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Copyright © Laurence Duarte 2017
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To Salomé & Noé
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CONTENTS Preface, page 4 Thank You, page 7 Introduction, page 10 Chiaroscuro, page 12 Is This Lebanon? page 13 Broken Lebanon, page 17 The Impossible Civil War, page 19 The Weight of Immunity, page 21 A Constant Fitna, page 23 Trouble Time, page 30 The Tight-Knit Lebanese Family, page 33 The Sidelining of Lebanese Women, page 38 A Country of Abuses, page 45 A Culture of Impunity, page 48 Corruption, Lethal Disease, page 51 Pollution, a Lifestyle ? page 58 Fear or Love, page 60 Don’t look away, page 62 Images from Lebanon, page 64
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“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.� - Franklin D. Roosevelt
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PREFACE I've felt apprehensive about writing about my journey in Lebanon and have thus avoided it for a while. But the truth is what heals, even if sometimes the truth is embarrassing. When I came back from Lebanon in August 2017, I feverishly wrote my initial impressions—many of which were pretty harsh. Even if I was able to justify my words, I was writing from a place of anger and judgement. It left me feeling deeply uncomfortable and out of alignment with the woman I want to be—so far away from love and compassion. That’s why I have decided to analyze my journey with the light of love. But first, why did I go to Lebanon? I need to be honest with my readers (and myself): I went to Lebanon because I was in love with a man from a small village closed to Beirut. The love story ended before our trip, but the tickets were already booked and, I wanted to see his country, know his culture, walk in his roads, see his landscapes, breath the same air, understand him better, and—even if it was hard to admit—wanted to see him again, too. How would my journey have been if he showed up at the airport, if he was my guide? Different for sure. It is alone and heartbroken that I visited his country. Avoiding the surface-level tourist guides, I instead immersed myself in Lebanon, reading books and newspapers, meeting journalists, observing, listening, analyzing, and searching for answers. But with a heart full of sadness, it was much easier to see what didn’t work in Lebanon, than to appreciate the smiles, the tastes, and the moments of grace I received. That’s why I feel the need to say, to the dear Lebanese people, that I like your country and it is because I like it, because I care, that I wrote this. We don’t have the same lives or the same stories, and some will tell us that our cultures are so different that we can’t understand each other, we can’t live together, we can’t love each other. I will never accept culture as an excuse for intolerance or racism. p.6
If my love story didn’t work, it is not because of cultural differences, but because of lack of love. Nothing else. Love and the ability to love, to care, doesn’t belong to a country, a culture, or a religion—it belongs to each human heart.
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A Smile in Concrete City – Beirut – Mar Mikhael – 2017 Living in Beirut is more a matter of surviving. Pollution, noise, garbage, traffic, the list goes on and on. The absence of public parks, grass, trees, flowers surprised me. But suddenly, I found this beauty. Hope is everywhere.
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THANK YOU I want to thank from the bottom of my heart, The friends who were with me (from afar) on this adventure; they were my support team via WhatsApp and Facebook; Rami, for his constant good mood and care; my driver Kamal, for his perfect navigation in the dangerous Lebanese roads, his respect, and his compliments (yes I remember the Ursula Andress one...); and all the unknown souls who offered me small talk, a smile, a dessert, or a kind answer to my questions. They are the little jewels of my Lebanese memories. When I was far away, sometimes lost, lonely, or frightened, a word from them made my day. Thank you.
Authors know more than anyone else that books are never written alone. I want to thank Haitham, Waail, Joseph, and Samir who have graciously reviewed the manuscript all along. I am most grateful to them for their insights and suggestions and most of all for their keen understanding of my project.
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Don’t fail at life – Beirut – Geitawi – 2017
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INTRODUCTION Lebanon has never been one of my top bucket list destinations. Ask any government officials or Lebanese friends if it is safe to go there and worry will immediately cross their faces, quickly followed by warnings that it’s not safe to travel alone there. I completely agree with them, and traveling alone has never appealed to me much either. But sometimes life can surprise you. This summer, I found myself with a big surprise from life. Because of a relationship that had recently ended, I had a plane ticket to Lebanon with a couple of stops reserved but no one to travel with. I had a decision to make: cancel the trip and give my fear the right to decide for me or just get out there. It was at that moment that I remembered a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I'll give you one guess which I chose. While it wasn't always easy to travel alone, it was a gift I gave to myself. Travelling solo helped me to experience more personal growth on the road. Stepping out my comfort zone helped me to learn more about myself, taught me how to be more resourceful, and allowed me to fully immerse myself in a different culture. I may have returned from my trip exhausted, but I also feel now more empowered and self-confident. Travel is meant to be freeing. In the complex Lebanon, I had to force myself to be free from expectations, limitations, misconceptions, and rules. I followed the advice of the French writer Marcel Proust: “Discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Here is what I saw, felt, and learned.
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Hope – Beirut – Geitawi - 2017
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CHIAROSCURO I took pictures during my trip, with a desire to capture as much beauty as I could. But I soon realized this goal would prevent me from documenting all that I saw in a country that has as much darkness as it does treasure. Traveling in Lebanon inspired hope and depression, optimism and sadness, and beautiful pictures did not capture that complexity. That’s why I decided to mix the two, to show the dramatic contrast between light and dark like the Chiaroscuro technique in Renaissance paintings. The contrast between the attraction and the awkwardness I felt for this country. A past beauty and an uncomfortable present.
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Passage – Beirut - 2017
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IS THIS LEBANON?
Lebanon is like an old friend to French people, because we’ve been a part of the history of Lebanon for a long time. During the civil war, many Lebanese people emigrated, leading to more people living outside of their country (14 million) than in (4.3 million). A good chunk of those people ended up in France. Most French people see the Lebanese as friendly people with a propensity to feel exceptional. For a long time, Lebanon has been like a little Switzerland of the Middle East—a beautiful country that is wealthy, cultivated, appeased, and disciplined. The perfect mix between Orient and Occident. A land where tolerance and friendship between communities was cultivated and appreciated.
But the country had changed. For good or for bad, I am not to judge, but I didn’t like what I saw. A devastated country overwhelmed by environmental issues, the aftermath of war, corruption, and divisions.
But the country had changed. For good or for bad, I am not to judge, but I didn’t like what I saw.
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Compromises - Beirut – Gemmayzeh - 2017
Wild Urbanization is occurring everywhere, with new buildings popping up regularly, often badly, sometimes even not finished, and most of the time too expensive for the Lebanese.
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As a European woman who lives in a country where democracy, human rights, and justice matter, I was shocked by the abuses and violations I saw; the culture of impunity that protects the most powerful and the discriminations that affect women and other marginalized groups.
You may be asking, why do I care? Sure, I could have been like any tourist, enjoying my time in luxurious hotels, bars, and restaurants in Beirut, feeding my Instagram with colorful pictures, drinking, dancing, and just having fun with all the pleasures that money can buy. But I couldn’t. I may be a tourist, but I am also a citizen of the world, which means that what affects Lebanon affects me, too. I was hurt by the human rights violations, civil society, legacy of violence, sectarianism, pollution, women’s rights issues, LGBT rights issues, societal control, patriarchy, censorship, propaganda, and corruption. Lebanon is a mess. When a country is not constrained by a rule of law or a sense of ethics, how can it be likable?
When a country is not constrained by a rule of law or a sense of ethics, how can it be likable.
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Perspective – Tyre –- 2017
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BROKEN LEBANON
The 1975-1990 war killed over 100,000 people, and an estimated 17,000 individuals disappeared under murky circumstances. The brutal civil war ravaged civil society for almost fifteen years. The war touched everything, and, visiting Lebanon, I could see traces of it everywhere: destroyed cities, facades riddled with bullets, a ravaged infrastructure, and a paralyzed economy. Lebanon has been at war for almost a generation. Massacres and exactions. Ethnic cleansing and exodus. The deepest manifestations of the war for the Lebanese are not economic and political, but emotional and psychological. The pain of shattered lives reached every group in Lebanon. Only the particular circumstances of loss differed one family’s grief from another’s—the fear, the memories, and, unfortunately, the resentments are the same. War breaks not only bones; it breaks human relationships.
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Dark Vestige – Beirut – Gemmayze - 2017
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THE IMPOSSIBLE CIVIL SOCIETY
Even with an increased awareness of the ethical and legal problems that need to be addressed, many Lebanese told me that they are simply too worn out to continue fighting for their human rights.
They said that the daily news has become so depressing and scary that they simply tune it out. Fear has always been a good tool for propaganda.
Many Rich Lebanese prefer distracting themselves with parties and bars or being depressed but protected in the suffocating family cocoon.
I was surprised to meet many young Lebanese adults sharing an unwillingness and apparent inability to deal with a deep reassessment of who they are and what they can do to make a difference. I couldn’t figure out how so many smart young Lebanese suffer from an inability to bravely take their fate into their own hands.
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Graffiti – Beirut – Gemmayze - 2017
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THE WEIGHT OF IMPUNITY The first explanation is the war and its consequences. The general amnesty law, passed by the Lebanese parliament in August 1991, gave immunity from prosecution to all those responsible for crimes committed during the war. This means no serious measures have been taken since then to address wartime crimes, abuses, and violations of human rights, directly going against international laws and norms. As a result, a forced amnesia has been imposed on the population, with former Millicent leaders from every community becoming “respected� politicians that have power over the wealth and responsibility of the country. The inability to deal with the memory and legacy of war creates an inability to analyze any behavior in the light of truth and meaning. The scholarly history books in Lebanon stop after World War II. What happens after is part of the collective unconscious, nurtured by every religion, every family unable to grief, to forgive, to take responsibility. If you have to be private about your past, how you can deal with your present and possibility create a positive future?
If you have to be private about your past, how you can deal with your present and possibility create a positive future?
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Standing Next To Each Other- Beirut- Downtown -2017
Who is higher, the Saint George's cathedral bell or the minarets of the Mohammad al-Amin mosque? They have been coexisting and competing in a city split by sectarian war from 1975 to 1990.
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A CONSTANT “FITNA”* * discord
The conflict had another devastating effect: a divided society and a community withdrawal. Effect amplified by the size of Lebanon, each population of disparate identities harboring conflicting aspirations and fears, is trapped within the country’s scant four thousand square miles. As a result, the intensity with which each group senses its own interests is magnified by the close proximity of its rivals. Identity, political power, and economic spoils in independent Lebanon depend on religion, the Muslims, Christians, and other assorted confessionals confront one another as fervid rivals. Religious radicalism is everywhere. In Lebanon, everyone belongs to a religion; the majority are Christian Maronite, Shiites, or Sunnis. Despite all its fulfilling and positive roles in the faithful’s lives, religion is, unfortunately, one of the most salient roots of prejudice in Lebanon and the Middle East, with disastrous consequences. Every religion communicates its truth; I couldn't believe what I heard from the religion sects in Lebanon, fueled by disinformation and intoleranc.
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Cross Area- Beirut- Mar Mikhael -2017
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Because of its strong communitarianism, People don’t mix easily with others. Unfortunately, the segregation goes even further. Take education, where what is taught differs greatly in different schools and religions—true brainwashing. Many Christians can tell you all about inventions of the Phoenicians without knowing the name of a single Arabic caliph, and many Muslims know more about the pre-Islamic era of the Arabic desert than Lebanon. The one thing these religions have in common is that they carefully avoid key moments in the country’s past, refusing to take stock of them and draw lessons from them. How many young adults are raised brainwashed with words and values from another century? You may think that the educated ones are more aware, but surprisingly I have met some who are also strong conduits of the archaic values and lack of ethics. As long as this happens, the gap between the Lebanese will continue to widen, with each new generation dealing with crisis after crisis while only serving the interests of a few.
How can the Lebanese continue to accept it?
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Pray – Byblos - 2017
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The issue is that none of this religious identity can unite all the Lebanese people. Lebanon is torn between several allegiances (clan, confessional, Lebanese nationalism, Syrians and Arabs, and religious radicalism). Unfortunately, these are the main identities that are offered to young Lebanese. But when we look more closely at the foundations of each of them, they are of another age. Lebanese nationalism is based on elements of ethno genesis and Phoenicianism aimed at isolating Lebanon from its environment. This is an ideological time bomb. It produces generations of Lebanese who have a dated and dangerous view of society and who are fundamentally opposed to each other. I do not know who benefits from the fact that a majority of Lebanese prefers to focus on his false-belonging to illustrious ancestors instead of tackling the many problems of their country. They live in a tiny territory of 60 kilometers wide, why is their primary concern not the preservation of their soil so it can pass on to their children and grandchildren? It seems that many Lebanese prefer to conform to an ideology rather than live in peace and prosperity together.
Lebanese nationalism is based on elements of ethno genesis and Phoenicianism aimed at isolating Lebanon from its environment.
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Sectarianism is destroying the country. Groups are being held apart by suspicion, resentment, and the desire to make the other side pay for what they have done in the past. In Lebanon, pervasive discrimination based on race, social class, and place of origin is all the more insidious because it remains unspoken, despite its flagrant manifestation. But no one can build on anger. Anger is poisonous. In order to move forward and save its country for future generations, the Lebanese will need to accept every Lebanese person as they are and build a collective identity in an open and peaceful way. The transition requires moral and political effort. It requires forward thinking rationality and a spirit of generosity and cooperation.
In order to move forward and save its country for future generations, the Lebanese will need to accept every Lebanese person as they are and build a collective identity in an open and peaceful way.
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Cross Area- Beirut- Geitawi -2017
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TROUBLE TIME Never in my life have I felt so much overwhelming worry as when I was being stopped regularly at army checkpoints, seeing tank after tank sitting ready to roll into action, or hearing gun shots throughout the night and even during the day. The many levels of conflict made guns a part of life in Lebanon. The Lebanese stash weapons in corners, hung them from the walls, or stuck them in armoires. As the Lebanese population is not disarmed, many guns are used regularly, whether to celebrate good news, like a graduation or a wedding—leading to many accidental casualties—or to fight in case of violent confrontation. A heightened sense of security prevails across Lebanon, mainly due to the spillover effect from the conflict in neighboring Syria, which has led to several assassinations, car bombings, and suicide attacks in parts of Beirut and elsewhere in the country. This conflict has also aggravated the pre-existing sectarian rivalry and tensions between those loyal to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule. Fighting between groups happen often with the potential for bomb attacks and violence involving a number of rival groups including Islamic State (IS, aka, Daesh). During my stay, Hezbollah forced Nusra Front militants and Syrian rebels to leave nearby border strongholds in a joint operation with the Syrian army. The Lebanese army (with the unofficial help of Hezbollah) was launching offensives on the Islamic State at the Syrian Border near the town of Ras Baalbek. South Lebanon has been also the frontline in the on-and-off war between Israel and Hezbollah for many years.
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Unfortunately, since their recent conflict and the end of summer 2006, a large number of cluster bombs and other unexploded devices remain in the region, which have subsequently killed dozens of civilians and wounded more than 200. There is no doubt that this uncertain time and violence have an impact on the Lebanese society, and may be a cause of severe fear and asthenia in the population. But fear is a constant everywhere. Terrorist attacks are common in many areas in the world as well as surge in populism, clashes in multicultural societies, teetering economies. The future will always be unknown and scary, but it may not be any more chaotic than the present, or the past. Sometimes the best option is to have faith and hold on whether you are Lebanese, French, Spanish, American, etc.
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Caution - Tripoli- 2017
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THE TIGHT-KNIT LEBANESE FAMILY The family is at the heart of Lebanese society. In the absence of a state, they rely on their community and family unit (in the broad sense, including cousins, grandparents, etc.). Bonds of family cut across gaps in wealth, education, and social status to unite all those connected through common blood. As in all Arab societies, the extended family claims a Lebanese first allegiance and provides his first defense against the forces of the outside world. It also demands his total commitment, subverting all other aspects of his life. They stick together, they lend money to each other, they spend time together at weddings and funerals, even if they cannot stand each other. The family is the only support in case of a blow, the only bulwark against external aggression. While there is something sacred about this family relationship, it is also the family that transmits values and adheres to the respect of traditions—even if theses traditions are obsolete. In Lebanon, one is judged according to their family reputation. They find spouses, jobs, and more all because of their family. You can imagine how it can be difficult to stand against unfair family practices. Silence and taboos are common place in Lebanese families.
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“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable� Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
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In Lebanon, as in other Arab countries, the norm, dictated by society value family ties as well as economic conditions, is for adult children to co-reside with their parents until marriage. After finding a partner, they establish individual households. However, I was surprised to see many unmarried adults, economically independent and living in their parents’ house, in the same little childhood bedroom with their other adult sister or brother.
As a Lebanese, you belong to your mother, your father, then your family, your religion and may be at some point to yourself. The consequences of family and social pressure on young adults can be terrible. It is not rare to encounter a Muslim or Christian whose parents threaten to disown them if they marry a man or woman from a different religion. You are programmed to follow the rules. These behaviors have negative repercussions on a child’s development. Every psychologist stresses the importance of children’s individual views and independent ideologies not influenced by their parents. Confusion and despair then appear in their lives. Depression is common in the young adults, as well as drug or alcohol consumption. By not freeing their children, by forcing them to become what they think they should be, they create unfinished adults unable to think for themselves and to create a better future for them and their country. When you talk with parents and their adult children, they will emphasize several excuses for their behaviors. p.37
The main one is habit. I can’t count the number of times I heard, “Oh, come on, it is part of our habits for so long, we can’t change that.” Generation of Lebanese have been educated this way via their religious community and family, via persuasion and pressure. For them, the way they are living is good enough for their parents, is good enough for their cousins, is good enough for them. How can they think in another way when the world around them is meant to restrain them, when individual willpower is not taught? However, to build a strong equal and free Lebanese society, self-examination, and the uncomfortable effort of pushing against one’s habits and prevalent cultural forces is required. But is it possible? As a mother of two, I could sympathize with Lebanese parents. I have been an overprotective mother. I know how life can be harsh, almost unbearable. I know, as Lebanese parents know. But I also know as an adult, that to function with freedom and pleasure in the world, we need to find our sense of identity. We need to free our children of our restrictions, our perspectives, our discoveries. The best gift we can give to our children is freedom to be, to live, to love.
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Get Drunk – Beirut - Mar Mikhael -2017
Young Lebanese have a drinking problem. Unfortunately, many Lebanese families do not perceive youth drinking as a problem and, most importantly, youth do not perceive themselves having a drinking problem as opposed to other substance use problems. p.39
THE SIDELINING OF WOMEN IN LEBANON
Finally, family and religion force men and women into uncomfortable and limited roles. As a deep patriarchal system, Lebanese laws disproportionately affect women and girls negatively. It is true that women in Lebanon enjoy more freedom than in many neighboring countries, but, despite the country’s ratification of international conventions on human rights (including the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women), Lebanese women still face considerable discrimination under domestic laws.
Lebanese men have to abide by their duty to dominate physically, financially, socially women. For instance, until 2017 there was a law that allowed a rapist’s sentence to be commuted if they marry their victim. Although it is difficult to say how many women have been affected by the law, it is most likely to occur in situations where the victim knows her rapist—such as a cousin or neighbor—and the tight-knit community heaps pressure on her to accept the offer of marriage. Four women each week report being the victims of sexual violence in Lebanon, but many rapes go unreported for various reasons, including a lack of faith in the justice system. The shame and stigma surrounding rape victims discourage women and girls from reporting and gives rapists a sense of impunity.
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Equal – Beirut – Sursock Museum -2017
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Today in Lebanon, women find themselves struggling for justice when they are raped or subjected to domestic violence. Personal status laws, regulated by each religion’s rules, also give women unequal treatment and are consistently unfavorable to them in matters of family law including divorce and child custody, among other issues. Don’t be fooled by clichés of the emancipation of Lebanese women. You may see young Lebanese women dressed in a libidinous way, abusing aesthetic surgery, dancing in fancy bars. But beneath it all their lives are still defined by their family and they are trapped by the societal controls imposed on their sexuality. The social economic disadvantages, the omnipresence of the male gaze, are against any form of women’s empowerment. Lebanese patriarchal society still controls women’s appearance and behavior. How can Lebanese women and men be happy with this perpetual inequality between them?
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Crusaded Shades – Saïda - Sidon -2017
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Since Lebanon recognizes only religious unions, mixed couples are usually forced to change sect or marry abroad. Lebanese activists have tried to push for civil marriage, politicians prefer to divide and rule. Maintaining the feeling that “we are at war, everything else should wait” gives an excellent excuse to not do anything that goes against the interests of sectarian groups. But love is love; Politics should deal with intermarriage and post-sectarianism. It might be the only way to stop the vicious cycle of violence. On this note, I want to quickly mention LGBTQ rights. Up to this day, Lebanon’s prejudice against LGBTQ people goes beyond social discrimination. The prohibition of anal intercourse is inscribed by law in article 534 of the penal code: “any sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature is punishable by up to one year of prison.” Judges still invoke this law to justify arbitrary arrests and persecution of gay and bi-sexual men and of transgender women, on suspicion of their sexual orientation, by relying on indicators as preposterous as appearance and mannerism. Members of the LGBT community are vulnerable to police brutality including beating and torture in prison, and—despite a decree against the practice—continue being subjected to humiliating examinations. It is not good to be gay in Lebanon, where you’ll suffer from ostracism and criminalization from a homophobic society.
But love is love; Politics should deal with intermarriage and post-sectarianism. It might be the only way to stop the vicious cycle of violence.
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Trapped - Tripoli- Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles- 2017
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Maryam of Harissa – Beirut – Harissa -2017 Visitors from all communities come to visit this statue. When a famous foreign expert was asked by President Chehab to draw up a study on the economic situation in Lebanon, he was so shocked by the dysfunction in the Lebanese administration that his verdict was severe and uncompromising. He concluded his report, disillusioned, "I hope the Virgin of Harissa protects Lebanon!" It is said that the Virgin, discontented with the internal wars ravaging Lebanon, rotated one evening on her own to turn her back on the belligerents.
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A COUNTRY OF ABUSES Lebanon is riddled with abuses. What makes me more frustrated is that the general population has sadly become so accustomed to the lack of basic rights that the shock factor has dissipated. The common good is not a cherish concept in Lebanon. Lebanese are not only victims of their society, some are also active participants, spreading lack of empathy, lack of civism, and lack of respect towards people that they consider inferior to themselves. For a long time Lebanese society has had an uncomfortable relationship with foreigners on Lebanese Soil. This affects the lives of the displaced population that lives in Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of female domestic workers from Africa and South Asia, Palestinian refugees, Iraqis, and more than a million Syrians. The abuse is constant to any that the Lebanese see as inferior. Palestinian camps still exist in Lebanon where at least 300,000 people live in crowded settlements that lack infrastructure. Their lives are marked by discrimination and restrictions, since Lebanese law limits their rights to property and restricts their freedom of movement. Legally-condoned workplace discrimination also runs deep. More than 20 highlevel professions—including law, medicine, and engineering—remain inaccessible to Palestinians. When employed, they are not allowed to receive social security benefits and seldom receive a formal contract. Lack of job prospects and limited mobility makes it difficult to escape their situation.
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Modern slavery – Beirut - Gemmayze -2017
The systematic exploitation of vulnerable migrants is the shameful side of construction in Lebanon. Lack of legal status even for Syrians over 15 encourages abuses.
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Like Palestinians, many other displaced groups of migrants or refugees who arrive in Lebanon have undefined legal statuses and live in precarious conditions with constant risk of abuse. The Syrian low-skilled male laborers are invisible to the eye of the Lebanese society. But I couldn't avoid seeing them and these unbearable work conditions. They live and work in awful conditions on construction sites all over the country for the Lebanese’s benefits. Finally, there is the invisible work of women migrant domestic workers. Today, some 200,000 Sri Lankan, Ethiopian, Filipino, Bangladeshi, Malagasy, and Nepalese women are employed as domestic workers in Lebanese families. Unfortunately, the way that some of them are exploited is uncomfortably reminiscent of the slavery-era. Grave instances of forced labor, and physical, psychological, and sexual abuse have been regularly reported. In certain cases, desperation drives domestic workers to commit suicides. I am sad to say that, despite their excessive work hours, dismal wages and frequent restrictions on leaving their workplace are common. Domestic workers in Lebanon are instructed to remain strictly obedient, and they have virtually no legal recourse. Furthermore—besides the evident economic inequalities and class hierarchies at play—there are racial tensions embedded in the power dynamics between the Lebanese and their foreign employees. Lebanese society’s discriminatory attitude is the sign of the racist beliefs of a big part of the population.
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A CULTURE OF IMPUNITY
The culture of impunity carries on since the amnesty law of 1991. It spans crimes perpetrated by the powerful, a litany of unresolved political assassinations, unfair detentions, dodgy political and financial maneuverings, and so much more. At all levels, accountability is notoriously defective, impunity common, and the public trust in justice understandably abysmal. The culture of violence, the profound lack of civism, and the unwillingness to follow the rules lead to all sort of unethical behaviors from many Lebanese citizens.
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Bars – Beirut – Mar Mikhael -2017 Despite a tobacco control law, smoking is permitted almost everywhere in Lebanon. The interests of the hundreds of shisha cafes and the Lebanese and International tobacco industries put Lebanon Law 174 in smoke. But at what cost to the health of the nation? I am quite convinced that much of Lebanon’s smokers do not know that around half of all smokers die from smoking-related diseases with a life expectancy of about 10 years less than a non-smoker. But if they knew, would they care? During my trip, I was astonished by their constant inability to follow the rules, even if it was for their own safety or safety of their children.
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Traffic – Beirut –2017
In Lebanon, you can get your driver’s license easily. Staying alive on roads is trickier. Lebanon has some of the most dangerous roads in the world. Lack of compliance for evident traffic laws, multiplication of cars, and aggressive driving lead to an unbelievable number of accidents and fatalities on the road.
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CORRUPTION, LETHAL DISEASE Lebanon often presents a veneer of normality, but the reality is very different. Corruption and bribery are part of the Lebanese culture. Unfortunately, aside from supporting and strengthening organized crime and terrorism groups, corruption is one of the primary obstacles to the economic development of a country. The blame falls firstly on the Lebanese state. The bitterly divided sectarian parliament has passed no meaningful legislation in years. The national debt currently stands at 211% of GDP and is still rising. And a well-entrenched system of patronage has ensured that the same handful of family dynasties share Lebanon’s riches.
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National Electricity Utility Building - Beirut – 2017
The most disliked building in Lebanon. On average, electricity is currently supplied only half of the day.
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That’s why, for instance, the Lebanese experience constant electricity cuts and lack of water. This has led to the development of a local mafia, like the generator mafia: the development of private, illegal-but-tolerated generators. In every village, you will find a “private business man” who will provide electricity via his generators. They are kings of the area, protected by political or tribal backing. Subscriptions to private generators have become the main source of electricity, while the state-run electricity is the backup. Indeed, the state’s failure is the main source of the private distributors’ power. The absence of the “state” has massively expanded their business. Of course, no one rebels against the electricity “godfather.” No one would dare. There is no alternative to the “godfather,” who sets the price according to his whim. “If you like it, then you’re welcome, if you don’t, then too bad for you,” says one of my Lebanese friends. The fight over electricity reflects a problem faced by countries emerging from civil war. The collapse of the state opens a vacuum, and the gangsters who fill it remain in control long after the fighting has stopped. Even in areas of the capital with chic nightlife, valet parkers (known locally as the “parking mafia”) sometimes brandish firearms to protect their turf.
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Power wires - Beirut – 2017 Dangerous electrical wires are everywhere in Lebanon.
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Lebanon often presents a veneer of normality and progress in a region known for the opposite, but the reality is very different. Nearly all of the country’s infrastructure was clobbered during the civil war and has been only partially rebuilt. Repairing it is not easy in a society where corruption is rife. Lebanon is built on kickbacks. The government and political parties are hindering the country’s progress. Indeed, even the generator gangs have troubles of their own with corruption. Several generator owners in Beirut’s southern suburbs say that, to operate, they must pay a fluctuating monthly fee to street-level officials of local Shia militias, which are also tied to prominent political parties. The same goes for many towns and villages, whether Christian, Muslim or Druze. Signs of corruption and money laundering—such as luxurious cars—are very visible when 25% of Lebanese live under the poverty threshold. It is obvious that it is better to be rich than poor in Lebanon, where you can buy everything and everyone.
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Sad Stories - Beirut - Downtown - 2017 The Georges V hotel is the symbol of the resistance against Solidere the company created by Rafic Hariri. If the company rebuild Beirut after the civil war, the name is also synonym of abuses: destruction of the inheritance of the capital and expropriation of its inhabitants. In 2005, Rafic Hariri was killed in an attack on the picked truck just across from St. George, which also disfigured the front of the hotel and buildings around. Since then, the buildings remain destroyed. p.58
Public Face - Beirut - 2017 Walking around Lebanon, I was surprised by the number of political posters on the streets, depending of the religious sect area. Here in Christian area, a picture of the former putschist general Michel Aoun President of Lebanon. Michel Aoun is an example of nepotism. He gave the presidency of his group to his son-in-law, Jibran Bassil, while another son-in-law, Brigadier-General Chamel Roukoz is the candidate to become the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. A third son-in-law, Roy Hachem is the head of the pro-FPM OTV television network. I have also seen many roads receiving new asphalt. My driver explained me that it was the Asphalt of Lebanese elections. I never thought that Asphalt should be a key factor to be re-elected. p.59
POLLUTION, A LIFESTYLE? Finally, before I conclude, I want to share with you a little story. I once had a Lebanese friend who lived in France, used to throw anything into the nature without shame. Today, 28 years after, I observed the same behavior in many Lebanese people from all ages and all communities. What surprised me is that everyone in Lebanon gripes and complains about environmental issues without noticing their deeply ingrained "use and toss" mentality. Pollution is a political, as well as an individual issue in Lebanon. Water pollution, untreated waste being dumped freely into sea waters, beaches flooded with garbage, pollution impacts Lebanese soil as well as the whole Mediterranean Sea. The garbage crisis is a significant problem in Lebanon and another proof of Lebanon’s struggle to become a functioning state that can at least take care of its trash, more than 25 years after emerging from a long civil war. Since 2015, the country has been grappling with a nation-wide garbage crisis. If today, the problem of trash has mostly been removed from plain view, it hasn't been solved. Around 900 open landfills continue to fester, according to Human Rights Watch. Much of that trash is being burned. Seeing the thick brown smog hovering over the capital, the sea and the roads awashed with garbage in many parts, the dirtiness of the country’s once famous beaches, I worry about the impact of this imposing pollution on the life of inhabitants of Lebanon. So far, due to dismal urban planning, corruption, and lack of ecological conscience, Lebanon is a disaster in slow motion
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Lebanese Sea - Byblos - 2017
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FEAR OR LOVE?
I remember my last night in Tyre, when I was talking to a friendly barman and asked him what his religion was (since many Lebanese define themselves by their religion). He had this optimistic answer: My religion is people.
My religion? People That’s all there is: the religion of humanity, cooperation, and friendship. After my trip, I had many occasions to talk with Lebanese people including activists. What Lebanese people have in common is the love (and pride) for their country. Often, this feeling of belonging to their country is stronger than race, religion, or language. I don’t see this nationalism as a nasty form of nativism, or a competition with neighbors, but as a possible way for the Lebanese people to come together around their shared identity, around the soul of their nation. I believe it is the time for Lebanese to rethink its whole reason of being, to take a deep breath and start again. The causes of the war are the same everywhere is the world, because they are inside each human being: desire, fear, insecurity, greed, pride, vanity. To live in peace, we have to free ourselves little by little from these causes. It starts by making decisions on the basis of morality and not personal interest, by doing what is right rather than what suits us. Becoming more civically minded is no easy task. Of course, I saw in Lebanon (as in many parts of the world) an unfortunate reality: people inclined to be narrow and greedy in their interests, reluctant to support projects aimed at the common good if they required personal sacrifice. But I also saw many Lebanese people fighting with p.62
courage, intelligence, and verve to change behaviors and to create a better place for all the inhabitants of Lebanon. These actions start to pay off. There is evidence of a timid but real shift in Lebanese society thanks to these civically minded citizens. Another Lebanon is possible with government institutions that help everyone, a good and equal education for all, a caring state that provides a decent level of healthcare, infrastructure that keeps the nation running, and so much more. That future needs to start with forgiveness, love, and compassion. I believe love in Lebanon is possible, and love can foster a commitment to shared goals—and keep at bay the forces of disgust and anger.
ÂŤ Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be oneÂť Marcus Aurelius
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Cedrus Libani - Lebanon - 2017
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DON’T LOOK AWAY Living in Lebanon, where violence keeps spilling into your life, is overwhelming. I saw many people who complained about the situation, but did nothing. Complaining about Lebanon is easy; those who take steps to change it are real heroes. Becoming an activist starts by educating ourselves, it starts by freeing ourselves from any form of pressure and propaganda, it starts by saying no, it starts by setting an example, it starts by embracing our role as global citizens , it starts by realizing that we matter. In Lebanon, I met people working hard to secure valuable freedoms and rights for everyone—despite sacrifices and resistance. They don’t give up on their country. I found nonprofit, non-politically affiliated, non-religious civil associations promoting gender equality, LGBT rights, marginalized groups, ecology, and more. They are changing their country for better. They need help; they need support. I may not be Lebanese by blood, but I am by heart. 50% of this book revenues will be donate to Lebanese NGOs that support equality and justice. If you want to help, here is a non-exhaustive list of Lebanese NGO organizations: Lebanon Support Lebanon Support is an independent non-governmental, non-religious, nonpartisan, and nonprofit information and research centre for and about civil society. http://lebanon-support.org/ Legal Agenda The ‘Legal Agenda’ monitors law and public policy in Lebanon and the Arab Region to analyze it from a critical and multidisciplinary perspective. http://www.legalagenda.com/ ABAAD ABAAD aims to achieve gender equality as an essential condition to sustainable social and economic development in the Middle East and North Africa region. http://www.abaadmena.org/ p.65
KAFA KAFA (enough) Violence & Exploitation is a feminist, secular, Lebanese, nonprofit, non-governmental civil society organization seeking to create a society that is free of social, economic, and legal patriarchal structures that discriminate against women. http://www.kafa.org.lb/ Helem Helem’s main goals are to work towards ending discrimination and stigma— whether social or institutional—towards people with non-normative sexualities, sexual orientations, and gender identities, and to decriminalize homosexuality in Lebanon. http://www.helem.net/ Lebanon Eco Movement Since 1992, many Lebanese NGOs have attempted to protect the environment. But, as the environmental prevailing problems became more serious and too hard to be dealt with individually, there has been a necessity to join forces under one common motto: Save our cultural and natural heritage. Today the LEM gathers 60 NGOs. https://www.facebook.com/pg/LebanonEcoMovement Beirut Madinati Beirut Madinati (Beirut My City) is a political movement that seeks to build a political alternative from the local level outside sectarian frameworks and private and narrow interests. It upholds the principles of partnership, transparency and accountability and believes in the values of equality, sustainability and social justice. It also demands the social, economic and political rights for people and preserves the environment and the cultural and natural heritage of Beirut. http://www.beirutmadinati.com/ Tol3et Re7etkom Tol3et Re7etkom (‘You Stink’) is a Lebanese movement created as a response to the government’s pestering corruption and inability to solve the ongoing trash crisis in a sustainable way. Since then they are pushing for sustainable solutions provided by several environmental experts and centered around going back to a municipality-level system while implementing nationwide recycling. https://www.facebook.com/tol3etre7etkom I want to thank Joseph for his advice and care on the Lebanese NGOs.
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ÂŤ Are you a politician asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one asking what you can do for your country? Âť Khalil Gibran
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A GLIMPSE OF LEBANON
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BEIRUT
It’s one of the oldest cities in the world and was, for a period, considered to be the Paris of the Middle East. Difficult to say what it remains. Beirut is not beautiful. You have to navigate between all sort of buildings (finished or unfinished) and traffic and bad infrastructures to walk. However, getting lost in labyrinth streets, you will see trace of neglected but still charming architecture, from arabesque to Venetian Gothic, old mosques, churches, and palaces.
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Beirut - 2017 p.70
Achrafieh - Beirut - 2017 p.71
Achrafieh - Beirut - 2017 p.72
Sursock - Beirut - 2017 p.73
Sursock - Beirut - 2017
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Gemmayzeh - Beirut - 2017
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Sassine - Beirut - 2017
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Geitawi - Beirut - 2017 p.77
Geitawi - Beirut - 2017 p.78
Art Passage (Saint Nicolas Stairs) – Beirut – Gemayzé - 2017 p.79
Rainbow Passage – Beirut – Mar Mikhael - 2017 p.80
Beirut - Geitawi - 2017 p.81
Gemmayzeh - Beirut - 2017 p.82
Qobayat - Beirut - 2017 p.83
Jasmin Full Moon - Mar Mikhael - Beirut - 2017 p.84
Armenia Street - Beirut - 2017 p.85
Armenia Street - Beirut - 2017 p.86
Beirut - 2017 p.87
Beirut – Monot - 2017 p.88
BYBLOS (JBEIL)
Inhabited for more than 7 000 years, Byblos is an archaeological treasure.
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Byblos Archeological site- 2017 p.90
Byblos Harbor - 2017 p.91
Byblos Sunset - 2017 p.92
TRIPOLI (TRABLOUS)
The bustling and traditional coastal Sunni Arab city of Tripoli, where, unlike the capital, time has virtually stood still as witnessed by its beautiful old buildings, anachronistic souks, and a much more conservative lifestyle. The food is good too, with Tripoli renowned for its pastries and sweets.
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Tripoli - 2017 p.94
Tripoli - 2017 p.95
Tripoli – Citadel Raymond de Saint-Gilles (1102) p.96
Tripoli – A view from the Citadel Raymond de Saint-Gilles - 2017 p.97
Tripoli – Citadel Raymond de Saint-Gilles - 2017 p.98
THE CEDARS
“From the face of the mountain The cedars raise aloft their luxuriance. Good is their shade, full of delight” Gilgamesh
The Cedars is home to Lebanon’s oldest stands of cedar tree, with only some 375 trees remaining of a copse that once carpeted the Lebanese mountains. Some of them attain heights up to 40m and date back 1,500–2,000 years.
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The Cedars - Arz el-Rab – 2017 p.100
Towards Qadisha Valley -col d’Aïnata - 2017 p.101
Towards Beeka Valley - col d’Aïnata - 2017 Separated by the Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges, the Bekaa is an elongated plateau with agricultural fields, including wheat, vegetables, fruits, and drugs such as hashish and opium.
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BAALBEK
My experience of Baalbek was unforgettable for two opposite reasons. Firstly, the town of Baalbek should be on every visitor’s schedule for its world-class archaeological and historical site, Heliopolis. Secondly, as a predominantly Shiite and Hezbollah town, closed to the ongoing fights with Daesh, I had to spend my free time and my nights hiding in an empty but charming hotel hearing shots. A mix of pleasure and terror.
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Heliopolis - Baalbek – 2017 p.104
Heliopolis - Baalbek – 2017 p.105
Heliopolis - Baalbek – 2017 p.106
Heliopolis - Bacchus temple - Baalbek – 2017 p.107
Heliopolis - Bacchus temple - Baalbek – 2017
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Heliopolis - Venus Temple - Baalbek – 2017 p.109
Heliopolis - Gargouille - Baalbek – 2017 p.110
AANJAR
Aanjar, a beautiful and unique architectural legacy from the earliest years of Islamic rule, the Umayyad period.
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Getting lost in the ruins - Aanjar – 2017 p.112
Aanjar – 2017 p.113
Aanjar – 2017 p.114
THE CHOUF MOUNTAINS
Heartland of both the Maronite Christian and Druze communities, the Chouf is a green undulating terrain with cultivated fields of apples, grapes and olives.
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Summer fog - The Chouf – 2017 p.116
A room with a view - The Chouf – 2017 p.117
The Chouf – 2017 p.118
Beiteddine Palace – 2017 p.119
SIDON (SAIDA)
SaĂŻda is an authentic, conservative, predominantly Sunni Muslim town, surrounded by banana and citrus groves.
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Sidon – 2017 p.121
Crusader Sea Castle - Sidon – 2017 p.122
Crusader Sea Castle - Sidon – 2017 p.123
Souk- Sidon - 2017
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Souk- Sidon - 2017 p.125
Souk – Sidon – 2017 p.126
Souk – Sidon – 2017 p.127
Souk – Sidon – 2017
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Souk – Sidon – 2017 p.129
TYRE (SOUR)
The last major town before Israeli border.
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Tyre – 2017 p.131
Al-Bass Archeological Site - Tyre – 2017
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Al-Bass Archeological Site - Tyre – 2017
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Al-Bass Archeological Site - Tyre – 2017 p.134
Roman Hippodrome - Tyre – 2017 p.135
Al Mina Archeological Site - Tyre – 2017
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Harbor - Tyre – 2017
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Tyre – 2017
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Tyre – 2017 p.139
Tyre – 2017
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La Nuit - Tyre – 2017
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La Nuit - Tyre - 2017
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Alone - Tyre - 2017 p.143
Beyrouth, seule, la nuit. Je parcourais la ville chaude et sensuelle, je suivais, craintive et enivrée, ce parfum délicieux de dattes et de roses, murmures de narguilés. J’ai peu de beaux souvenirs du Liban, mais le langage des narguilés, paroles d'Orient, est à jamais gravé dans mon cœur.
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