The Hummus Revolution in Lebanon: Please do not use the word "revolution" so casually in referring to the events and developments in Lebanon. If you use the word "revolution" you are implying that the lousy bunch of crooks, war criminals, corrupt politicians, clerical clients, feudal warlords, militia gangsters are "revolutionaries." You think that the word "revolutionary" applies to the likes of Ahmad Fatfat and Walid Jumblat in Lebanon? But this is Lebanon. They describe Jubran (whose writings are used on Hallmark cards in US) as a "philosopher" no less and they get offended when you tell them that his writings are no more than "mawkish sentimentalism" (the description appears in the words of Amin Rihani in Jubran's biography by Mikha'il Nu`aymah). And Lebanese refer to their failed experiment of a "nation" as a "civilization." Have respect for the French Revolution before applying it to the baba ghannuj developments in the country with less cedars than Morocco. Lebanon always exaggerates its significance to the world; the right-wing militia leader Amin Gemayyel who was installed as "president"--the worst in Lebanese history--in 1982 by Israeli tanks and with US support (America did not discover "sovereignty" of Lebanon until last week, you know), once told an assembly at the UN: "give us peace, and we will astound the world again." First, what does "again" here mean? When did little insignificant Lebanon astound the world the first time around? Yes, Lebanon did astound the world with the cruelty and savagery of its combatants (its own Lebanese combatants) during the civil war years. Jumblat used the expression again. And Amin Gemayyel's Intelligence Service of the Lebanese Army (allegedly--my parents are both lawyers, so I have to insert that) sent a car bomb to kill Jumblat, but it missed him. Now they are allies. Just the mafia types that you would expect from those characters. But Lebanese used the word "thawrah" (revolution) back in 1958 during their mini-civil war: a "rehearsal" (to use Lenin's description of the 1905 revolt in Russia) for the later bloody civil war of 1975. This is not a thawrah. And Arab leaders just amaze me. Bashshar Al-Asad gave a second interview after the assassination of Hariri. The first one was for La Republica in Rome and the second one was for Time. These are unelected and unaccountable leaders who do not care about their own Arab constituencies, but care a great deal about the constituency in Washington, DC. He could not once address the Lebanese people, or the Syrian people, not even about the continued Lebanese abuse of poor and innocent Syrian workers in Lebanon, not to mention their abuse of Sri Lankan maids in Lebanon (an article of mine is coming out soon on this very topic in a book on Women and Human Rights Worldwide). Racists need to abuse other poor people to feel good about themselves. And Lebanonism passed through three phases or kinds of racism: the first one characterized the efforts of sectarian Christian ultra-nationalists in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s who expressed condescension toward Muslim Arabs. You still find traces of those attitudes in Lebanon today by the way. The second phase, was Lebanese racism against Palestinians. I grew up with this kind of anti-Palestinian racism around me. And the recent phase, entails Lebanese racism against the Syrian people. People, and I am not talking about justified hostility to the Syrian regime. And Bashshar is busy talking to the Western press. And he did not even dismiss the head of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, for his negligence AT LEAST. And people wonder why the Syrian government is being suspected by Lebanese. And the Lebanese president remains silent. That is his habit. I criticized him when his rule was extended (I called it "crowning") because he also did not even bother to ask the Lebanese people for their support. Syrian support sufficed. How could I ever sympathize with those various parties and factions. From the bad to the worse. And I noticed that in Marwan Hamadah's speech (and he survived an assassination attempt before Hariri's assassination) before parliament on Monday, he again remembered fondly the days of Hafidh Al-Asad. Do you see what I mean? These people disagree with Syria not on principles and not on independence and not on freedom but on spoils and corruption and access. Hamadah did say that they had more access during the days of the most ruthless and brutal Hafidh Al-Asad. Did you notice that the Israeli foreign minister expressed his desire for a peace treaty with Israel? That, among its cruel and bloody history of intervention in Lebanon, makes Israel very much a suspect in my eye. It should not be ruled out at all. They will never hesitate in using such methods. I still believe that these are still the suspects: Syria, Israel, Gen. `Awn's gangs, Lebanese Army Intelligence, and Sunni fanatical groups. Any of them could be responsible, although I do not know for sure. I am getting very suspicious at the role of the opposition, and the recent falafil visit by Mr. Satherfield. I do agree with the corrupt opposition on two matters: 1) there should be an international investigation; 2) all the heads of the security services in Lebanon should be ousted without a doubt. I support former prime minister Salim Huss's effort to chart a third independent path, away from the opposition and the government alike. Hope it will succeed. What he lacks in charisma he makes up for in honesty, integrity, and consistency. I notice that the opposition is making every effort to pretend that there is a national identity being formed. Never. That is not the Lebanon I know and studied. I wrote my PhD dissertation on Lebanese political identities, and this Hummus Revolution will not succeed in erasing the sectarian fears, animosities, prejudices, and hostilities. I am not optimistic about the future. And I cannot believe that there are the typical foolish members of the US press who are trying to give credit to Bush for signs of Arab desires for independence and democratization. These are the fruits of the struggles and sufferings of Arab people over the years. If you have doubt, read Augustus Richard Norton's Civil Society in the Middle East in two volumes, published in 1994. In that project, movements of civil society were examined in several Middle East countries LONG BEFORE BUSH CAME TO POWER. But then again. The media would like us believe that Bush also discovered oil in the Middle East. Believe what you wish. It does not matter. I still believe that the US and France are playing with fire. They are acting as if they do not even consider the possibility that things in Lebanon can still get out of hand, and even hurt them, and hurt the Lebanese people. And there are divisions even within the Maronite community. Who can deny that Sulayman Franjiyyah in Zghurta has a huge following there. The rally that he held the other day leaves no doubt as to his standing, at least with his people. But I think that Lahhud is stubborn and may not respond to the demands of the opposition. Salim Hussa is now reconsidering his earlier decision to not seek the prime ministership. I remember in the 2000 election how I urged him to respond to the blatantly sectarian Sunni campaigns of mobilization and agitation launched by none other than Rafiq Hariri. He refused; he told me that "I would not go down to that level." I remember that when I asked him about Syrian interference in governmental affairs, he got very nervous. And then told me bluntly: "please, do not ask me about Syria anymore." Minister of State of this government (which just resigned) Albert Mansur called on all the politicians to submit to the Lebanese law about the origins and size of their wealth. He wanted to show that they all either embezzled or benefited from Hariri's largesse. When I was in college, the driver of Mr. Mansur once unleashed his AK-47 over my head because I refused to back up to allow the limo (with Mansur inside) of this big shot (I had the right of way). That was a close call. I almost died that day. I was furious at Mansur, and still remember it every time I see him on TV.
PS: many of you have pleaded with me to divide these posts into paragraphs. Even Neal firmly asked me to do so. But this has annoyed too many people for me to change now. (I mean people who deserve to be annoyed).