Burn the History Book!

What can you say about a society that does not learn from its History?

What can you say about a society that thinks its History is just a novel?

What can you say about a society that has no respect for its martyrs?

It is not in vain that people are still dying in this country just for their beliefs...

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showed up in Beirut...as the savior of the Sunnis...


Our prime minister did not asked him about the 400 years of Ottoman oppression  in this region...

He did not asked him to go to Down Town Beirut to salute the Martyrs killed by the Ottomans...

He did not asked him when will they admit that the Ottomans killed 1,500,000 Armenians...

Our prime minister Saad Hariri wanted to be seen with the new Sunni savior in pictures holding hands in hands as a sign of victory against Iran, Israel and Hezbollah...

Who cares about History?

History is about the past, it is old, it is rotten, it is something put in the archives of an old building in the middle of nowhere...

The scene of Erdogan in Beirut reminded me of my high school mates...they used to hate History classes...

 "C'est la corvee"...they used to say... at that time I used to laugh and used to give them my predictions to the questions that might be asked by the teacher in the exams...I was always 100% right...

But now it doesn't make me laugh...and deep down I feel guilty...I feel I am responsible for Erdogan's visit to Lebanon...

Maybe if I had not given the questions to my schoolmates, maybe they would have studied more their own History...maybe they would have reacted to the Turkish visit...

Maybe...

But the reality is that we will never learn from History, so why do we keep on teaching the kids history?

Next time my son comes home with a history homework, I will advise him to burn his book and notebook!

and to go out play football

Ghajar style governance for the whole occupied territories

Last time I visited the southern borders of Lebanon, (Northern borders of Israel), I was in a village called Meri, which is right next to the Ghajar village... this was end of summer 2009...

I was having Matteh (traditional druze drink) on the balcony of my hosts...the sun was shining, the weather was perfect...and the nature was splendid...

In the background, there was no sound of church or mosque prayers...but sounds of protest from the inhabitants of Ghajar, refusing the Israeli withdrawal from their village. This was a year ago...

The Israeli government took the decision to withdraw... the whole of the international community has supported the move...what a courageous decision, what a brave move to ease the tension in the region!! This is what the IC expressed...

Meanwhile, in the region...the feelings are different...just to use an objective term!!!

The situation is so complex, so complicated and in the same time, the Ghajar problem is just a simplification or a small demonstration of a wider an larger problem that is of the Golan heights and maybe the same can be said about the settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories...

To sum up the situation in Ghajar:

1-Territory belongs to Lebanon

2-People are Syrian Alawites with Israeli passports

3-Governance is Israeli

What more do we need to say?

What we read in the newspapers is that Israel will withdraw, it will hand over the land and the people to the UNIFIL and they will keep a small opening where the Israeli passport holders can enter to the Southern Ghajar because the Israeli authority is still and will always be responsible for its citizens.

So how can we describe this newly created entity?

If this model works, will Israel adopt this for the Israeli passport holders in the whole of the Golan heights and for the settlers that will remain in the OPT?

If this model works, wouldn't the Syrians in the Golan heights prefer to keep their Israeli passports and lobby for a Ghajar style governance?

So, the Ghajar withdrawal is a turning point in the conflict management and peace process options...

But it seems not many see it that way... at least not the Lebanese government...that has not commented on the withdrawal till this morning...which is not acceptable...

But our politicians are always "depasses par les evenements" as the French would declare!!

I ask...but I know...

What is it that you want from me?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

What is it that you want me to do?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

When do you want to see me?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

When do you stop dreaming?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

Why you enjoy reading me?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

Why you keep on writing?

I ask the question...but I know the answer...

and Majida Roumi will never stop singing...