Can music concerts and street celebrations dissipate the shock of the enormous political changes caused by the election of a new president in Lebanon? The answer would probably be in the negative.
It is not wise to count on contrived scenes in the streets and on TV channels. Such scenes tend to offer simplistic solutions to complex dilemmas that cannot be fixed by songs and slogans in the streets. Soon the glow of victory will fade away and unsettled problems and disputes will eventually surface again.
What happened in Lebanon — election of Gen. Michel Aoun as the president through a political settlement — is a victorious moment for Iran amid a series of ongoing sectarian wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. The new president’s abilities will be limited by such wars, especially the Syrian war. President Aoun’s limitations were reflected in his inaugural address that highlighted only one remarkable issue: The Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Aoun, like his political party, referred to the Syrian “refugees” as “immigrants,” which is a term unacceptable by international standards. However, he used the term in order to dodge responsibility and evade accountability. What is really worrying is the possibility of using Syrian refugees in Lebanon as scapegoats for other crises.
On the pretext of law and order, preservation of the state’s prestige, fight against terrorism and economy, everyone will be rallied against the “strangers” i.e. the Syrian refugees — something similar to what the Palestinian refugees had experienced following the Taif Agreement. I recall here the previous demands of Aoun’s party to repatriate Syrian refugees to safe zones in Syria.
Today, many political pundits claim that the idea has been revived and it will be one of the key issues for the newly elected president.
Prior to Aoun’s election, a hallucination-like atmosphere was on the rise; calling for the establishment of a safe zone for refugees in opposition-controlled areas in Syria’s north. This was reiterated during a seminar on Syrian refugees organized by the Maronite League a few weeks ago. Since then, attempts have been made to promote the idea of returning Syrian refugees to safe areas. Indeed, the promoters of such ideas don’t reflect on the fact that they suggest the transfer of refugees to rebel-held areas in northern Syria. These areas were established as a result of a war waged by the Syrian regime and its Lebanese, Iraqi, Iranian and Russian allies. Isn’t this an explicit bias toward the party, which is responsible for the suffering of the Syrians and the refugees’ dilemma in Lebanon?
Refugees are not a group of people who suddenly appeared in Lebanon. Undoubtedly, Hezbollah fighters and allies had played a crucial role in the displacement of these refugees and the destruction of their homes, forcing them to leave Syria.
For the information of readers, refugees make up a third of Lebanon’s total population. However, those who justified Bashar Assad’s repression of the Syrians and supported his regime to prevent the revolution that turned into a sectarian war ignore what crime they have really committed or kept silent about. They regard refugees as an outcome of a natural disaster and it is high time they returned to their country.
The above-mentioned lines about Lebanon’s politics are based on facts. It was at the core of Aoun’s address prior to his election as president. Indications are that President Aoun will continue with his previous rude and irresponsible handling of the refugees’ issue. Concerns about irresponsible handling of this complex issue are justified; especially as some understand that neutralizing Lebanon from the Syrian war means putting more restrictions on the refugees.
In the past, Aounism was responsible for inciting the public against refugees. Now the same man has become the president of Lebanon and any reckless step on this sensitive issue will prove to be disastrous for the country.
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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.
