THE first thing that impressed me in Lebanon was one morning in 1956, while I was in my room in Bhamdoun. I watched the clouds gently drifting into the “ghoutita” (a type of rain cloud), as if they were saying “Bonjour” (good morning). It was then that I realized Lebanon is not just ghoutita, but something far more complex.
The Public Prosecutor of North Lebanon has ordered a judicial investigation into a video filmed by a teacher. The video shows female students at a school in Tripoli being asked, “Would you like to take a picture with a Christmas tree?” The students refused, explaining that they considered it acting like non-Muslims.
The video has circulated widely throughout Lebanon, causing a major uproar, despite the fact that the girls are young and their statements should not be taken as definitive. Supporters have chanted slogans in support of the girls, including, “I was a Muslim and I will remain a Muslim.” These demonstrations have raised concerns about potential threats to the rights of others, who make up the majority in their religious and sectarian diversity, rights that are constitutionally protected.
The controversy is escalating on social media, with accusations against the teacher for allegedly inciting hatred toward followers of other faiths. This is not surprising, as he is known more as a “preacher” than a teacher, especially after defending his actions as part of teaching children about their religion.
It is clear that this is not really about a plastic tree in a country weighed down by mountains of problems, tragedies, corruption scandals, the constant risk of internal and external conflict, and the collapse of infrastructure, healthcare, and education systems, not to mention currency instability, water shortages, and power outages. How can the Lebanese ignore all these pressing issues and crises, and instead focus on the perceived impropriety of an eight-year-old girl taking a picture with a Christmas tree? In 1988, Hollywood produced the film “The Last Temptation of Christ,” which contained offensive depictions of Jesus Christ. Several demonstrations erupted in protest against the film’s content, and it subsequently failed commercially and was withdrawn from theaters.
At the time, the Archbishop of London declared that Christianity, with more than 2.3 billion followers, which is nearly a third of the world’s population, was not worth following if a third-rate film could sway its believers. What applied to that film also applies to the plastic tree, whose placement in the lobbies of several hotels has drawn the ire of some hardliners. Islam is a religion followed by 1.5 billion Muslims, a community that has remained strong for over 1,400 years, during which it defeated thousands of enemies and invaders.
I personally witnessed this unjustified panic beginning in the 1960s, when the head of a religious party at the time ordered dozens of tenants in clothing stores in his buildings to remove mannequin heads from their shop windows. The owners of other stores followed suit, and this practice continued for many years.
Playing the piano in hotel lounges was prohibited without a permit that had to be renewed monthly. This permit expired at the end of November, and a new one was issued in December for only 23 days, apparently to prevent hotels from playing the piano during the Christmas and New Year periods. Strangely, this regulation remained in place for more than half a century before being recently abolished, thanks to the efforts of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al-Sabah. Things seem promising, but the journey is still long.
By Ahmad alsarraf e-mail: [email protected]
