This story has been updated with a follow-up post titled, “If Lebanon’s pine trees die, so will we“. Whether it’s deep in the open woodlands of Lebanon, in Beirut’s only remaining Horsh, or in between residential areas, the once plentiful parasol pine, also known as the stone pine, is under
We’ve all heard Wa Habibi, a hymn widely recognized as a Christian canticle of the Syriac/Maronite rite. Also known as the Mother’s Lament, the hymn has been epitomized by Lebanon’s Fairouz and is played/performed every year, without fail, on Good Friday. Some time ago, a friend of mine, Tony, posted
42 years ago, the Lebanese civil war started. 27 years ago, we were told it ended. For 27 years we’ve been commemorating the start of the civil war on April 13th, but not its end. Strange, no? Some say it’s because it never really ended. Others say it’s because the main players
The Lebanese political topography is changing. Independents, long marginalized, are being provided with a meaningful organization to support. The first instance of this phenomenon, Beirut Madinati, was quickly dismissed as an unsustainable occurrence by major parties and supporters alike. But there can be no denying that the mere existence of