FROM THE WORLD TO LEBANON

Lebanon's thriving tourism, the wonderful beaches and exquisite nightlife, our great food and amazing hospitality, have all now been replaced with the lack of security, an uncertain future, and the re-occuring sounds of gun fire and explosions.

It appears that the Lebanese haven't really learned from the 16 year civil war, which has devestated the nation, and resulted in NOTHING but the loss of life and the loss of a good economy,... not to mention a huge immigration wave, and the fact that the word "Beirut" is now synonymous with "destruction".

No one has won anything at that war, and no one will win if it happens again today.

The real problem in Lebanon has always been "political sectarianism" (taifieh siyesieh), where parliamentary seats, ministry appointments, the 3 presidencies, and virtually every Government job is chosen according to religious considerations. This system has created a situation where the political will is never independent, and where regional and international considerations have become key to the stability of the whole country.

In principle, belonging to a certain religion or sect should not conflict with national loyalty, neither should supporting a certain political party contradict with the national identity of the individual. However in Lebanon, religious diversity is not celebrated, it's actually utilized (locally and externally) to divide the Lebanese.

If we don't resolve our real problem, we will continue to have one civil war after another. It's a cycle that would repeat itself every 20 years, because it's so easy to turn us against one another.

Before it is too late, we should change our way of thinking. The logic of us and them, should become "us", where we get united,..... blame shifting, should change to dialogue,.... and the notion of "we are patriotic and they are traitors" should end.

Each side thinks it's doing what's best for the country,.... each side thinks it's fighting a huge scheme and defending the homeland,... each side thinks it's the majority and that it has the right to decide the country's future. Well, they are both mistaken, because the real majority are those who stay in their homes when tires are burnt on the street and shootings take place. The real majority are those who have left the country, and are dying to return. The real majority are those who care about this nation's tourism, its world image, its economy, and its future.

Together, both sides of the conflict, have proven that they share one major trait, and that is their ability to ruin this country and destroy it. For that, little hope remains that one day, Lebanon "the dream" will ever come true.

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