Lebanese Sectarianism: A Maronite Only Driver

Lebanon has long been mired in conflict and setback due to sectarian antagonism in the country. Despite a brief between 1958-1964, successive governments have been in effect run by tribal chiefs dressed in suits. Such a system of politics encourages division. Instead of politicians competing for votes across the country (or town) and running on national issues, Lebanese politics often comes down to: what is good from my sect? Such thinking led to the 1975-1990 Civil War (and civil wars prior) and street-fighting between Sunnis, Shiites and Druze in 2008.

But the tribal hold extends to general society as well. Religious identity is paramount in Lebanon. Politics is so charged with that identity because people confront it everyday. Lebanese have their religion placed on their identity cards and marriage, divorce and inheritance are governed by respective religious leaders and are binding on a person even if they no longer consider themselves, say, a Christian.

If Lebanese society was more secular, people intermixed more often, the power of religious authority was subdued, and religious identity downplayed then that would eventually bequeath a more tolerant culture between Lebanese which itself would probably usher in a more harmonious, secular and national-based politics.

Until the awful sectarianism in Lebanon ends, we will continue to see such absurdities in Lebanese newspapers:

ibn cgoyd CgOYd 19672

This is an actual ad for a driver--a Maronite driver only.

Imagine such a mentality? Imagine an ad for a white-only driver?

Lebanon needs a better path.