Religious fervor and the future of Lebanon

A blessing because the liberal Lebanese value the diversity of sects and appreciate the cultural flavors it adds to the society. They see it as an opportunity to influence and be influenced by others on an intellectual, social, cultural and even educational level. They cherish this engagement and try to promote it whenever they talk about Lebanon. They accept it as a fundamental aspect of Lebanese society and very rarely (if ever) this diversity, negatively influences our choices of friends, life partners, lovers and other aspects of our daily lives.

The liberals consist of a small portion of the Lebanese, most of them are very well educated, some living abroad, others fighting hard to abolish sectarianism, to legalize civil marriage (as opposed to religious marriages), to promote and defend human rights etc… (among many other social and humanitarian causes).

For More: http://ziadabdelnour.org/religious-fervor-and-the-future-of-lebanon/

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What To Do With Lebanon?

It is a fact to everybody today that Lebanon’s situation been teetering close to the breaking point. Unless Assad is dealt with once and for all, Lebanon’s political and security institutions, its economy and its social fabric will without a doubt disintegrate into oblivion.

While the country’s main parties have joined a national unity government, the latter has still declared an official policy of neutrality and disengagement toward the Syrian conflict, which frankly doesn’t change a thing. Hezbollah is today more than ever fully engaged in the fight alongside the Assad regime and this has created space for the rise of more radical groups that want to challenge Hezbollah directly such as the movement of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, the Abdullah Azzam brigades, Jubhat al Nusra and other al-Qaeda linked groups.

For More: http://ziadabdelnour.org/what-to-do-with-lebanon/

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Don't Demonize Arabs – Do Business With Them

These pro-American, pro-business Arabs want what we all want – the respect of the world. And what better way to confer respect than to do business with them, trade with them and give them a seat at the table of international economic power. That the G-8 has not a single Middle Eastern country included in its ranks, but has Russia as a member, can only be construed as an insult to the people of that region.

American businessmen should not hesitate to seek out business opportunities in the Middle East. My firm, Blackhawk Partners, was recently retained to act as financial adviser in a $300 million recapitalization of the biggest – and sole – water-bottling facility in Iraq. The company is run by Americans and has quickly become a dominant player in the market, well-positioned to become the largest producer of water in the Middle East.

For More: http://www.wnd.com/2009/01/86536/

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From Lebanese- American Financiers, Differing Views on the Strife

Mr. Abdelnour has made his views public. He is a board member and a financial contributor to the Middle East Forum, a conservative research center that says its goal is to promote American interests in the region.

“Let’s get rid of this cancer,” Mr. Ziad Abdelnour said one day last week, referring to Hezbollah’s entrenched position in southern Lebanon. Over coffee, he referred to the recent carnage as a sort of medical operation. “Let’s finish the job,’’ he said, using his hands to simulate the opening up of his chest.

Mr. Abdelnour, who now runs a series of funds that make private-equity investments in security and technology companies, calls himself a neoconservative. In 2000, he was an author of a policy paper advocating the removal of the Syrians from Lebanon that was endorsed by a number of people with close ties to Bush advisers, including Richard N. Perle, a Reagan administration assistant secretary of defense; Douglas J. Feith, one of the architects of the plan to invade Iraq; and David Wurmser, adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney on the Middle East.

For More: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/business/worldbusiness/01wall.html?ex=1312084800&en=1e1b953763894507&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&_r=2&

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The Single Greatest Problem Facing Lebanon Today

Lebanon has been a hard country to understand since the outbreak of its fifteen-year conflict in 1975. Was that a civil war or an international one? Who were the protagonists, the Left and Right, the Christians and Muslims, or some other parties? The debate continues today.

To understand the nuances of today’s Lebanon means looking critically at several key issues, including Syria and Hezbollah’s heavy influence over that tiny country, civil society, and the religious communities. From this we can draw conclusions about the future and about U.S. policy.

Syria & Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanon

For More:The Single Greatest Problem Facing Lebanon Today

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Start Up Ecosystem In Lebanon

I recently attended the First Lebanese Startups Conference in New York City and I was frankly pleasantly surprised by the top caliber of speakers and the spirit of Lebanese entrepreneurship.

30 speakers, 25 startups, 50 investors and 250 entrepreneurs and professionals at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. A real inspiring event to be remembered.

Beirut is clearly rapidly shaping up to be a powerhouse for startups in the Middle East. It has many of the key elements: A highly entrepreneurial culture; incubators and accelerators; venture capital; and access to growth funding. In part because it is the most liberal state in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, and has a western-style banking system bequeathed to it by the French a long time ago, Lebanon is uniquely poised to generate startups which aim both at the Arab world and the wider world at large.

For More: Start Up Ecosystem In Lebanon

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