Khaled Abou Zahr
As Switzerland celebrated its national day this week, Lebanon can learn from how this small country, with three official languages and bordered by three powerful neighbors – France, Germany and Italy – has been able to navigate great historical challenges. It has given its people freedom and let them decide their destiny at a local level. This has empowered the people and encouraged their development, which in turn has positioned the country at the forefront of finance, technology, tourism and much more. More importantly, it has built trust among the people and with the international community.
One of the main arguments stated against federalism in Lebanon is the risk of civil war. So, would a transition to federalism be a project toward war? The answer is simple. It is less of a risk than keeping the current system going. The current system breeds instability and increases military risks, not only by linking Lebanon to regional confrontations but also by pitting the confessions against one another. The reality is the political and business elites that oppose federalism want or need to hang on to the current archaic and destructive political system. They are mostly grifters who know how to take advantage of the system. The confessional system is based on trades. Trades between elites within confessional groups on the appointment of civil servants, on government tenders, on business deals, on crime amnesties. The list goes on and on for those who yield power or have access to it. Yet, for the rest of the population, it is desolation and poverty.
More importantly, this system has invited and institutionalized occupation. Indeed, depending on which is the dominant confession, the occupation invites itself and polices the Lebanese. This is simply because, as they all say, the Lebanese cannot rule themselves. And so we went from the Ottomans to the French, then the Syrians, and now we have Hezbollah protecting the interests of Iran and Syria. This cannot go on. Moreover, all the critics of a federal solution simply brush off the status of Hezbollah, which benefits from all the privileges of the autonomy of federalism, while locking in the rest of the population in a centralized system that it controls. When it comes to Hezbollah, they just look the other way. It is not an issue. Yet, how do they handle its supranational posture? They do not care. All they care about is their own interests.
And so, when it comes to avoiding war, how do they qualify this week’s clashes between Palestinian groups? Needless to say that these groups are armed, whereas the Lebanese are not. The Palestinians have been left in horrendous conditions, living in what is now more of a ghetto than a refugee camp. Indeed, after more than 50 years of living there, this cannot be considered a refugee camp anymore. What these grifters fail to understand or purposely ignore is that the current system is loaded with risks and invitations to interference that can lead to an armed conflict. We should add to this the continued impoverishment of the Lebanese, the destruction of the strong educational system, the disintegration of the family structure, the spread of trade in drugs, and the illicit activities led and promoted by Hezbollah. All this is not only turning Lebanon into a narco-state and a no man’s land, it is also effectively dissolving the Lebanese identity.
Lebanon has failed in terms of building institutions. The nature of the confessional regime has made it impossible to give any institution sovereign authority. Quite the opposite, in fact, it has made each and every one a slave to confessional transactions. And it plays on the exact same fears the grifters have used to take advantage. How often have we heard them say, “We cannot take this decision as it will put this confession in the corner and risk a civil war?” But everything has a price, and so they have profited immensely from this. It has destroyed our sovereignty. Today, we can see the circus of Sunni political grifters trying to be a replacement for the late Rafik Hariri epoch, only to profit in title and wallet. They are willing to humiliate themselves and the country to achieve this, not understanding that these days are over, as they should be.
The only way to avoid this descent is to transform the political system. Federalism is the best answer to this situation. This does not mean that every confessional group is a united formation. It would be naive to think this. Yet, with a federal system and cantons, each would have greater decision-making powers and would be able to hold their political figures responsible for their actions. No longer would they be able to play on the fears of the entire community to cover their actions and benefit from the occupation. Consequently, each citizen would be accountable and have their rights protected. Is it an ultimate solution? Absolutely not. But it is one that would force each community to face the reality and take responsibility. Does it pose a risk of secession? Absolutely yes, but at least we would know the direction and the risk instead of dying in the unknown boiling water like crabs in a pot. Let us face this risk in order to take our fate into our own hands and fight together to stay united as a country.
Lebanon used to be compared to Switzerland before it became the word for descending into chaos and civil war. We need to flip it around and give Lebanization a new meaning: one of stability, progress and prosperity. This can only be done by exposing the occupier and its grifters, as well as creating a new federal political system.
