Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ribune: Exclusive: Football Federation President Speaks To Tribune
Ribune: Exclusive: Football Federation President Speaks To Tribune
page 3 page 4
peOple OpiniOn
page 6 page 9
TRIBUNE
The Official STudenT newSpaper aT The lebaneSe american univerSTy
Manchester Misery Ceramics from the Heart Man and Beast Tribune Efforts
TribuneLAU@gmail.com
The Lebanese national football teams surprise 2-1 home victory against South Korea helped lift the country closer to reach the fourth round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers for the first time in history. Ahead the final round of fixtures in the group, Lebanon sits on top of Group B as joint-leader with Asian heavyweights South Korea ahead of Kuwaitwho maintains its slim chances to qualifywhile the United Arab Emirates has already crashed out. In an exclusive interview for the Tribune, President of the Lebanese football federation Hachem Haidar explained how the federation and coaching staff worked
on preparing the players psychologically. He suggested that the sudden blooming of national talents was down to motivations presented by the federation. First we had to make them challenge themselves. We told them that people lost faith in them and never expected them to win, Haidar, who has been president of the federation since 2001, said. We asked them to rise up for themselves. We promised to reward them if they win. After Lebanon carved out arguably the highlight of their qualifiers by defeating South Korea fourth-place finishers at the 2002 World Cup the government handed each member of the squad
a 10 million LBP reward for the teams fine form. Al-Ahed defender Abbas Kanaan, however, said that the players were unaware of a financial reward ahead of their game against South Korea. Enthusiasm for the country alone, Kanaan in-
sisted, pushed the players to record the historic win. We did not expect financial support before we played. We only played to raise the name of Lebanon, Kanaan said, insisting that though the fee the players received was a motivating element, it
was never their end goal. After rewarding the members of the national team squad 12 million LBP, the federation now intends to increase the players salaries should they clinch qualification from Group B, Haidar said. If we beat the United Arab Emirates and we qualify to the next round, we will raise the players fixed salaries, Haidar said. We will then be in a different stage, a more professional stage. The federation has done well to revoke the ban on attendance of football games in the various national divisions ahead of Lebanons 2-2 draw with Kuwait on
continued on page 10
continued on page 10
CAMPUS NEWS
What is Labor Trafficking?
By Farrah Berrou LAU Tribune contributor
ar explained. Human trafficking is usually broken down to the act, force and aim of exploitation. In order to fight this issue, all stakeholders involved must team together and policies should be enforced rather than just talked about. Rijken stressed that mistreated labor migrants are also another form of human trafficking and its a challenge to label one as the other. She gave the example of an Indonesian Krupuk processing factory in The Hague where workers live in the same room where the production occurred. Krupuk is cooked in oil and there was one tap of running water, poor sanitation, insect infestation and bare electricity wires, she explained. The Palermo Protocol criminalizes and defines human trafficking and specifies that it is not only restricted to cases of a sexual nature but also those that involve the trafficking of labor migrants. The problem with human trafficking is a catch 22 in that the victim is vulnerable to exploitative practices because of their illegal residential status or is attempting to find loopholes in difficult migration policies, Rijken said. Their fear of deportation and lack of trust for those in law enforcement backfires and they are left being exploited by people who are claiming to be helping them. Project coordinator of the Combating Trafficking of Human Beings for Labour Exploitation, which is funded by the European Union, Rijken explained that TIP report (Trafficking in Persons) is an evaluation of a countrys position in relation to human trafficking, where ranks vary from 1 to 3, the latter being the worst. Based on this report, Lebanon ranks on tier 2 but is on the watch list and at risk of falling to tier 3. The report is evaluated according to the three Ps: Prosecution, prevention of activities involving human trafficking and protection of victims. It was said that the Lebanese government had drafted the implementation of this protocol; however, due to the collapse of the very same government, there was no official legislation and the issue is left pending. As of October 2011, the International Labor Organization (ILO) adopted Convention 189 for domestic workers. More information on human trafficking reports and publications can be found on the ILO website.
Photo by: Farrah Berrou
Tribune
dec.12, 2011
Conny Rijken, associate professor at the Tilburg Universitys law school and senior research fellow at INTERVICT, explained during a lecture on December 1 that one of the biggest problems with human trafficking as a whole is that its not easily defined. Definitions usually include other terms that need their own definitions clarified and, as a result, it is hard to classify certain cases as human trafficking perse. A rephrased definition presented by the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime is that human trafficking is the forced recruitment with purpose of exploitation, the Dutch schol-
The Childrens Cancer Center of Lebanon held its annual blood drive in front of the LAUs Fine Arts Building on December 1. This years drive was a great success, as more than a hundred student donated blood. This event was very successful on both the blood donations, and the AIDS awareness levels, Reem Charif, Red Cross member, said. It is considered as successful as that of last years, if not more. Any student could donate blood as long as he/she had no health problems such as severe illnesses, anemia or weight imbalance. Volunteers filled out an application form, got tested to know their blood type and then donated their blood. They were offered red ribbons on the occa-
sion of World AIDS Day. Though some students fainted right after giving blood, the majority were excited to be part of giving joy to the ill children. It felt really good doing something to help those in need, Raja Yazigi, a business sophomore student, said. Some students said they donate every year. The blood drive is organized annually across Lebanons universities to help children with cancer and to raise awareness about the importance of donation among students. This event unified all LAU students around one cause, aiding children in need, Charif said. To me this cannot be just deemed successful. This event was just astounding.
SPORTS
By Zahi Sahli LAU Tribune staff
With each of the Manchester duo suffering an early elimination from their Champions League campaigns, the media will surely be highlighting these shocking events for the rest of the season. It is not the end of an era of English dominance over Europe as mourning columnists have written since last Wednesday. An end needs a start and if its someones era, its Barcelonas. They won the Champions League three times in the last six years. Despite Manchester Citys fine league form, the teams early Champions League exit has brought some to a sudden realization that club manager Roberto Mancinis record in European competitions has never been fruitful. Actually, his career is marred with major blurs in European football as he struggled to lead a strong Inter Milan a team which largely depended on stars they signed from then-demoted Juventus beyond the second round of the Champions League. Still Citys critics are exaggerating the size of what many see as a catastrophe. Never since Werder Bremens exit in the 2007 Champions League has a club been eliminated despite accumulating double figures in the group stage. The fact that it was a club like Napoli which advanced ahead of City should be a consolation for mourning fans and good news for the neutrals. While City attained their big club status through the generous cash injections of club owner Sheikh Mansour who has spent a mind-blowing 800m since buying the club in 2008 Napolis board has been practicing patience in a time where everyone in
dec.12, 2011
Tribune
Europe has been spending much more than whats in their wallets. A cumulative sum of 344 million was invested by the English club to sign players during the transfer windows in the last four years three of which are during Sheikh Mansours era. Last years 133 million wage bill eclipsed the clubs relatively poor 125 million income. Meanwhile Napoli is a selfsufficient company which handles its wage bills carefully and uses the revenue it generates to operate its ac-
al basis recently. The club has made steady improvement since its promotion to Serie A just four years ago. Since the club struggled in the lower divisions of Italian football, the board spent approximately 141 million to reshape the squad in the last four years. That is more than 2.4 times less than what City has spent in the same period. The club has depended on its scouting department to make shrew signings and build a team capable of challenging
Upcoming games
Serie A
12/12
Upcoming games
Serie A
18/12
Upcoming games
Premier League
12/12
Upcoming games
Premier League
18/12
AS Roma V Juventus
13/12
Chelsea V Man.City
17/12
Fulham V Liverpool
10/12
21/12
Wigan V Liverpool
CAMPUS LIFE
Ceramics from the Heart
By Ranim Hadid LAU Tribune staff
It is already dark outside but a dozen students stand in the small, cold classroom in Nicol Hall, intensely concentrating on the job at hand. In front of them are piles of clay, slowly being transformed into art. Samar Mogharbel, the legendary class instructor, wears a cobalt blue overall full of clay stains. She swiftly moves from one student to another, helping sharpen the edges of a sculpture or improve the curve of another. Despite the late timing of the class and the dedication sculpting demands, Ceramics I attracts students from every major. Fine arts and communication students take it but so do business and political science majors. Mogharbel herself was a business computer major at LAU when she took the class as an elective with Dorothy Salhab Kazimi. She was a marvelous person, more of a tutor than a teacher, in the sense that she would give each student individual attention, Mogharbel said. Mogharbel later took Ceramics II and soon found herself launched in an artistic career. I didnt choose clay, it chose me, the artist said. Sometimes things come into your way because they are meant to be. Mogharbel does not teach ceramics in an ordinary way. She wants her students to be passionate and dedicated to the outcome of their projects. The only way to teach is to love the material youre teaching and love the students so you can pass on it to
Tribune
them, she said. Mogharbel has been teaching at LAU for the past 30 years. Ameera Al Felaij, an interior design student, took Ceramics I with Mogharbel and is now taking Ceramics II. Out of all the classes Ive taken in LAU, this is the class that Ive enjoyed most and the
reason is Ms. Samar, Al Felaij said. Growing up with an identical twin sister, Mogharbel was not considered an artistic child. To be able to differentiate, then, between her and her sister Sahar, are had to look for the one digging in the earth. Youd always find
me working with my hands, Mogharbel said. She considered herself to be more of a fixer than an artist. Im still not artistic, I always work by challenge, Mogharbel said. Its the challenge that makes me do things, I like to push the clay to the extreme. She explains that, when dealing with clay, a person must be patient before he or she can understand the materials full potential. Her students understand it. Shes constantly telling us to speak to the clay and, when you hear that from your teachers, you know how much they love and respect the material they are teaching, Sari Shrayteh, a radio/TV/film student, said. It
continued on page 10
Albert Saikali, Bassam Lahoud, Christina Rahme and Carlos Ghoussoub. This wealth in instructors has made students wonder why the university doesnt have a major or, at least, a minor in the field. Its not like theres a lack of staff, I really wish there was a minor in photography, it would be so much fun! Tina
Khalil, a business senior at LAU commented. Bassam Lahoud, full-time photography instructor, said he has the time and willingness to teach more photography courses at LAU if given the chance. Christina Rahme, who teaches PHO 211, is also ready to offer her services when the program is approved.
CAMPUS LIFE
Tribune
Ahmad Jichi 21-year-old management student I drive a Toyota Camri because its a family car, its safe and economical.
Nour Al Zaben 22-year-old business student I drive a Mercedes E class coupe because my mom picked it out and wanted to buy it for me.
Hussein Skaiky 20-year-old business student I drive a Porsche Cayenne because it is amazing and classy.
Hayat Zock 21-year-old graphic design student I drive a Nissan-Sunny. It is my parents car not mine specifically.
Samer Abboud 19-year-old computer science student I drive a Golf GTI because I need a car for transportation to university.
members to the crew. The technical people only came in one week before the performance. Thats why we call this period Tech Week, Khoury said about the final week of preparations. The cast started off by rehearsing for two hours a day. As the date of the opening night approached, they worked for up to eight hours a day. Im rehearsing every day with different cast and crew members to put them all on the same level, Khoury said. Still, Khoury enjoyed the
hectic schedule of rehearsals. Its like youre building something. Its like blocks that you have to put together to get the unity back, she said. We all enjoy it, and we all love to do it, she said regarding the rehearsal process. Its not only a physical effort that is needed from the actors during these rehearsals, but an emotional and mental effort as well. So it is very tiring but they love it, so that gives you the balance, Khoury continued. The interaction between the
actors and the audience kept the crowd captivated until the very end. Lina Khoury is a director, presenter and producer. She has directed various plays including Haki Niswen, Sar Lezem Nehki, How I Learned to Drive, Antigone, Rakshasas Ring and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune. She is also an alumna of LAUs communication arts department. The cast includes students from LAU, a student from the Lebanese university and three professional actors.
PEOPLE
Tribune
becoming a scientist since childhood and preferred science courses at school. My family always supported me and let me decide what I want to do, he said. I hope that Im doing the same with my children. Frossard is married and has two sons and a daughter. They are enrolled in universities in France the first two
dec. 12 , 2011
Tribune
and very rare, is appreciated in my country is a big accomplishment for me. Today, El-Khodr is the only countertenor from the Middle East and one of 52 in the world. He is a phenomenon that unfortunately had to leave Lebanon to be recognized.
Only she can talk to the heavens, talk to God, a photographer said in the documentary Fairuz: We Loved Each Other So Much. He created a riveting scene of one her concerts in Baalbeck, in which the clouds parted and the moon cast a strong light all over the city in response to her voice. Known throughout the world
Tribune
dec. 12 , 2011
program started. Azar got 45 positive votes. The conclusion of the voting by members of the jury during the second season was as follows: composer Romeo Lahoud gave 70 YESs and 19
NOs, and abstained from voting once. Composer Osama Rahbani gave 53 YESs and 37 NOs. UAE artist Abdullah Belkheir gave 86 YESs and 3 NOs and abstained from voting once.
Wherever you look you see it. Shiny, sleek and sophisticated. The future, they call it. The Apple craze is everywhere. From iPods to iPads and iPhones, everyone wants one. What is it about Apple Macintosh and its products? In recent years, Apple seems to have surpassed old school phones and computers. It has been marketed as the new electronic fashion accessory. Ownership of Apple gadgets became some sort of elitist cult that everyone wants to join. But have
you ever stopped to see what price we pay for such luxury? According to a teardown analysis conducted by research firm Isuppli, the 16 GB iPhone 4 roughly costs about 188 US dollars to build without the cost of shipping or the labor it takes to assemble the phone. But although Apple is an American brand, its products are all made in China by two manufacturing companies: Foxconn and Inventec. Using cheap labor, Apple saves millions. When the iPhone 4 came out in Lebanon, the price was no less than 800 US dollars . Today, iPhone 4 S 16 GB costs 940 dollars. Apples profit margin is staggering and by no means is this a crime of any sort. Corporations are free to sell their
products at whatever price they please. People are also free to buy them or not. Its just interesting that people embrace such a product at such a price. One would assume that, because Apple products are so expensive, that they are made in the United States. In reality, Apple products are just cheaply made by impoverished Chinese sweatshop laborers. The working conditions of these people are inhumane. Apple was all over the news last summer when a string of suicide deaths hit one of its factories in China. More recently, a worker at Apples Foxconn killed himself by leaping to his death on May 26, 2011. Every year, Apple releases new and improved versions of its products but, essentially, its still the same
thing, only slightly tweaked with a new hefty price tag. Every year also, hundreds of people eagerly await to buy new Apple products. And spending never stops at that point; theres a whole Apple Store offering music, books, and Apps, ready to drain your credit cards. Essentially, Apple products are divided into four main categories; phones (iPhone) tablets (iPad), music systems (iPod),and personal computers (Macs). Up until 2007, music that you bought on iTunes could only be put onto Apple products. This made consumers stick to the brand. While this is no longer the case, it is still difficult for Apple consumers to venture out of the realm of Apple when they shop. Then iCloud came along. It is a giant database in the
sky that allows consumers to store and sync music, iTunes purchases, documents and personal information on all owned apple devices. It will all be backed up on an Apple server. While being able to sync music on multiple devices seems quite practical, I wonder why someone would trust their personal information with anyone but themselves. It is one step closer to a mass invasion of privacy. Its not up to me to tell anyone what they can or cant do. If it makes you happy then you are free to do as you please. But be aware of how major corporations milk us for money. At least give them a hard time about it and show them that you are not as blind as they think you are.
OPINION
By Caroline Feghaly LAU Tribune staff
I am one of the journalism students who produce and distribute our universitys newspaper, the LAU Tribune. Some students whom I encountered while distributing the paper acted in a very disrespectful manner, which is why I am writing this piece. When one usually offers you something, whether free or not, you take it and thank them with respect. Or, if you are not interested, you can tell them the truth and thank them anyway. When handing out the Tribune, some students take it with a wide smile, appreciating the hard work that was put in it. Others rejected it politely. But there were a few who snatched it from me and suggested to their friends to wipe their faces with it. Hearing these comments lights the fires of rage within me. This only shows me how feeble-minded and unappreciative people can be. If only they knew the amount of thought and effort we put into the paper. We tackle issues of concern to the LAU community and try to resolve them through our pen. We strive to be the voice of the students when they have something to say and cant do it alone. We offer them this newspaper as a forum. We
dec.12 , 2011
Tribune
Note: The LAU Tribune is not responsible for the opinions expressed on this page.
WRITE!
Do you have anything youd like to say? Send us your articles to TribuneLAU@gmail.com
CONTINUED
Lebanese Football
Continued from page 1
November 11. As a result of a series of clashes among fans in stadiums, the federation had imposed a ban on fan attendance in 2006. And Haidar believes that the return of fans to the Lebanese stadiums has been instrumental in lifting the Cedars above their mighty opponents. The fans form 50 percent of every success. The interest of officials, especially the presence of the president, encouraged the players, Haidar said. Nejmeh captain Abbas Atwi, who scored the deciding goal from a penalty kick against South Korea, underlined the importance of the fans attendance during the games of the national team. The fans played a big role in our win against South Korea as we did not want to disappoint the people watching us, Lebanons number 10 said. Amid increased criticism over the dire conditions of football stadiums in the country, Haidar explained that the federation is not responsible for the maintenance of pitches. Municipalities or the state, depending on who owns the stadiums, are responsible for renovating them, Haidar said. We said that we needed better stadiums but we suffer sometimes with some owners while others respond positively. Meanwhile Lebanese head coach Theo Bcker identified Lebanons new tactical philosophy as a foundational element in the teams excellent form. We play a special concept, we have a kind of a philosophy of how to act and here we underline team work, Bcker, who also manages current Lebanese League champions Al-Ahed, said when asked about the tactics he has adopted for the Lebanese national team. Everybody has to participate in attacking and defending. We are changing the old-fashion tactical ideas by working on all of our players mentally to say I am a football player and I have to do everything to the best of my ability, Bcker added. Haidar said that the federation spent heavily within their slender means to ensure quality preparation for the national team which included a training camp in Qatar ahead of their 1-0 away wins against Kuwait. The key element, which would boost the standard of the game, is the improvement of the Lebanese Premier Leagues competitiveness, Haidar explained. What must now be done is to improve the image of the league. The level of the clubs, the league and the national team are linked to one another, Haidar said. And when we have a higher level of football, we can get sponsors to invest in Lebanese football. The national team relies on players like team captain and Chinese club Shandong Luneng star Roda Antar and Emirates Al-Ahli and former Koln F.C. captain Youssef Mohamad two players who have been plying their trade in foreign leagues for years now. Now that people realize the potential of Lebanese football, foreign clubs are scouting Lebanese players and more Lebanese talents are playing abroad, Haidar said, adding that he expects more Lebanese players to sign contracts with foreign clubs in the future. Lebanese forwards Mohammad Ghaddar and Hassan Maatouk and defenders Ramez Dayoub and Bilal Najja-
10
Tribune
HIV/AIDS
Continued from page 1
rin have been playing at Malaysian side Kelantan FA, Emirates club Ajman, Malaysian club Selangor FA and Bankstown City Lions F.C. respectively. Although Lebanon is just a small step away from clinching an unprecedented qualification to the fourth round of the World Cup qualifiers, Bcker is keen that his players guard against complacency in their final match against the Emirates to secure qualification. If we lose against the Emirates and Kuwait beat South Korea, we are out. Then everybody would be even more disappointed than before. We need to keep both legs on the ground and really concentrate on the last step, Bcker said. The German coach, who managed the likes of Egyptian giants Zamalek and Ismaily, believes that the team must still improve its performances if the country wants to achieve superior feats. We need to conserve the level of our performances and from there, go forward because there is room for improvement. The only competitive tournament in which the Lebanese national team has taken part in is Asian Cup in 2000. Lebanon hosted the tournament and the national team hence featured as automatic entree. Lebanon was unable to go beyond the group stage though. Positioned at 146th in the FIFA World Rankings before the qualifying campaign, Lebanons efforts have been rewarded as they moved up 35 positions. The Lebanese national team plays its final qualifier against the United Arab Emirates in the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on February 29, 2012. through mother to child transmission (MTCT), and 15.6 percent via blood products. AIDS has been traditionally associated with male homosexuality and anal intercourse, Ray Joureidiny, an assistant professor of sociology at LAU, explained. Taking a religious view, many see the disease as Gods punishment. Jouredini explained that HIV is so prevalent around the world that it has affected our attitudes toward sexuality. In some countries, for example, HIV tests are in order before you marry your partner or get pregnant. Not in Lebanon. Zeina El-Tani, a medicine student in Switzerland, is currently interning at a local hospital in Beirut. She was shocked to find out that pregnant women are not tested for HIV here. Such a precaution would ensure that the virus does not get transmitted to the neonate. As world AIDS day came closer this year, AUB medical students worked tirelessly for the cause. They set up stands in Hamra, Ashrafieh, Jal El Dib and Jounieh to spread awareness about the disease and collect donations. We have limited members and we are medical students so we are busy as hell, Maher Bazzi, an AUB medical student, said. We try to help as much as possible in any free time we have. AUBs medical students also gave out cards with addresses of medical centers around Lebanon that test for HIV anonymously and at no cost. They rotated in schools in Beirut and taught sex education to children aged 10 till 17. Bazzi is a member of SCORA, or the Standing Committee of Reproductive Health Including AIDS. This year, the organization adopted a new slogan focusing on anti-discrimination. If you can point a finger, you can lend a hand, it says. SCORA partly raise funds by selling concert tickets. Last year, Mashrou Leyla played for them while this year, MEEN will perform on December 19. Tickets cost 20,000 LBP for students and 20 US dollars for non-students, and are available for sale at AUBs West Hall. Part of SCORAs effort is a free hugs campaign, an international initiative to spread the message that hugs dont transmit HIV and preach more compassion toward AIDS victims. Two weeks ago on Saturday, SCORA volunteers were stationed at Gemmayzeh, giving out free hugs and condoms to partygoers. But despite the effort, many dont want to talk about it. I dont know anything about it, an interior architecture student told me when I gave her statistics about Lebanon. It doesnt concern me.
The Team
Staff: Iman Soufan, Carla Hazarian, Lyn Abu-Seraj, Layan Doueik, Omar El Tani, Zeina Shehayeb, Mohamed Al-Oraybi, Mayya Al-Ogaily, Natalia Elmani, Assaad Hawwa,Caroline Feghaly, Rouba Jaafar, Maria Fellas, Samia Buhulaiyem
OFF CAMPUS
dec. 12 , 2011
Tribune
11
ers bearing revolutionary quotes, an unlikely entrance to our common day bars. Bullets lie on the shelves and a hammer and sickle, a widely recognized communist symbol, are stuck to the ceiling. The walls are barely visible due to the endless sea of posters and pictures. According to Imm Elie, her husband first put up pictures of people he admired for their ideologies and views. His friends who frequent the bar started doing the same, as did
their other friends, until the walls became completely covered. The spontaneous decorating didnt stop there. The wall behind the bar is also impossible to see, as pictures and notes left on currency are plastered all across. Abu Elie, the revolution starts with you, reads a 1,000 LBP note. Theres another layer under the one you see, Imm Elie said with a chuckle. This is 30 years of memories made by our customers.
OFF CAMPUS
Le Liban Francophone
By Layan Doueik LAU Tribune staff
Tu as bien tudier pour lexamen? A young brunette lady holding a pile of books asked. Oui, a va, et toi? A young man with eyeglasses answered in a rush to get to class. This is not France. I overheard this conversation while passing through the corridor, a typical conversation between two students at Saint Joseph University in Lebanon, an Arab country. Ironically, this language has grown to be common among the offspring of the once occupied nation. It has been nearly seven decades since Frances colonization ended and Lebanon gained its sovereignty but we still witness the absorption of their language in the fertile educational soil they have left us. . Lebanese did not forget French colonization. Our ancestors perpetuate such memories as they talk about their miserable experience with the French troops and the territorial and sectarian divisions that existed and still exist in Lebanon. Nadim Mohsen, lecturer in cultural studies and philosophy at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, explained that France played on racial, religious and sectarian disparities but sectarianism was the most receptive. Chop the enemy into pieces and the control possibility becomes easier, Mohsen said. Back then, it was like a tango dance. Colonial groups opened the doors to enter, in return political-religious leaders and sectors were ready to accept. From this same womb came a number of missionary universities, established by the French colonizer: The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Sagesse University, Antonine University, Lebanese French University of Technology and Applied Sciences and finally, the most prominent one, Saint Joseph University (SJU). Saint Joseph University was established in Beirut in 1875. It was supported by the French government and was initially administered by Jesuit Fathers. Today, priests still run the university. Entering Sodeco Street in Beirut, one finds three faculties of the USJ, as well as the French embassy, noticeably situated across the university. An excessive number of security guards circulated the area. I asked about the main gate, one of them answered in French: Quelle facult? he asked, inquiring about the school I was interested in. Inside the building, the French and the Lebanese flag stood side by side in one of the administrative offices. A number of placards written in French decorated the walls while French and Arabic words echoed here and there. According to the book The Role of Two Western Universities in the National Life of Lebanon and the Middle East by Munir Antonios, the universitys mission revolves first around Catholicism, France, French culture, and adequate emphasis on academic preparation. Mohsen believes that France established missionary universities in Lebanon under the disguise of religion and education but underlying was a veiled economic interest. But nowadays, he said, those universities dont represent any kind of colonial ambition. We are living now in an era that is mostly affected by media; all countries are looking at one another, seizing to point out any flaw, Mohsen added. The Lebanese, along with the Palestinians, have one of the highest literacy rates in the Arab world. According to CIA-The World Fact Book website, the percentage of literate Lebanese males and females above 15 years old is respectively 93.1 percent and 82.2 percent. Christians had a literacy rate twice that of Muslims in the
12
Tribune
dec. 12 , 2011
1980s according to the Ministry of Education website. Nisrine El-Mir is a working mother of three children. She completed her school years at Lyce Abd El-Kader, a French missionary school in Beirut, and earned a BA in law at Saint Joseph University. El-Mir was soon accepted at the University of Sorbonne, France, to continue her MA in Commercial Law. I am proud to have all my degrees gained from French based institutions, El-Mir said. I enrolled my children in the same school that I used to attend and planning on enrolling them in the same university I graduated from as well. Many graduates from French missionary universities migrated to Europe and got employed in the best French universities, non-profit organizations and commercial companies. These elites were a mirror image of the Lebanese people back home. Many looked at Lebanon as a special country in the Middle East, distinguished it from its Arab neighbors. Even the Arabs looked at the Lebanese as well-rounded, educated and successful. In
many books and television programs, Lebanon is portrayed as an oasis amidst the desert. I work for a company in Saudi Arabia as a human resources manager, and honestly we seek out Lebanese people for theyre known to be highly educated and experienced as well , Ashraf Mousa said. Despite the many problems that Lebanon inherited from French colonization, including a sectarian strife that ultimately led to a devastating 15-year civil war, few in Lebanon deny that the benefits of the French educational system for the country have been equally important. Many from around the Arab World study in Lebanons prestigious universities today. According to the Saint Joseph administration, the number of foreign students enrolled is 550 constituting 5.5 percent of the total scholars in this university. Yet Beirut is not the capital of Lebanon only. In a sense, it acts as a meeting point in the Middle East where educational trends of all shades and colors come face to face, Antonios added in his book.
Under the auspices of His Excellency Prime Minister Najeeb Mikati, the much-awaited 55th session of the Beirut Arab Book Fair was launched on December 2 and will continue until the 15th at the Beirut International Fair and Leisure Center (BIEL). Rooted in Lebanese and Arab cultural and intellectual heritage, the exhibit serves as a forum for the development and improvement of book printing and distribution. This session comes in the midst of a promising Arab awakening in a region that has long been dormant. While last years exhibit was dedicated to Palestine, the 55th session celebrates the revolutionary movements around the Arab world. In Lebanon, there are around 700 publishing houses, and even though those active do not exceed 200, Lebanon is still the country with the biggest number of publishers, with more than 3,000 titles a year, Samira Assi, the president of the Syndicate of Publishers Union in Lebanon, said. The syndicate helps organize book fairs and publishes a local magazine. It also founded the Union of Arab Publishers. Books at the fair target local readers, librarians and schools. It is an important opportunity for booksellers and book importers to network with their counterparts around the Arab World. The fair also provides an opportunity for book lovers to buy copies at attractive discounted prices.