Lebanon’s Information Minister, Paul Morcos, announced today, following the cabinet meeting, that it has been decided to rename Hafez el-Assad Avenue to Ziad Rahbani Avenue. The avenue is located on the airport road, and there have been several calls in recent months to remove Hafez el-Assad’s name from it.

Ziad Rahbani, a Lebanese composer, pianist, playwright, and cultural icon, passed away a few days ago at the age of 69. No avenue can truly do justice to the impact Ziad had on Lebanon and the Lebanese people, but this is a commendable move by the current government.