Between Islamic and conventional commercial banking LBP 252 billion paid to private hospitals September 2010 | Ministry of Environment 98 The Monthly interviews ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Raana Rahim issue number www.iimonthly.com • Published by Information International sal THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND ITS BENEFICIARIES 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 The Ministry of Social Affairs and its beneficiaries 14 The Ministry of Environment 16 New Headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants 17 LBP 252 billion paid by the Ministry of Public Health to private hospitals 18 The Liberation Party 19 Child Custody 20 Function infringement Page 14 21 Between Islamic and conventional commercial banking 23 Property ownership by non-Lebanese in qada’a of Jbeil 25 Is There Any Relation Between Australian Camels And Saudi Arabian Ones? 27 Syndicate of Owners of female beauty salons Page 16 Page 34 in Beirut 29 Lycée de Ville 42 Walid Jumblat and Syria 31 Levels of Medical Evidence by Dr. Hanna 43 July 2010 Timeline in Lebanon Saadah 45 Animal Rights in the Middle East 32 Is intelligence a single entity independent from the brain? by Antoine Boutros 47 Real estate index in Lebanon- July 2010 33 Nicotine teases and entices the adolescent brain by Dr. Samar Zebian 48 Food Price Index - July 2010 34 The Monthly interviews ambassador of the 50 Cinemas worldwide Islamic Republic of Pakistan Raana Rahim 50 Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport - 36 Popular culture July 2010 37 Myth #37: Beginning of Shi’ism between 51 Lebanon stats Lebanon and Iran 38 Must-read books: “Return of the Bird to the Sea” 39 Must-read children’s book:“Mo’nes’ Colors” 40 Lebanon Families: Chiha Families 41 Discover Lebanon: Houch Al-Harimeh Editorialﹺ | 3 THE OPPRESSIVE, THE MARGINALIZED AND THE MISSING THIRD * One can safely argue that the Lebanese society, in the A $20 billion in bank deposits that aftermath of the civil war, has been heading toward are attributed by 0.5% of depositors a two-society segmentation: the oppressive “elite”, (2002 statistics). comprised mainly of warlords, merchants and bankers; A $450 million only paid in corporate and the marginalized, representing over 95% of the taxes. population. A $8.2 billion banking sector profit over the past 12 years Laws are made and broken for the sole purpose of A $410 million tax on the bank interest serving the first category, while the second category A $2.1 billion spent on people who were not displaced is left with unemployment, emigration, poverty and or displaced who did not return. crime. The majority of those are destined (every decade or so) for chaos and sectarian and tribal feuds. Recent One can further argue that both groups often intersect Information International polls show that the Lebanese and sometimes certain mobility is allowed or gained. The are split around sectarian lines on issues such as UN oppressive “elite” often plays the role of the marginalized, Resolution 1559, support for this Zai’m and that Zai’m. in its attempt to explain its failure to administer the In addition, the poll seemed to indicate that allegiances country. On the other hand, the marginalized can also are forgotten as quick as they are made. Respondents’ become aggressive and oppressive by infringing on answers (most of the time) varied, not according to age, public property or refusing to pay water and electric bills gender, education, or income, but rather to which sect to a state it feels it does not belong to. The hypothesis, they were born into. however, is not complete without a third missing segment that is neither oppressive, nor marginalized. This is The Lebanese tend to forget that the second and largest made up of independent individuals that come from all group (the marginalized) is made up of all the sects and sections of society. Should these individuals continue to has a common destiny: fail to work together, they will eventually dissolve into A More than 500,000 immigrants in 20 years. one or the other category. It is high time for the Missing A $10,000 is each individual’s share of the public debt Third to unite. by the end of the year 2009. A More than 250,000 are unemployed. A 25,000 university graduates and citizens are looking *An Nahar newspaper published this piece on 3 August for jobs each year. 2002. The Monthly chose to re-publish it in its issue A 500 million tranquilizer pills are consumed number 32 of February 2005. The situation since then has annually. grown worse. The Monthly republishes it again and the A 700 homicides took place in 2009. figures have been updated with the year 2009 as a basis. A LBP 620 billion was the deficit of the NSSF Sickness, Maternity and Family Compensation Funds in 2009, funds that all of the Lebanese benefit from. The oppressive “elite” share the following spoils: A 3.5 million m2 of illegal coastal property. A 5.2 million tons of fuel that is imported exclusively by a cartel setup, in violation of existing laws. A $43.7 billion in interest on the public debt since 1993 until the end of 2009 (attributed to few hundred individuals). issue 98 - September 2010 4 | Leader The Ministry of Social Affairs and its beneficiaries THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND ITS BENEFICIARIES he ministry was established in the first years following independence, but was either part of the Ministry of Public THealth or the Ministry of Labor. It was only in 1993 that it became a separate entity. Establishment The Ministry of Social Affairs was first created by Riad el-Solh during Bechara el-Khouri’s presidency in January 14, 1946. Kamal Jumblat was appointed Minister of Social Affairs (as well as Minister of Agriculture). The ministry was absent from the following four governments but returned during Abdullah al-Yafi’s tenure as Prime Minister to President Khouri in 1951. A law issued on June 5, 1958 named the Ministry of Social Affairs “the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs”. On October 7, 1959, former Minister Maurice Zwein was appointed the first Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Rachid Karami’s government under President Fouad Chehab. Legislative decree #155, issued on June 12, 1959, AiAiddiinng fammililies in Jully WaWar 202 066 created the Authority of Social Welfare. Legislative ININMAA decree # 91, issued on November 3, 1983, amended the name of Ministry of Public Health to “Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs”, and the Authority of Social A To draft a social development plan for the country Welfare turned into the Directorate General of Social and supervise its implementation. Affairs. In the government formed on April 30, 1984 A To execute social projects undertaken solely by the by Rachid Karami during Amine Gemayel’s presidency, state. Pierre Gemayel was named Minister of Social Affairs. A To offer aid for ongoing social projects and to Later governments named a Minister of Social Affairs contribute to the realization of new social projects until the government formed by Solh during Elias based on the principles and systems set in place by Hraoui’s presidency on May 16, 1992 adopted the the ministry. previous name, “Ministry of Public Health and Social A To care for the affairs of the disabled and related Affairs”, and named Marwan Hamadeh its Minister. establishments. Law 212, issued on April 2, 1994, amended the name of A To handle the social outcomes of the war, including the Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs to the providing social care for the families of victims, Ministry of Public Health and introduced the Ministry injured or disabled. of Social Affairs. It separated the Directorate General of A To care for the affairs of orphans and orphanages. Social Affairs, including its equipments and personnel, A To care for family affairs. from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs, A To care for the affairs of juvenile delinquents and transforming it into a separate ministry. prisoners by allowing them to participate and develop skills in crafts, especially rural ones. Tasks A To monitor demographic movements and underlying The law specifies many tasks ranging from social causes, organize state efforts in coordination with development planning to offering care for orphans and civil society. the underprivileged. Because of a specified budget and A To provide emergency response care in the form of its administrative structure, the ministry is capable of social aid and relief. performing only a small part of these tasks. The law A To create social rehabilitation and training programs specifies the following tasks: and to supervise their implementation. issue 98 - published by Information International s.a.l. The Ministry of Social Affairs and its beneficiaries Leader | 5 A To propose awarding social establishments and Directorate of Social Development charities the trait of public utility and to supervise A Authority of Social Development: Department of their commitment to it. Volunteer Work - Department of Rural Development A To participate, on all levels, in the organization of – Department of Urban Development. campaigns to combat addiction. A To offer social welfare to the families of martyrs A Authority of Crafts and Handicrafts: Department who died in Israeli attacks and detainees in enemy of Crafts Development – Sales Department. prisons. A Authority of Development Services: Department The Ministry of Social Affairs monitors the services of Equipping and Workers’ Affairs – Department of of non-profit social institutions, including retirement Center Affairs.