When I first saw the announcement above, I wasn’t really sure if I should laugh at it or criticize it, and as it went viral and Lebanese started commenting on it, I noticed that few people were actually defending whomever posted this announcement and saying that this is the reality we live in. I wasn’t surprised to hear these comments to be honest as sectarianism is still infecting our society and has been on the rise lately mainly due to the Syrian conflict, add to that increased racism against Syrian Refugees.
The Lebanese Civil War ended in 1990, but the Lebanese were unable to put it behind them and move on, simply because every sect thinks his people were the good guys during the war and the others were traitors and collaborators. Moreover, a lot of Lebanese families are brainwashing their children into thinking these so-called other Lebanese are still the bad ones and that we shouldn’t co-exist with them, and this is what’s causing all these tensions and fights during university elections between students who weren’t even born during the civil war era.
Every year, I tell myself that there’s no need to write an April 13 remembrance post because we’ve all learned the lesson, and every year I am reminded that this civil war is not yet over, at least not in the minds of a lot of Lebanese. This sectarian mentality and hateful attitude towards the other is destroying our country bit by bit and it is up to each one of us to stop spreading it and fight it by all means. In the Lebanese documentary Heritages that I’ve reviewed lately, the father takes his children back to his Achrafieh apartment, shows them the war toys that he used to collect and tells them how he always thought those on the other side of the demarcation line were the bad guys, and how it took him years to realize they thought the same of him.
We don’t need Muslims to pray in Churches and Christians in mosques to achieve unity, nor bombings and assassinations to unite us. What we need is to stop thinking in this sectarian way and ignore those who do. We should explain to our children and the younger generations that the only emerging winners from any war are warlords and corrupt politicians, and that the only way to write down a history book past 1975 is by eliminating the factors that are stopping us from finishing it. If we are unable to achieve these things, the young generations will never learn the reasons behind the civil war, its consequences and how to prevent a new one.
More importantly, there won’t be any apartment to sell for Christians or Muslims in this country.
How it all started
I don’t agree with this but I understand where hes coming from . No offense I will say my point of view some sect in the last few years started buying many apts in `areas’ not theres. Meaning we started seeing this sect in places they would never be . If it was done with no hizbyee intervention I would agree but this sect has plans which I disagree with. Najib can I give u a example I agree on in south lebanon in a city the church tells any christian that leaves we will buy ur apt or house and no one else . They do tht bcz if they let every christian sell their place is gone and identity also so this 8s justified
I’d say the ad should be modified to “Lebanese Only”.. What i care about is not having our land/houses sold to non-Lebanese.
It has always been this case for the Hadath region. Inhabitants of the region, who were mostly Christians back then, were troubled by the move of a huge number of Shiites from the South to Beirut, thereby making areas such as Haret Hreik and others highly-populated with Shias.
I have heard from a Hadath resident that the Head of the Municipality does not sign any formal papers related to selling property if the client was a Muslim.
I see this mentality everywhere I go in Lebanon. You could have also mentioned how some of the younger Lebanese generation haven’t been to the “other side” of what was once the “Green Line” and are ignorant of many areas in a country comprised of only 10452 km squared.
The change in demographics isnt restricted anymore to any area anymore.
I don’t really understand why do they keep on playing this game of victimizing only the christians in Lebanon, they are always the ones being forced to leave their houses, their areas and even the country.
I live in an area where it used to be populated by sunni and christian people and now the majority is becoming shiia. Most of Beirut areas has always been known that it was populated by sunni people, now the majority is shiia. These are just facts. I am not originally from Beirut, but this is what I hear from all of the old Beiruti people.
So if one should talk about this matter, please let it be more general and stop victimizing christians in this country. have you checked who are the biggest owners of the companies in lebanon? have you checked how recruiting in a lot of companies, schools, universities,…. is being done? have you been watching some TV channels and other companies where almost 100% of the employees and workers are christians? when will almost 50% of the country stop being considered a minority? when will the politicians and religious people stop forcing people to keep on living in the shadow of the war and the past?
sorry about the errors in my previous comment, I was just angry and writing impulsively
It’s a municipality rule that doesn’t allow muslims to buy in hadath