FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"Lebanon’s educational system, fragmented in terms of structure, curriculum, language of instruction and cultural emphasis, acts against the socio-political integration of the society; reinforces duplicatory sectarianism, foreign linkage and dependence"
E Pluribus Plura or E Pluribus Unum? - Cultural Pluralism and Social Class in Lebanon, Samih K. Farsoun, 1988
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"Le Liban, par peur d’être simplement ce qu’il est, et à force de ne vouloir être ni ceci ni cela, s’aperçoit qu’il risque maintenant de n’être plus rien du tout"
Deux Négations ne Font pas une Nation - Georges Naccache, Orient 1949
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
Since we perfectly realize that our ideological, political, and sectarian differences sometimes justify our negative outlook……What we dream of is a country that can transform its differences into a source of power and cohesion, a country free of selfish, sectarian, and family constraints.
The Dream Statement - Samih Kassir, An-Nahar, 2004
(Tranlsated from Arabic)
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"Sur le point de savoir si c’est le bon citoyen qui édifie un bon Etat ou si c’est celui-ci qui forme le bon citoyen, il suffit de constater qu’il existe entre le citoyen et l’Etat une intercommunication étroite qui fait que l’un réagit sur l’autre."
Réflexions à Propos d’un Etat à Réhabiliter et d’un Citoyen à Réeduquer - Fouad Boutros, 1988
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"We call [those who have various political and ideological doctrines] simple-minded to the extent of being naive, because they see everything from a single point of view and interpret things according to a single concept. In so doing, they seek to summarize everything from one perspective, be it on the social, political, economic or even philosophical level"
Reality and Future Prospects in Lebanon - Kamal Jumblat, 1956
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"Nationalism is a great thing so long as it can be set aside when mankind, and the fate of the world along with it, is at stake"
Lebanon In the World - Future Prospects - Michel Chiha, 1951
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"Two separate textbooks for each faith were created for each grade with no information about the other religion; actually the writing of a common book for Christian and Muslim students based on common spiritual values was refused by the sects"
The Negative Face of the Lebanese Education System - Nemer Frayha, 2009
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"It is not enough to be, it is not enough to be free to be what you are. You must also be free to become what your conscience requires you to become in the light of your best knowledge"
Plenary discussions preceding the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Charles Malik, 1949
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"اذ ندرك تماماً ان اختلافاتنا الفكرية والسياسية والطائفية تبرّر عند البعض القنوط والسلبية…ما نحلم به، بلاد تنهل من اختلافاتها لتحولها مصدر قوة وتماسك، بلاد متحررة من قيود الأنانيات الطائفية والعائلية"
بيان الحلم, سمير قصير, 2004
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"وجميع الناس في النهاية، يلتقون على الشواطئ المتقابلة ليغرفوا الماء ذاته من الأوقيانوس ذاته وإنما، في جهلهم، يختلفون على درجة ملوحة أو عذوبة مياه البحر... كلهم في النهاية، نصارى، وكلهم، في النهاية، مسلمون"
لبنان في واقعه ومرتجاه - كمال جنبلاط، 1956
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
"تبيّنَ لي أنّ إلغاءَ نظام الطائفيّةِ السياسيّةِ في لبنان سيهدّدُ استقرارَ لبنان، وقد تخلقُ ظروفاً للاستقواءِ بالخارجِ من هنا ومن هناك"
الوصايا: موضوع إلغاء الطائفية السياسية في لبنان - الإمام الشيخ محمد مهدي شمس الدين, 2001
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Courtesy of clementtannouri.com |
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KEY EVENTS |
The League of Nations grants France stewardship of Lebanese and Syrian mandates; results in the formation of the State of Greater Lebanon.
1920
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Sixth Chamber of Deputies abrogates mandate. French authorities briefly imprison communal leaders and Lebanon achieves independence under the “National Pact” (an informal understanding of a sectarian arrangement based on the 1926 Constitution).
1943
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Arab defeat in Arab-Israeli war leads to an increased flow of Palestinian militants into Lebanon followed by intermittent Israeli military incursions and strains in Lebanese Christian-Muslim relations.
1967
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Syrian troops enter Lebanon, under the banner of the Arab Deterrent Forces.
1976
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Ta’if agreement end’s the Lebanese Civil War and amends the Constitution to inaugurate the “Second Lebanese Republic.” Executive power shifts from President to Council of Ministers.
1989
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Israel withdraws from Southern Lebanon. Hafez al-Assad dies and is succeeded by his son, Bashar, as President of Syria. Rafik Hariri scores impressively in the Lebanese Parliamentary election despite the hostility of the rhetoric and brutality of political tactics from both the Syrian and pro-Syrian camps in Lebanon. Hariri returns as Prime Minister.
2000
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Syria withdraws almost all of its 25,000 troops from Beirut and the surrounding suburbs. However 20,000 Syrian troops remain spread throughout the countryside amid rising Lebanese animosity generated by their presence.
2000 - 2004
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is assassinated sparking the “Cedar Revolution.” The Syrians withdraw from Lebanon and the first, free Parliamentary elections since 1972 were held. The UN begins its first murder inquiry into Hariri’s death while Damascus and its allies are fingered. Further political assassinations occur.
2005
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Hezbollah captures two Israeli soldiers. Israel responds by bombarding both Hezbollah and non-Hezbollah targets alike and begins a ground war against Hezbollah inside Lebanon. UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is approved and a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel is reached...
2006
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An-Nahar Research & Documentation Center |
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KEY EVENTS |
Special Tribunal for Lebanon opens in Hague. Lebanese security apparatus detains an army colonel on suspicion of spying for Israel, the latest of about 30 such arrests. The pro-Western March 14 alliance led by Saad Rafik Hariri wins 71 of 128 seats in parliamentary elections while rival March 8 alliance, led by Hezbollah, secures 57.
2009
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Lebanon - Syria Borders Report
An Overview of the Levant: What’s Next in Syria – Washington, DC – May 22, 2012