LCCC ENGLISH
DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 31/07
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13,18-21. Then he said,
"What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard
seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it
became a large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'" Again he
said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman
took and mixed (in) with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of
dough was leavened."
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 30/07
Syria Warns France: Either Compromise President under
Damascus Terms or Bunker Wars-Naharnet
Geagea: Meeting with Aoun Not Fundamental-Naharnet
Kouchner Agrees to Meet Muallem. Did Paris-Damascus Agree on Lebanon's Next
President-Naharnet
Hariri for Talks with Mubarak on Presidential Elections-Naharnet
Syria Warns France: Either Compromise President under
Damascus Terms or Bunker Wars-Naharnet
Geagea: Meeting with Aoun Not Fundamental-Naharnet
Kouchner Agrees to Meet Muallem. Did Paris-Damascus Agree on Lebanon's Next
President-Naharnet
Hariri for Talks with Mubarak on Presidential Elections-Naharnet
Hezbollah Expands in North Lebanon, Away From UN Peacekeepers.Bloomberg
- USA
Mining for trouble in Lebanon.Jerusalem
Post
Defense Minister Says Germany in for the Long Haul in Lebanon.Deutsche
Welle
Kouchner Agrees to Meet Muallem. Did Paris-Damascus
Agree on Lebanon's Next President-Naharnet
U.S. Denies Allegations about Military Bases in
Lebanon-Naharnet
Hariri for Talks with Mubarak on Presidential
Elections-Naharnet
Differences between
Syria, France Over Lebanon-Naharnet
Britain Sends Strong-Worded Message to Syria-Naharnet
Aoun Puts Off Meeting with Jumblat-Naharnet
Israel Army Ready to Learn the Lesson-Naharnet
Moallem insists Syria
has no favorite in Lebanese presidential sweepstakes-Daily
Star
'Lebanon is in dire
need of cooperation' - Sfeir-Daily
Star
Siniora optimistic
talks will lead to consensus-Daily
Star
Paris, Riyadh see eye to eye
on Lebanese crisis-AFP
Expect more
assassinations - ex-military spy chief-Daily
Star
Phalangists host
Mass for slain MP Ghanem-Daily
Star
Irish end long
presence with UNIFIL in South-Daily
Star
Israelis carry out maneuvers
to 'learn lessons' of 2006 war.AFP
Robert Ghanem
publishes presidential campaign platform-Daily
Star
Lebanese insurers
cry foul over draft law to revamp regulation-Daily
Star
Stories sketch
lives of Lebanese immigrants-Daily
Star
Protesters demand
new space for Beddawi students-Daily
Star
South Korean
peacekeepers reach out to locals-Daily
Star
Crisis over presidency stirs
fears at American University of Beirut.AFP
AUB students
shocked by conditions at Nahr al-Bared-Daily
Star
Greenpeace brings
conservation message to Sidon-Daily
Star
One man's bid to
put Buddhism on Lebanon's map-Daily
Star
Stigma of summer fighting
adds to discrimination facing Palestinians-Daily
Star
Turks kill 15 Kurdish rebels
as diplomacy continues.AFP
Reformist MPs protest to
Ahmadinejad over Larijani's replacement.AFP
ElBaradei: UN has
no evidence Iran is making nuclear weapons-Daily
Star
13 Palestinians found dead
after boat sinks off Italy.AFP
Expect
more assassinations - ex-military spy chief
Daily Star staff
Monday, October 29, 2007
The former head of Lebanese military intelligence, Johnny Abdo, said in remarks
published on Sunday that he did not expect the presidential election to be held
before the constitutional deadline of November 24. "The Syrian regime's position
is instability in Lebanon and a presidential vacuum," Abdo was quoted as saying
in local newspapers. Abdo also said he expected the assassinations against
anti-Syrian political figures to continue. Dozens of MPs from the anti-Syrian
March 14 ruling majority have taken refuge in the Phoenicia InterContinental
Hotel for security reasons. He said car bombings, the most frequent killing
method, would be replaced by shootings or mass assassinations targeting two or
three politicians at a time. Abdo, who is also a presidential candidate but not
taken seriously, advised Hizbullah "to revise its policies to avoid the mistakes
of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas." He also said there should be a clear
distinction between diplomacy and action. "There are a lot of moves but no real
efforts," he said. Abdo also criticized French envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran's
visit to Syria on Sunday, when Cousseran met with President Bashar Assad and
other top officials for talks that focused on the Lebanese crisis. "I don't
understand why Mr. Cousseran has to visit Syria," he said, "as if the Syria
position is still ambiguous." - The Daily Star
Kouchner
Agrees to Meet Muallem. Did Paris-Damascus Agree on Lebanon's Next President?
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has agreed to hold talks with his
Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in Istanbul this week, the French Foreign
Ministry announced Monday. The announcement followed talks in Syria by
Kouchner's envoy, Jean-Claude Cousseran. The Kouchner-Muallem meeting, the first
since the French official refused to meet his Syrian counterpart during the U.N.
General Assembly deliberations in September, will be held on the sidelines of a
three-day conference on Iraq opening in Istanbul on Thursday. Kouchner cancelled
a September meeting with Muallem in New York in response to the assassination of
a Lebanese anti-Syrian MP. Lebanon's ruling coalition has accused Damascus of
being behind the killing of Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem in a car bomb in a Beirut
suburb in September, a charge rejected by the Syrians. Ghanem was the eighth
Damascus critic to be killed in Lebanon since the February 2005 assassination of
ex-premier Rafik Hariri, and the fourth anti-Syrian MP killed since the 2005
elections.
Asked at the time if he held Syria responsible for the attack, Kouchner replied:
"I did not say that. I think they are very influential in the region."
Cousseran held talks with high-ranking Syrian officials on Lebanon in an effort
to overcome the ongoing political impasse between the anti-Syrian majority and
the Hizbullah-led opposition. Cousseran, who arrived in Damascus on Sunday, met
with Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem,
the official Syrian News Agency, SANA, said. The state-run Lebanese National
news Agency said the viewpoints were matching as to the need for a Lebanon-made
solution and for a Lebanese consensus on a presidential candidate "…who would
unite the Lebanese and achieve security and stability in Lebanon."
The Syrian daily Al Watan, however, said there were differences on what it said
were "French-Syrian priorities," particularly with respect to France's single
focus on the Lebanese problem. "Syria stressed the need to re-warm ties between
the two countries," Al Watan said.
It said Damascus also stressed that Europe, with France on top, must play an
"effective role" in the Middle East and exert common efforts to resolve all the
regional issues and bring the issue of peace to the forefront through a fair
resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Muallem insisted that "points of
view were identical on a compromise president" agreed upon by the Lebanese
people. Cousseran and Sharaa "reviewed bilateral relations and the recent
developments in the region including the situation in Lebanon," SANA said.
Sharaa emphasized on "Syria's attachment to the stability of Lebanon and to its
security," according to SANA. He insisted on the necessity of "the Lebanese
agreeing on the election of a future president without outside interference," it
said. Muallem told journalists after his discussions with the French official
that Damascus and Paris agreed on the need for the Lebanese to elect "a
consensus president". "Neither Syria nor France are pushing a particular
candidate," he added. Fears are running high in Lebanon that deadlock over the
election of a new president could lead to two rival governments and a return to
the final years of the civil war when two competing administrations battled for
control. (Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 29 Oct 07, 08:38
Hariri for Talks with Mubarak
on Presidential Elections
Parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri is to discuss with Egyptian President
Husni Mubarak efforts exerted to facilitate the election of a new president for
Lebanon, a statement reported Monday. The statement issued by Hariri's press
office said he is scheduled to arrive in Cairo on Tuesday for talks with Mubarak
and Egyptian officials covering "latest developments in Lebanon and the region,
especially efforts exerted by Egypt and a number of Arab states to facilitate
the election of a president for Lebanon."The short report did not disclose
further details. Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit discussed Lebanon's
ongoing political crisis with Lebanese officials during a one-day visit to
Beirut Thursday. Beirut, 29 Oct 07, 19:12
U.S. Denies Allegations about
Military Bases in Lebanon
The United States diplomatic mission in Lebanon on Monday issued a statement
reiterating denial of allegations about intentions to set up military bases in
Lebanon, terming such reports "fabricated." "The U.S. Embassy in Beirut
categorically denies all rumors, reports, and news stories about alleged U.S.
intentions to build U.S. military bases in Lebanon," the statement said. "As we
said last week and are reiterating today, there is no basis for this story," it
added. The U.S. diplomatic mission stressed that "there has been no request from
the Government of Lebanon for such action, nor has the United States Government
requested such bases, and we regret that this fabricated story continues to be
published." Beirut, 29 Oct 07, 18:53
Release
from The general coordinator of the United Nations Security Council Resolution
1559 Mr Toni Nissi
October 29, 2007
Press Release
The general coordinator of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559
Mr Toni Nissi commented yesterday on the press release issued by the Loyalty to
Resistance parliamentary block. This last press release considered the Weapon's
arsenal of Hizbollah as a "destiny" as long as the Zionist movement exists and
that this armory no longer needs to be recognized by anybody or legalized.
Mr Nissi said: " We have been hearing recently declarations from high ranking
officers in hizbollah's militia and from their echoing voices in the infamous
Opposition movement stating that the militia has been preparing to retaliate in
case a president was elected by half plus one quorum and who, moreover, is not
ready to implement their (hizbollah) agenda. This fact was also emphasized by
the Hizbollah deputy leader Naiim Kassem.who said that the militia is ready to
resist any election by the majority.
It is enough after a war which has destroyed half Lebanon and killed 1500 of its
people to hear that a "divine" victory still have a Destined arsenal and to be
preached that this very weaponry is "destined" to the Lebanese people and that
the job of the weapon is to destroy Israel and eliminate it from existence and
no one has the right to argue for that weapon is "destined" weapon and destiny
is from God and therefore who is better than hizbollah in explaining destiny.
Enough insulting the intelligence of the people and enough of abusing of God and
its sacred entity as we all know that it is the weapon to protect the government
of the scholars (wilayat al Fakih) in Lebanon and it is a weapon for violence,
terrorism and for export of the Iranian Revolution to the world and this weapon
was never a resistance weapon but a weapon directed inside to the other co
patriots: who took the decision to fight the Kataeb i.e. the Christians (in your
mission statement), who committed the camps war, who killed other Chiites when
you tried to finish the Amal movement as a first step to control the Chiite
movement and who kidnapped, in the Bekaa, South Beirut and Mount Lebanon, high
ranking officers from the Lebanese army, the destiny of whom is still not known
till now. Who did clandestine court martials and executed Lebanese without going
back to the Lebanese state. The list goes on and on and the reference is none
but the books written by your leaders and deputies.
Enough using the name of Resistance, you have kept this mascharade going since
the Taef Accord as a reason to keep your weapons so that you can hijack the
Chiites decisions, representation, voting and to even control the enormous
spaces and Lebanese lands which amounts to be more than half of the Lebanese
territory and through it to control the government decisions and to occupy Down
town Beirut to finish off the Lebanese state.
Toni Nissi
General Coordinator
Differences between Syria, France Over Lebanon
France's Middle East envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran held talks with high-ranking
Syrian officials on Lebanon in an effort to overcome the ongoing political
impasse between the anti-Syrian majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition.
Cousseran, who arrived in Damascus on Sunday, met with Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa
and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, the official Syrian News Agency, SANA, said.
The state-run Lebanese National news Agency said the viewpoints were matching as
to the need for a Lebanon-made solution and for a Lebanese consensus on a
presidential candidate "…who would unite the Lebanese and achieve security and
stability in Lebanon."
The Syrian daily Al Watan, however, said there were differences on what it said
were "French-Syrian priorities," particularly with respect to France's single
focus on the Lebanese problem. "Syria stressed the need to re-warm ties between
the two countries," Al Watan said. It said Damascus also stressed that Europe,
with France on top, must play an "effective role" in the Middle East and exert
common efforts to resolve all the regional issues and bring the issue of peace
to the forefront through a fair resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Moallem insisted "points of view were identical on a compromise president"
agreed upon by the Lebanese people. Cousseran and Sharaa "reviewed bilateral
relations and the recent developments in the region including the situation in
Lebanon," SANA said. Sharaa emphasized "Syria's attachment to the stability of
Lebanon and to its security," according to SANA. He insisted on the necessity of
"the Lebanese agreeing on the election of a future president without outside
interference," it said. Muallem told journalists after his discussions with the
French official that Damascus and Paris agreed on the need for the Lebanese to
elect "a consensus president". "Neither Syria nor France are pushing a
particular candidate," he added. Fears are running high in Lebanon that deadlock
over the election of a new president could lead to two rival governments and a
return to the final years of the 1975-1990 civil war when two competing
administrations battled for control. (Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 29 Oct 07, 08:38
Britain Sends Strong-Worded
Message to Syria
Britain has officially informed Lebanon that it had sent a strong-worded message
to Syria urging it to play a 'positive role' in Lebanon as well as in Palestine
and Iraq.
The daily An Nahar on Monday said the letter was conveyed after it was certain
that Damascus not only did not carry out its role in any of the crises gripping
the three countries, but also did not help facilitate the arrival of a
compromise president by means of convincing "local allies" to soften their
stances in order to facilitate the election process. An Nahar, quoting
ministerial sources, said Michael Williams, UK's Middle East envoy, informed
several political and religious Lebanese leaders of Briton's wish to help
Lebanon overcome its ongoing political crisis. The sources said Britain was
coordinating efforts with the United States and France in this respect and away
from the media's spotlight. An Nahar said Williams deduced from his meeting
during last week's visit Beirut that the opposition "strictly rejects" U.S.'
intervention in Lebanese politics, when at the same time, various
anti-government leaders stressed that the opposition was not for Syria's nor
Iran's meddling in domestic issues, particularly in the presidential election.
Beirut, 29 Oct 07, 12:39
Aoun Puts Off Meeting with
Jumblat
An impending meeting between anti-Syrian Druze MP Walid Jumblat and Christian
opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun has been put off, Jumblat announced.
Jumblat said Aoun was scheduled to meet him over dinner at his residence on
Monday, "but it looks like he wants to postpone dinner."
"I have no problem with Aoun. He is welcome. I'm waiting for him (to come)
anytime he wants," Jumblat told reporters after talks with Prime Minister Fouad
Saniora at the Serail late Sunday. Jumblat said the meeting has been delayed for
the second time by Aoun. "I have no idea why. Ask his (Aoun) allies," Jumblat
said.
Also Sunday evening former President Amin Gemayel discussed with Saniora the
presidential election. Over the weekend, Gemayel held talks with Hizbullah MP
Hassan Fadlallah at his Sin al-Fil residence as part of efforts aimed at finding
ways to "settle the ongoing political crisis." Resigned Hizbullah Energy and
Water Minister Mohammed Fneish on Sunday reiterated the group's demand for a
compromise president, on condition he "supports" the resistance. "The right
president will bring together the disputed factions and will unite the country
... and would not get rid of the resistance," Fneish said. The daily An Nahar on
Monday quoted a senior Hizbullah official as saying the party supports "any
presidential candidate unanimously agreed upon by the Christians." Beirut, 29
Oct 07, 12:59
'Lebanon
is in dire need of cooperation' - Sfeir
By Maroun Khoury
Daily Star correspondent
Monday, October 29, 2007
BKIRKI: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir urged Lebanese politicians
during in his Sunday sermon to work together in order to ensure the country's
best interests. The Maronite Church has been trying in recent days to help rival
political camps agree on a consensus candidate for the upcoming presidential
election.
Two parliamentary sessions were postponed after MPs failed to agree on a
compromise candidate, and Speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled another electoral
meeting for November 12. With President Emile Lahoud's term expiring on November
24, many Lebanese worry that the country will end up with two rival governments
and possibly violence if the feuding factions fail to find consensus. With the
date for the next Parliament session rapidly approaching, the divided sides have
yet to progress to debating specific names of candidates in their negotiations.
"Lebanon is in dire need of cooperation among its people, especially in the
political field," Sfeir said during his sermon. He added that Lebanon needed
good management "to prevent people from emigrating in search of a better country
that provides them with stability and a good living."Sfeir said he hoped the
efforts underway to help the Lebanese reach a deal would yield a positive
result. In addition to his appeals, Sfeir has been leading rounds of meetings
with politicians from the March 14 majority and the March 8 opposition. A
four-member committee, with two representatives from each camp, was created to
follow up on these meetings. The committee ended its mission on Saturday and
filed a report to Sfeir in which it urged all MPs to participate in the November
12 election session, according to media reports. Sfeir was expected on Sunday to
meet with MPs from the March 14 Forces. As The Daily Star went to press, it was
still unclear whether the meeting was going to take place.
Lebanon's map
By Christian Porth
Special to The Daily Star
Monday, October 29, 2007
BEIRUT: A veritable cornucopia of ecclesiastical beliefs, Lebanon is home to one
of the most diverse religious landscapes in the world. The Lebanese Constitution
officially recognizes 18 different religious groups, accounting for 98.7 percent
of the total Lebanese population. Among the many unrecognized religious
groups in Lebanon, Buddhists represent a unique perspective, a dovetailing of
East and West. They are a tiny community, however, comprising an estimated 0.1
percent of the country's population. Enter Paul Jahshan, Lebanese Christian by
birth, professor of American studies at Notre Dame University, world traveler,
fluent in Chinese, and author of two books: "Henry Miller and the Surrealist
Discourse of Excess," and "Cybermapping and the Writing of Myth."
In 2006, Jahshan established the Buddhist Society of Lebanon, and recently he
created what he describes as a new school of Buddhist thought - "Progressive
Buddhism" - in an attempt to provide a forum for Lebanese and other Buddhists.
"What we're doing with Buddhism is stripping it of a lot of its rituals, its
more archaic principles, in an attempt to create a more modern and usable
21st-century Buddhist thought," Jahshan said.
Being a Buddhist in Lebanon is certainly an interesting proposition, but is
there a Buddhist following in Lebanon? "I am sure that there are a lot of
'closet' Buddhists in Lebanon, but nobody has gone as far as openly professing
it. Not that they would be persecuted or anything; it is just something that has
not been done," Jahshan said on the Web site www.bsolleb.org. "Most Lebanese
don't know what Buddhism is about, so it's relegated to the status of just
another exotic religion of the East. It's a new thing to them," he added. What
is Progressive Buddhism? According to the society's Web site, "Progressive
Buddhism is not a new fad. In it, there are no rituals, no conversions, no
initiations, no sacred books, no chanting, no exotic foreign languages, no
esoteric teachings, no secrets, no surprises. Progressive Buddhism is only a
convenient term ... to describe how the advice given by the historical Siddharta
Gautama can be practically and usefully adapted to any contemporary environment
with the aim of producing awakening. Progressive Buddhism restarts every time a
historical change takes place and is therefore not tied to a person, time or
place. As such, Progressive Buddhism is and should be constantly changing."
Buddhism is not a religion, said. Instead, "it is a way of life, a way of seeing
things, a philosophy and mainly a psychological tool to attain
enlightenment."With themes of adaptation and awakening, perhaps the Lebanese,
plagued by cyclical crises, may want to take a closer look at Progressive
Buddhism. The philosophy, Jahshan said, is about "knowing yourself and focusing
on the present and also compassionately dealing with your fellow human beings."
Stigma of summer fighting adds to discrimination facing Palestinians
Some analysts see reconstruction of camp as opportunity to improve relations
with Lebanese
Monday, October 29, 2007
Simba Russeau
Inter Press
BEIRUT: Denied access to social services, education, adequate housing and
employment, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon continue to suffer discrimination
and marginalization. More than half of the 400,000 Palestinian refugees in
Lebanon have been forced to live segregated in refugee camps since they were
forced to flee their lands and homes after the creation of Israel in 1948.
"Palestinians just want security, freedom and justice," says Fatima, a local
resident of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in North Lebanon. "What happened to
my grandfather, my father and my brother is happening to us now. Do the youth
have to experience the same situation as our parents?"
Daily life for Palestinians involves dealing with the pains of living in exile
and systematic discrimination.
"We are homeless, so let us live in freedom and safety," Fatima adds. "Is this
treatment only for the Palestinian people? Is it because the Palestinians don't
have a leader? It's a shame."All 12 of the official refugee camps in Lebanon
suffer from inadequate infrastructure, overcrowding, poverty and high
unemployment.
"Lebanon has one of the highest percentages of Palestinian refugees who are
living in abject poverty and who are registered with the agency's special
hardship program," the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Rights in the
Near East (UNRWA) has said.
Lebanon, as a member of the Arab League, officially recognizes the state of
Palestine. But the reciprocity law, which permits foreigners to work in Lebanon
only if they are nationals of a state that opens its labor market to Lebanese
nationals, has created obstacles for Palestinians in finding employment - they
are stateless.
"The continuing restrictions which deny Palestinian refugees rights to work,
education and adequate housing and health are wholly unjustified and should be
lifted without further procrastination or delay," says Amnesty International
(AI).
At a press conference in Beirut last week, AI released a 31-page report "Exiled
and Suffering: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon." AI urged the Lebanese
government to protect fully and uphold the basic rights of Palestinian refugees.
"We urge the Lebanese government to take immediate measures to eliminate all
forms of discrimination against Palestinian refugees in order to enable them to
exercise their economic, social and cultural rights on the same basis as the
rest of the population of Lebanon," the report said. In 2005, Beirut lifted a
ban on 50 of the 70 professions declared off-limits to Palestinians, but only a
few can afford the $700 work permit.
Since the 15-week Nahr al-Bared conflict broke out in May, many Palestinians
have reported being abused and threatened by soldiers at checkpoints.
Earlier this year, fighting erupted between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam
militants at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. The conflict, which began May 20
and ended September 2, left at least 400 people dead, including an unknown
number of Palestinian civilians, and about 170 Lebanese soldiers.
Some 31,000 residents were forced to flee, with slightly less than half finding
shelter at the nearby Beddawi refugee camp near the port city of Tripoli. The
infrastructure, water and sewage systems at Nahr al-Bared were largely
destroyed.
Speaking at a donor conference in Beirut on September 10, Premier Fouad Siniora
requested $55 million from international donors to see Palestinians and Lebanese
affected by the conflict through to August 2008. Estimates released at the
conference said rebuilding the camp and surrounding areas, as well as emergency
relief, would cost more than $400 million.
"Failing to rebuild Nahr al-Bared will mean catastrophic consequences," said
Siniora. "We cannot risk chaos and violence in any of Lebanon's 11 other camps.
If we fail to rebuild, it will not only be tragic, but the dangers will be
limitless. This was a wake-up call." Reconstruction, however, would still leave
fundamental issues unresolved. "The Lebanese Army and the Internal Security
Forces are basically looking upon Palestinians as a threat," says Rania Masri,
an assistant professor at the University of Balamand. Many Lebanese blame the
Palestinians for allowing Fatah al-Islam into Nahr al-Bared and say
reconstruction and the refugees' return could reignite violence. But some
analysts believe there will be a renewed cooperation in rebuilding. "This is the
first time that the Palestinian leadership is working with the Lebanese
government to improve security in the camps. This should turn a new page in the
history of Palestinian-Lebanese relations in Lebanon and ease hostilities of the
Civil-War years," says Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center.
"This should also coax the Lebanese government to grant Palestinian refugees in
Lebanon social and economic rights."
Stories sketch lives of Lebanese immigrants
Author Evelyn Shakir's anthology looks in on the intimate experiences of Arab
women in America
By Kaelen Wilson-Goldie
Daily Star staff
Monday, October 29, 2007
Review
BEIRUT: A father admonishes his rebellious daughter for interrupting his stories
with her smart-alecky questions. Another daughter casually mentions a romance to
her father, who from then on refuses her phone calls and burns her letters. A
third daughter sits begrudgingly at a kitchen table, listening to her relatives
repeat their oft-told stories of immigration and adjustment, until they strike
an unexpected taboo and reveal a long-buried account of intra-family
molestation.
The 10 stories collected in Evelyn Shakir's "Remember Me to Lebanon: Stories of
Lebanese Women in America" deal primarily with the difficulties women
historically endured as first- and second-generation immigrants from Lebanon to
the US.
Shakir's characters grapple with maintaining old world appearances of chastity
and honor and experiencing new world realities of self-reliance and sexual
freedom. They struggle with the knowledge that to be born female is to bring
sadness to their families. They fret over which fashions best express their
femininity - prim and proper or, several of these stories being set in the 1960s
and 1970s, loose and liberal with beads, tie-dies, daisy chains and sandals.
They fight, most illuminatingly, with men who treat them as exotic as other,
even if those men are also the descendents of Lebanese emigres. Throughout, they
agonize over whether or not to marry within the tribe, whether or not to marry
blonde Irish or Dutch foreigners seemingly so at odds with their customs, indeed
whether or not to marry at all. More cloyingly, they deliberate over whether or
not to eat chocolate bars, when to pierce their ears and how to keep up their
looks.
"Remember Me to Lebanon," published this year by Syracuse University Press, is
Shakir's second book in the same vein. Her first, "Bint Arab: Arab and Arab
American Women in the United States," was published in 1997, the culmination of
10 years of research.
Shakir is herself the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. She studied at Wellesley,
Harvard and Boston University, taught literature at Bentley College and now
lives in West Roxbury. As such, both "Bint Arab" and "Remember Me to Lebanon"
are particularly imbued with the Lebanese-American experience as it unfolded in
Boston's South End and through the activities of what was once called the
Lebanese-Syrian Ladies' Aid Society.
For "Bint Arab," Shakir collected copious interviews with mostly Lebanese and
Palestinian women and their daughters. She also incorporated her own mother's
story into a study of migration, its consequences and its occasional
malcontents, from the early 19th century through the late 20th century. Her work
in this and previous endeavors earned her recognition as a pioneer in the
scholarship of Arab-American literature.
"Remember Me to Lebanon," however, rests uneasily between fact and fiction,
between oral histories recorded for sociological purposes and acts of an
unfettered imagination. Shakir's preface condenses the many waves of migration
from Lebanon to the US, from the 1870s to the present day, into a page and a
half. Her acknowledgments thank scores of people for their stories and their
contributions to the book's veracity. The flap copy asserts the "agile humor and
emotional truth" of Shakir's narratives.
Yet it remains difficult to determine what exactly one is reading here.
Selections such as "The Story of Young Ali" and "Oh, Lebanon," both set within
relative proximity to the present, capture the frustrations of young women
living on their own, seeking educations and careers, and grappling with family
elders who prefer them obedient and silent rather than hardworking and
forthright.
"Oh, Lebanon" in particular has the arc of short fiction, structured by
narrative suspense and a final plot twist. The story "House Calls" orchestrates
one brilliant surprise in the discovery of old letters. But elsewhere, the
action falls flat, restricted as it is to table talk and straightforward
recollection and lives that go nowhere.
"Remember Me to Lebanon" also puts forth a certain speech pattern that is, for
this reader at least, both hokey and unlikely. It begins with the story
"Remember Vaughn Monroe?" and carries through "Power Play," "Name Calling," "Not
Like Today" and "The Trial," characters who speak in "folks" and "fellas" and
"gals," who construct their verbs as "I got me" this and "I got me" that. Where
are we? Clearly in past times, but geographically the accent is unclear.
Shakir's book is an interesting account of immigrants in America, one that may
complement the rich literary history of, say, the Irish and Italian experiences
in the US. It also provides a compelling account for readers in Lebanon,
explaining, for example, why the offspring of those who migrated never learned
Arabic and opted for assimilation over the strict preservation of their culture.
In terms of general interest audiences, "Remember Me to Lebanon" is most
suitable to young adult reading lists.
**Evelyn Shakir's "Remember Me to Lebanon: Stories of Lebanese Women in America"
is published by Syracuse University Press
Syria Warns France: Either
Compromise President under Damascus Terms or Bunker Wars
Syria has reportedly warned France that unless Lebanon elects a consensus
President under Damascus' terms bunker wars could take place.
The daily An Nahar on Tuesday, citing sources in Paris, said the Syrian stand
was conveyed by Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa's to France's Middle East
envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran during a meeting in Damascus on Monday. An Nahar
said Sharaa's stance was "inflexible" in view of some Lebanese parties that are
demanding a simple majority vote. It said Sharaa indicated that this would not
only lead to a presidential vacuum but to domestic disputes. "The (presidential
election) issue should be resolved before it turns into bunker wars,"
parliamentary sources quoted France's Middle East envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran as
summing up the Syrian stance. The sources pointed out that Sharaa's stand came
in contrast to announcements made publicly by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid
Muallem.
Paris, nevertheless, remained "optimistic" that presidential election would take
place within the constitutional framework, underlining U.S.' "positive reaction"
with regard to France's position that calls for Lebanese national dialogue aimed
at reaching a compromise President. An Nahar said a scheduled meeting between
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Muallem in Istanbul this week,
followed by a summit between U.S. President George Bush and his French
counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy next week, "could be a last chance for a global
agreement on the election issue."
The daily, citing diplomatic sources in Paris, said France has warned Gen.
Michel Aoun that his recent exaggerated stances "serve Syria's interests rather
than the interests of Lebanon or the Lebanese."As Safir newspaper, in turn,
quoted French diplomatic sources as skeptical about whether presidential
election would take place on Nov. 12 as set by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
The sources said Paris still cling to hopes that Berri's efforts could lead to a
Lebanese agreement on a compromise president. Meanwhile, the pan-Arab Al Hayat
newspaper said the warring Lebanese camps agreed on the "general principles for
a consensus and that the new president should be accepted by all and should
achieve stability, in addition to believing in new ties with Syria." Beirut, 30
Oct 07, 10:19
Geagea: Meeting with Aoun Not Fundamental
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea expressed readiness to take part in an
intra-Christian meeting, stressing that holding private talks with Christian
opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun was not fundamental. Geagea's remarks came
following a meeting on Monday with Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdel Aal al-Qinaee.
"We discussed the need for dialogue among the Lebanese at all times," Geagea
told reporters. "I'm willing to attend any meeting … as long as everyone,
without exception, attends," he said. Geagea stressed that March 14 presidential
nominees were consensus candidates. "If they (opposition) rejected them, it
would be an indication they did not accept anyone," Geagea said. "Consequently,
consensus for them is imposing a candidate from their side which is unacceptable
for us," he added. In response to a question as to what the cause of the delay
in the long-awaited Geagea-Aoun meeting was, Geagea said: "There is no need for
it." Beirut, 30 Oct 07, 12:19
Kouchner Agrees to Meet Muallem. Did Paris-Damascus Agree on Lebanon's Next
President?
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has agreed to hold talks with his
Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in Istanbul this week, the French Foreign
Ministry announced Monday. The announcement followed talks in Syria by
Kouchner's envoy, Jean-Claude Cousseran. The Kouchner-Muallem meeting, the first
since the French official refused to meet his Syrian counterpart during the U.N.
General Assembly deliberations in September, will be held on the sidelines of a
three-day conference on Iraq opening in Istanbul on Thursday. Kouchner cancelled
a September meeting with Muallem in New York in response to the assassination of
a Lebanese anti-Syrian MP. Lebanon's ruling coalition has accused Damascus of
being behind the killing of Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem in a car bomb in a Beirut
suburb in September, a charge rejected by the Syrians.
Ghanem was the eighth Damascus critic to be killed in Lebanon since the February
2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri, and the fourth anti-Syrian MP
killed since the 2005 elections. Asked at the time if he held Syria responsible
for the attack, Kouchner replied: "I did not say that. I think they are very
influential in the region." Cousseran held talks with high-ranking Syrian
officials on Lebanon in an effort to overcome the ongoing political impasse
between the anti-Syrian majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition. Cousseran,
who arrived in Damascus on Sunday, met with Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa
and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, the official Syrian News Agency, SANA, said.
The state-run Lebanese National news Agency said the viewpoints were matching as
to the need for a Lebanon-made solution and for a Lebanese consensus on a
presidential candidate "…who would unite the Lebanese and achieve security and
stability in Lebanon."
The Syrian daily Al Watan, however, said there were differences on what it said
were "French-Syrian priorities," particularly with respect to France's single
focus on the Lebanese problem. "Syria stressed the need to re-warm ties between
the two countries," Al Watan said.
It said Damascus also stressed that Europe, with France on top, must play an
"effective role" in the Middle East and exert common efforts to resolve all the
regional issues and bring the issue of peace to the forefront through a fair
resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Muallem insisted that "points of view were identical on a compromise president"
agreed upon by the Lebanese people.
Cousseran and Sharaa "reviewed bilateral relations and the recent developments
in the region including the situation in Lebanon," SANA said.
Sharaa emphasized on "Syria's attachment to the stability of Lebanon and to its
security," according to SANA. He insisted on the necessity of "the Lebanese
agreeing on the election of a future president without outside interference," it
said. Muallem told journalists after his discussions with the French official
that Damascus and Paris agreed on the need for the Lebanese to elect "a
consensus president". "Neither Syria nor France are pushing a particular
candidate," he added. Fears are running high in Lebanon that deadlock over the
election of a new president could lead to two rival governments and a return to
the final years of the civil war when two competing administrations battled for
control. (Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 29 Oct 07, 08:38
Hariri for Talks with Mubarak on Presidential Elections
Parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri is to discuss with Egyptian President
Husni Mubarak efforts exerted to facilitate the election of a new president for
Lebanon, a statement reported Monday. The statement issued by Hariri's press
office said he is scheduled to arrive in Cairo on Tuesday for talks with Mubarak
and Egyptian officials covering "latest developments in Lebanon and the region,
especially efforts exerted by Egypt and a number of Arab states to facilitate
the election of a president for Lebanon."The short report did not disclose
further details. Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit discussed Lebanon's
ongoing political crisis with Lebanese officials during a one-day visit to
Beirut Thursday. Beirut, 29 Oct 07, 19:12