Sectarianism in the land of the Cedars

Sectarianism is present in the social and political life
of the Lebanon and is even in the unwritten-constitut ion.

Sectarianism is saturating the day by day life
so that it becomes invisible and indivisible. ....
and it replaces the breathing-air.


But then and again,
too much of anything , makes it absolute
and self-destructive.  Like love and or alcohol..... .



I shall give you an example :

One candidate running for an "orthodox-seat" in the parliament
is a member of an "all-Maronite-party" and ex-member of a dissolved
"Maronite-militia".

This candidate won the elections in his district (for the orthodox-seat)
thanks to the overwhelming votes of the Druzes in that same district.
The Druzes voted for him under an agreement (a coalition)
with the Sunni-group of Hariri.

So there you have it :
An Orthodox-parliamentarian who is member of a Maronite-clan
voted in power by the Druzes-voters , only to serve the Sunnis-strategy.

This is not a fictitious figure...... ....but a real one !!.

And if you want to hear more confusing details ,
this "Orthodox-parliamen tarian" got less than 24%
of the Orthodox-voters in his district.
Meaning that in practice he is only representing that Maronite-party
which , accidentaly ,does not even exist in his peculiar distric ,anyhow.

And if you think that is unfair or strange , you would be surprised
to know that this (Christian) Parliamentarian has ,during the civil war,
killed more of his christian opponents ,
than from his Muslim or Druze opponents.


Today ,
his own body-guards fear those people only from his own religion
and even from his own sect....rather than anyone else.

Sectarianism ,because it is man-made  , is like Racism
and is not at all,  natural !!


Raja Chemayel
non-sectarian and anti-racist