Dumping garbage is not new for Lebanese, but over the summer it had increased drastically, developing into a crisis with no solution until now. This problem began with the termination of Sukleen’s contact and the closure of some landfills. The reason behind finding no appropriate solution is unknown yet, whether it is blamed on the people or the government, but an answer must be found since this crisis not only wrecks the image of Lebanon for immigrants, but affects the health of everyone living in cities surrounded by the piles of garbage. Broumana, Beit Mary, and Dekweneh are the known cities that are handling this crisis in the worst possible manner. Dumping garbage was one problem, now people begin burning them, and that is the worst solution that any man can think of. This garbage crisis has been going on for months and the government is failing at its job in fixing it. The best solution that all citizens should abide by is recycling.