Have you ever read the Ta’ef Agreement?

By Mezzo
When a politician communicates a message to his electorates or to his opponents, regardless of whether the information is true or false (read: a lie), the listener would interpret it and classify it depending on where the listener politically stands vis-à-vis the politician. The listener would call the message “information” if he is in [...]

Funny how little we’ve progressed

By Ana
So since I had some time this winter break to do some “pleasure reading” and not focus too much on my academic texts, I bought a few books from Virgin Megastore and quickly browsed through the comments I had marked on the margins of my copy of Kamal Salibi’s Cross Roads to Civil War: [...]

Who has the true majority?

By Mezzo
Each camp did what it did and is now holding its stand based on the belief that it represents the true majority. Everybody agrees that the difference between a majority and a minority rests on few percentage points swinging one way or another. So instead of claiming who has the true majority, let us [...]

“Evil” becoming popular word in both March 8 and March 14 statements

By Ana
It is uncomfortable to watch Lebanese politicians adopting Bushism as their new dictionary. Surely, there are more appropriate, diplomatic, and non-provocative ways of expressing ideas or opinions rather than branding certain acts as “evil.” Such biblical diction is not amusing since it connotes a sense of divine authoritarianism and immunity, which none of the [...]

New Year Blues

By Ana
Many Lebanese who have returned to Lebanon for the holidays are making plans to leave earlier than expected. Most will be gone by the first week of January. Why? Because threats of closing down the road leading to the airport and engaging in disruptive acts that might trigger domestic violence, could lead to the [...]

What is motivating General Aoun?

By Mezzo
Two weeks ago, General Aoun made a statement that puzzled me so much that I kept thinking about it, trying to make some sense out of it. He spoke of Ta’ef and how it deprived the Christian community of its rights and how it weakened its position in the country by reducing the powers [...]

Merry Christmas?

By Ana
Today at noon, I went to mass at the St. Louis Church that is ten meters down from the Grand Serail. The church had been closed since the protestors moved in the first week of December. Today, the church received permission from security forces to open the road leading to the church. The Christmas [...]

Christmas 2006 in Downtown Beirut

By Ana
I found this on The Ouwet Front, which I thought I’d share with you guys. The point is unfortunately true. Merry Christmas Lebanon.

Why Western-backed?

By Ana

Calling the Seniora government “Western-backed” began the week the six ministers resigned from the Lebanese Prime Minister’s government. The label was used by western media outlets, particularly the BBC and CNN International, whereby the latter used it one too many times. Beginning last week with Hassan Nasrallah’s video speech in Downtown, other March 8 [...]

Switching territorial grounds and a lucrative market

By Ana
Among the anti-government supporters that have been camping in downtown Beirut for the past two weeks are those that clearly do not fit in the chic-ness and capitalist elitism of their ralllying location. Hezbollah, Amal, and Communist supporters, whose strongholds are in the South, are all piled one on top of the other in [...]