· May, 2008

Stories about Lebanon from May, 2008

Lebanon: Palestinian Children's Exhibition

  31 May 2008

Lebanese Rania Masri writes about a photography exhibition by the children Palestinian refugees, living in camps in Lebanon. “500 cameras were placed in the hands of 500 children in all the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon,” she explains.

Lebanon: The Doha Agreement

  31 May 2008

Lebanese political leaders who met in Doha under the patronage of the Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani reached an agreement last week. The full text of the agreement was posted by Blogging Beirut among others. As a result of the Doha Agreement the Lebanese parliament convened...

Egypt: On Caramel

  30 May 2008

Egyptian Arima has just watched Caramel – and has good things to say about the movie about five friends in Beirut, Lebanon.

Lebanon: An Eyewitness Report

  27 May 2008

Lebanese journalist and blogger Lelia Mezher was one of several Lebanese bloggers who worked round the clock to keep the world informed about the crisis which rocked her country when different factions clashed in Beirut. Global Voices Online caught up with Mezher, who is involved with News Lab, in this quick interview.

Lebanon: Clashes and Babies

  27 May 2008

Diana, who lives in Dubai and is expecting a baby in two months, is glad to have returned to Lebanon. She explains: “I cried my eyes out when I saw the fierce clashes in Lebanon and thought that I will never manage to come back and that I will be...

Lebanon: A deal is reached in Doha

  27 May 2008

“Beirut – Lebanon is where the action will be after a deal was reached yesterday to end the political crises in Lebanon. Finally Lebanon this week will have a president and the tent city will disappear … hurray …what a break …The Lebanese will never forget Qatar,” reports tearsforlebanon in...

Lebanon: National dialogue in Doha

  21 May 2008

Lebanese parliamentarians, ministers, and opposing political leaders are currently holding talks in Doha, Qatar. This national dialogue came at the end of violent clashes between opposition and pro–government groups two weeks ago. The talks are taking place since Saturday in an attempt to reach an agreement on the national unity government, the election law and to finally elect a consensus president. Following are some bloggers reactions on the dialogue.

Lebanon: Psycological traumas

  21 May 2008

“Many Lebanese, myself included, argue that this technically short conflict did far more psychological damage than the 34 day 2006 war. Civil wars are much harder psychologically than wars with ‘the other’,” concludes Charles Malik, who wrote anecdotes of the psychological effect of the conflicts in Lebanon.

Egypt: A Taxi Driver's Words of Wisdom

  19 May 2008

Israeli-American blogger Daniel Lubetsky, traveling in Egypt, interviews his taxi driver on leading figures in the Middle East. “I asked him to rank people or countries, thumbs up or thumbs down. Here were his rankings on 24 questions from Bush to Ahmadinejad, from Olmert to Nasrallah, from Bin Laden to...

Syria: Crisis in Neighboring Lebanon

  18 May 2008

As the Lebanese leaders go to Doha, Qatar, to resume their "National Dialogue", here is a roundup of what Syrian bloggers had to say on the latest crisis in Lebanon. The Syrian bloggers were as divided as their counterparts in Lebanon about who is to blame for this latest crisis, and what must be done to avoid such events in the future.

Lebanon: Agree or stay away

  17 May 2008

“On the way to Beirut International Airport, members of the ‘Handicapped Union’ and other NGOs tell Lebanon's politicians, war lords, inflated clowns & others not to return if they fail to settle their differences,” writes Friday Lunch Club about the Lebanese leaders peace talks taking place in Qatar.

Lebanon: Warlords and not Leaders

  15 May 2008

Lebanese blogger Maze, who lives in Kuwait, asks: Will peace ever prevail in Lebanon? He appeals to his countrymen: “wake up ..don't let those sick minds who are in power influence you…yes we are governed by sick leaders..leaders who care for their personal interests and how to make fortunes from...

Lebanon: “Revolverism”

  15 May 2008

“Firing weapons in the air is a local custom rooted in tradition and history and nurtured by more than a century of frivolity and inter-communal love,” states Ms. Tee, while posting a 99-year-old report written by the British Consul General in Beirut at the time.

Lebanon: Back from the Abyss??

  15 May 2008

While the situation in Lebanon remains uncertain, Lebanese bloggers keep writing about their fears, pain and disappointment. Of course, there is new hope: a deal brokered by the Arab League to end the strikes which have brought Lebanon to the brink of second civil war is being finalized. But all signs point to a deal made on terms highly favorable to Hezbollah, which, according one blogger, means a return to peace is an “illusion.” Here is a small selection of what some of those who write in French have to say.

Lebanon: Iran Smart, US Dumb?

  15 May 2008

“Two veteran American commentators who have spent time in Beirut and who are sometimes referred to as the “Liberal Neocons”, have seen what happened in Lebanon and reached similar conclusions” – that Iran is smart and the US is dumb – writes Beirut Spring from Lebanon.

Lebanon: Civil Strife

  14 May 2008

The military confrontations between the different factions in Lebanon have subsided a bit. The Lebanese Army has declared that it will interfere forcefully to restore order. It also seems that there is some sort of undeclared agreement between different sides to avoid escalation. There is a real fear that the conflict will slip into a full fledged civil war. The past five days were marred with killings, atrocities, destruction and violence. Here are some bloggers’ reactions on the crisis.

Lebanon: The Lighter Side of War

  13 May 2008

Breaking the silence, Moussa Bashir, from Lebanon, shares some jokes he has translated from Arabic on the current explosive political situation on the ground.

Lebanon: Conflict is beyond sectarianism

“His [Nasrallah] words highlighted a deep political divide that goes beyond sectarianism, which pits those who see Lebanon as prey to a Western plot to dominate the region against those who see the chief plotters as Iran and Syria,” notes Burghol on the conflict in Lebanon.

Lebanon: “Unsung heroes”

  13 May 2008

“Another, silent army has deployed, clad in bright green: the Sukleen cleaners. Many come from India, Bangladesh, or Sri lanka, and they are here, in the middle of this conflict, to clean the Beiruti's mess,” writes Rami Zurayk about the garbage collectors in Beirut.

Lebanon: Back to sectarianism

  13 May 2008

“People are now being forced, many times against their will, back into their religiously dominated sectarian camps for protection. This has often heartbreaking personal consequences,” writes Manuela Paraipan about her experiences in the Lebanese conflict.