Sweet November: Memoirs of a Beirut Fall - Part 1

Sweet November: Memoirs of A Beirut Fall

There we were all over again. There was a supreme sense of deja vue. Or, should I say, a benighted sense of deja vue.

The crowds in Martyrs’ Square, the Place de la Liberte, the flags fluttering, children carrying placards, and gorgeous, buxom girls literally belly dancing to the sound of patriotic music.

It was the Beirut Spring revisited. But this time it was a Beirut Fall. As summed up by Charles Malik Jr., grandson of Lebanon’s most illustrious diplomat, on one of our national blogs, it’s basically a devastating summer war, followed by anger and depression, and then this outpouring of emotion over the assassination of one of Lebanon’s most charismatic young politicians. It was the Independence Intifada revisited, but now by a people in a mood of anger, bitterness, and sheer hopelessness at the relentless cycle of bloodletting on Lebanon’s soil.

There were a number of amusing sights and sounds. Some filled you with confidence in your country; others made your hair stand on end. Having collected the hutafat, or slogans, of the Cedar Revolution, I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole set of new ones, some quaint, some morbid.

When I some heard some LF Kid yelling “Nasrallah Sabrak Sabrak, Ayn er Remmaneh Abrak”, my blood ran cold.

A more pleasant sight was a watching group formed of veiled women and LF bloods coming together (yes, I kid you not) to wave a giant flag. Despite my distrust of the LF, I took part for about five minutes then continued along my way.

But what really caught my attention was the sight of a huge placard that said: Our Blood is Hariri, Our Summit is Joumblatt, Our History is Phalange, Our Inclination is LF, Pierre Lives On In Us, We Are March 14, and Enough is Enough.” It was carried, surprise, surprise, by a veiled Sunni woman from Tarik Jdide.


It was, as I told a friend, a bazaar, which is not to detract from the importance of the event. When I say that, I mean that it was full of the usual quaint street scenes, follies and inconsistencies that Lebanon so richly boasts. More importantly, it showed that despite the sheer exhaustion of the Lebanese people, the Lebanese spirit was not to be cowed by the Syrian killing machine.

Many of the speakers had words of substance to say, but the words of President Gemayel rang with truth: “A countdown has begun that will conclude with a change of president, for reform and change, and those who want reform and change must join hands with us in order to achieve it”, in a clear jab at that power mad clown General Aoun.


Although Gemayel was highly popular, he was also a controversial figure. The Phalange Party, founded by his grandfather, Sheikh Pierre Gemayel Sr., is unpopular in some circles, especially non-Christian ones, for some of its actions during the Civil War. Sheikh Pierre Jr. himself drew hostile criticism from Muslims early last year for making a public statement about “quantity and quality”.

Nevertheless, he showed great promise as an upcoming politician, and might in another generation have reached the Presidency. He had that rare combination needed to be a President of Lebanon: A strong will, charisma, integrity, intellect, and the appropriate background, for the history of the Gemayel family spans the history of modern Lebanon.

There can be little doubt that the assassination of Pierre Gemayel is being used for political purposes. Still, if this turns out to serve the interests of Lebanon, as the Hariri assassination did, then perhaps Sheikh Pierre will not have died in vain.

Perhaps the biggest turnoff in all this was the populist rhetoric, the crowd pleasing speeches used to move the people, to mobilize the masses, Sadly, we have not yet evolved beyond demagoguery.

While we are still not above being manipulated by spin and rhetoric, we at least have (hopefully) enough awareness to avoid being drawn into the quicksand of another civil war, fed by the venom of sectarian incitement. This was proven when we came out in droves last year in peaceful protests that lit TV screens in all 24 time zones. Instead of the rioting and police brutality that many feared, protesters exchanged white roses with soldiers. Let us hope to see that once more.

Finally, we are all united by a shared belief in freedom and in Lebanon’s greatness. Indeed, freedom, and those values and traditions that accompany it, are what made Lebanon great in the past. We must not allow this greatness to go to the dogs once more. Today is a Day of Reckoning, the reckoning of our posterity. If we choose to go once more down the dark path of April 1975, we will have consigned ourselves to the dustbin of history.