Friday, September 23, 2016

Lebanon at the UN: shame!



Curious to hear what the Prime Minister of Lebanon said in his UN address, I felt deep shame of my country of origin.

Salam begged the world to help Lebanon elect a president!
Sorry Mr. Prime Minister, the deputies elected by the Lebanese people in a fully democratic elections are solely responsible to elect a President. There is no violent clashes or civil war to physically prevent the elections.
What are you telling the world? That the Lebanese are a people who has not enough self respect to rule their politics? Or is it a recognition that the actual Lebanese politicians are either subservient to or do not have the strength to stand in the face of foreign interests.
May I remind you that during the civil war, at the peek of violent clashes and occupations, the Lebanese Deputies met and elected Presidents on time.
But then maybe Lebanon had self respecting politicians.
Ashamed, ashamed of my country of origin.

The prime minister also urged the world and the U.N. to “devise a detailed roadmap for the safe and honorable return of the Syrian refugees who are present in Lebanon to their country.”
“This detailed plan must be devised within three months and it must detail the transportation needs, the places of departure and the financial cost,” Salam added.
Wow! is this the solution Lebanon is proposing to solve the Syrian refugees problem that is posing dangerous risks to the stability, security, economy and public services of Lebanon.
A clear indication that Lebanon's government is living in a lala land generated by self contentedness and a total disconnect with reality.
Syria is burning, the US and Russia and in catch 22 situation over finding a solution, the EU is struggling to keep its unity and Lebanon has devised a solution that needs the unified strength of superpowers to be implemented!
It would have been more reasonable to curb rampant corruption that is preventing UN and other assistance funds to reach Lebanon. Better to have looked at, and learned from the Jordanian and Turkish solutions to the refugee crisis.
Ashamed of the incompetence of my country of origin.

Then Salam went to warn the international community against looking to Lebanon as a place of “permanent asylum” for Syrian refugees.
Here I am more than ashamed, I am entering the twilight zone. Is it possible for a Prime Minister to take populist discourse to the United Nations? Is it of any value to make public a self made problem generated by fears and bigotry? Is it an answer to a problem that was never raised by anybody, a preventive strike?!
Shame!

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