Hariri & cartoon news...

Well, I didn't actually go to the demonstration marking the anniversary of Hariri's assassination. I didn't know why I should be going, or what exactly I should be associating myself with in this event: the demonstration as a celebration of Lebanese sovereignty or independence? No, thank you, I don't actually believe any longer that there is actually any positive development taking place that will strengthen Lebanese democracy and sovereignty. At least not one that I can make out. The demonstration as an opportunity for various groups to show their force and wave their flags? Yes, so I don't want to be part of it. The demonstration as a commemoration of Rafiq al-Hariri? Er, I don't feel I want to be part of the enormous personality cult that has sprung up around him, either. He may have been a good person and so on, but I'm not going to worship him personally.

Consequently, I stayed home and watched the event on TV, which was a little absurd considering that it is a mere 10-minute-walk from my house to Martyr's Square. But I don't have the kind of curiosity I had a few months ago when I came here. I am still curious, but in the meantime I've gotten to know how a few things work here when it comes to politics, and I am much more cautious now about what I want to be part of. I don't believe in the 'peaceful movement of all Lebanese for democracy and sovereignty' anymore. It doesn't really exist, in my opinion, even though that is what I wrote in my MA thesis only six months ago.

But there's no reason to give up just yet, there are tons of people who want to change the world and the way things work here. That's why I've, in the meantime, joined a small NGO called 'Nahwa al-Mouwatiniya' or 'Towards Citizenship'. It's a group of about ten people from very different backgrounds who want to make Lebanon a country that respects its citizens as such, regardless of their religious/communal background. Actually, I should go now because we have a meeting later..

By the way, if anyone is interested in reading more stuff about the Cartoon issues & discussing it, here is an article by Robert Fisk, kindly provided by my friend Leah. And there's also an interesting article and discussion on this topic by Fred Halliday and others on Open Democracy.