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When you hear “Lebanon” and “government” in the same sentence, what comes to mind first?
Sectarianism, money wasting, no electricity, no water, no jobs, bad internet, expensive living, taxes, wasta? The list goes on and on…
Lebanon does not only have a beautiful landscape, it’s not only a touristic destination, it’s not only a clubbing hub, but it is also rich in resources that can help the Lebanese stand on their own feet. Lebanese are proud of that and are ready to fight for Lebanon, that’s the only thing they all agree on.
But are we fighting for the right reasons? Do we participate in protests and political gatherings to improve our current state of living or just because our leaders tell us to?
A couple of years back, Israel tried to claim the traditional Lebanese Hommos (Chickpeas) dish with tahini as their own. The whole Lebanese community from different sects and religions stood together and defended the Lebanese-born dish by breaking the Guinness Book of records for the largest Hommos plate ever made.
If you think about it, the Lebanese were united over something as silly as an appetizer dish and it made them forget their religious and sectarian divisions. They united over something that’s so silly, it’s nothing!
Yet it’s everything.
Now Israel is claiming something more important: our natural gas wells, our biggest resource that can take Lebanon back to the days of flourishing economic-stability.
“Israeli companies have announced two important natural gas finds in the past 18 months that may hold 24 trillion cubic feet of gas, but the offshore discoveries are a potential source of friction between Israel, Lebanon and Greek Cyprus. Lebanese officials say the gas may extend into their waters, urging their own prospecting” claims an Israeli online newspaper (source). And if Israel confessed that the gas “may” extend to Lebanese waters, then it is more like a fact.
This discovery was made in 2003. Eight years later, we are still gas-less while Israel plans to suck all that gas out from the sea. Geological expert Dr. Ali Haidar claims that "Lebanon is losing half of the natural gas taken by Israel" (source).
I am not trying to blame Israel for utilizing their shared resources. On the contrary, they would be foolish if they wait for us to sort our political conflicts and agree on a plan for gas extraction. Instead, I am urging you to learn from them and take advantage of what's rightfully ours.
We are not protesting for our resources. We are not burning tires and blocking roads for the government to take on this project. We just complain that gas prices have gone up. We burn tires to feud political or religious conflicts. But when it comes to what really matters, we do nothing!
Why?
Because we are worried that it will be privatized by a Muslim or a Christian.
Because we know that the government will need 10 times more money than the project really needs because of politicians who are sucking the budget dry.
Because we are worried an American (Western/Pro-14) company or an Iranian (Pro-8) company will benefit from it.
Because politicians are blocking the project since they cannot gain personal profit from it.
Because we are not united, we do not live in one Lebanon.
We live in 18 Lebanons. One for each sect that we proudly belong to.
When are we going to burn tires for our benefit and not for our political leaders? When are we going to block the roads to benefit all of the Lebanese community instead of just one sect or one political party? When are we going to get out of the mentality of “either my sect takes on this project or no one does”?
Why don’t we all take on this project?
Yes, it is possible. Regular citizens like you and me can invest in such a project. Engineers and scientists from all sects and political affiliations can join forces to work on this project. This project can mutually benefit everyone. Why doesn’t this project get privatized to the public? The Lebanese population, the “service” drivers and hair-dressers who know how this country should be run, the brilliant minds that are travelling abroad for jobs, the university graduates who are sitting at home or peeling potatoes at their local McDonald’s?
When are we going to actually learn to love and trust each other rather than just teaching it in theory to our children? Can we just agree on a way to split the wealth and take it before letting the neighbors take it all?
What are we waiting for? Do we deserve this country? This sun? This air? This gas? This earth? This sea? This water?
I have made my move. Now it’s time for you to do the same!
UPDATE: While researching for this post, I came across this book by on facebook Farid Chehab that I found to be a good resource for the Lebanese situation and proposed solutions.
Sectarianism, money wasting, no electricity, no water, no jobs, bad internet, expensive living, taxes, wasta? The list goes on and on…
Lebanon does not only have a beautiful landscape, it’s not only a touristic destination, it’s not only a clubbing hub, but it is also rich in resources that can help the Lebanese stand on their own feet. Lebanese are proud of that and are ready to fight for Lebanon, that’s the only thing they all agree on.
But are we fighting for the right reasons? Do we participate in protests and political gatherings to improve our current state of living or just because our leaders tell us to?
A couple of years back, Israel tried to claim the traditional Lebanese Hommos (Chickpeas) dish with tahini as their own. The whole Lebanese community from different sects and religions stood together and defended the Lebanese-born dish by breaking the Guinness Book of records for the largest Hommos plate ever made.
If you think about it, the Lebanese were united over something as silly as an appetizer dish and it made them forget their religious and sectarian divisions. They united over something that’s so silly, it’s nothing!
Yet it’s everything.
Now Israel is claiming something more important: our natural gas wells, our biggest resource that can take Lebanon back to the days of flourishing economic-stability.
“Israeli companies have announced two important natural gas finds in the past 18 months that may hold 24 trillion cubic feet of gas, but the offshore discoveries are a potential source of friction between Israel, Lebanon and Greek Cyprus. Lebanese officials say the gas may extend into their waters, urging their own prospecting” claims an Israeli online newspaper (source). And if Israel confessed that the gas “may” extend to Lebanese waters, then it is more like a fact.
This discovery was made in 2003. Eight years later, we are still gas-less while Israel plans to suck all that gas out from the sea. Geological expert Dr. Ali Haidar claims that "Lebanon is losing half of the natural gas taken by Israel" (source).
 |
| "The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the area, which includes the coastal areas near Israel, Lebanon and Syria, harbors resources that can be recovered using currently available technology." Source: Ya Libnan |
I am not trying to blame Israel for utilizing their shared resources. On the contrary, they would be foolish if they wait for us to sort our political conflicts and agree on a plan for gas extraction. Instead, I am urging you to learn from them and take advantage of what's rightfully ours.
We are not protesting for our resources. We are not burning tires and blocking roads for the government to take on this project. We just complain that gas prices have gone up. We burn tires to feud political or religious conflicts. But when it comes to what really matters, we do nothing!
Why?
Because we are worried that it will be privatized by a Muslim or a Christian.
Because we know that the government will need 10 times more money than the project really needs because of politicians who are sucking the budget dry.
Because we are worried an American (Western/Pro-14) company or an Iranian (Pro-8) company will benefit from it.
Because politicians are blocking the project since they cannot gain personal profit from it.
Because we are not united, we do not live in one Lebanon.
We live in 18 Lebanons. One for each sect that we proudly belong to.
When are we going to burn tires for our benefit and not for our political leaders? When are we going to block the roads to benefit all of the Lebanese community instead of just one sect or one political party? When are we going to get out of the mentality of “either my sect takes on this project or no one does”?
Why don’t we all take on this project?
Yes, it is possible. Regular citizens like you and me can invest in such a project. Engineers and scientists from all sects and political affiliations can join forces to work on this project. This project can mutually benefit everyone. Why doesn’t this project get privatized to the public? The Lebanese population, the “service” drivers and hair-dressers who know how this country should be run, the brilliant minds that are travelling abroad for jobs, the university graduates who are sitting at home or peeling potatoes at their local McDonald’s?
When are we going to actually learn to love and trust each other rather than just teaching it in theory to our children? Can we just agree on a way to split the wealth and take it before letting the neighbors take it all?
What are we waiting for? Do we deserve this country? This sun? This air? This gas? This earth? This sea? This water?
I have made my move. Now it’s time for you to do the same!
UPDATE: While researching for this post, I came across this book by on facebook Farid Chehab that I found to be a good resource for the Lebanese situation and proposed solutions.
Moudzzz is back!!! great post, inspiring!!! So what's the next step? ;)
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe that we need to move forward and get over sectarian and political divisions, the situation seem to be irremediable.
ReplyDeleteWithout much conviction, we should at least TRY to make a difference.
I have to say that your article lacks lots of inaccurate information. Israel has nothing to do with our gas reserves and is unable to control any of these. Our prospects are away of the Lebanese israeli borders. Do not quote what ali haidra says, he's a palaeontologist and knows nothing about petroleum geology and never worked in that domain. Tamar reservoir does not extend to lebanon, i assure you as i have worked on it last summer and my thesis was the first in Lebanon working on the new dataset. As for the Leviathan, only a small part of it crosses the borders. However, this cannot be checked since Lebanon did not start exploration yet. This would mean that even if this information is true, we will not have much to share with them anyway and when we start extraction in 10 years, the gas will be uneconomic. So let's talk scientifically, our prospects are not shared with israel and politicians should not be believed as they know nothing about exploration.
ReplyDeleteDid you explore the area on the borders? :P
ReplyDeleteIf you have more accurate information, can you provide me with them please? Also, that's not the point. The point is that we have gas and we are not doing anything about them for political/religious reasons. and that was the main point of the post. Thank you Ramadan for reading :)
yes the area on the border is currently being explored and preliminary information does not show any important findings from the Lebanese side. This is complicated and exploration still needs lots of time and funding. However, the guys at the ministry are working hard and trust me, things are going in the right direction. Next bidding round is in few months, after that proper investment from companies will take place in the form of licences. The main areas of focus are in the centre of the basin and the shorelines. This still needs further studies but it is believed that there is lots of oil in place as well. But the ministry is working very well, and we're doing our best :)
ReplyDeletei love this post! this is what i have been telling people all along - what we need to do is unite, and we'll be an unstoppable force! unity is POWER!
ReplyDeletewhat are you telling us to do? to burn tires for our own benefits? if you can burn a tire in your room while staying inside it, then you can do it in the street. why do you want to pollute the air with tires? and what is the step you took? you wrote an article? you must take action, not write or talk. and you're saying that hair-dressers know how to run a country? hehehehe why? because you worse people are already in the government? well let me tell you, educated people don't know how to run a country. that's why they are peeling potato. schools and universities teach you how to become an employee or to be specialized in something. They don't teach anything else. like bankers and financial analysts, most of them are barely middle-class, you think because they studied this they will become rich?
ReplyDeleteand not taking the gas from the sea is not the reason of people being poor or broke.
so, i don't find a difference between your article and articles written by other political websites. it's just that here, we can write a comment.
and, if you want a good advice, instead of spending your energy to write here, spend it to write directly to people in the government.
but what you want to tell to Ignorant and Greedy people? this is the worst mixture you can ever have, because such people will end up hitting the wall.
so you might want to motivate them in terms of money, and fear if you can.
They are blessed because of their resources,they should take care of it. We should wise enough of spending our natural resources.
ReplyDelete