Lebanon at Crossroads Between Tradition and Progress
Downtown Beirut recently witnessed two opposing events: a gathering of Salafists calling for a return to religious values, and a civil marriage aimed at achieving social progress, both of which illustrate Lebanon at a crossroad, writes Nasser Chararah.
Last weekend, the Lebanese capital Beirut witnessed two contradictory events. The first was the celebration of the first civil marriage in Lebanon, which was held at one of the largest hotels in Beirut. The second event was spearheaded by Salafist Sheik Ahmad al-Assir, who led about 1,000 of his supporters to downtown Beirut to demand the release of prisoners affiliated with the Jihadist Fatah al-Islam group.
These events occurred within a few hours of each other, and geographically, less than one kilometer apart. Culturally, however, they were many centuries and light years away from each other.
The two events saw contradictory, even conflicting manifestations. The differences between them suggest that Lebanese society is standing before a crossroads of lifestyle choices. One direction is knocking with a challenging fist on the door of a secular state, while the other shakes its fist, calling for a return to a religious caliphate.
The Salafist gathering
