اجتاح الزجاج القاتم قصر الرئاسة اللبنانية أمس. لم تكن سيارات الرئيس سعد الحريري ورئيس حزب القوات اللبنانية سمير جعجع بين المواكب. الحريري «مُبعد» طوعاً خارج البلاد، ويفصل جعجع عن الحوار أبعد من المسافة بين بعبدا ومعراب. وزير المال محمد الصفدي لم يحضر بداعي المرض، والراحل غسان تويني حضر الحوار بدقيقة صمت وقفها المجتمعون […]
Lebanese abductee Suleiman al-Ahmed was released by Syrian authorities on Tuesday and returned to the northern town of Wadi Khaled, where town dignitaries and officials celebrated his release. At the courtyard of al-Hisheh municipality, heavy celebratory gunfire erupted as al-Ahmed arrived at his hometown where he was welcomed by a mass rally. From a platform […]
By Habib Battah
Average Daily Viewership Share in Lebanon
LBC 38.4%
Jadeed: 35 %
MTV 28.7%
OTV 25.4%
Future 16.7%
NBN 12.3%
Manar 12%
TL: 11.6%
Future News: 10.9%
*Source: IPSOS STAT Beirut
The television drama unfolding across the Middle East has gripped Lebanese audiences the same as any Arab country. But while the images of upheaval broadcast over the last year have ignited a fury that has gone viral, ejecting viewers off the couch and onto the streets in one city after another, Lebanon remains relatively quiet, seemingly immune from the contagion of revolution. As the walls of fear crumble around them, the country’s decades-old leaders are as entrenched as they have ever been. One major reason why change has so far eluded Lebanon can be attributed to the nascent, if not enabling role played by the country’s news media or lack thereof.
While Beirut is often lauded for having the freest and most vibrant television landscape in the region, the reality is that most Lebanese stations produce very little journalism. And ironically, the Lebanese are spoiled for choice with a whopping eight local TV news organizations–roughly the equivalent number of stations serving Los Angeles, which is more than double Lebanon’s population. It’s not that Lebanese channels face the kind of government interference present in most Arab states, where networks of stations are state-owned, and thus limited to a monolithic regurgitation of platitudes. In fact, Lebanon’s sole government-held broadcaster is woefully unpopular and the privately-owned stations convey such diametrically opposed views of reality that even the concept of breaking news is disputed. Major political speeches, visits by foreign heads of state and even explosions are carried live by some and dismissed as unimportant by others who may refuse to interrupt a regular programming slot of cartoons or soap operas.
Neither are local stations particularly friendly to authority. Local channels parody and vilify Lebanese leaders with abandon, even adding music and special effects. Everyone has a laugh and yet little changes. Of course viewers know that most Lebanese ‘news’ channels openly function as audiovisual instruments of the political machines that sponsor them: Al Manar is Hezbollah’s “beacon” of resistance, Orange TV proudly doses itself in the colors of former general Michel Aoun’s orange movement and Future News is little more than a communications wing of Saad Hariri’s Future movement. Yet despite its newly refurbished multi-million dollar glass studios, encapsulated in futuristic corten steel panels, it is now the most unpopular channel in Lebanon according to figures obtained by Ipsos. At a 10.9 percent average daily viewership, Future News trails closely behind state broadcaster Tele Liban at 11.6 percent and Al Manar at 12 percent. Perhaps encouragingly, Lebanon’s top three performers– LBC at 38.4 percent, Al Jadeed at 35 percent and MTV at 28.7 percent– do not claim to directly represent a political party or particular politician. But they’re not doing much better job at informing audiences.
The UN observer mission in Syria on Monday expressed concern about escalating violence in the central city of Homs and said it was trying to negotiate the evacuation of civilians. "The impact from heavy artillery shelling and machinegun firing was heard and seen over the neighborhood of Khaldiyeh in the city center," the […]
The national dialogue resumed its sessions on Monday “amid positive talks” with gatherers agreeing on committing to international resolutions and controlling Lebanon’s border. The concluding statement said: “We reject the formation of a buffer zone with Syria and the use of Lebanon as an open ground for smuggling arms to Syria.” Furthermore, it highlighted the […]
من "نهار" ساحة الشهداء، الى الكاتدرائية التي غدت أيقونته الكبرى، الى جوار الشهيد جبران، حيث رقد بقربه في اللقاء الأبوي، ودّعت "النهار" عميدها غسان تويني وتحسس لبنان نفسه مستهيباً وحشة فراق من يرحل ولا يغيب. "المتمرد حتى على الموت" الذي "لم تجذبه تفاهة هذا العالم" على ما قال في وداعه متروبوليت جبل لبنان للروم […]
The opposition Syrian National Council said on Sunday that it had elected Kurdish activist Abdel Basset Sayda as its new leader at a meeting in Istanbul. "Abdel Basset Sayda has been elected president of the Syrian National Council as successor to Dr. Burhan Ghalioun," a brief statement said. He takes over from Paris-based academic Ghalioun, the […]
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped in his Sunday sermon for the national dialogue that President Michel Suleiman has called for to be “fruitful.” Suleiman has invited political leaders from across the political spectrum to attend the dialogue session at Baabda palace on Monday. While the Hizbullah-led March 8 majority welcomed the all-party talks from day […]
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Thursday held talks with top Lebanese leaders, stressing the need to “exert all efforts to prevent an importation of the Syrian conflict into Lebanon.” The German diplomat called on the Lebanese political forces to shoulder their responsibilities in this regard. In a statement in Istanbul ahead of traveling […]
Khazen.org prays for Ghassan Tueni and his family. One of the few unique symbols of Lebanon. May he rest in peace! He was one of the pillars of Lebanon رحل… فجر النهار Biographical note Born in 1926, Ghassan TUENI is a public figure and a Lebanese journalist. He occupied several ministerial and diplomatic functions. Holder […]
Population Movements to Keserwan - The Khazens and The Maans
ما جاء عن الثورة في المقاطعة الكسروانية
ثورة أهالي كسروان على المشايخ الخوازنة وأسبابها
Origins of the "Prince of Maronite" Title
Growing diversity: the Khazin sheiks and the clergy in the first decades of the 18th century
Historical Members:
Barbar Beik El Khazen [English]
Patriach Toubia Kaiss El Khazen(Biography & Life Part1 Part2) (Arabic)
Patriach Youssef Dargham El Khazen (Cont'd)
Cheikh Bishara Jafal El Khazen
Patriarch Youssef Raji El Khazen
The Martyrs Cheikh Philippe & Cheikh Farid El Khazen
Cheikh Nawfal El Khazen (Consul De France)
Cheikh Hossun El Khazen (Consul De France)
Cheikh Abou-Nawfal El Khazen (Consul De France)
Cheikh Francis Abee Nader & his son Yousef
Cheikh Abou-Kanso El Khazen (Consul De France)
Cheikh Abou Nader El Khazen
Cheikh Chafic El Khazen
Cheikh Keserwan El Khazen
Cheikh Serhal El Khazen [English]
Cheikh Rafiq El Khazen [English]
Cheikh Hanna El Khazen
Cheikha Arzi El Khazen
Marie El Khazen