The Lebanese have been overly preoccupied, both on social media and in the streets, with the story of Hezbollah-affiliated students at the Lebanese University preventing others on campus from playing songs by famous singer Fairuz. The music was reportedly being played in honor of a friend of a group of students, who was killed in a car crash.
There is no justification for this imposition of Hezbollah’s party censorship and ideological convictions on the Lebanese. Such convictions had previously been expressed in an old speech delivered by Hezbollah’s secretary-general, about the negative role of music in weakening one’s spirit.
Let us set aside, for one moment, the love many Lebanese have for Fairuz — although the reactions to this case would doubtless have been different if it related to a less renowned singer.
The issue is not, as many like to believe, that the party-affiliated students dared to ban songs of a “national” icon like Fairuz.
The real problem was that these students were actually able to prevent others from playing the songs in the first place.
This has taken place despite the fact that student unions at the Lebanese University have no executive power; they only represent fellow students, whereas the university administration is responsible for taking decisions.
But it was not an isolated incident, and students have imposed such convictions on others on several previous occasions. Hezbollah-affiliated students hold the power within the university — just as the real power in Lebanon lies with Hezbollah itself, despite being a militia, not a state.
The Lebanese realize that Hezbollah is the only strong party in Lebanon. And it is no secret that Lebanese faculties have been restrained by political and ideological decisions of dominant forces within Lebanon’s geographical borders — Hezbollah and the Amal Movement.
The ban on Fairuz songs is just the latest in a series of incidents showing the expansion and dominance of Hezbollah. The party has, for example, warned female university students against wearing skirts. It has repeatedly organized denominational gatherings as well as a memorial gathering for Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, inside the national university buildings.
There is no doubt that Hezbollah is keen on isolating this community and restricting its religious and communal identity. This would allow the party to formulate its propaganda across schools, universities and institutions that have the same language and culture — all with the aim on building a society of soldiers who are ready to fight and die when asked. This society restricts the movements of its members and exercises religious and social pressure. As a result, songs are banned, and Shiite rites allowed.
Religious occasions, in which the party’s songs and chants were recited, have been marked inside some Lebanese faculties. No one, of course, had thought of or even dared to prevent such performances. And this is proof of the concerns held by many students, those who come from Christian areas, over entering the main building of the university, located in an area
controlled by Hezbollah. These students prefer to study in university buildings in areas where they feel socially reassured and safe.
Hezbollah and its supporters have accused the media of exaggerating the issue of the ban on songs at the university. And maybe the party is right. But the media had remained silent when the university curricula were formed in line with the convictions and policy of Hezbollah — and remained silent about its dominance over the entire country.
• Diana Moukalled is a veteran journalist with extensive experience in both traditional and new media. She is also a columnist and freelance documentary producer. She can be reached on Twitter @dianamoukalled.
