[Published here on January 28, 2015]
Lebanon
Lebanon’s Most Outspoken Politician Wants to Talk to You on Twitter | BuzzFeed
[Interviewed Walid Jumblatt and contributed reporting to this article, published here on November 20, 2014. Just a note, the story is a lot more fun if you read it with the embedded tweets, so check it out on the link!]
BEIRUT — Walid Joumblatt pulled out his reading glasses before opening his iPad. Oscar, his dog, had just curled himself close to Joumblatt’s feet. “He’s 10 years old now, getting old, like me,” the ex-warlord turned mainstream Lebanese politician joked.
He scrolled gingerly through a queue of Twitter notifications. “I’m trying to answer almost everybody individually,” he said. Joumblatt joined Twitter just three weeks ago and already has more than 25,000 followers, many of whom he answers directly with the same candor and wit that has helped make the 65-year-old an unlikely giant in Lebanese politics.
Lebanon’s Shia defiant in face of ISIL threat | Al Jazeera
Image by James Haines-Young (AJE)
[Published here November 5, 2014]
Beirut – Past the barricaded checkpoints, the searching tents, and groups of men with walkie-talkies, hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday, to commemorate Ashura.
On this day, Shia Muslims worldwide mourn the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad – and in Lebanon, despite significant security threats and political deadlock, this year was no different.
On Violence in Tripoli | Premier Christian Radio
Last week, I was able to join Marcus Jones and Dr. Harry Hagopian once more for a talk on their analysis show on Premier Christian Radio. On my second appearance on their show, we discussed the recent violence in Tripoli and how Lebanon’s political deadlock has impeded an effective response to the crisis.
Click on the image above to listen to my input. I start in at about 17:50, but I encourage you to listen to the whole program. Thanks!
Water crisis: High & Dry | Executive Magazine
Debris and filth litter the camp’s water supplies
[Published originally here]
In an informal tented settlement just outside of Zahle, dozens of Syrian refugee women and girls crowd around faucets pumping water out of a large plastic tank. The “UN truck,” as they call it, has just filled their settlement’s communal tank with thousands of liters of water, and they rush to collect their share before it’s gone. After filling their buckets and bottles, they return, water sloshing, to their tents to drink, cook and clean.
Will the real resistance stand up? | Gate37
Resistance is Legitimacy
“Many harbor the most profound hopes that Cuba will resist. That is the message we receive from all over, that is the encouragement we receive from all points of the compass on the earth: the hope that we will be capable of resisting.” – Fidel Castro, 1992
Is the Middle East slipping out of control? | Premier Christian Radio
I joined international lawyer Dr. Harry Hagopian and Premier Christian Radio’s Marcus Jones to discuss how real the ISIS threat towards Lebanon is. Given that I spoke on the phone from Beirut, the call isn’t as clear as I’d like it to be.
Click on the image above to listen in.
Byblos, Lebanon: War, earthquakes, tourism | The Guardian
‘Byblos escaped more than a tornado … we escaped a civil war,’ … the port of Byblos, Lebanon. Photograph: James Haines-Young
[Published here August 28, 2014]
Ten minutes before sunset, the muezzin’s call to prayer goes out over the megaphones. In the summer heat, the bustle of Byblos pauses for a moment, then quickly resumes. Fresh fish is slapped onto steaming grills, beer is poured into iced glasses, and visitors – both Lebanese and foreign – stroll through the cobblestone pathways of what is reputed to be the world’s oldest continually inhabited city.
For perhaps 7,000 years it has been thus, in one form or another. People have lived in this picturesque coastal city in the north of Lebanon probably longer than any other. It is home to ruins from the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders and others. It was the launching point for the spread of the modern European alphabet. In the swinging 1960s, it emerged as a leisure destination where Brigitte Bardot frolicked in the marinas along with other icons of the decade. To this day, late-night outdoor bars and restaurants continue to thrive.
Negotiations for Islamic State’s Lebanese hostages turn sour | NOW News
Jabhat al-Nusra
[Published here August 24, 2014]
After some initial success, negotiations for the release of over 30 Lebanese hostages held by the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra took a turn for the worse this weekend, when the Lebanese religious institution mediating the talks suspended their involvement. Citing challenges in securing the militants’ demands, the Muslim Scholars Committee said it would “make way for other intermediaries” to get involved. But with the militants reportedly refusing to work with anyone but the committee, the hostage negotiations may be in freefall.
Negotiations for Islamic State’s Lebanese hostages turn sour | NOW News
[Published here on August 24, 2014]
After some initial success, negotiations for the release of over 30 Lebanese hostages held by the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra took a turn for the worse this weekend, when the Lebanese religious institution mediating the talks suspended their involvement. Citing challenges in securing the militants’ demands, the Muslim Scholars Committee said it would “make way for other intermediaries” to get involved. But with the militants reportedly refusing to work with anyone but the committee, the hostage negotiations may be in freefall.
MAYA GEBEILY 