Lebanon

 Rachel McArthur

Message to Myriam – ‘You Have Plenty to Be Modest About’

Message to Myriam – ‘You Have Plenty to Be Modest About’

Lebanese singer Myriam Fares' latest television appearance has left viewers less than impressed.

RACHEL MCARTHUR: She’s made plenty of headlines this week but she would do well to reflect on the word ‘modesty’ in all its senses

 Common Ground News Service

Sectarian Division Undone: Army Unifies Lebanese People

Sectarian Division Undone: Army Unifies Lebanese People

NADA AKL, CGNEWS: There have been consistent attempts by some individuals to drive wedges through Lebanese society. But we are resisting the sectarian clarion call

 Common Ground News Service

At Last: Women Enter Public Discourse in Lebanon

At Last: Women Enter Public Discourse in Lebanon

NADIA AKL, CGNEWS: Until recently women, in spite of their clear achievements across many sectors, have been invisible in public discourse. That’s changing

 Mich Cafe

‘Safe to Speak’ For Journalists in the Middle East? Not Yet.

‘Safe to Speak’ For Journalists in the Middle East? Not Yet.

MICH CAFE: I’ve personally known several journalists who have been assassinated. It’s still a very dangerous occupation in the Middle East.

 Common Ground News Service

‘The Tripoli I Know’: Shisha, Ice Cream and Friends

‘The Tripoli I Know’: Shisha, Ice Cream and Friends

AISHA HABLI, CGNEWS: It has a reputation as a place of conflict, where feuds and sectarian scores are settled. That’s not my experience

 Tabsir

Exile and Alienation: A Father’s Letters To His Son

Exile and Alienation: A Father’s Letters To His Son

GEORGE EL HAGE, TABSIR: I felt it necessary to express directly to my son the feelings of loneliness, isolation and alienation felt by a Lebanese exile.

 Common Ground News Service

Marriage Debate ‘Touches Raw Nerve’ in Lebanon

Marriage Debate ‘Touches Raw Nerve’ in Lebanon

NADA AKL, CGNEWS: The attempt by a Sunni woman and a Shi’a man to effect a civil marriage in Lebanon has brought the issue of national identity to the fore

 Tabsir

Poetic and Poignant: Lebanese Hymns of Love and War

Poetic and Poignant: Lebanese Hymns of Love and War

TABSIR: They reflect the everyday struggles of a people whose land has been wracked by conflict and war.

 Common Ground News Service

‘Civil Initiatives’ vs ‘Politics’: Lebanese Youth Decide

‘Civil Initiatives’ vs ‘Politics’: Lebanese Youth Decide

NADA AKL, CGNEWS: Many young Lebanese people from all sides are disillusioned with sectarianism and violence. The recent bomb proved a catalyst for change

 Alexander McNabb

Beirut Bomb: ‘Mainstream Media’ Becomes Social Media

Beirut Bomb: ‘Mainstream Media’ Becomes Social Media

ALEXANDER MCNABB: It’s the first time I’ve witnessed the so-called established media diving head first into the social media whirl. It sets a dangerous precedent.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Writing About Torture: Mechanism of Resistance

Writing About Torture: Mechanism of Resistance

MOHGA HASSIB, ARABLIT: There is a debate among writers about how to treat the subject of torture. The acclaimed Lebanese writer Elias Khoury has firm views

 Alexander McNabb

Back in Beirut: Food, Friendship and Stunning Views

Back in Beirut: Food, Friendship and Stunning Views

ALEXANDER MCNABB: It’s impossible to resist Beirut’s diverse and immutable charms. So why bother?

 Ramzy Baroud

The Predicament of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon

The Predicament of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon

RAMZY BAROUD: 450,000 UN-registered refugees live in Lebanon. They subsist in poverty, living in 12 concentration style camps, denied basic rights and lack nominal political horizons.

 Common Ground News Service

Tales from Prison: A New Twist on ‘1001 Nights’

Tales from Prison: A New Twist on ‘1001 Nights’

NADA AKL, CGNEWS: Rather than the endless squabbles of politicians which dominate Lebanese debate we can now hear other voices.

 Common Ground News Service

‘The Team’: Taking On Lebanon’s Sectarianism

‘The Team’: Taking On Lebanon’s Sectarianism

FIRAS AL-DABBAGH, CGNEWS: Tired of sectarianism in Lebanon a group of us have tried to do something to address the issue

 Brit in Beirut

Why Do Lebanese Police Hate Traffic Lights?

Why Do Lebanese Police Hate Traffic Lights?

BRIT IN BEIRUT: It’s not only traffic lights it’s roundabouts as well. What’s the problem?

 Alexander McNabb

The Internet in Lebanon: The Box Don’t Fit!

The Internet in Lebanon: The Box Don’t Fit!

ALEXANDER MCNABB: The Lebanese LIRA is yet another example of a government trying to define the role of online.

 Rachel McArthur

Fadel: Genuine or ‘Bandwagon Jumper’?

Fadel: Genuine or ‘Bandwagon Jumper’?

RACHEL MC ARTHUR: He’s been getting a lot of attention but what’s really behind his criticism of Basher al Assad?

 Rachel McArthur

Ragheb Alama: Learning from Arab Idol

Ragheb Alama: Learning from Arab Idol

RACHEL MCARTHUR: Ragheb has been praised by critics for his fairness, but it has not been clear if he was going to return for the next season – until now.

 Juan Cole

Arab World Christians Shaping Own Destiny

Arab World Christians Shaping Own Destiny

JUAN COLE: The some 12 million Arab Christians (out of plus 350 million Arabs) are very much agents in their own fates. They make alliances, and sometimes switch them.