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On August 26, 1989, Mgr. Georges Khodr wrote, “When the horizon narrows and the sky darkens, you feel like choking. At that moment, all that remains is the breath of expectation. The expectation of anything.” The horizon was previously open to all possibilities, including despair. At that time, Lebanon was trapped and remains so until today. While some political practices might have changed since then, the ability of some to destroy the country remains intact. The current geopolitical situation has become extremely complex, to the extent that Lebanon faces an existential threat that jeopardizes its cultural identity.
As such, what can we expect when the very concept of the State, including its Constitution, sovereignty, diplomacy, justice, as well as its financial, economic, and social policies are being challenged? Is the notion of Lebanon as a nation-State, given its composition and its national pact, still viable? What about the theories of federalism and power-sharing, as well as tendencies towards totalitarianism, dictatorship, and a tripartite distribution of power? In this regard, some are questioning the very concept of the Lebanese formula, mostly in terms of its freedom, diversity, and coexistence, as well as its active democratic role in a free, sovereign, fair, and independent civil state.
Reassessing a century-old practice of establishing a unified and inclusive national identity, which eases concerns and strengthens the commitment to citizenship –one that embraces diversity- while promoting the common interest, and enhancing Lebanon’s role as a driving force to a just peace, will lead to a disastrous deadlock. It is a treacherous alternative in which, in the name of dialogue, the seeds of self-destruction and various forms of violence are fostered.
Accordingly, it has become blatantly clear that an objective alliance is taking shape between those seeking to sink Lebanon on one side, and those who believe that the Lebanese formula amounts to a geographical space and an administrative system on the other. This alliance is a deadly one, and history will do justice to those who advocate for the implementation of the Constitution and the reinstatement of sovereignty in a country celebrated for its coexistence. The situation calls for cumulative action rather than banking on fear and intimidation. The national security of Lebanon and that of the Lebanese population calls for resistance and transparency in such confrontation.
