Aoun, Jouzou, and their Lebanon

It’s painful enough to listen to Michel Aoun preach about the alleged failure of the American model, and how he allegedly made all the successful choices in the past.  But now Sunni Mount Lebanon mufti, Mohammad Ali al-Jouzou has sailed into the Aoun-Hizbullah twilight zone:

The Mufti of Mount Lebanon Sheikh Mohammed Ali al-Jouzou said he approved of the position of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun with regard to broadening the culture of resistance among the Lebanese population, especially among Christian factions. Jouzou said in a statement issued on Sunday that having Muslims and Christians carrying weapons to resist Israel, in cooperation with the army, would be “the most honorable battle” and a “great achievement and historical event.”

Jouzou said he was ready to even go further and ask for the immediate implementation of Aoun’s “great” defense strategy, starting with the training of all youth in the use of weapons and establish mixed Christian-Muslim military bases. He also encouraged spreading weapons among all citizens so that they could integrate themselves with army brigades in order to become a parallel army.

“That is why I call for distributing weapons to all youth trainees, and giving licenses so that weapon carriers are not attacked, as is currently happening. No citizen of the North, Beirut, or Bekaa would be arrested for carrying weapons, in the same way as citizens of the South, Dahiyeh, and Ramil al-Ali are allowed to carry weapons and roam with them everywhere without any objection,” he said. “General Aoun’s request is fair, because we all become one [equal] before the army and security forces. Our youth will not be imprisoned if weapons are found on them, whether they carry a license or not, while others roam with their weapons freely because they are weapons of the Resistance,” he said.

Jouzou said that justice in the country was seen from only one perspective, because all those accused of terrorism were Sunni. He called on March 14 to approve Aoun’s defense strategy proposal which “transforms the Lebanese population into a resisting population; accordingly, our weapons become resistance weapons like Hezbollah’s weapons.” (Now Lebanon)

I don’t believe this was sarcasm. And for the record, I expected nothing enlightening from that man. But what we have here is a prime example of why, one day after Lebanese independence day, this nation is doomed thanks to the prevalence of such trash. Although on the opposite end of the political spectrum, they embody the failure of the Lebanese model, where religious clerics play dangerous politics, and MPs behave like de-facto presidents, or prime ministers, dictating policy, and threatening violence, as Aoun did if elections don’t go his way.

So it’s really rich for Aoun and others like him to claim that the American model “failed”. The only failure I see is what they exhibit day after day in Lebanon. Despite the harsh economic conditions we are living, and the effects of the Iraq war, the United States has not collapsed.  The election of Obama, whether you like him or not, and the hope that is driving so many, including those of us who just began to live the American dream, stand in sharp contrast to Lebanon’s pathetic political class, lack of democratic spirit, and the abject subservience to foreign agendas at the expense of national interests. Look no further than John McCain’s concession speech to understand what America stands for. Contrast with the above examples, which, though not representative of Lebanon's potential, are nevertheless the reason why so many of us have stopped looking towards our country of origin for inspiration.

Comments

[Doha]

AK,

What can I say. Do you want more of the abject absurdity of Lebanese politics? So Hizbullah did not attend the Lebanese Independence ceremony because of, as Fneish noted, "previous engagements." Like what does that mean??!!! Oh and now Iran wants to propose giving Suleiman heavy arms. And Sleiman will be discussing with Ahmadinejad Lebanon's defense strategy.

I just can't believe Jouzou is saying this: "He also encouraged spreading weapons among all citizens so that they could integrate themselves with army brigades in order to become a parallel army." In what era are these people living in? How backward, how backward!

Sigh!

[danny]

Lebanon is "guided" by its bearded holy men. From Nassy, Jouzou, Qabalan, Qabbani and lest we forget Sfeir who singlehandedly froze the Cedar revolution...

What to comment? As Doha sighed...What to say? Even if it was a sarcasm..It is not funny. Jouzou is nothing but a loud mouth and a thug!

As for civility or any comparison of American system vs. Lebanese or clAoun and his bedfellows vs McCain and Obama; I am sorry but no comparisons can be made. It is like comparing Einstein with a bean counter...

I am afraid the reason is obvious. As we all step back and take account of where we come from we see with sorrow how intellectually deficient people are in Lebanon. It was said on this post before that it must be in the water or the air...
To get a snapshot one just has to read the daily newspapers any day...

[Ambika]

It is indeed a sad day, when a supposedly learned holy man calls for weapons to be put in the hand of ordinary citizens, children, to form an army. They sit in their wonderful ivory towers and dont even realize that the costs of these decisions and official announcements are not borne by them but by these very citizens they want to form into an army. How many more millions of children and innocent people will have to die before someone takes notice? Today it is estimated that Lebanon has lost over $3 billion in fighting these wars, how much more can they really afford to loose?

[George]

Sleiman at the service of Syria:

Al-Akhbar (Lebanon), October 21, 2008.

According to the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Syria has asked Lebanon to monitor and restrict the oppositionists' activity as a confidence-building measure and as part of the new era in Lebanon-Syria relations. The paper reports that, in compliance with this request, the Lebanese security apparatuses have required Syrian oppositionists to either desist from activity against the Syrian regime or leave the country. The oppositionists have been warned that if they remain in Lebanon and continue their activity, the security apparatuses may not be able to protect them from Syria's allies in Lebanon.

In an article on the oppositionist Syrian website www.thisissyria.net, Syrian journalist and human rights activist Jihad Saleh protested against the persecution of Syrian oppositionists in Lebanon, and expressed sorrow that some Lebanese are willing to serve as ambassadors of the Syrian regime.

[George]

Sleiman is going now to visit his masters in Teheran who undermine Lebanese sovereignty and put the country in danger via it's stooge the HA. How indicative that the Minister of Labor from HA accompanies him.
Disarming the HA according to UN resolutions and the demands of the majority will NOT be part of the agenda.

[Rima]

Maybe el Jouzzo thought that the Sunnis and the Christians should also seek arms and training to protect themselves from "Israel"(BTW HA). Heik Heik HA is using Israel as an excuse to swallow Lebanon.Why not use the same excuse. This will prohibit HA from attacking civilians and TVs as in the 7 of May.When your national army fails to protect its people and when our president is no more than a puppet, don't blame el Jouzou. It is a matter of survival! What else can be done in the long term if HA keeps its arms?
Unfortunately, although I don't approve his proposal it makes more sense to me than the 14th March statements in the last two years.
Mahdoum Hal Jouzo ma heik?

[VOR]

McCain's concession speech was eloquent. Lebanon is light years away from becoming a nation that understands and adheres to the standards of democratic values embedded in decency and civilized bahavior. It won't happen in our lifetime.

[Solomon2]

Since you are so convinced the current "Lebanese model" is failing, why not create an entirely new Lebanese model here in the U.S. among the expatriate community? If it shows hope then perhaps it will pick up support from the homeland.

[AK]

Solomon, while I'm at it, I should also solve global warming.

[Bad Vilbel]

"The above examples, which, though not representative of Lebanon's potential, are nevertheless the reason why so many of us have stopped looking towards our country of origin for inspiration."

Indeed. Quite well stated.

[Solomon2]

One task at a time, AK. Follow David Ricardo's dictum of competitive advantage: don't you agree that you are probably better equipped, in terms of skills, contacts, motivation, and opportunity, to create a new Lebanese model than to solve global warming?

[Norm]

To this reader, his words seem to be dripping with sarcasm...very bitter; not to be taken seriously and meant to be insulting to his enemies. How much can the man endure. Lebanon model? Being swallowed by Iran and Syria is a model ? And finally, his words are a warning.

[Doha]

it's true that when read closely, Jouzou is being very sarcastic. but only the lebanese will know that this is sarcasm. any other non-lebanese will really take the guy for his word, and what a heck of a statement he's making!

[ED]

Sorry to be the voice of dissent amongst the AK amen chorus but this constant trashing of Lebanon and repeated references to its dismal, doomed future are, before anything else, a waste of time. After several years of reading what used to be an insightful, or at least a cleverly polemical blog, I'm giving up here.

AK, you are entitled to your views. You wish to believe we are all doomed in Lebanon, then go right ahead, there's certainly plenty of evidence to support your claims. Lebanon is fucked up? Tell me something I don't see everyday. The country is run by morons? Duh. The Orcs are on the loose. Yes, yes, we know and yes, it does break our hearts each and every day.

It isn't your duty to single-handedly save your former country. It isn't up to you alone to find a workable solution to the mess that is Lebanon. That isn't your responsibility. But having decided to take the time and effort to run this blog in the first place, it might be nice if instead of only drawing attention to Lebanon's obvious shortcomings, you used your platform to inform us of more inspiring things from your new home perhaps by focussing more on what, for example, the Lebanese expatriate community is doing to help. And if they are doing nothing, because like you, they have new passports and so can smugly afford not to give a shit and spend their time sitting around in Georgetown cafes feeling superior to everyone else too stupid to do the same, maybe you could just do what so many other Leb abroad blogs do and and stick to rose-coloured eulogies of Faqra and Fairouz.

You know why? Because for those of us who do not have a US passport or a European residency, or who do but are foolish enough to believe that their future could, or at least damn well should be here on this stretch of the Eastern Mediterranean, this finger-pointing is a luxury and your cynicism has become a bore.

Your constant sniping suggests that you are either not yet quite as American as your blog's title would have us believe or that you are simply too bitter, stupid or lazy to have absorbed the lessons and benefits of your new country to find useful ways to apply them to your old country. And please, don't tell me how much you have suffered, how much you have lost or that you cared passionately for many, many years but ultimately were disappointed and so now you have given up. Frankly, how does that make you any different from 3.5 million other Lebanese? You may have left Lebanon behind but your endless indulgence in the same sterile, petty back-biting your former compatriots amuse themselves with at home suggests that while you can take the boy out of Beirut, you can't take Beirut out of the boy.

Oh, and before a flood of sympathisers attack back by demanding what I have done for Lebanon's future that allows me to criticise you on your own blog, my answer is simple, not a lot. If I have arrogated to myself the right to criticise you it is because I have decided to remain here. At the end of the day, do you really have the right to criticise if you have chosen to run away?

[AK]

My dear ED,

I am not going to feel offended. I actually appreciate your criticism, despite the many presumptions it carried which I might address later if I have the time. What you say is precisely why I haven't been blogging much. I certainly do not feel that I have the moral authority or right to criticize or point fingers from my beltway home, although I assure you I do not hang out in Georgetown cafes, nor is it out of laziness, stupidity or bitterness that I don't share any wisdom I allegedly gained from living here. I am not the person you painted me to be. I have a family to look after, and a day job that takes up most of my time. And I certainly do not wish to be perceived the way you perceived me, which I believe I made that clear somewhere. I'm in a transition period, and so far it appears like this blog might not survive it. Thank you for reading me in the past. And if you do have something valuable to contribute, I will be happy to offer you the platform, as I have to others. At the end of the day, this is a personal blog that evolved into a political one almost by accident, and that is now at a crossroads, just like the very country that you chose to remain in. Thanks again and have a good day.

[Umm K.]

Presumptions indeed. It's rather scary what some readers assume about your life and personal work (what you have contributed to your country) by reading blog posts. Most Lebanese deserve better than what Lebanon is today, but one can only do so much before he completely breaks.

[George]

Iran, a main backer of Hezbollah, urged the Lebanese people on Tuesday to unite to confront Israel, the Islamic Republic's arch foe. They want Suleiman to fight to the last Lebanese.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the comments in a meeting with Michel Suleiman, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"Iran believes the capability of all Lebanese groups should be at the service of (Lebanon's) power and unity to confront the danger of the Zionist regime," Khamenei told Suleiman, using a term Iranian officials often use to refer to Israel.

So my Lebanese brothers shed your blood in the service of the crazed Aatollahs. They would like to see a conflagration. Before, we had a Syrian stoogeas Prsident now we have a double barrelled stooge: a Syrian- Iranian puppet.

[Solomon2]

"Iran believes the capability of all Lebanese groups should be at the service of (Lebanon's) power and unity to confront the danger of the Zionist regime"

If I may have a hand at unraveling the code here...what Khamenei appears to be offering is arms and training to those Lebanese groups who support the mullah's agenda. With these arms, not only can these Lebanese attack Israel, but they will have a seat at the table to control Lebanon under Iran's sponsorship. Iran's proxies have carte blanche to use intimidation and force to dominate peace-oriented citizenry, all in the name of "unity".

Which probably explains why some Lebanese leaders are now more interested in "resistance".

[Rima]

AK you said "nevertheless the reason why so many of us have stopped looking towards our country of origin for inspiration."

But maybe many people, including me, check your blog for inspiration!!!!!

Thanks