A frequent reader of this blog had questions about my previous post titled "Pity the Nation." Maybe I should clarify. I did not post the poem with the intention of anything political. I posted the poem to demonstrate how there have been all different types of art produced by the Arab world.
With that being said, I have to admit that I enjoy Lebanese culture and history. Out of all the Arab countries, Lebanon is at the top of my list. Of course, I tend to be biased because one of my closest friends is Lebanese and so I have a favorable view of the country. Nonetheless, Lebanon is an amazing little country with a very distinct culture, language dialect, and politics.
One of the most knowledgeable people on Lebanon is British journalist and author Robert Fisk. He lived in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. I'm currently reading his book Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon. It's a really good book that gives a clear overview of Lebanese history and politics in an enjoyable, readable format. I can't recommend this book enough.
It's human nature to tend to group things together. Unfortunatley, in our current political climate, Westerners tend to view all Arabs as the same. It would be easy to categorize Lebanese as the same as Arabs from the Gulf countries. However, the truth is that in Lebanon there is a large Christian population. The President of Lebanon is required, by law, to be Maronite Christian. 40% of the population in Lebanon is Christian. I think this is important to note because it creates a common link between Westerners and the Arab world.
I love America and am proud to be an American, but I like to travel. If the world were safer, I'd be on the first flight to explore Beirut.
