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Lebanese Shiites form front against Hezbollah

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By Arab News - A recent meeting of around 60 public Shiite figures in Beirut, including university professors, writers, journalists and business people, has triggered a series of negative responses on social media.
The group said: “We are a group of democratic Lebanese citizens from the Shiite community, and our main concern is the establishment of a just and capable state, and the Shiite community is but a part of our work and activity, especially as parliamentary elections approach with an electoral law which still requires candidates to have sectarian affiliation.” The response on social media — accusations of “treason” and cries of “embassy’s Shiites,” a derisory term used by Hezbollah to discredit its opponents by implying they are in the pay of foreign governments — was expected, according to Dr. Harith Sulaiman, an academic and one of the prominent group members.

“We face offensive rumors if we take an independent stand against the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and Amal. We know we’ll pay for it,” he said. “I have been a political activist and patriot for the last 40 years; I studied in France and I might have had certain ambitions, but I did not try to achieve my goals through either of the two Shiite powers. I’ve now decided to retire because I do not want to follow either of them.”
The group stated that their meeting was “evidence we don’t plan on establishing a political party or a Shiite organization, but that we are keen on finding a political climate that is convenient for all Lebanese people and through which they can perform their duties and receive their rights. Our meeting today is not a fleeting one, but the beginning of establishing a national opposition front that will correct the division of Lebanese politics.
“During the meeting, it was agreed that the quota policy has disrupted and paralyzed government agencies and changed Lebanon’s direction toward serving regional agendas, which, if continued, will eventually lead to the fragmentation and demise of Lebanon,” the group’s statement continued. “From here, we call for searching for ways out after the country was brought to a state of intransigence. It is time for a Lebanese civil state to be established, and it should start with the parliamentary elections.”

Media worker and civil activist Ali Al-Amin pointed out that the meeting brought together left-wingers, conservatives and civil activists from South Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut. They do not share the same ideology but they do share a desire for a civil state. “The appeal we made is a founding statement for this common space,” he said. “There exists a Shiite dilemma in Lebanon: We can’t dream of being able to break Hezbollah’s dominance. Hezbollah is a regional armed force that uses its power to practice sectarian mobilization, and it is troubled by the existence of Shiites who declare that they oppose its policies and ideologies. We are paying for our stances against the campaigns that accused us of treachery, and we have been oppressed on several occasions. Any Shiite who opposes Hezbollah is accused of treason.” Shiite figures in the meeting agreed that Hezbollah’s sectarian mobilization had begun to escalate in 2006 after Israel’s war on Lebanon, and continued during its fight alongside Syria “when they switched from calling for a fight against Israel to calling for a holy war — jihad.”

However, the group believes the upcoming parliamentary elections, based on the new law that adopts proportional representation, are an opportunity for achieving a ballot-box breakthrough.
“In the last quarter-century, we haven’t seen any breakthroughs in electoral lists in which the Shiite duo is allied — neither in the south nor in Baalbek-Hermel,” Al-Amin said. “This is an indication to any observer that there are no elections in these areas, but rather the use of the organs of state to exert influence over them. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah once said, ‘We are headed to a referendum, not an election.’ For us, sovereignty is a matter of vital importance and we have the right to tell them they’re committing forgery and violating the law.”

The independent Shiite figures believe the outcome of last year’s municipal elections, in which some individuals overcame the traditional Shiite alliance, offers cause for optimism. They do not believe there is a contradiction between their call for a civil state and using a unified Shiite front to achieve it. “The Lebanese regime divided us into sects and regions, so what (are we) supposed to do? There is a Shiite problem and if certain figures are not replaced, nothing will change,” businessman Kareem Marwa said. “Lebanon is governed by the balance of powers. We know this, but we wish to say that we are Lebanese and Arabs, and the new election law may either allow for a seat or not, but it’s our duty to provide the people of Lebanon — especially Shiites — with options if we wish the state to come first.”

Journalist Kassem Kassir, a close associate of Hezbollah, doubts that these figures will remain united when it comes to their electoral project because he believes “they have nothing in common — on the contrary, actually; there are conflicts between them. Moreover, they have already attempted to form groups but were marginalized by the electoral alliances between the March 14 Forces and the Shiite duo.”
Kassir said he believes “these figures are trying to seize the opportunity and take advantage of a regional event to unite as opposition to Hezbollah. However, these figures form an elite group that does not constitute a popular cause, so how will it survive the parliamentary elections without powerful electoral support?”

But Dr. Sulaiman’s vision goes beyond the parliamentary elections. “In the light of Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian mess, what we’re doing is protecting our people from death,” he said. “Every day I go to the university and see the walls filled with photos of students I’ve known being mourned by Hezbollah; I find it quite painful. When they fought Israel, we used to say ‘May they rest in peace,’ but the tragedy is greater today because those young people are fighting in defense of Bashar Assad. Those young men are dying thrice: Once because they died, once because they fought the wrong battle, and once because they are supporting a tyrannical ruler. The reason why we’re here is that we appeal for the truth and want to say ‘Enough is enough’ and defend our youth.”

“We cannot despise our students, relatives or neighbors — what we do is because we love them and wish to protect them from death,” he continued. “Those who are responsible for their harm are the ones who said ‘We will be wherever we must be.’ It is the responsibility of Qasem Soleimani because it means we must be whatever Iran wishes us to be, and this is unacceptable. We are more concerned about the Hezbollah youth than about Iran and Hezbollah’s leadership.”

'The Insult' tops box office in Lebanon

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The Insult (film).jpg

by Chloe Domat- al-monitor.com When George Haddad left the film theater, he immediately sat down again lighting a cigarette. “Well, I hadn’t seen anything like that in a long time,” he told Al-Monitor. A few feet away, storekeeper Nour Khoder admitted she cried several times during the film. “The narrative is so strong, it really shakes you. It brought back memories of the war, the massacres, what my family went through. I'm very moved,” she said. Ziad Doueiri’s latest film, “The Insult,” was released three weeks ago and has been a box office favorite, taking almost 50% of total film admissions in Lebanon. It takes place in today’s Lebanon and tells the story of how a seemingly meaningless dispute between a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian Muslim escalates into a national affair that plays out in the courts, political parties and the media.

“It feels so real,” said student Daniel Abboud. “What happens in that film — it could happen now, right now, in this street." The civil war of 1975-1990 is a difficult topic in Lebanon. Right after the fighting stopped, an amnesty law took effect in the name of national unity, with countless crimes and over 150,000 dead swept under the rug. At the same time, although there was no official reconciliation between the different factions, militia leaders turned themselves into elected politicians.Up until today, what happened during 15 years of armed conflict is hardly ever mentioned, let alone discussed. History books mostly ignore modern history. Yet many in Lebanon — like the two main characters in the film — still live with the memories of the war.

“Despite the disclaimer at the beginning of the screening which declared that the movie does not represent the current situation in the country, I think it actually does … the wounds of the civil war have yet to heal and this case does reflect in a way or another the feel that Lebanese have towards each other and towards Palestinian refugees,” blogger Najib Mitri wrote. For film critic Sandra Noujeim from the local daily L’Orient le Jour, the film goes even further. She wrote, “For the first time, the Christian community is portrayed as a victim. The film deconstructs the political demonization of Christians."Although "The Insult" does bring some new elements to the debate, one can’t deny that the civil war has been on the agenda of Lebanese cinema for a long time. Films such as “Where Do We Go Now?” (2011), “Zozo” (2005) and Doueiri’s masterpiece “West Beirut” (1998) are all about the civil war. “Cinema doesn’t have a great record in achieving national reconciliation. It is unlikely 'The Insult' can change that. At the end of the day a film is judged by other criteria,” wrote Jim Quilty from the local newspaper The Daily Star.

If “The Insult” is such a powerful film, it is first and foremost because it feels so real. The plot is inspired by a real story. A couple of years ago, Doueiri found himself in a dispute with a worker on the street. They started arguing, insulting each other and finally settled on good terms, but that’s when the director thought, “What would have happened if I had pushed it further? At what point would I have resorted to violence?" The choice of actors was also crucial in ensuring the film was as close as possible to reality. The two main characters — Tony, a middle-aged Lebanese man raised on Christian militia propaganda, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee living in a Lebanese refugee camp — are played by actors who have been through similar life struggles. "Adel is Tony in a way — of course he wouldn’t do or say what Tony does, but he identifies with him, and that's what makes a strong act,” Doueiri told Al-Monitor. “I could not have played the character of Yasser. I'm a Lebanese Christian. I was raised with the Lebanese Forces, in the same neighborhood as Tony, actually. This is what I know best,” actor Adel Karam told Al-Monitor.

MAPPED: What internet censorship looks like around the world

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59 people are dead and more than 527 are injured after a mass shooting in Las Vegas

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khazen.org offers its prayers to the victims of Las Vegas. We pray for their family

Las Vegas Mandalay Bay shooting graphic BI in house

By Business insider- At least 59 people were killed and more than 527 were injured Sunday night in Las Vegas in the deadliest shooting in modern US history. A gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, aiming into a tightly packed crowd of thousands below who were attending a country music festival. The shooter, armed with what appeared to be at least one automatic weapon, used the elevated vantage point to fire into the crowds across the Las Vegas Strip at the Route 91 Harvest festival, where Jason Aldean was onstage. Officers identified the shooter as Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old man from Nevada. They believe he was the only attacker, and that he killed himself before they arrived. Police completed a search of Paddock's hotel room and his home in Mesquite, Nevada, which is around 80 miles from Las Vegas. At least 16 rifles were found in the hotel room, law-enforcement officials said during an afternoon press conference. Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said investigators recovered an additional 18 firearms at Paddock's home in Mesquite, Nevada as well as some explosives and "several thousand rounds" of ammunition. Investigators also found ammonium nitrate in Paddock's car at the Mandalay Bay, and tannerite was found in his home, Sheriff Lombardo said. A SWAT team was preparing to search another home in northern Nevada.

Mandalay Bay windows

Two broken windows near the top of the Mandalay Bay Casino, from which a gunman killed at least 50 people with an automatic weapon. AP/Business Insider

Soon after the shooting, which began at 10:08 p.m. PDT, a SWAT team stormed the building, forced their way into his hotel room, and found the gunman already dead. A statement from ISIS claimed that the attack was their doing, and that Paddock converted to Islam "a few months ago." The FBI contradicted this claim, saying that Paddock had "no connection with an international terrorist group." In a press conference Monday morning, Lombardo said the figures for the numbers dead and injured following the shooter may still increase.

Mandalay Bay shooting Las Vegas

A makeshift medical center in the middle of the Las Vegas strip, with the Mandalay Bay visible in the distance. Reuters

Who was Stephen Paddock?

Stephen Paddock was retired and had no criminal record before the attack, Reuters reported. He used to work as an accountant, and his brother described him to CNNas "a wealthy guy playing video poker ... on cruises." A Washington Post report characterized Paddock as a quiet man who occasionally came to Las Vegas to gamble or catch concerts, was a former resident of Texas, and held a hunting license in Alaska. Eric Paddock, the shooter's brother, told CBS News that Stephen was "not an avid gun guy at all." "The fact that he had those kind of weapons is ... just ... where the hell did he get automatic weapons? He has no military background or anything like that," Eric Paddock said. "He's a guy who lived in a house in Mesquite and drove down and gambled in Las Vegas." Paddock was divorced, according to CNN, and his ex-wife resides in Los Angeles. The two divorced 27 years ago after a six-year marriage and have not been in contact in years, the report said. Benjamin Hoskins Paddock, the shooter's father, was a well-known bank robber and on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list from 1969 to 1977, CNN reported. Benjamin Hoskins Paddock was a diagnosed psychopath, according to the FBI, and he was convicted of "bank robbery, automobile larceny, and confidence game." Eric Paddock said he died several years ago. The bureau's poster on the elder Paddock cautioned that he had committed armed robberies before, had "suicidal tendencies," and "should be considered armed and very dangerous." Stephen Paddock owned two aircraft and held a pilot's license, according to the "Today" show. Paddock had worked for a predecessor company of Lockheed Martin, the giant defense contractor that builds planes. Lombardo said officers had spoken to a woman, Marilou Danley, described as Paddock's roommate. She was outside the United States, he said, and officers believe she was not involved in the attack. "We have no idea what his belief system was," Lombardo told reporters. In a subsequent press conference, Lombardo said "I can't get into the mind of a psychopath at this point." The Daily Mail quoted Paddock's brother Eric as saying he and his mother were "in shock" and "dumbfounded" after finding out about the shooting. According to the Daily Mail, Eric Paddock described his brother as a normal guy who must have "snapped."

How it unfolded

Lebanese Designer Elie Saab

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Harlow looked stunning. (Instagram / winnieharlow)

by Al bawaba - Canadian darling, Winnie Harlow, looked stunning in her lace maxi gown by top Lebanese designer Elie Saab for his SS18 fashion presentation during Paris Fashion Week. The supermodel never fails to effortlessly grab everyone’s attention and have all eyes glued to her. Saab choosing Harlow as his model is a clear message to all of us that we are all beautiful and that we can accomplish anything.

Battle over Beirut landmark demolition raises bigger questions about city's fate

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The Grande Brasserie du Levant, built in 1933, is seen here on March 27, 2017, shortly after demolition work had begun. David Enders for The National

by David Enders --For a brewery that has been closed for more than 30 years, the Grande Brasserie du Levant has received outsize attention in recent months as activists and the famous architect working on its redevelopment trade barbs over its fate. In March, demolition of the five-storey building began in order to make way for luxury apartments. Mar Mikhail, the traditionally working-class neighbourhood in east Beirut where the brewery is located, has been gentrifying for a decade. But the brewery and its striking façade, built in 1933 to produce Laziza beer, had remained a local landmark, as well as a canvas for street artists.

In April, activists from Beirut Madinati, a group that advocates for greater transparency in Lebanon’s governing institutions and sustainable urban development, convinced the city’s governor to halt the demolition after raising several concerns. Not only had the building's facade been pulled down despite architectural renderings that suggested it would be saved and incorporated into the new structure, the activists said, but they also questioned the effect the demolition would have on the local neighbourhood and whether enough had been done to preserve the building as a historic landmark. The activists also raised concerns that sufficient safety measures had not been put in place before demolition work began. Ghassan Salameh, an activist with Beirut Madinati, said officials should have held "some sort of town hall or neighbourhood committee meeting ... to tell the people what is happening, because this is a project which drastically changes the neighbourhood". “When you bring this luxury villa project, you immediately raise the price of rents" in the area, he added. "Landlords are going to raise the rent or start kicking out tenants.”

Lebanese govt to announce solution to tax crisis on Friday

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Lebanese government will announce on Friday how it will resolve a legal dispute over taxes to fund a public-sector pay increase, the information minister said after a cabinet meeting on Thursday. "The atmosphere is very positive and tomorrow we will announce the legal measures to deal with the matter of the (public sector pay rise) and the tax law," Information Minister Melhem Riachy said, the National News Agency reported. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's government is looking for a way to approve the taxes needed to finance the pay rise that addresses legal objections raised by the constitutional council.