A long article in The Washington Post about Ghassan Tueni.
According to the writer, Lebanon is one of the Arab world's "freest" countries. Is it really? How do we measure "feedom"? According to laws? Sovereignty? Media images of women? Is this freedom for everyone? Would the Palestinian refugees agree? Or is this just a cliche that no one bothers to examine?
This is not intended as Lebanese bashing. I'm honestly interested in the questions.
1 comment:
Freedom? Perhaps. I could always speak my mind, and rarely felt threatened in any way. Even in the peak of Syrian Tutelage. Democracy? Not really, it never was there. Dr. Salim Hoss puts it best: " In Lebanon, there is lots of Freedom, but little Democracy."
Sovereignty? Again not really. But given the nature of the inception, the 1920 accord between patriarch Areeda and the French, it was never meant to be a country completely free from outside influences.
Is this freedom for everyone? Again no, not unless you're a pure bred Lebanese citizen. Not palestinian refugees, certainly not asian maids.
Women can't give citizenship to there children, but if the lebanese bloodline is on the father's side it's a piece of cake.
But I'll honestly say that: Compared to other Arab countries, and if you're a Lebanese citizen, then it's definitly one of the 'freest' countries
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