Beirut...First Glimpses

To a first time visitor, Beirut unveils its diversity the first second you step out of the airport. The whole city is a patchwork of colours, features, looks, architectures and social categories: fancy cars rushing along side jalopies and scrap heaps about to give up the ghost (but still rushing almost as fast as the first ones!), luxurious buildings and ritzy villas neighbouring tumble-down shacks, Mosques’ minarets greeting Churches’ bell towers here an there and an impressive display of Red, White and Cedars – the Lebanese flag – everywhere, as if the country, with its numerous identities, was constantly struggling to remind everyone that the ONE identity that should remain above all religions, factions, ethnic groups and political tendencies is the Lebanese Identity.

First Police check point.

First of the numerous ones that have spread all over the country after Israel’s attack in July 2006 and the resulting severe destabilization of the Lebanese political system, check points seem to be part of the country’s daily life and my Lebanese friends were almost amused by my surprise and excitement.
This one is a Lebanese Army checkpoint, that one is under March 8th Forces’ control, that other one is under March 14th Alliance’s. Welcome to the kingdom of confusion!

In fact, Lebanese politics is a labyrinth of parties, armed militias, religious groups and ethnical minorities…To make it simple, the 2 major rivals are:

- The March 14 Alliance, named after the Cedar Revolution and known to be anti-Syrian. It is led by the following major parties: the Future Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Forces, in addition to 11 other groups (just that!)
(For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_14_Alliance)

- The Pro-Syrian opposition (commonly referred to as March 8 Alliance), including Hezbullah, Amal Movement, Free Patriotic Movement, Armenian Revolutionary Federation and no less than 18 other different parties (!!!!)
(For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_8_Alliance)

Isn’t it amazing how all the components of this chaotic little world manage to fit in 10 000 km²? (When they do…)