The better one.

 The Lebanese parliament

is older than the State of Israel.

If the the "only democracy in the Middle East"

would be, allegedly , the state of Israel,

then what about the Lebanon ??,

in which,

presidents are elected and the parliament also

in which ,

presidents do leave at the end of their terms

in which,

a new parliament comes each 4 years

The difference (with Israel) is also that the Lebanon

A) never occupied any body's home nor any other country

C) never annexed villages nor any properties

D) never bombed its neighbours

E) does not have 11.547 political prisoners.

F) never did build a wall around human-beings

G) has all its minorities represented in its system

H) is giving refuge to the victims of the State of Israel

Therefore if there is only one democratic state :

then it is rather the Republic of the Lebanon

and if there are two ;

then the Republic of the Lebanon is the better one.

Sherlock Hommos

a Lebanese on the Amstel

 

Between cluster bombs and my childhood

a warning sign for cluster-bombs in my fields

I am on holidays in Lebanon
in my hometown of Bhamdoun.

I go down the hill terraces to pick up
the grapes and the figs,
for which Bhamdoun always was famous.

In 1982 and 1983 the Israeli army occupied us
with the help of the fascists-forces (so called-Christians)
and after Israelis left , they handed it over to the
other fascists-forces (so called-Druzes).

The result was a whole scale massacre in
my hometown........
That is history now, .............I hope,

Nonetheless I pick up each sunrise my fresh grapes
among Israeli-cluster-bombs.

We own a small vineyard ,
in front of which are the cluster-bombs (still to be removed)
and behind it is a villa built by a Kuwaiti rich-man......

This seems as an absurd and surreal picture,
but it is true and I am standing in the middle of it.

The Israelis have left 4 million cluster bombs in the Lebanon
and about a couple of hundreds are still in my hometown-vineyards.

Raja
on vacation....in my Paradise
15.09.2011

PS :
Since 2006 about 400 victims lost their lives because
of those left over cluster bombs.....all over Lebanon.
That is 7.5% of the victims of 911
If you add the other victims of the 2006 war,
the total would be 50% of  the 911.....

Sectarianism in the land of the Cedars

Sectarianism is present in the social and political life
of the Lebanon and is even in the unwritten-constitut ion.

Sectarianism is saturating the day by day life
so that it becomes invisible and indivisible. ....
and it replaces the breathing-air.


But then and again,
too much of anything , makes it absolute
and self-destructive.  Like love and or alcohol..... .



I shall give you an example :

One candidate running for an "orthodox-seat" in the parliament
is a member of an "all-Maronite-party" and ex-member of a dissolved
"Maronite-militia".

This candidate won the elections in his district (for the orthodox-seat)
thanks to the overwhelming votes of the Druzes in that same district.
The Druzes voted for him under an agreement (a coalition)
with the Sunni-group of Hariri.

So there you have it :
An Orthodox-parliamentarian who is member of a Maronite-clan
voted in power by the Druzes-voters , only to serve the Sunnis-strategy.

This is not a fictitious figure...... ....but a real one !!.

And if you want to hear more confusing details ,
this "Orthodox-parliamen tarian" got less than 24%
of the Orthodox-voters in his district.
Meaning that in practice he is only representing that Maronite-party
which , accidentaly ,does not even exist in his peculiar distric ,anyhow.

And if you think that is unfair or strange , you would be surprised
to know that this (Christian) Parliamentarian has ,during the civil war,
killed more of his christian opponents ,
than from his Muslim or Druze opponents.


Today ,
his own body-guards fear those people only from his own religion
and even from his own sect....rather than anyone else.

Sectarianism ,because it is man-made  , is like Racism
and is not at all,  natural !!


Raja Chemayel
non-sectarian and anti-racist

The Demystification of the Lebanon

Western Media' s Bull´s shit !! The Demystification of the Lebanon There are more Christians in Syria than Christians in the Lebanon. There are more Christians in Egypt than all the Lebanese together. There are more Ceders in Morocco than in the Lebanon There are more Ceders in and around Paris than in the Lebanon There are much more Terrorists in Israel than in the Lebanon There are more Phoenicians in Gaza and Haifa than in the Lebanon. There is more Arak and Hommos produced in Israel than in the Lebanon There are more Opium in Afghanistan than in the Lebanon There are more Lebanese outside than in the Lebanon There are more Lebanese-restaurant s outside than in the Lebanon There are more Hezbollah-supporter s outside than in the Lebanon There are more Nasserists in Beirut , than in Cairo. There are more Maronite's outside than in the Lebanon. so where is this Legendary- Lebanon ?? and what is the Mythical-Lebanon ? still a French-protectorate ?? a Harriri-Ranch ?? a Wahhabi-satellite ?? a Druze-reservation ?? or the dislocated and kidnapped-natural- son-of-Syria ?? the abducted and adopted son for France ?? the US-bridge-for- defeatism ?? Chirac´s hobby or Sarkozy´s game ?? No Sir !! if mystification is the name of the game, then , we proudly can say , that the Lebanon is the home of the Hezbollah !! Raja Chemayel

The complexity of the Lebanese-particularity

the Beirut-labyrinth

If you knew about the Lebanese-peculiarity
when it comes to ministerial- nominations
or to electoral-procedure s
then you need not to read further ......


But, if you admit your average-normal- ignorance,
I shall give an example of the complexity
for those who shall admit not knowing about
the particularity of that complexity .

As example I shall describe how a Cabinet of Minister
is chosen among the available candidates .

First
obviously candidates can be either Muslim or Christian
Second
the Muslims are chosen among the Shiaa or the Sunni or the Druze
Third
the Christians are chosen out of six or seven different sects
Fourth
Armenians being Christians are divided into Orthodox and Catholics
Fifth
Special Minorities are also represented
so as Kurds and or Assyrians and or Chaldean's
(and among even my own Evangelical sub-group).
Sixth
the Political colours , Clans and Parties are also obviously most relevant
Seventh
the regional (geographical) origins are also taken into consideration
Eight
the Tribal/Family/ dynasty belonging
Ninth
the foreign-factor is relevant , as far as ,
which Embassy will sponsor whom ??
Tenth
the personal-factor which is about favours
and favouritism......otherwise known as:
"Minister without a portefeuille"


To understand better that aforementioned
ten-fold-complexity -factor , you may compare it
to the USA, where the Winner takes it all....... (the easiest !)
or to Syria, Egypt and Jordan
where any pro-government- clowns are nominated
and the opposition stays at home ,
or sleeps eventually in prisons.....

No ,
Lebanon has its peculiar brand of power-sharing
otherwise known as the Tabbouleh-Democracy .
It is a kind of compromise within an acrobatical- act-of-balance
between , inviting your enemies for Dinner in order


to poisoning them with the taste of power ...........
and (over) feeding your allies immensely so they leave you in peace.


Democracy ??........ No !!
Hypocrisy ??.....not completely !!

But wait a minute !! it is not over....yet

Those ten-fold-complex- persons must be distributed into
30 ministerial- position while satisfying the wishes of :
six embassies
two religions
seventeen christian-sects
three Muslim-sects
two-Druze-dynasties
five regions
twelve clans
ten dynasties
two influential- neighbours
The Vatican , the Kremlin and the White-house.

When you can see through this jungle of complexity
then you shall have to fit the right candidate to the
right-position ( the right Ministry)... ...
Good Luck !!

Therefore I prefer Cairo......or Amman
you just kiss the hand of the Pharaoh or the King
and you get a chair.......


Sherlock Hommos

From which part of Palestine, I came......"من أي جزء من فلسطين أنا جئت ؟...."

"from which part of Palestine
do I come from ??..."




I come from that part
of Palestine
called the Lebanon

of that Palestine-Village
called the oppressed-nations

of that Palestine- a huge-River
called the Arab Nation


My Jesus was also an Arab
who carried the
Cross of humiliation,
the Cross of Liberation
the Cross of resistance
against
the imperial-Rome
and against
the exclusive-Zion


my Jesus was also
a Palestinian
just like me
and like
200 Million other Arabs.......


Jesus grew up on
the banks of the Nile
and
Abraham grew up on
the banks of the Tigris
they all met in our Palestine.

Mohammad grew up in the hills
of Mecca and finished delivering
the Divine-Message ,
also here ,
in his Palestine .


And if you still dare asking me
which part ? are you from ...?

I say ,
I am a Lebanese
born in the Syrian-Mountains
in the Sea of the Arabs

under God's Sun
that gave us light,warmth
and showed us the Path.

Which part , you still ask ?

North to the North of Palestine,
where the river Jordan
springs up !
and
where also the Euphrates
sees his first light !

where Princess Europa
was born .


south to Anatolia
west to Persia
north to Aden

Where Mohammad met Jesus
and
where Moses
was not allowed to enter .....

That
Palestine of the Arabs !

Raja Ibrahim Khalil Chemayel

أنا جئت من ذلك الجزء
من فلسطين
ألذي يدعى لبنان
من تلك القرية الفلسطينية
المدعوة الشعب-المضطهد...

تلك الفلسطين،
النهر – العظيم
المدعو بالأمة العربية

مسيحي كان أيضا عربي
الذي حمل صليب الإذلال
صليب التحرير
صليب المقاومة
ضد
روما – الإمبريالية
وضد...
صهيون-العنصري

ومسيحي أيضاً كان فلسطينياً
تماما مثلي
ومثل
200 مليون عربي آخر... غيري...

المسيح شب على
ضفاف النيل
...وإبراهيم شب على ضفاف دجلة
...و
وكليهما التقيا في...
فلسطيننا...
ومحمد شب على روابي...
مكة وانتهى بها الأمر
ينقل رسالته المقدسة
في فلسطيننا أيضاً

وإذا لا زلت تتجرأ على سؤالي
من أي جزء أتيت...؟

أجيب...
أنا لبناني
ولدت على تلك الجبال- السورية...
في بحر العرب...

تحت شمس الله
الذي أعطانا النور... والدفيء...
ودلنا على الصراط المستقيم.........

أي جزء؟ لا زلت تسأل...
من شمال شمال فلسطين...
من حيث ينبع نهر الأردن
و... ومن حيث أيضا... يرى الفرات
أول أشعة نوره!!!
ومن حيث ولدت...
الأميرة أوروبا...

جنوب أنطاكية..
وإلى الغرب من بلاد فارس...
وشمال جنة عدن...

حمن حيث قابل محمد المسيح...
و...
من حيث موسى...
منع من الدخول... إليه...

من فلسطين... العرب...

رجا الشميل
العربي... اللبناني... المسيحي...

ترجمة: أديب قعوار
الذي أتى من مدينة الناصري... العربية الفلسطينية...