Pessimism Is One Way of Killing Lebanon!
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-06-25 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Every day, we encounter numerous comments on social media platforms. These platforms have empowered individuals to express their opinions freely, irrespective of their intellectual or academic standing, and regardless of their social status. Thus, opinions are now accessible to all, making Lebanese citizens equal in their right to express ...
Summer Festivals: Another Form of Resistance
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-06-18 17:26 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The summer festivals in Lebanon are not merely about parties, gatherings, lighting and glitz. They might have become all of that over the years, especially before the economic crisis when every town in Lebanon was buzzing with festivals, artists and festivities. However, going back to the roots of these festivals and the concept behind their ...
Maronite Leaders: A Tale of Power Struggle
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-06-11 17:58 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Sleiman Frangieh, the leader of the Marada Party, created a stir by suggesting that the presidential race be limited to him and Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF), in open electoral sessions. This move is aimed at reducing the deadlock surrounding this dossier and facilitating the election of the next president of the ...
All Eyes on Iran
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-06-04 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
No matter which formula is adopted, there will be no solution to the presidential deadlock in Lebanon without Iran’s involvement. This is the message that Tehran conveyed to whom it may concern, despite all the vain initiatives taken to give an impression of progress. Internally, after the botched initiative taken by the National ...
This Parliament Won’t Elect a President!
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-05-28 17:54 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It is a surprise to none that nothing in Lebanon is done within the deadlines stipulated by the Constitution, mainly due to the biggest problem that the Lebanese regime faces: unilateral decisions and hegemony over the State. In 2022, the main slogan of the elections was that the new Parliament will honor its most important commitment, electing a ...
Procrastination That Obstructs the Future
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-05-21 18:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
A few months ago, when conditions could lead to the election of a president of the republic, the obstinacy of the political parties in Lebanon sabotaged the opportunity. Each faction adamantly stuck to its candidate, rejecting any negotiations or changes in its position. With time, and with the eruption of the crisis in Gaza on October 7 and its ...
Sectarianism in a Persistently Divided Lebanon
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-05-14 09:03 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Sectarianism was never as pronounced during the civil war as it is today. The sectarian divisions we are currently witnessing transcend all expectations, especially with the surge of social media platforms. Every event turns into a ground-breaking crisis, bringing forth religious figures like the Christ and Prophet Muhammad, along with all ...
TikTok and Society Share the Blame
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-05-07 14:24 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The outraged response from Lebanese society to the revelation of a human trafficking network exploiting children via TikTok is both understandable and logical. No matter the extent of the lack of morality, there's no justification for abusing and exploiting children in this manner. While some may justify theft due to poverty or murder as ...
Municipal Elections: Extension Is yet Another Forced Slaughter of Democracy
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-04-30 17:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The extension of municipal councils and mukhtars’ mandates for just one year, under the pretext of the country's political circumstances, implies that the current councils are nearing their tenth year in office, portraying an authoritarian regime that has no consideration to democracy. While security conditions in the South prevent holding ...
No Elections Before Late 2024?
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-04-23 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Although the general situation in Lebanon indicated there might be a breakthrough – between May and June at the latest – in the presidential election issue, things look grimmer now. It is almost as if the fate of Lebanon, already low on the list of world priorities, has been adjourned until after the Gaza war. The Al-Aqsa Flood operation, ...
A Country on the Brink of Pseudo-Wars
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-04-16 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The state of utter confusion the Lebanese were in last Saturday was not a first. In fact, since the birth of the State of Israel in 1948, the entire region has become prone to security threats and proxy wars between the great powers that have a direct impact on Lebanon. However, waiting for the Iranian drones, and then the constant expectation of ...
'A' Amal'… Does It Really Still Happen in Lebanon?
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-04-09 12:13 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It's been a while since a TV series or a drama managed to generate such a sizeable social buzz and garner such a volume of comments and interactions across numerous countries. A’ Amal managed to do all the above due to many factors, notably its tightly woven script and the gripping storyline that expertly applies the plot device known as ...
Gibran and Lebanon: Commemorating the Prophet's Centenary
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-04-02 11:37 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
This year, Lebanon celebrates the centennial of Gibran Khalil Gibran's “The Prophet,” revered as a towering figure in global literature and a hallmark of Lebanese intellectual achievement, deeply intertwined with its identity and roots. Opinions differ regarding Gibran Khalil Gibran's contributions to this book. However, his Sufism, ...
An Alienated Foreign Affairs Minister
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-03-26 16:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Abdallah Bou Habib might be the victim of a series of circumstances that reduced him to puppet status at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but what is certain is that he does not even play puppet well. Bou Habib is a reactionary man, one who speaks on impulse and then goes on to retract his words. Unlike the chewing gum he spat out at the recent ...
Conspiracy Theories, a Lebanese’s Daily Bread
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-03-19 15:46 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
No people in the world believe in conspiracy theories like the Lebanese do. In Lebanon, there is an absolute passion for analyzing and painting scenarios, no matter how farfetched or utterly unrealistic they might be. Adherence to conspiracy theories is nothing new for the Lebanese people, who believe that all that occurs is the result of a ...
Miss Lebanon: More Than a Title
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-03-12 14:31 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon has been abuzz since the crowning of its beauty queen, Yasmina Zaytoun, as the first runner-up in the Miss World competition; a crowning that goes beyond just a position. Indeed, she was also crowned Miss Asia, surpassing her competitors, including Miss India. Much ink has been spilled on this subject in recent days, given that it is the ...
A Lebanese-Signed Ramadan Drama
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-03-05 22:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The measures implemented in various economic contexts resemble the plot of an intriguing Ramadan soap opera, but the unfolding events hint that all the protagonists will meet their demise. The most striking plot twist associated with the series is the writer's decision to increase salaries in the public sector. An undoubtably rightful measure ...
Saydet al-Najat and the Criminals of Peace
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-02-28 11:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
On February 27, 1994, Lebanon's societal taboos faded away. The explosion of Saydet al-Najat Church in Zouk shattered the equilibrium of reason and comprehension, leaving Christians engulfed in escalating fear and denial. For some Lebanese, the explosion of Saydet al-Najat Church was perceived as a crime perpetrated by the Lebanese Forces (LF), ...
Still Debating the Need for Prompt Municipal Elections?
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-02-21 14:27 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The electoral process in Lebanon is adapting to challenging conditions, wherein securing any sort of election has become more of a privilege in light of the country’s political, economic and security situation. Municipal elections, slated for last year, were postponed due to the reluctance of influential governmental and parliamentary ...
She Is Majida El Roumi, They Are Cowards
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-02-13 15:47 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It is not the first time that a campaign is organized against Majida El Roumi. Everyone thought that campaigns end at some point, but the fanbase of the "Resistance" seems to bore easily and did not miss out on the opportunity to lash out at a major art figure and one of Lebanon’s biggest cultural symbols. In context, the speech El Roumi made ...
Clearing Criminals in the Name of Collaboration
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-02-06 18:28 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It is no secret that, in Lebanon, anyone who does not support the Axis of Resistance or Hezbollah is branded a “collaborator.” This has been common practice for years, since 2005. The threats made against MP Samy Gemayel, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and other anti-Hezbollah politicians are proof of this, and last year’s viral video ...
A Budget Tainted With Condescension!
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-01-30 12:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The average Lebanese citizen used to earn a modest salary. For the sake of this story, let's assume that this income was a hundred Lebanese pounds. However, it’s important to clarify that here, the pound is a mere fictional currency, as in reality, a hundred lebanese pounds is not a typical salary in a country like Lebanon, where the pound ...
Into the Maelstrom of Political Shiism
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-01-23 16:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
History has shown that, in Lebanon, every era is dominated by a religious community or group, voluntarily or not. Before the war, political Maronitism was made manifest when the Maronites took over the State, taking advantage of the President’s considerable prerogatives to consolidate their position and better their status. They did not heed ...
Why Is Iran Upholding a Precarious Calm in Lebanon?
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-01-16 14:56 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The Iranian poise and restraint prevailing on the Lebanese front may raise questions, especially given the recent escalation in the region following the Kerman attack. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard accused the groups behind the attack of having Israeli ties and undergoing training in northern Iraq, justifying the assault on Erbil. However, ...
The Historical Role of Christians
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-01-09 15:46 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
After the civil war, the declining number of Christians in Lebanon was cause for alarm not only in the country, but in the region too, knowing that Lebanon is the only Middle Eastern state to have a Christian president. Immigration and the impossibility for expatriates to reclaim their citizenship became a major hurdle as far as the protection of ...
‘Tis the Season to Be Mournful…
Johnny Kortbawi 2024-01-02 16:59 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The Lebanese are plagued by a chronic disease, one that is rooted in childhood and education. The disease in question is the constant state of mourning and the expression of mourning on all occasions. To begin with, festivities must continue, even if they are too traditional, and people should keep wishing others prosperity and success, even if ...
Between Reconciliation and Accountability
Johnny Kortbawi 2023-12-26 18:26 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
In the calculations of the Lebanese people, the Taif Agreement appears to be irreplaceable despite the plethora of options and proposals on the table. However, a collective understanding prevails that, without comprehensive international consensus and an appropriate regional context, the exploration of an alternative arrangement would be ...
Christians in Lebanon: Rights Versus Roles
Johnny Kortbawi 2023-12-19 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
The discussion on the rights of Christians in Lebanon takes center stage in various periods — be it amidst the fervor of elections, times of heightened tension, or when it becomes relevant to review and reshuffle all the pertinent matters at hand. Today, we are surfing through a multitude of phases. We are currently in a period dominated by a ...
The 'Hole in the Basket' Budget
Johnny Kortbawi 2023-12-12 13:33 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Any household provider or anyone overseeing day-to-day expenses can fully comprehend that addressing the financial deficit requires either reducing expenditures or increasing revenues. Unfortunately, the Lebanese government, overshadowed by some of its members’ arrogance and defiance, erroneously believes that the budget that was drafted can be ...
Culture on Its Deathbed Amidst Crises
Johnny Kortbawi 2023-12-05 12:29 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Observing the pervasive decline across Lebanon's economic, financial, educational, and healthcare sectors is disheartening. The impact of widespread immigration has cast a shadow on the workforce, prompting a call for urgent rescue plans. Yet, amidst these challenges, it is the cultural downturn that demands our immediate focus. Lebanon ...