Usuario:NissimSears2119

Lebanon and the Arab Spring

Lebanon, Officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the East Mediterranean. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history, and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity.

The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than 7,000 years—predating recorded history. Lebanon was the home of the Phoenicians, a maritime culture that flourished for nearly 2,500 years (3000–539 BC). Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the five provinces that comprise modern Lebanon were mandated to France. The French expanded the borders of Mount Lebanon, which was mostly populated by Maronite Catholics and Druze, to include more Muslims. Lebanon gained independence in 1943, and established a unique political system, known as confessionalism, a power-sharing mechanism based on religious communities.

Before the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the country experienced a period of relative calm and prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, and banking. Because of its financial power and diversity, Lebanon was known in its heyday as the "Switzerland of the East". It attracted large numbers of tourists, such that the capital Beirut was referred to as "Paris of the Middle east." At the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure.

Lebanon is a key player in the arab springs' events and a critical country going forward. The Arab Spring, also known as the “Jasmine Revolution,” is a revolutionary wave of protests that has stormed the Arab world since December 18, 2010. So far, the wave of revolutions have toppled the rulers of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, while civil unrest has rocked Syria and Bahrain.

For insightful commentary into the Arab spring from a Lebanese perspective, visit the Lebanon Spring Blog. Topics include Lebanon, the middle east, and Hezbollah.

Future Movement leader Saad Hariri said on Wednesday that the Arab Spring gave the Lebanese people “a golden opportunity” to improve their political experience and remove all remnants of sectarian war and policies of betting on foreign parties.

“All Lebanese should seize this opportunity and avoid wrongfully interpreting the path of the Arab Spring,” Hariri said during a speech delivered via satellite during a ceremony held to announce the movement’s political document.

He also slammed regimes that “are captive of their love for eternal authority and which have chosen to lead their countries with fake slogans of resistance,” in an implicit reference to Syria.