It is exceptional to see, in modern Lebanese history, the streets filled with half the population of all sects and regions for a united cause that is poverty, destitution, and lack of horizon.
Sectarian projects, like ideological policies that demand people’s minds to break away from the conditions of their lives, have retracted two steps back, without feeling reluctant.
Some old forces said they supported the revolution, but others turned a deaf ear to the insults against their symbols… Some of them pretended to back the uprising and started thinking about lubricating guns. One of them, who is against the revolt, did not publicly say he was. It is another form of lying.
This is an unprecedented event, because the crisis has reached unprecedented levels, so did the absurdity and corruption of the rulers. The Lebanese said in public what they were repeating in their homes. They did not make a distinction between one official and another.
They threw their accusations that reflected the disparity in responsibilities. They thus prevented their cause from being recycled in the usual competition between the sectarian wings of the regime.
Those, who won the previous great victories, which we called the glories of the resistance or the glories of the "strong rule", did not provide any actual gains to those who believed in their glories. On the contrary, their actions became a catalyst for the socio-economic disaster.
On the other hand, the defeatists of the remnants of the March 14 felt, time and again, that the equations of the sectarian system in its present form would keep them defeated indefinitely. Their victory is forbidden amid the presence of arms. Moreover, their leaders never convinced them that, in social matters, they were different from their competitors.
So there is a victor who can no longer win, and there is a defeated who can no longer be defeated.
Younger generations did not even know the alleged victories. The liberation of 2000, the liberation of 2005 and the tragedy of 2006, which was made an epic… Those were tricks for parents alone. In turn, the "strong presidency" required them - in order for them to take it seriously - to act like children.
This general disappointment with the regime, which was further pushed by the slogan of the “strong republic”, created this great Lebanese exception.
Many may not have abandoned their sectarian consciousness, which cannot not happen so suddenly, but they have put it aside.
They allowed the economic spirit to emerge in them, and nibble something of the sectarian feeling in them. Thus they found themselves united and divided on the basis of their interests.
In doing so, they celebrated the rediscovery of themselves as citizens and politicians, and that one had its own extension in other sects and regions.
They have come out of their sectarian boxes, which only paralyze them and make them partial human beings.
It may be an exaggeration to say that we have seen another re-establishment of Lebanon. But it is certainly a serious attempt to re-establish the country. In the streets. In the light. With a loud public.
An attempt that shined in many bright colors despite the prevailing anger… An attempt that only rose the Lebanese flag despite the Lebanese people’s disgust with the poor patriots.
Women and girls were strongly present, while violence - except for the official manifestation - was strongly absent. It was only limited to verbal violence, which cleansed the soul from feelings that have been long suppressed.
The people sang, danced, and loved while they were revolting.
On a different note, you assess the recent results, the defeats and victories. In fact, Lebanon’s solid sectarian situation is not the kind that easily surrenders, or is defeated by a fatal blow.
A meager "reformist" paper, such as that presented by Saad Hariri, is enough for Hezbollah’s invisible arms to hide the real cause by recalling the conflict with Israel or fabricating the burning of flags. This is how we make sure there’s nothing new under the sun.
In the Aounist environment, voices are growing, demanding the army intervene decisively, under the pretext of opening closed roads. Hezbollah’s famous triad of “the people, the army, and the resistance” translates itself into an army and a resistance against the people.
Another factor pushes the ruling group to act as such: its two main components are in crisis. The heavy presence of the Shiite community in the uprising says Hezbollah’s base is elsewhere.
As for the Aounists, it is likely that their power has collapsed with the collapse of the image of Gebran Bassil, whom the Lebanese unanimously admitted that to be the most hated man in their republic.
There is, of course, the counter-revolution in Syria in particular, and throughout the Arab world. This raises the cost of the bet, as an island is unlikely to thrive while the ocean is barren and suffocating.
At this point, it is inevitable to remain in the squares, in the streets... More importantly, it is crucial to build on this moment for the future… To build a structure that calls for organization and dissemination of ideas among the people who have shown their willingness to change.
It's a first step, but it's a very big step. Drowning it with blood will not stop the march that was launched to reestablish the homeland.
