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27.9%ANMag Issue 27 Public Surveillance
Numbering Lebanon
By Farah Salka, Staff Writer
Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanon is officially one of the 22 Arab countries although a fair proportion of Lebanese refuse to attribute the term Arab to themselves.1 Lebanon is comprised of 10,452 square kilometers2, 22 square kilometers being Shebaa Farms, still occupied by Israel.3 This is a very small area of land, one might instantaneously think, and does not require such a big hassle and ado about “nothing”. Go tell that to the Lebanese living under the occupation in Shebaa and see how they would answer you on that.
Lebanon has a little bit more than 3.5 million Lebanese residing in the country now, or so we assume, since the last consensus was made more than 70 years ago, in 1932 (meaning we have never taken the time to undertake a proper consensus in this highly “developed and civilized” country since independence). The reasons behind that are simple and rooted in the culture itself- we do not want to know figures and facts that might further increase political sensitivity over religious affiliation. Lebanon received its “independence” from France in 1943. It is 2008 now and one can strongly argue that independence from France, Syria, Saudi Arabia, USA, Israel, and Iran, among others, has never been and will not be established anytime soon.
Lebanon is the only non-dictatorial country in the Arab world, something most Lebanese boast about; perhaps mistakenly thinking that electing a president through a purely sectarian, democracy-pretending system is anymore superior to all other sick regimes around the area. We do not receive same kings and sons of kings every decade but we do receive same ministers, parliament members and presidents every term. Google Hariri, Moawad, Gemayyel, Chamoun, Frangieh and Karami families. Count how many time these (of many other) family names have been circulating on the forefront since the birth of this (failed?) state 60 years ago. Mind you, you might require a calculator for this exercise.
Lebanon has 18 religious communities4, none of which knows anything about the other as neither education nor society ever considered the importance of such information sharing. Knowing someone’s sect served only as a green light to know whether you should defend, offend, kill or preserve the life of the other. Lebanon passed through a civil war from 1975 to 1990. One can argue that the civil war has only transformed into a cold one, never into the affirmed peaceful reconciliation it should have. Every 1500 Lebanese Liras equal one American Dollar. Peculiarly, in Lebanon, it is common to find American Dollars utilized, no less than they are utilized in the States. This adds up to several other factors that speak out on the Lebanese identity crisis. The public debt in the country has reached extremely alarming levels with the amount equaling $33 billion. You can easily add an extra $10 billion since the latter amount was calculated a couple of years back in 2004 and we have been running down the drain ever since.5 Lebanon’s GDP per capita is no more than $ 5,500, ranking 118th on the world GDP caliber, much lower than Libya, Azerbaijan and Israel.6 It would also be interesting to note how Lebanon’s amount of debt to GDP ratio is over 186 %, a figure categorized as one of the highest ratios in the world. Debt is an issue in most countries in the world and the Arab region in specific. However still, so many in-debt Arab states are balancing their dues out by the vast amount of resources they have in their lands, an option Lebanon can not benefit from since it has no resources whatsoever.7
Lebanon produces more than 20 daily print media8, other than the dozens of online sources, almost all of which can be fairly categorized as an 8 or 14 Marcher, in Lebanese context. The country has more than 30 universities and colleges, with less than 5 of them being internationally accredited.9 Lebanon has 6 rivers, with so much water resources that are wasted recklessly leaving a lot of Lebanese without any access to water in several circumstances and at many stages of the year. Life expectancy at birth is 71 and a half years on average.10 Official language is Arabic, but I have been repeatedly asked by first time visitors to Beirut about the secret of so many English and French words all around the place when they walk around AUB, Hamra or Gemmayze and I am usually at a loss looking for answers. It is hard to explain Lebanese culture, let alone understand it…. Another commonly heard language in the country is Armenian of course.
There are several other issues that are more vital to present. Such would include the number of HIV victims in Lebanon, number of foreign workers committing suicide behind closed doors, number of people living under the poverty line, number of tormented Palestinian refugees clamped in camps, number of women being subjugated by men at home, number of Syrian workers being harassed and killed around the country, number of drug dealers, number of street children, number of prisoners in Roumieh and so on and so forth. These issues deserve an issue for each on its own and this is why I will refrain from including them haphazardly in this same piece. To be continued…