The New Crusaders

The Lebanese Christians have all the right to demand their rightful "Piece of the ruling cheese", but they're doing it in an utterly crass and irresponsible way.



It's a fact: for the last 15 years, the Lebanese Christians have not been well represented in parliament. Although the parliament is equally divided between Moslems and Christians, a big chunk of those Christians have sworn their allegiance to Hariri, Jumblat, or Berri, all Moslem leaders who carried them in their lists back in 2000. This is why it is un-acceptable for the elections to take place under the same law, if the Christians are to be properly represented.

This is in essence the crust of the Maronite bishops' fury these days.

That is a fair assessment, the Christians HAVE been wronged, but unfortunately, the bishops and the Christian elites are using the wrong means and have allied with the wrong people to bring about their grief.

Let's start with the means: the sight of bishops addressing angry and cheering crowds, with the single message of "the Moslems have wronged us all these years" is not only morally indefensible, it is also irresponsible.
It compromises the position of "moderate" Muslims like Hariri (who accepted, against his interests, an election law based on small kazaas). Moslem extremists will jump at this opportunity. We have them in the dozens, and they are waiting for the chance to jump at their minbars to counter-attack and throw red meat at their own carnivores. (I can hear it now "The Christians want to rule us the way they used to")
Before we know it, another leader will be assassinated (be it a Moslem like Jumblat or Saad Hariri, or Christian, like Aoun or Franjiyeh) and the Lebanese will jump at each other's throats all over again.
In tripoli today, cars have been roaming all day with speakers blarring an invitation for an anti-Geagea demonstration (and of course the army won't be around in lawless Tripoli)

As for the alliances: president Lahhoud and Suleimen Franjiyeh are hardly the people who should carry the torch of Christian liberation.
Suleimen Franjiyeh was berating Mrs. Sitrida Geagea for making alliances with the "others" –a.k.a Moslems- against the "interests of Christians". Never mind that Franjieh is only doing this because his head will role if the North remains a mouhafaza (big electoral district), and that he gladly approved of this law in 2000, when it suited him.
Franjyeh is being very incendiary: He is accusing the Tripoli Muslim voters of being confessional, only because he secretly knows that they won't forgive him for the comments he had made about Hariri being the "multi-headed snake". He also mentioned yesterday that "the Moslems would be furious if we touched the premiership", but "we, the Christians are dealing lightly with our presidency". Should he be reminded that it was Karami that was ejected from the premiership, to the cheers of many Moslems, whereas Lahhoud kept his seat because the Patriarch didn't want him to be humiliated and was busy making deals with him? Why are we here? Isn't it because lahhoud and Karami conspired with the Syrians to let the constitutional deadlines pass?

Besides, why is LBC suddenly giving Franjiyeh and Lahhoud all the air time in the world? Why is the Patriarch giving them all the ear-time?

Anyway, it's not too late to fix this mess. There is an opposition general meeting this afternoon, and it should address this issue. The electoral law should be adjusted, but free riders like lahhoud and Franjyieh should be publicly isolated. The Americans are already fretting about the bishops "adding fuel to the fire", opposition commentators are starting to talk about a "revolution against the opposition", and some are going to the extreme of saying that "the Maronite bishops are themselves the remnants of the Syrian security regime".

This bubble HAS to be deflated and moderates everywhere are invited.

I have once enthusiastically suggested that patriarch Sfeir should be elected as a Pope because of his wisdom and moderation.
I must admit: I was wrong and I'm very disappointed.