The
Phoenicians were the earliest settlers in Lebanon around 3500 BC. They established the
cities of Beirut, Ba’albeck, Biblos, Sidon and Tyre and introduced the Phoenician
22-letter alphabet to the region. The Lebanese/Phoenician cities came under domination in
succession of the Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Christians and Muslims.
These rulers have left behind their religious influences that have fuelled the present day
political crisis.
After the
World War I, the Ottoman Empire broke up and Lebanon came into being, like many other
Middle Eastern countries. Until World War II, Lebanon was under a French Mandate and
became fully independent only after the end of the war.
The start-up
government was relatively stable but there was an inequality in the religious
representation. Although 50% of the populace were Muslims they were excluded from
participating in the government. Power and governance was in the hands of the right wing
Christians. The large exodus of displaced and restive Palestinians (Muslims) further added
to the volatile situation. Though the Muslim revolt in 1958 was suppressed with American
help, civil war broke out in 1975 between the Muslim leftist coalition (allied with
Palestinian groups) and the Christian right wing militia. In April 1976, the Lebanese
President Suleiman Franjieh requested the Syrians to assist the Christian forces and an
uneasy truce ensued with the support of the Arab League States.
In 1978, the
Israelis attacked southern Lebanon where the PLO forces were stationed. Many of the
Shi’ite Muslims migrated to Beirut to escape these attacks. In June 1982, the
Israelis initiated the Operation Peace for Galilee. Beirut was surrounded and shelled and
thousands of civilians were injured and killed. The USA intervened to help evacuation of
the PLO fighters to other Arab countries. The Israeli backed Christian militia massacred
Palestinian civilians in Chatila and Sabra camps in west Beirut. Israeli troops withdrew
to southern Lebanon from where they still occasionally attack Lebanese territory.
The Israeli
attacks led to the formation of the fundamentalist Muslim group “Hezbollah”
(Party of God) who resorted to terrorism. They started taking hostages from among the
westerners who lived in Beirut who were later rescued by the Americans. The US government
banned Americans from travelling to Lebanon till 1997 and still considers Lebanon unsafe
for American tourists, though Europeans have been visiting the country.
In the
Parliamentary elections of 1992, Hezbollah won the largest number of seats. The current
Lebanese President, elected in October 1998, is Emile Lahoud. As law discourages political
apathy, voting is mandatory for all males above 21 years of age. Women above 21 years of
age, who have an elementary school education, can petition for the right to vote. |
