Lebanese leaders opine often, say little of substance, and neglect their responsibilities towards a threatened republic. The sole limping democracy in the entire Arab World is literally under assault by competing elements that find fault in the constitution, crave power for its own sake or, worse, fulfil foreign inspirations. Because the country is going through another rough period, pundits oozing pessimism anticipate gloom and doom, fearing for the very survival of the republic. Most will be surprised, once again, that ordinary citizens will not abandon their quest for freedom, nor will they quench their thirst for liberty. Where does this resilience originate from?
Notwithstanding snide remarks by AFP reports that the Lebanese "breezed through several world records in the culinary field", they somehow managed to clench "the big one the world's largest national flag" a few days ago. While early records included the largest tabbouleh salad, a two-tonne platter of hummus, or even the largest ever kebbe dish, all of which entered the Guinness Book of World Records at one time or another, the immense flag was more than a mere bragging contest.
Remarkably, the massive flag covered 65,770 square metres, of which the majestic cedar in its middle took up 10,452. This represented a thousandth of the country's actual size in square kilometres. The brainchild of expatriate businessman Wadih Absi, the flag was manufactured in Kuwait by his company, Vista.
Reportedly, the project was sponsored by the Lebanese Army and financed by the Lebanese community in Kuwait. It was transported for free by the national flag carrier, MEA, unfolded at the Rayak Air Base (RAB) in the Biqa Valley, and will be on display at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Centre to honour the military men and women who served the flag throughout the past 65 years.
Two key questions arose as the 325 by 202 metres banner covered the Rayak Air Base runway. First, while a representative of the Guinness World Records was present to record the event, loyalist officials were absent. The sole exception was Major General Shawki Al Masri, the erudite Chief-of-Staff -- ironically born in nearby Mrayjat (Zahleh) -- who represented the Minister of Defence, who could not be there. No president, no prime minister, no speaker of parliament, not even the commander of the army bothered to show up at RAB to witness, even for a short but memorable hour, the symbol that many take for granted. Few should.
Although real patriotism cannot, indeed should not, be measured by a flag or how proudly one displays it on a lapel pin or even on a runway, symbols are the stuff that glue nations together. They ought never be taken for granted, for such signs engender legends that, in turn, are the raw materials that give birth to and strengthen nationalism.
The second critical question that arose with the 65th anniversary celebration of the sole remaining patriotic institution in the country, was the coincidental state visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, yesterday. The long awaited visit witnessed jubilation, especially within the Shiite community, spearheaded by Hezbollah. The party officials decorated large chunks of the road leading to the airport, as well as most of the areas Ahmadinejad was likely to visit, with photographs and banners dominated by the Hezbollah's legendary yellow flag. Few noticed the fundamental contradiction. The Iranian president was on an official visit to Lebanon, whose flag flew next to the Iranian banner, as protocol dictated. No other symbols were relevant even if many Lebanese lost the habit of saluting their national sign of unity.
It was the legendary Alexis de Tocqueville who opined that it was critical to know whether a republic would be "agitated or tranquil, orderly or disorderly, pacific or warlike, liberal or oppressive, one that threatened the sacred rights of property and of the family, or one which recognised and honoured them". The Lebanese may be forgiven for being the inheritors of a young and largely experimental republic but it may be required from them to shed all irrelevant banners henceforth. There should only be one flag in one republic where every citizen is equal under the law.
Lebanese community leaders in Kuwait insisted that their flag project did not have a political message and that all they were trying to send to their native land was "a message of love and appreciation," to honour its army and people. Yet, they actually voted with their banner, showing to their brethren that a single national flag was plenty for the small nation. Instead of unfurling dozens of multi-coloured, confusing and much confused affiliations, the expatriate Lebanese showed the way. They declared their own loyalties to a united and unifying symbol, which represented everyone who accepted to be under its protection , even if such wisdom often came after they lived overseas for a few years.
Most Lebanese dismissed mundane political disputes that entertained officials, empowered enemies, enriched psychiatrists, pre-occupied journalists, and innerved the man in the street struggling to look after his family. They fought for freedom and died for liberty, to create a republic of laws, under a single magnificent flag.
Dr Joseph A. Kechichian is a commentator and author of several books on Gulf affairs.
By Joseph A. Kechichian
© Gulf News 2010
