Beirut: Eternal Capital of Literary Expression in the Middle East
July 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Strolling through the suburbs of Beirut, just past Abu Joseph’s (impeccable) sandwich shop, down the cobblestone alley and around the corner, we enter a typical Beirut bookshop. Unlike most facets of Lebanese daily life, poisoned by the routine political discourse, plenty of people, both young and old, are sipping Turkish coffee or even a Starbucks latte over intellectual discussions of worthy substance. The sounds of Fairouz can be heard from a distance as Madame Lila hums the melody and hangs her laundry over the balcony. Beirut, what once was, and what still remains is a city of diversity, where everything in the world meets. We may have lost much in the past 3 decades, but we can no longer live in nostalgia of days that no longer exist. Only with a clear acceptance and an honest review of our history can we plant the seeds of hope today, to witness the rise of our dear nation tomorrow. What still remains in Lebanon is the freedom of expression, maybe not always after we express ourselves, but we still have access to knowledge and information, to believe in our respective ideas. What is most important is that censorship that is readily applied everywhere in the region is not found in Lebanon, books about Jewish history, political and non-political, and most noteworthy, books written by Jewish authors are readily found in bookstores throughout the capital. The following photographs were taken randomly in a Beirut bookstore to really show the world that Lebanon remains an open society, an intellectual beacon in the region, where Jewish writers are not only tolerated but promoted; a city that has proved it is the regions eternal literary capital- period.
C Said,
July 19, 2008 @ 6:18 am
Just recently I found a tourist guide book to the Holy Land at a local bookstore here in Beirut
Andrea Said,
July 19, 2008 @ 8:17 am
Wonderful, great REAL photos. I hope, also and above all, in future Jewish PEOPLE will be promoted in ALL Lebanon with MAX Security. I hope so, now is real books and in next future will be, Inshallah, real Security for hebrew (and all). Beirut is similar to Haifa (Haifa City) and must return - for all things - “La Paris de la méditerranée”. Andrea.
Chris Said,
July 19, 2008 @ 8:16 pm
great article. it gave me goosebumps. i love Lebanon and I also love when people who are not technically of Lebanese decent acknowledge the country’s greatness. i wish the whole world could know of how beautiful and how unique the country really is. thank you for this article
-chris
maggie Said,
July 20, 2008 @ 2:39 am
you are right … i always go to book shops to buy new books and see what is new in the stors and i always find many many books written by jews
george Said,
July 20, 2008 @ 10:53 am
Why does this surprise you guys? Lebanon is not a barren land out of touch with civilization. The responses to this article confuse me more than impress me. We are Lebanese, the most modern and civilized people in the middle east, with bookstores, music shops and everything else, and although many of you would think otherwise, EVERYTHING is available. The Arab Israeli conflict is purely a political one that has ONLY been going on for around 60 years. Prior to that Lebanon had (and still has) no problem with any religion or sect. Politics make it look like we hate Jews or Muslims or Christians or whatever, but we as a people have no time for this garbage….deep inside there is a clear mutual tolerance for everyone, always has been, always will be.
mark jadeed Said,
July 20, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
thanks for you fair comments about the freedom of the press in lebanon. By the way, Jewish authors have made tremendous contributions to our world community and they continue to do so.Take Care!
Fadi Said,
July 20, 2008 @ 3:03 pm
One correction Andrea, Beirut is not similar to Haifa, Haifa is similar to Beirut :)) - and I’m trying to give a big concession saying that.
Beirut categorically has no similars.. (ok, I might be overdoing this, but what the heck)
Beirut is the last place in the orient where one can wear light.. says Nadia Tueni.
Having said that, Beirut can only be complete when it holds on to all its people, it’s a process in the making, and that’s a promise for our Lebanese Jewish brothers and sisters who had to leave: We will always make sure that Lebanon remains your home, all 10452 km sq of it.
Eli Said,
July 21, 2008 @ 4:50 am
hey , Lebanon is the country that accepted all the minorities in this middle-east . Whlie you are finding other people fighting each others because of discrimination , Lebanon conserved his role of tolerance accepting all hi citizens. Lebanon is not for sunni or maruni or chii or druze . Lebanon is for lebanese including latin, armenian,kürd, jewish orthodox, catholics , ismailite . That s Lebanon we KNOW . That is Lebanon that will exist forever.
Do not be surprised brothers when yu see the original lebanese citizens coming back to lebanon from france or mexico or USA or anywhere in the world. That s a right to be a lebanese !
Andrea Said,
July 21, 2008 @ 6:22 am
Fadi, your opinion isn’t of mine but don’t worry (Maybe I didn’t understand well, I speak italian language and a bit of french, hebrew and lebanese languages). I love REALLY Beirut (above all Beirut Est) but, then, why at the moment lebanese jews live without security? They have no security in Lebanon and in Beirut. I always hope for future. Haifa has multi-religion city with real freedom (in security way): there are jews, muslims, christians (also maronites), druze, BA’HAI etc. etc. All this with max security LIKE in Beirut in 1960s. For you, at the moment, a lebanese jew can live in total security in “Beirut South”? I know also this: Dany Chamoun has offered occasional support to members of the Jewish community in Deir el Qamar. AT THE MOMENT, ALSO IN BEIRUT, THERE IS NO SECURITY. Lebanon’s Jews tend to keep a low profile to protect themselves from attacks related to the common misperception that they are agents of Israel (Israel State). THESE ARE REAL THINGS AT THE MOMENT. I always hope, always, always. Beirut must return like in 1950s and 1960s (years). REALLY ALL LEBANON IS A MESSAGE FOR ALL WORLD “but” has got, now, real problems. I’m italian, I don’t live in Lebanon but - from Italy - we see, we understand in this way. Lebanon and Beirut are in myself but there are the “H……..” . We italian don’t love “H……..” (ZOU3AMA FALLO MEN LEBNAN……) and I dislike palestinian terrorism and israeli wars to. I also say that Sheba Factory must be again to Lebanon Nation. I like all moderate middle-east and this thing said is a positive idea for italian person. “Li Beirut, Men qalbi salamon li Beirut. Wa qubalon lil bahr wal bouyout. Li sakhraten, Kaannaha. Wajhou baaren qadeemi …” (also about the crisis in Lebanon and in Beirut dated 2008, “the recent”). Fadi, I respect your opinion but I have my ideas. Bye, Andrea.
Hassan Meneimneh Said,
July 21, 2008 @ 9:40 am
There is more of religion and culture than a cover of a book on shelves of some bookstore in Beirut.
Tolerance is about much more.
Unfortunately, Lebanon is still not there yet.
What I personally wish to see in Lebanon (not only in Beirut) is the open and free celebrations of culture, of the religion. I like to be able to have a coffee at Starbucks or at Uncle Dik with a my Jewish friend expressing his/her identity freely and without fear. I like to be able to attend any of the many cultural and religious ceremonies with a Jew. I like to be invited to my Jew friend’s home, sitting at their table sharing their food and their bed. I like to have the option of being the best men in my Jewish friend’s wedding.
I would like to have the possibility of meeting my Jewish neighbor girl and fall in love with her.
I like to pass by the Synagogue on a Sabbath catching some waves of the chanting prayers.
If I am asking too much, I would like to start by wearing my ‘Coexist’ T-shirt in the streets of Beirut with pride and without fear of being beaten to death!
Andrea Said,
July 21, 2008 @ 3:26 pm
Unfortunately, Lebanon is still not there yet. - and without fear of being beaten to death!……. YOU SAID, Hassan Meneimneh, TWO REAL THINGS………… HOWEVER ALSO THIS SITE IS REAL THING AND THIS FACT IS VERY POSITIVE (for Tolerance, Tolerance is another religion for me……). Bye, Andrea.
Fadi Said,
July 23, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Andrea - I’m sure you didn’t understand me. We are here in a process of reconciliations, what you do is ask the questions of why things aren’t there yet? I can tell you, we will get there.
Second, I am Lebanese, and I just don’t like any alluding to Beirut Est/South/West - what are you trying to say?
Haifa is a contested territory, for one, how many Native Haifans were driven out of their city in 1948? How Many of them were invited to come back? Work out the numbers.
I dislike HA intensely, but HA is a Lebanese party with a HUGE number of problems and complexes, I promise you, it will melt into the society like everybody else, it thrives on hype and on intimidation, time is the wining element on that front.
You speak of tolerance, I’d like to see a website called Muslims/Christians of Haifa, and I’d like to see people now living in Haifa asking the refugees whose houses were taken and who had to live in camps to return. See where the difference is?
At least, here we’re trying - I’d like to see the same effort somewhere else. I’d like to ask you, are the Haifans that were driven out safe and secure if they return to Haifa? Won’t they be arrested at the airport? How about Yafo, Tel Aviv, Hertzelia? Are minorities safe there? Please tell me about tolerance there? Did you read about how Arabs who are Israeli citizens suffer? Ever heard of a second class citizen?
Tell me about tolerance in Jerusalem? Emphasize on Tolerance in Galilee where Arab Israelis are STILL not allowed to go back to their destroyed villages? Want to go with citizen rights, let’s do that, and feel free to write in Italian, French, or Hebrew or in LLL. Let’s talk tolerance please, it’s my religion too; Weren’t some mosques turned into bars in Haifa? Weren’t graveyards turned into parking lots? How many shelters are built in Israeli Arab villages to protect the Israeli Arab citizens from Hizballah terrorist attacks? Really! Where is Haifa situated? what does Apartheid mean in Italian? Cities are situated in countries, and countries follow a system, and systems are dictated by the regimes. Tolerance? you mean as in tolerance in Hebron? Tolerance, as in shooting a Prime Minister because he wanted Peace? Tolerance as in Palestinians trying to blow themselves in buses in Haifa and Afoula and everywhere else to take revenge? Have they gone out of their minds and are they blowing themselves up because they suffer from too much tolerance? So, I conclude, Haifa is like Beirut, not the other way around.
One thing missing in Haifa, it is not situated in Lebanon!! (sorry, couldn’t help that)
Human life and human dignity, and freedom of thought, of belief and of expression are tantamount, regardless of sex, gender, religion, or country, in Israel and Iran, Laos and Lebanon, and in Gaza and the West Bank, and in Egypt and Algeria, everywhere!
Let us not mix fanaticism with the wonderful message we are trying to relay in this blog. Let us try, at least in our own hearts and minds to make the world a better place.
I will repeat: Lebanon has been harsh to all of its sons and daughters, but now, we are trying to revive it to what it stands for. I respect your opinion, but I wanted to clarify my opinion too, perhaps we can discuss this offline?
Ruby Said,
July 28, 2008 @ 11:56 am
As an Orthodox and Hassidishe Jew married to a Sefardi woman with roots in Lebanon I just want to thank you very much for this great website and your efforts to rebuild at least the Synagogue in Beirut and Jewish life as a whole in Lebanon. And as an Torah observant Jew I want to add that rebuilding Jewish life in this country would be one more defeat for the anti-Jewish ideology of Zionism which is diametrically opposed to the Jewish faith and religion. Go ahead with your efforts and tell us how we can support you! Let us rebuild together an example that Jews, Christians and Muslims can really live side by side in this beautiful country. This is the best guarantee against the Zionist ideology and for peace in the Middle East.
Jacqueline Said,
July 29, 2008 @ 1:10 am
I traveled to Lebanon for the first time in Spring 2005, in my wildest dreams I never would have expected what I encountered.
A lovely country, wonderfully kind, educated people.
All this not long after the bombings began, but just in time to participate in the demonstration. I spent an entire day looking and listening to people of all faiths, from all over speak of Lebanon, the dreams of what Lebanon will be again.
Back in North America I can only think that Lebanon and the Lebanese, have much to teach the world.
Soon I will be back in the Land I came to love and have never stopped loving.
Lebanon you are a blessing on this earth, in the end, all will win.
Fadi Said,
July 31, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
Ruby, that is the best thing I’ve ever read in so many words!!
I would like to recommend the movie Arranged (2007) - for those of you who would want a different view of inter-religious side of things.
Jacqueline, give me a buz next time you’re in Lebanon.
Ahmed Said,
October 14, 2008 @ 3:13 am
hey, its great to read all this sesitive comments-emotions, i wish we have the chance to chat and get to know eachother more, first of all, we are lebanese and we must talk,no matter from which background we come.