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What does it mean to be Lebanese today? If you ask any Lebanese this question, they will most probably give you an answer about the country’s beautiful landscape, geography and cuisine. I remember a conversation I had a few years back with some Lebanese and other nationals who knew the country well. They all described the country with the famous: “Lebanon is a beautiful country, where you can ski in the mountains in the morning and enjoy the beach in the afternoon.” This always precedes a long discussion about the Lebanese way of life of enjoying good food, entertainment and all the pleasures life can offer.
I admit to ruining the general positive mood by cutting it short and saying: “Lebanon is none of that; it is a country where you can spend a day enjoying life but then get threatened and scolded at night by Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah pointing fingers on television. It is a country living under the illusion of freedom when it is a ruthless dictatorship.”
But the question remains, what does it mean to be Lebanese? Are Lebanese Arabs? Are Lebanese Mediterranean? Today one might even ask if Lebanese are Persians. What is Lebanon? What does it represent as a country? It seems that, since its creation, Lebanon has been stuck fighting the causes of others (and being paid for it), whether that is a colonial power’s interests, an Arab cause or today’s Iranian plan for expansion. The country has never stood for itself, its own sovereignty and the good of its entire population. In a region of conflicts and larger stakeholders, we have always been a small boat adjusting its sails to move with the flow, which is smart. Unfortunately, the boat has had more captains than sailors, leading to more infighting.
Lebanon’s recent history has left it without a single day of rest or stability. The civil war, bombardments, military confrontations, assassinations and large explosions have followed financial crises and social explosions. All these events seem to have introduced to the Lebanese DNA the capacity to rebuild without questions; this might even date from our ancestors. We seem to have the will to go on living and enjoying the small pleasures in life, even though the country seems to be on the verge of collapse, as well as the capacity to accept or ignore the contradictions and be able to live another day. To be Lebanese, you need more than a will of steel; you need to have a split personality.
This question might seem futile as the country is once again collapsing on all levels and — for the first time and despite the voices calling for change — the will seems to be dying. But I ask the question because we cannot move on and build unless we know who we are and accept that the country is in crisis. We cannot build a country if we do not decide on a master plan. To this day, the Lebanese have always rebuilt the broken pieces of their buildings, but never their country.
I do not have a straight answer to this question. As a Lebanese emigrant who never set foot in the country after leaving it as a newborn, my view of Lebanon is biased and too idealistic. It is a collection of bits and pieces of stories from all sides. However, I would say it is a country of travelers, discoverers, creators and savvy traders. In fact, to this day we are no different than the Phoenicians. Regardless of our religion or ethnicity, we are the same. Just point a finger anywhere on a world map and you will find a successfully integrated and loyal Lebanese community. The Americas, Europe, Africa, the Gulf and even Asia, Lebanese are everywhere and, more often than not, are well established and net positive contributors to their adopted communities. But, when we go back to Lebanon, we become cannibals. The ruthlessness of the country’s leaders and the interests of an invading power force this dishonest behavior to survive. The many captains in our sailboat are in fact all usurpers that leave their crew starving.
In fact, a country of creators and travelers can only be a free and independent country. The freedoms of speech and belief need to be at the core of its principles, along with the rule of law, free enterprise, inclusivity, and innovation. This means that, to build a prosperous Lebanon that can reach its full potential and empower its citizens, it needs to be rebuilt: Not its buildings, but its institutions.
Lebanon also needs to stay aware of its environment and to navigate properly; it needs to understand how the region’s winds and waves move. It needs to respect all its neighbors and understand that freedom of speech will have limits when it comes to regional affairs. The country cannot be a platform to attack any of its bigger neighbors, Iran and Syria included. Lebanese are good fighters in the most literal sense of the term, but it is high time we only fought for Lebanon. This means that neutrality also needs to be at the core of the country’s principles.

To this day, the Lebanese have always rebuilt the broken pieces of their buildings, but never their country.

Khaled Abou Zahr

It is, therefore, urgent that the opposition and protesters morph into a unified political movement that protects these principles and fights for these virtues. All minorities need to be included in this process. Lebanon needs a movement that promotes free will and justice and fights against the demagoguery and intolerance of the current political leaders. As difficult as this task seems, resilience, consistency and focus will prevail over any proxy and its associates.
The enemies of a free Lebanon are well known: Extremist religious and leftist movements that use the fight for equality and inclusion as a tool for ruling and imposing their own private interests. They all go against the nature of what it is to be Lebanese and free. It is time to empower the country to sail toward prosperity and success. For lack of sailing advice, I would conclude by saying beware of the equivalent of the line in George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm” that states: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

• Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.