Living Through a Civil War

In Srour, Lebanon

In Saida, Lebanon.

In Saida, Lebanon

In Akkar, Lebanon

           When people hear the name "Lebanon", they immediately think negative thoughts. I am not denying that there are times where there is danger, and unforgettable images, but I will not deny the fact that regardless, Lebanon is filled with beautiful sights and culture. Even America, as great as it is, went through its differences among the Northern and Southern States. That does not mean we will not get better. We have the same needs and wants as any other prosperous country, but we are still figuring it out, slowly.

           One war that impacted the way our country is now, was the 1975 civil war. Decades before the outbreak of this war, Lebanon was always on the verge of a war, but it immediately would die down.  This time, it escalated to be a full on war causing numerous deaths, deficits and destruction. 

How Did the 1975 Lebanese Civil War Start? 

The view from my apartment, in Jbeil.

          The cause of the 1975 civil war should be blamed on the phenomenon known as sectarianism. Sectarianism is a form of discrimination which causes division between groups, where one ends up feeling superior over the rest, who would then be considered inferior. In the case of Lebanon, the superior group would be the Maronite Christians, who had support of France, and the inferior groups included the Shi’a and Sunni muslims and the Druze. Because of this, the structure of the government was and still is set up to represent the population- the president is Maronite, the prime minister is sunni and the speaker of parliament is shi’a. Obviously there was a shift in population, causing the muslim community to increase as the Maronite community decreased, thus, by 1975, the “inferior” groups had had enough and called for a change in the representation. 

Protesters, marching

           Well, now that sectarianism and the demand for justice has been established, we can discuss what occurred to initiate this gruesome 15 year war. The reason why there has been an increase in the muslim population is due to the increase in Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, which the Phalanges militia or the Maronites wanted to bring down the power and population of Palestinians. 

          The problem really started in the spring of 1975, when a couple of Phalanges members were killed, and of course, it was assumed to be the Palestinians. As a consequence, the Phalanges military gunned down a bus filled with over 25 Palestinians. That was basically the spark that led the fire. One thing led to another, and the war erupted. Many though it wouldn't last, as this has happened numerous times before, but instead, it lasted 15 years. 

It was and still is normal to drive on the street with a Paladin;
Taken in Beirut 

          And from then, there was a strict separation between the Christians and Muslims of Lebanon. The division of religion is relatable to that of the separation of the North and South colonies, it is evident how that ended up. Life became difficult for all, and hatred is what disallowed our beautiful country from growing. Sectarianism grew even stronger, and all Lebanese citizen forgot that regardless of religion, they are still Lebanese. Their nationality became their religion instead of their country! Now, if the mindset of leaders is to benefit and promote power for their own religion, where does that leave Lebanon? Once the government prioritizes a certain religion, the rest are neglected and that becomes a vicious cycle. Regardless if the president is Maronite Catholic or Sunni/Shi’a Muslim, his sole job is to protect and escalate the power of Lebanon and promote true pride in being Lebanese. 

 

Ruins of buildings were used to hide machinery;
Many buildings in Lebanon look like this now

If you ask me, the whole fighting between religion is incomprehensive. Religion is about peace, regardless which is truly correct. It is all about understanding the differences between the inhabitants and regardless, learning to work together to build a nation made for us all.

A Personal look at the Social Impact of the Civil War:

My dad was born on July 10, 1962, doing the calculations, he was 13 years old when the civil war erupted. So, as curious as I was, I had to ask him a couple questions. I have been blessed to live in America, where some of my only fears included falling off my bike (which has happened) and getting bad grades (which has not(?) happened). So my curiosity grew, I wanted to know what it was like growing up in Lebanon. But, what I wanted to know more was, what it was like growing up in Lebanon during a civil war. Not many can say they lived through an impactful (although negative) event such as a civil war. It’s amazing to hear and see how far my dad has come from living in a small, crowded home, on the corner of a busy street, to a beautiful colonial house in the town of East Brunswick. 

Me and my dad, Roger Souaid

My talk with my dad, Roger, was long but insightful. This man, my father and role model, has been through the roughest of days, but shines like a diamond.

What was your education like? 

“I started my school going to a Catholic school-like any other child. Going to private school was seen as better than going to public school. But back then, your grandpa did not have a lot money to support 8 kids, so I had to change to public school because of shortage of money. During my time in public school, thats when the civil war erupted. Because of that, they suspended the school I was attending, and I’m sure they suspended many others. We had to wait out to see if they would reopen it. I waited two years. Without a choice, I had to move back to catholic school, but I had already wasted 2 years of my education. Regardless, the time I was in school, before and after the suspension, I enjoyed every detail of it and put a lot of effort to redeem the two years I lost. We used to learn everything in french, and it’s crazy that I remember calculus better than I can remember french. We used to get punished for if we did not speak in french-that was the worst part of school, I would say.”

What was your social life like?                                                                                                                                                  “Everyday after school I used to go to the store to help my dad and that consumed a lot of my time. I loved working with my dad and I got familiar with being a handyman, selling tools and equipments. I would go right after school till closing and the only time I had to do my homework was in the morning before getting on the bus. The days where I wasn’t working, I would spend with my siblings and my neighbors. I was never a crazy kid, not a party person, but I did enjoy physical activities. I remember playing with the neighbors till 11 at night, playing card games, or sitting on the balcony and making fun of each other. Then, the war erupted and as soon as it would start to get dark, we would rush home. At times, my mother wouldn't let us go outside of the house because she would hear how bad the war was getting. At that time, we didn’t know much about what is going on. In those day where I wasn’t allowed to go outside I would have to wait till 7 pm to be able to watch TV. I was never terrified to be outside, but thats because I wasn't aware of what is going on.” 

My father with his friends at graduation.
NJIT class of 1985

Why did you come to America?  
“I had finished my high school education and on time. At that time, all the colleges were located in the capital and that was where the war was heavily concentrated. So obviously going there was not an option for me or my parents and I wanted to pursue my education no matter what it took. So I applied to a couple of community colleges in New Jersey and waited a couple months before getting my acceptance. I was so lucky to have gotten a visa to enter the United States. I was actually so shocked that it worked, I never thought something so good would happen to me. Honestly, I’m glad that it happened even though that meant being away from my family. It was hard but I preferred that over being in danger for doing an innocent thing like going to college. There was always a possibility of being sniped just by trying to get to school and that’s beyond crazy. I came to America for an education and thought I would be going back to Lebanon, but that never happened."  

MAN-ON-THE-STREET

What does it mean to be a Lebanese-American?

“What it means to be considered Lebanese-American is growing up with two different worlds in one. I get to pick and choose what I like more about each nationality and combine them into who I am. I believe I am a stronger individual because I am Lebanese-American.” -Alexa Charchar (FRIEND)   

What do you Love the most about being Lebanese? 

“What I love most about being Lebanese is being able to grow up in such an upbeat, overall loving culture. I love being in an environment filled with Lebanese people because they know how to have a good time. Also, Lebanese food is something that I really love about being Lebanese because there isn't one dish you could say you don't like.”-Teresa Charchar (FRIEND)                                     

Do you prefer Lebanon or America?

“I’d choose America. I grew up here and my whole entire life is here. I can’t see myself in another country” -Lara Safa (Family Friends)

“I would choose America over Lebanon. Growing up in America also makes it hard to picture living anywhere else, but Lebanon will always be my second home” -Sara Safa (Family Friend)

“I prefer America. I was raised here and I’m accustomed to life here. Life in Lebanon is different and I have only gotten the chance to visit once” -Dana Safa (Family Friend)   

If you had the chance, would you move back to Lebanon?

“I would not move back to Lebanon because I have established a life, a business, family and friends. Also, my kids are here and now that they are in college, I want to remain close to them” -Maher Safa (Family Friend)

https://soundcloud.com/sarahsouaid/interview-with-roger-souaid

A Little About Me

My name is Sarah Souaid and I am a freshman at Rutgers. I will be double majoring in Public Policy and Classics. I am passionate about the Middle East because I was born there, and I go every summer. I know what it is like to be scared, my family is alway is constant danger. There is so many problems that I face every time I go to Lebanon. No news channel can portray how bad people have it. I am glad that I get to see that side of the world, because it keeps me humble. I hope after practicing law, I can contribute my time to working in Lebanon.