A re-assessment of the current situation in Lebanon

Since its creation at the beginning of this century, Lebanon has witnessed two major power struggles. The first one came about with its creation when the area’s Christians in general, and the Maronites in particular, sought to maintain the status quo by creating a country wherein their privileges are preserved and where power lays in their hands. However, it did not take long for the minorities in Lebanon to question that power structure and to actively struggle against it. Consequently, at a crossroad for the small nation, the Lebanese split. The Sunnis, Shiites and Druze turned their backs on their brethren and joined the Palestinian cause in the 70’s effectively starting what would be later known as the Lebanese civil war.
For 15 years, different Lebanese militias and groups fought, not for the Palestinian cause or for their country but rather for power. When the dust settled at the end of the war, “ no winners and no losers” would become the conciliatory slogan used to appease the Christians who had effectively lost much of their political power to the Sunnis. The once celebrated seat of the presidency, reserved to a Maronite Christian, became obsolete and instead the seat of the Prime Minister, legally reserved to a Sunni, became the de facto ruler of the country.

Today, Lebanon is going through its third power struggle. Only this time, the players have changed their alliances as the Shiite find themselves confronted by a Sunni-Christian alliance. But that’s not the only difference; the last time the Lebanese reassessed their political system, they killed each other for 15 years and destroyed large parts of their country. This time, they have chosen a more democratic and more peaceful route.

The Shiite, the largest minority group in Lebanon, believe it’s about time they get a say in the political matters of their country. Long an isolated and marginalized minority, they have grown to be a force to be reckoned with. The demonstrations in the center of Beirut and the ensued political gridlock have effectively crippled the country’s economy and all but killed off the cherished tourist season. However, the peaceful nature of this latest re-shuffling is something to be admired.

The current government of Lebanon must take this opportunity to democratically and peacefully resolve the matter but more importantly, avoid setting the grounds for another war. The Lebanese must choose whether they want to allow their Shiite brothers to be equal partners in the political process and Lebanese society or whether they want to keep them on the fringes of society. In return, the Shiite must give up their alliance with foreign governments and abide by the laws that govern the country.

In an ideal situation, sectarianism would not exist in Lebanon and religious identity would be of no significance. In an ideal situation, the offsprings of past political leaders would not be today’s political leaders. Only Lebanon is not politically mature enough to implement such a drastic change and therefore, for the meantime, the political process must be revised to accommodate all those that it supposedly represents. Only then can the country move forward and focus on what really matters: women’s rights, democracy, economic development and equality.