Marhaba.
I live in Lebanon, Aley district. Israeli airstrike targets are at proximity of my location. Beirut, and particularly Dahieh, is completely visible from my balcony. There are also refugees sheltered in my town.
Other things to know about me: I am a leftist, and a legal and political writer.
P.S. I will answer anything (as it is with AMA posts), not only issues pertaining to the recent events.
what’s your favorite meal
Are there any Lebanese writers you recommend checking out? Stay safe, comrade!
Fawwaz Traboulsi is Marxist Historian and political scientist, definitely worth checking out.
Ussama Makdisi is Palestinian but wrote in depth about religious sectarianism in Lebanon.
Also check out kotobli which is a cool website to discover Arabic literature outside the framework of Anglo-American hegemony.
Give my salaams to anyone you see on the ground with the acronymn “AMA” on their shirts.
Africa Muslims Agency (AMA) - a major South African humanitarian aid group
Is there any significant segment of Lebanese society who doesn’t support the resistance?
If yes, do those who doesn’t support the resistance buy into the US/zionist ideas of the resistance being to blame for the war and do they believe that Lebanon can have good and beneficial relations to the US/zionists if they just behave?
Yes there is a significant “resistance” to the resistance. And your right in regards to blaming Hezbollah for the war. I compare the matter to a parent collectively punishing all of their children for one’s fault, and so all siblings would dislike the one at fault instead of the parent’s action. Except in reality the parent is a genocidal entity with which we had past experiences.
The opposition is not fond of zionists per se, but rather it is against any intervention in Lebanon’s affairs, be it the Unites States or Russia or any other state. This is their official stance, but one cannot be sure what their real intentions are because there is a stigma in the arab world attached to normalisation with the entity.
How influential are the opposition to resistance? Are there many of them or do they hold positions of power in society?
Basically in interested in knowing if the resistance risks being undermined by domestic friction.
They are politically influential yet not enough to undermine the resistance. Although they have a majority in parliament, it is not enough to make decisions without the consent of pro-resistance parties. This is why we still cannot elect a president, which requires 2/3 of votes. The parliament speaker is also pro-resistance and plays a role in shutting down (illegaly) any decision that doesn’t suit his party’s interests.
From a military perspective, some factions tried to challenge Hezbollah in 2008 but ate shit. Hezbollah has historically directed his arms to the domestic space as a tool of coercion, hence the claim that Hezbollah has taken the country hostage.
first of all, i would like to let you know that you have the solidarity of all decent people on this planet. i hope that you and your loved ones are and stay safe. from the river to the sea!
what is the general public opinion about the former soviet union, both in leftist circles and in the wider society, and how has the illegal dissolution of my country affected leftist organizing in your region?
what is the attitude towards the current russian government and its actions?
once again, i want to wish you and everyone close to you all the best.
The soviet union is rarely mentioned nowadays, be it positively or negatively. I presume this is because the union wasn’t directly involved in the domestic affairs of the country, not even during the civil war. Some old people, usually muslims, have good impressions because they studied in soviet universities by means of scholarships. However the common talking points about soviet tyranny are prevalent here like in any capitalist society. Most true leftists I know defend the union or at least have sympathies towards it.
Opinions on the current Russian administration are mixed. Unsurprisingly the orthodox community is supportive of Russia. People’s opinion also depends on how they view the Assadist regime in Syria, because Russia has been Syria’s biggest ally since the eruption of the civil war. Sometimes you can see pro-Ruasian posters on advertisement signs. I also remember that Russia donated a remarkable quantity of wheat to Lebanon during the crisis.
Thank you for all your wishes, comrade. I dearly hope that your country one day regains its communist ways and surpasses its past glory.