Political Insanity in Lebanon: Sectarian Rhetoric Imposes Itself!

20/09/2010 Simply, political insanity found its way in the Lebanese scene…

The era of “fake calm” has ended and the era of the “much-awaited” sedition has started…

This seems to be the “realistic description” of the current situation in the country, in the middle of the so-called “truce” among the “political partners”, “partners” who don’t hesitate to enter “wars of words” and even describe themselves as “enemies,” a word used by one of the so-called “nation representatives” in reference to his “partners” in the Parliament and the cabinet.

The era of the “fake calm” has ended and the era of the “much-awaited” sedition has started...

That’s it. Criticizing the Prime Minister, the man believed to heading a so-called national unity cabinet, the man believed to be the PM of “all Lebanon,” turns to be a verbal assault on the “Sunnites in Lebanon.”

At least, that’s how the Future movement MP sought to portray it. They even declared “war” in “defense” as they claimed, a “war on Hezbollah” just because the Resistance party, “and despite its known sectarian color,” didn’t hesitate to defend the man who attacked the “leader of the Sunnites.”

But who said so?

When did anyone in the national opposition attack the Prime Minister as a “Sunnite leader”?

How could the calls to sue false witnesses who harmed the ties with neighbor countries turn to be assaults against the Sunnites?

No answer seems to be convincing. Yet, nothing will change.

For instance, MP Mohamad Kabbara launched on Sunday the fiercest “campaign of insults” against the opposition. “Whoever threatens the leader of the Sunnis or the position of prime minister, with his own hands or not, the Sunni sect will teach him politeness,” he warned. “The enemies of truth and justice, meaning Hezbollah and its allies, have brought down the Lebanese state in preparation to bring down the international tribunal,” he said in a press conference. “Whoever is enemy of truth and tribunal is our enemy as well,” he went on to say.

Hezbollah, on the other hand, decided to raise the voice against such rhetoric, warning of its negative repercussions on all levels.

The head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohamad Raad stated on Monday that Lebanon is in need of reestablishing a clear and specific standard for all Lebanese. “We feel that we are arriving at a new phase of political insanity and we don't know where it will lead … so let us agree on unified standards, imprison the wrongdoer, and we will assist in this process, but it is unacceptable that double standards be adopted,” Raad stressed.

Hezbollah spokesman Ibrahim Moussawi earlier accused the Future Movement of running the country like an abandoned farm. “The latest stances adopted by some of the leaders of the Future Movement constitute a coup on state authorities from within,” he said. “What is dangerous is that some members of the Future Movement are raising tensions and instigating sectarian feelings through dragging the country toward civil strife after labeling political stances on a sectarian basis.”

In the middle of everything, press reports said that Prime Minister Saad Hariri finally returned to the country where he started a series of meetings that included President Michel Sleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri.

But, after all, how can things return to normal?

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