TA’IF’S GOVERNMENTS BY POLITICAL AND CONFESSIONAL SHARES CATHOLIC PATRIARCHS July 2011 | BUYING CARS FOR THE GOVERNMENT: THE LAW ALLOWS 11 AND 2,000 WERE 108 PURCHASED! www.iimonthly.com # Published by Information International sal THE MONTHLY INTERVIEWS issue number LEA SEDNAOUI THE TRAVELING GOVERNMENT Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros INDEX 4 LEADER: THE TRAVELING GOVERNMENT 14 TA’IF’S GOVERNMENTS BY POLITICAL AND CONFESSIONAL SHARES 16 BANKS IN LEBANON, MOST ARE FAMILY OWNED 19 CATHOLIC PATRIARCHS 20 HOW DOES ONE BECOME A MONK OR A PRIEST? 22 MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE 24 BUYING CARS FOR THE GOVERNMENT: Page 34 Page 32 THE LAW ALLOWS 11 AND 2,000 WERE PURCHASED! 26 MILITARY IMMUNITY 27 SYNDICATE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM AGENCIES 29 PERIPHERAL MANIFESTATIONS BY DR. HANNA SAADAH Page 16 30 BUDDHISTS, YOGIS AND THE TRIBE OF COGNITIVE AND BRAIN SCIENTISTS BY DR. SAMAR ZEBIAN 42 INDICTMENT AND FALSE WITNESSES 31 BOLD EXPERIMENTS IN THE DNA REVIVAL BY ANTOINE BOUTROS 43 MAY 2011 TIMELINE IN LEBANON 32 THE MONTHLY INTERVIEWS LEA SEDNAOUI 46 THE PALESTINE SECURITIES EXCHANGE: STILL SURVIVING! 34 THE GOETHE-INSTITUTE 47 REAL ESTATE INDEX IN LEBANON-MAY 2011 36 POPULAR CULTURE 48 FOOD PRICE INDEX - MAY 2011 37 MYTH #47: AGGRESSION AND VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES 50 DEPRESSION 38 MUST-READ BOOKS: THE BIBLE CAME FROM 50 BEIRUT RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL ARABIA AIRPORT - MAY 2011 39 MUST-READ CHILDREN’S BOOK: “MARTINE AT 51 LEBANON STATS THE PARK” 40 LEBANON FAMILIES: AAZOURI FAMILIES 41 DISCOVER LEBANON: QARAOUN 3 | EDITORIAL ADMA NASSIF TOPPLES THE CONFESSIONAL SYSTEM Perhaps she has seen it all: the Baghdad Pact and Gamal Abdel Nasser’s era, the blooming of new ideas in young Arab generations, the emergence of the tribes of Hashid, Bakil, Taghlib and Tamim, and Al Qardawi and Al Jazeera, the widening schism between the “Sunni” and the “Shia’a”, the division of Sudan and Yemen and Iraq and potentially Syria, the rise of Erdogan who is sitting on Iskenderun and more and Netanyahu who is sitting on Palestine and more, the bankruptcy of Egypt and splurging Qatar that is to spend $100 billion on a football game, to Abu Dhabi, who is oblivious to the rights of its migrant workers but is highly concerned about human rights in Syria, to the Ba’ath party’s tedious rhetoric since it gained power in Iraq in 1968 until 2003 and in Syria since 1963, to Ghazi Kanaan and Rustum Ghazaleh ruling with Lebanese Zua’ama who now curse them, to the dissipation of the SSNP that seems to be always fascinated by the genius of Kanaan and Ghazaleh and their heirs, to the proud confrontation with Israel in 2006, to the demise of Ben Ali and Mubarak, and until her last breath in May 2011, Adma Nassif succeeded in bringing down the confessional system. Adma Youssef Eliyya Nassif was born (Christian) in 1930 in Miqless, now Syria. She grew up in Mar Marita near Al Hosn fortress in Wadi Al Nasara. Had patriarch Howayek (who feared an Orthodox majority) agreed, General Gouraud would have managed to include the Wadi within Greater Lebanon and Mar Marita would have been, along with Homs, Tel Kelekh, Wadi Khaled and Trablous, in ”our glorious country of co-existence.” She was imprisoned in Mazzeh in Damascus and in Fayyadiyyeh and Al Mir Bachir in Beirut. But she was always free. Adma and Nehmeh Hamadeh (born Shia’a in Hermel, now Lebanon) “made a pact” to achieve a higher cause worthy of their existence. They dreamt of a nation and “generations that are yet to be born.” Nehmeh Hamadeh was a revolutionary in his society, confession and tribe and Adma was his partner even before they met. Adma Nassif toppled the confessional system without using Twitter or Facebook and she did it 4 [[ !"#"% %&[&#'*++/5& when she was told that Islam was the way to rest next to her husband who is buried in the Shia’a Hamadeh Cemetery in Hermel and she answered: Why not? Adma witnessed a time where accusations of heresy did not play a role, neither did dictatorship or oil. Then she lived to see destruction and oppression but she kept on dreaming of a renaissance. Adma Youssef Eliyya Nassif: Syrian, Lebanese, Christian, Muslim, Shia’a, a member of the SSNP said no to her party when it failed to meet her expectations and no to confessional institutions, and yes to Jesus and Mohammad, in her own way. From Miqless, the Eastern mountain of Wadi Al Hosn in Latikiyyah, to Hermel in the Beqa’a valley, &##&%'7[& partner and stand by him. Political parties, Arab regimes and tribes and new generations would do well to learn from Adma’s experience, who, for a free Palestine and a united region, crossed all traditional boundaries. issue 108 - July 2011 4 | LEADER THE TRAVELING GOVERNMENT THE TRAVELING GOVERNMENT n November 9, 2009, a new Lebanese government was formed presided by Saad Hariri, calling itself “the government of progress and development.” It promised a number of achievements, it did not last long Oand the resignation of one third of its ministers on January 13, 2011, lead to its dissolution. It did not last long and did not achieve much of what it had promised for a number of reasons including \%%&/<=>O% of progress and development” it should have been named “the traveling government.” It was a “traveling government” oblivious to the citizens’ needs. U&&#&VXX%#&* apologize in advance for the limited missing information concerning Sundays and holidays). Only a limited number of these trips were actually approved by the Cabinet. A large number were unnecessary and it would &#=&# known; perhaps they were for personal reasons or interests, as the Cabinet was often unaware of them and therefore did not approve them. It is not only ministers who traveled considerably but the PM did so as well. The ministers and the PM were often abroad thus deserving the title of “traveling government.” Following the government’s resignation, Saad Hariri traveled to +7<VVVX'*\!VX5=]& '=%+%&#&= PM Saad Hariri’s trips The Hariri government, which was formed on November 9, 2009, and resigned on January 13, 2011, had a lifespan &^V'=R"`''#'' amounting to a third of the time he spent as Prime Minister. +&#&#&& visited more than once. What is noteworthy about these trips is that they often fell short of advisers and only a few were accompanied by a ministerial delegation to discuss the Lebanese issues. The law stipulates that a PM or minister should have the permission of the Cabinet before he/she travels. This was not the case for Saad Hariri. Table 1 illustrates PM Saad Hariri’s trips throughout his mandate between November 9, 2009, and January 13, 2011. [#&%%&+7#|+}]"'= PM Hariri’s trips during his mandate Table 1 Departure Arrival Destination Purpose of travel First official visit abroad. He was welcomed by Saudi Minister of Culture and Dec 11, 2009 Dec 14, 2009 Saudi Arabia Information Abdel Aziz Khoja and he met with the King. Presided Lebanon’s delegation to the summit on global climate change. He Dec 15, 2009 Dec 18, 2009 Denmark was accompanied by a delegation of ministers Dec 19, 2009 Dec 20, 2001 Syria Talks with president Bashar Al Assad on his first visit to Syria Dec 24, 2009 Dec 27, 2009 France Private visit Dec 31, 2009 Jan 4, 2010 Saudi Arabia Private visit Jan 6, 2010 Jan 6, 2010 Jordan Official visit with advisers and met with the King Official visit with a delegation of ministers. It included the signature of a Jan 10, 2010 Jan 12, 2010 Turkey number of agreements Jan 17, 2010 Jan 18, 2010 UAE Official visit with advisers Official visit with a delegation of ministers. It included the signature of a Jan 20, 2010 Jan 22, 2010 France number of agreements issue 108 | The Monthly is published by Information International s.a.l. THE TRAVELING GOVERNMENT LEADER | 5 PM Hariri’s trips during his mandate Table 1 Departure Arrival Destination Purpose of travel Jan 27, 2010 Jan 28, 2010 Egypt Official visit with advisers and met with the president Feb 19, 2010 Feb 21, 2010 Vatican Official visit accompanied by his family and advisers to meet the Pope Feb 28, 2010 March 1, 2010 Qatar Official visit with advisers and met with the prince of Qatar March 7, 2010 March 7, 2010 Kuwait Official visit with advisers and met with the prince of Kuwait March 14, 2010 March 17, 2010 Germany Official visit with advisers March 29, March 28, 2010 Bulgaria Official visit with advisers and businessmen 2010 To offer his condolences following the death of Sheikh Ahmad Bin Zayed Al UAE / Saudi April 2, 2010 April 6, 2010 Nahyan, the brother of Sheikh Khalifa, the president of the UAE. He then went Arabia to Saudi Arabia on a private visit. April 7, 2010 April 9, 2010 Spain Official visit with a delegation of ministers and businessmen April 16, 2010 April 21, 2010 Italy Official visit accompanied by advisers Egypt (Sharm El April 27, 2010 April 27, 2010 Meeting with the Egyptian president Sheikh) May 7, 2010 May 8, 2010 Saudi Arabia To participate in the burial of his wife’s uncle, Bassel Al-Mathfer Al-Morelli May 16, 2010 May 17, 2010 Saudi Arabia Official visit to meet with the Saudi King May 18, 2010 May 18, 2010 Syria Meeting with the Syrian president May 21, 2010 May 21, 2010 Jordan Meeting with the Jordanian King May 22, 2010 May 22, 2010 Egypt Meeting with the Egyptian president May 22, 2010 May 22, 2010 Turkey Meeting with the Turkish prime minister USA To meet the American president with a delegation of ministers and give a May 23, 2010 May 27, 2010 (Washington and speech