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In recent days, a number of Hezbollah sympathizers have impertinently mentioned demographics in Lebanon, with the sole purpose of embarrassing Christians in unprecedented ways.
In this context, the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al Akhbar published inaccurate figures, thereby stating that Lebanese Christians now make up less than 20% of the total population, with the numbers expected to drop to less than 10% in the coming years.
This vile rhetoric is a clear indication of Hezbollah’s intentions. As a matter of fact, the party had grown used to hiding behind slogans of national unity, only to switch to demographics, further cementing its reputation as a conglomerate of hypocrites.
Hezbollah seeks only to show that the shi’a in Lebanon are the most numerous, and that Muslims are the crushing majority in the country, ignoring the fact that, during the last parliamentary elections, Lebanese Christians living abroad turned out to be more than half the total population.
How can one rely on school figures, given that many Christian expatriates, especially the ones living in the Gulf, were driven out of Lebanon due to lack of job opportunities and send their children to Lebanese schools abroad?
Additionally, some are stating that there can no longer be equal representation in the Lebanese parliament and the higher civil service positions. They have even said that the presidency should no longer be reserved for the Christians, given that they are not the demographic majority in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has implicitly admitted that it has succeeded in driving away many Christians as a result of its internal policies and absurd wars. To do that, it has relied on numbers; according to the latest statistics done during the last parliamentary elections, the number of Hezbollah sympathizers is high, after all.
In truth, immigration has prevented Christians from continuing the State-building process, especially after the outbreak of the civil war that stripped the Lebanese of their willpower and caused a significant brain drain. One must remember that the number of Christians is not what matters, but rather their ability to invest and rebuild. The Christians of Lebanon still believe in the development of schools, educational institutions, Christian institutions, hospitals, marketing, entertainment, restaurants, nightclubs, technology and the media. Hezbollah, however, does not grant these concepts as much importance, undermining them as it does to justify its wars and perpetuate killings, destruction and bigotry.
Further proof of this is Hezbollah’s utter refusal to contribute to the rehabilitation of Lebanon’s second airport, rebuild the Beirut port or invest in tourism and economic institutions. It seeks to continue its war against banks and the economy, in order to further develop its Qard al Hassan system and boost its own cash economy.
Hezbollah no longer tries to hide its intention of taking over Lebanon, no matter the cost. It is already controlling most State institutions. That being said, the price for this will be high, because Christians will not renounce their duty to protect Lebanon, against all odds. They were the major contributors to its creation, after all.
