Lebanon Archives

Regime not listening to the people and future of Lebanon at crossroad

December 11, 2019December 11, 2019 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Regime not listening to the people and future of Lebanon at crossroad The sociopolitical situation in Lebanon deteriorates. A sign of hope is the resilience of the October 17 uprising. Public protest against the government’s corruption is unprecedented. Led by women and young adults, the uprising is authentic, effective and peaceful. The central question is…

Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion

Uprising in Lebanon must focus on domestic reform, not on Hezbollah

November 14, 2019November 14, 2019 rayhanania No Comments

Uprising in Lebanon must focus on domestic reform, not on Hezbollah By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz The uprising is not about Hezbollah’s dominant role in Lebanon, and it should not be; it is largely about corrupt domestic politics. But the attitude of Hezbollah- locally know as The Resistance- toward real reform may either help or derail…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Middle East, Opinion

Personal Reflections of a Lebanese American on Trump Power and Civil Discord

October 16, 2019October 16, 2019 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Personal Reflections of a Lebanese American on Trump Power and Civil Discord By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz Americans are divided on many basic issues and President Trump has reinforced this tension. Trump is both a contributing factor to America’s pain and a symptom of its dysfunction. The fact that our commander in chief is still popular…

Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Middle East, Opinion

Census and (lack of) Sensibility in the way nation’s manipulate population data

June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 rayhanania No Comments

Census and (lack of) Sensibility in the way nation’s manipulate population data Governments around the world manipulate their Census data on populations in order to undermine minority rights and strengthen government abuses against minorities. In the United States, the government has used the Census for decades as a means of suppressing the actual numbers of…

Arab News, Arab World, Arab World Politics, Bloggers, Christian & Muslim, Civil Rights, Commentary, Editors Picks, Features, immigrants, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine & Jordan, religion, US Arab Politics

Optional civil marriage would serve Lebanon’s fragile democracy

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Optional civil marriage would serve Lebanon’s fragile democracy By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz Is Lebanon ready to introduce civil marriage legislation? Not soon. But talk about responding to youth aspirations, political reform and voice of civil society is pure rhetoric as long as civil marriage is not allowed on Lebanese soil. Lebanese couples seeking secular marriage…

Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion, Politics, religion, Syria

Precarious times for Lebanon

December 12, 2018December 12, 2018 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Precarious times for Lebanon By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz The situation in Lebanon is worrisome. Since May, political impasse persists as the prime minister-designate fails to form a cabinet. The economy worsens; national debt soars: over 150 % of GDP; badly needed international aid is postponed due to instability. A more important threat to this weak…

Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion

What the Swiss can offer Lebanon

August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

What the Swiss can offer Lebanon By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz This week a Swiss delegation led by President Alain Berset is visiting Lebanon to strengthen “bilateral relations”. The team is also discussing the pressing issue of the Syrian refugees. Lebanon hosts the largest refugee population in the world, per capita; and Switzerland is the “global…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion, refugees

Youth Hub Center to open in Lebanon with support from Joumana Kayrouz

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 rayhanania No Comments

Youth Hub Center to open in Lebanon with support from Joumana Kayrouz Prominent Michigan Accident attorney Joumana Kayrouz announced this week that she will fund the building of a new youth hub center in Batroun, Lebanon as a part of a larger effort by Lebanese expatriates to support their former homeland. An icon of the American legal…

American Arabs, Features, Lebanon, Middle East, News

Arab American veteran showcased during Immigrant Heritage Month

June 2, 2018March 15, 2022 rayhanania No Comments

Arab American veteran showcased during Immigrant Heritage Month More than 12,000 Arab Americans served in the United States Military during World War II, and many served before and after in other wars defending America. Their service is an important part of Immigrant Heritage Month which is celebrated every June along with the achievements of other…

American Arabs, Arab American History, Bloggers, Commentary, Features, Middle East, Opinion, Syria

Promising Lebanese elections may have little impact on nation’s precarious system

May 12, 2018May 12, 2018 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Promising Lebanese elections may have little impact on nation’s precarious system By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz The sole remarkable “result” of the parliamentary elections in troubled Lebanon is that it did happen- and it was competitive. A country of 4.5 million citizens hosting a million and a half Syrian and Palestinian refugees is nonetheless capable of…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Election, Ghassan Rubeiz, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion, Politics

Arab Youth Survey raises some serious concerns

May 8, 2018May 8, 2018 rayhanania No Comments

Arab Youth Survey raises some serious concerns A study by one of the world’s largest PR companies, Burson-Marsteller, of Arab young people in 16 countries in the Levant, Gulf and North Africa offers disturbing insight into the regional concerns and the powerful influence of the mainstream Western news media. Not surprisingly, the further away Arab…

Arab World, Arab World Politics, Bloggers, Commentary, Egypt, Gulf States, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Media Bias, Middle East, North Africa, Opinion, Palestine & Jordan, Politics, Ray Hanania, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Television, Women's rights

In International Law subsidiary: Can war be just?

March 22, 2018March 22, 2018 Abdennour Toumi No Comments

In International Law subsidiary: Can war be just? When political leaders say they hate war, they should not capitalize on war to get elected and govern. By Abdennour Toumi Carl von Clausewitz, an experienced general and well-known military theorist, proposed that the conscious conduct of war — strategy and tactics in geo-politics — should be…

Abdennour Toumi, Activism, Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Middle East, Opinion

Invoking God’s affiliation in Mideast conflicts

March 15, 2018September 25, 2018 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Invoking God’s affiliation in Mideast conflicts A close look at the tenuous relationship between Lebanon and Hezbollah. Hezbollah is neither a unique “state-within-a-state” phenomenon in the region nor the only entity proclaiming to be a “Party of God”. One can see analogous dynamics in Israel settlers’ movement. By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz In Arabic “Hezbollah” stands for…

Arab World, Arab World Politics, Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion, Terrorism

Only one Arab movie makes Oscar cut

January 24, 2018October 30, 2018 rayhanania No Comments

Only one Arab movie makes Oscar cut The Middle East war often flares up on the big screen between the forces of the racist communications savvy Israel and the oppressed people of Palestine and the Arab World. But this year, only one movie has made it to the partisan prejudices of the corrupt Western World,…

Bloggers, Commentary, Lebanon, Movies, Opinion

Hariri shelves his resignation: conditional good news for Lebanon

November 25, 2017November 25, 2017 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Hariri shelves his resignation: conditional good news for Lebanon By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz A sigh of relief in Lebanon: On November 22 Prime Minister Saad Hariri put on hold his November 4th resignation in a cabinet which includes Hezbollah Party, in order to negotiate terms for Lebanon’s neutrality in Arab affairs. “Neutrality,” “dissociation” and “self…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Lebanon, Opinion, Saudi Arabia

Lebanon turmoil stoked by pro-Iranian extremists

November 14, 2017November 14, 2017 rayhanania No Comments

Lebanon turmoil stoked by pro-Iranian extremists The murder of Rafic Hariri weighs heavy over freedom in Lebanon, 12 years later. And the same forces of violence and extremism are seeking to enforce more change through terrorism. Hariri’s son Saad faces threats of violence from Syria, Iran and Hezbollah extremists By Ray Hanania If people want…

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Gulf States, Iran, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion, Politics, Ray Hanania, Syria, Terrorism

Hariri’s resignation sign of more trouble for Lebanon and the region

November 11, 2017September 24, 2018 Ghassan Rubeiz No Comments

Hariri’s resignation sign of more trouble for Lebanon and the region By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz The resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri last week has serious implications for Lebanon, the region, and beyond. Hariri’s withdrawal from political office was shocking in form and substance. The televised resignation speech was delivered in Riyadh, not in Beirut. …

Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Ghassan Rubeiz, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion, Saudi Arabia, Syria

Reorganize and improve the Arab League

September 3, 2017September 4, 2017 rayhanania 4 Comments

Reorganize and improve the Arab League The Arab League needs to be reorganized putting an emphasis on moderation and public relations while targeting for expulsion the extremists in the Arab World. It’s the only way to counter Israel’s abusive political public relations campaigns to demonize the Palestinians, blame all Arabs for ISIS, and tighten the…

Arab News, Bloggers, Commentary, Editors Picks, Egypt, Gulf States, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine & Jordan, Ray Hanania, Syria, Terrorism