Public Health – What’s Everyone Talking About?

In America, health care and health policies are becoming more and more of a debated issue. What is the right way to handle the issue? What stance should be taken? Well, for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, they are gearing up for the same topic. I was intrigued on what was being […]

Lebanon: Divided Nation Remains United Without President

“The President of the Republic is the head of the state and the symbol of the nation’s unity. He shall safeguard the constitution and Lebanon’s independence, unity, and territorial integrity.” -Article 49 of The Lebanese Constitution For the last five months the presidential seat in Lebanon has remained vacant. On October 29, 2014 the Lebanese […]

Circus in Town

Circus in Town In light of the newest season of American Horror Story which involves a circus more or less a “freak show” as it is frequently called throughout the show. Lebanon aims to gain tourism by launching a new curcis called Circo International in the city of Karantina. Although some safety concerns have been raised. Karantina Lebanon […]

Halloween in the Middle East

As HallOUween (Ohio University’s Halloween Block Party) is quickly approaching, I’ve been wondering what Halloween is like in the Middle East and if it is even allowed. Halloween started out as a pagan holiday in Ireland, known as the Celtic Festival of Samhain, which was observed on October 31st. It was said that, “the souls […]

Hezbollah: A Terrorist Organization to Watch

When most Americans think of Middle Eastern terrorist groups the names Al-Qaeda, ISIS and Hamas are generally the only ones that people can come up with. However, there is a very important terrorist group in Lebanon that the United States should have its eyes on: Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization based in Lebanon’s Shiite-dominated […]

A Will to Peaceful Coexistence: Sweden to Recognize Palestinian State

Ever since the killing of three Israeli teens in the West Bank in June and the subsequent airstrikes and violence in the region, the eyes of the world have been focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and for months, world leaders have been contributing to the ongoing global discussion about the crisis. One such leader is newly-elected […]

Irish Dancing Through the Middle East

Every year the CLRG World Irish Dance Championships takes place during Holy Week (the week before Easter in Christianity). I competed at this competition in 2012 during my senior year of high school after qualifying at the Southern Region Oireachtas (regional championship). I met many girls from around the world when I was there, including […]

Arab Idol: More than Music

The world is fascinated with music. It’s one thing that gives everyone the capacity to express their stories and emotions. It is through this shared connection to music that singing competition shows have risen to such great popularity. We watch contestants on these shows that inspire and entertain us, and by voting, we are able […]

Women in Front

Women in Front Lebanese women won the right to vote and to participate in national elections in 1952 but since then only 17 women have served in Lebanon’s Parliament. Most of these women who have served come from wealthy families and have little or none political experience, but with the help of male family members […]

Since Lebanon Seems to be a Gathering Place for Refugees, Are More Camps a Good Idea?

Since a big influx in the mid 1970’s Lebanon has housed thousands of refugees, mainly of Palestinian descent. These people sought shelter after Israel eradicated them and since, many have still found themselves living as refugees in camps throughout Lebanon. The life for these people is usually tough, as the Lebanese government has made many […]

Red, White, Green. Lebanese.

The 10,450 sq. km area on an atlas known as Lebanon is celebrating its 69th independence day today. Located in the midst of all the chaos which appears on news headlines, Lebanon is mostly mentioned in stories related to strife and war. Lebanon has a past full of wars and conflict, a present of tension […]

Marriage

The face of marriage is changing all over the world. In the United States, marriage is becoming less common with domestic partnerships and divorce on the rise. In the Middle East marriages are occurring later in life due to economic trouble and the protection of women’s rights. In the United States, the average man is 29 years old when they first […]

Yes, we are independent

November 22, 1943 – a day on which I was still not born, and yet we celebrate every year as Lebanese. For 23 years, the French imposed a mandate over our land. In 1943 the Lebanese president, prime minister and cabinet members were arrested by the French for amending the constitution in a way that […]

Lebanon’s First 3D Feature Film

Lebanon’s First 3D Movie It’s final here, Lebanon’s first 3D movie “My Last Valentine In Beirut 3D” was announced to be shown on November 15, 2012, “Director Salim El Turk’s latest offering holds the proud accolade of being the first feature length film in the Arab region to be produced entirely in 3D and marries cutting […]

Illegitimate Children and Single Moms

Currently, there is an increasingly large number of children born out of wedlock as well as single parents raising children throughout most of the world. It is much more common in this day in age to see children who were raised by a single parent. This could in part be due to the increasing number […]

Fashion is given an opportunity

In the Fall of 2013 the Lebanese American University is launching a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design. Elie Saab, a famous fashion designer from Lebanon, will be supervising the program. Acceptance to the program is projected to be very competitive because of its allegiance with such a high-profile Designer. The Lebanese American University has planned […]

Israel Preaches Hate to Children

Whenever you see an Israeli official on TV or in a newspaper they’re always claiming their war on Arabs is purely to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East area. When it comes to western media, Israel is almost always shown as the peace keepers of the Middle East and waging humanitarian wars on […]

Stranger or not, you’re still my habibi

Habibi is a typical Lebanese word. Yes, it is an Arabic word. But, the Lebanese have used it (and even abused it) to the extent that it can be safely referred to as Lebanese. The literal translation of ‘habibi’ is “my love” or “my darling”. Knowing this fact, you would hear the word habibi all […]

Conflict Reaches the Olympics

This past summer the 2012 Olympics forced some face to face interaction between Israeli and Lebanese athletes. Events were running on schedule but when Judokas athletes had the practice floor things did not run so smoothly. The Lebanese and Israeli Judo team had to share the practice floor. The Lebanese team refused to practice next […]

I am free from your smoke!

It may come as a surprise to you that Lebanon implemented the indoor-smoking ban only on September 3rd, 2012. This may seem a little too late, and well, it is. Smoking has become a Lebanese trait. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Lebanon has the highest rate of school children smokers in the Middle […]