Lebanon: A Wake-Up Call For Christian Leaders

This editorial was published in The Daily Star on 06/01/2011

 

In the wake of deadly attacks in Egypt and Iraq, Christian leaders have been sounding the warning bell, quite loudly, about threats to the community in the Middle East. The most vociferous rhetoric has come from Lebanon’s Christian community, which stands out in one important aspect from its neighbors. In Lebanon, Christians have enjoyed more political freedom than their counterparts in the region, but have made poor use of it, mired in their destructive factionalism.

Prior to Independence, Lebanese Christians were divided over whether they wanted the continuation of a French mandate, or an end to colonialism. After Independence, the divisions continued; the civil strife of 1958 might have erupted due to Cold War tensions, but it was also centered on a struggle between President Camille Chamoun and Army Commander Fouad Chehab.

A few decades later, the Civil War began with Bashir Gemayel liquidating rival Christians of the National Liberal Party. The war’s latter years saw bloody conflicts between another general, Michel Aoun, and the Lebanese Forces under Samir Geagea. This conflict alone killed thousands of Christians.

And all along, Christian politicians in Lebanon – where the calls for protection are loudest – have played the double game of seeking the backing of foreign parties, while demanding to be treated as upstanding, patriotic citizens.

Whether overtly or covertly, such politicians have declared over the decades that they enjoy the protection of Paris, Washington, or the Vatican, while rival Christian leaders have rarely promoted the interests of either their community or their country. If such behavior continues, warnings about the threats to Christians will be superfluous – the community is on track to lose any influence it has traditionally enjoyed.

Lebanon’s Christians should remember that calls for unity and protection cannot be issued simply because a crisis or catastrophe has taken place. The so-called disaster of Christian emigration is a few centuries, not a few decades old.

Christians must take up their full responsibilities and rights as citizen to avoid being portrayed as a minority that is perpetually on the verge of selling its property and leaving for good. The responsibility falls on politicians who are short-sighted and focused on immediate political gain, as well as members of the clergy, who haven’t done enough to ensure a stable and durable presence for their community.

The bombings in Iraq and Egypt are a warning for Lebanon’s Christians and more importantly, their leaders: put aside greed, narrow-mindedness and racism, and work on ensuring that members of the community become fully-fledged citizens who require no special protection inside the country, or assistance from abroad.