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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, coupled with his profound connection to Lebanon and Bsharre, and his insistence on being buried in the hermitage he created, which eventually evolved into the Gibran Museum, suggest that Gibran saw no distinction between the narrative of the Prophet Orphalese and his own story from Bsharre.
There are many points of convergence between both, the most prominent being that the Prophet awaited his ship to return him to his heart’s homeland after 12 years, mirroring Gibran’s own yearning to return to his land after the same duration.
Gibran aspired to establish an enduring connection between himself and the Prophet, where their shared ideas would transcend time and space, forming an intellectual and philosophical link that could not be surpassed, regardless of the efforts exerted to decipher its content.
“The Prophet” has firmly established Lebanon’s presence on the global literary scene. In the current time of scarcity, it is regrettable to see Lebanon drifting far from the foundational city of the Prophet and the original landscape he portrayed.
In this time of TikTok, we are not vilifying social media platforms at all; rather, it is the culture of inclusivity that has transformed our time into a realm of rapid consumption of trivial content, leaving few sources capable of birthing new prophets or nurturing profound ideas as Gibran once did.
If Lebanese literature, from Gibran Khalil Gibran to Amin Maalouf, has achieved global acclaim, unearthing fresh outlets for literary and intellectual creativity in our times is proving difficult, marking a significant step backward.
Lebanon’s uniqueness, as recounted by Said Akl, was not defined by its geographical altitude but rather by its historical prominence.
This serves as evidence of the setback Lebanon has endured, prompting the need for a renewed resurgence.
How can we overcome this? By harnessing Lebanon’s rich cultural heritage and educational resources.
We have Sagesse High School, from which Gibran graduated. Moreover, Beirut serves as the home to French and American missionary universities, acting as centers for higher education across diverse fields.
We have an educational benchmark that used to graduate students from the Gulf when there were no higher education institutions in their countries.
Our global openness still positions us as frontrunners in transitioning to digital domains and acquiring the necessary educational foundations for scientific advancement.
All of this makes us cognizant of the mission we must uphold because Lebanon embodies this image, not that of Al-Mahdi schools, which indoctrinate generations with the ideals of martyrdom for every issue in the region.
Indeed, Gibran’s words hold true when he wrote, “You have your Lebanon, and I have mine,” as he expressed an intellectual depth while observing the transformations that stripped Lebanon of its very image.
