Arab streets seem destined to collide again in Lebanon
Christopher Hitchens remarks on the stark differences between two recent, large public gatherings in Lebanon–the free and open-minded annual commemoration of Raif Hariri’s assassination in Beruit proper and the grim, fascist death seance at a Hezbollah rally:
The contrast between the two rallies could not have been greater. Try picturing a Shiite-Muslim mega-church in a huge downtown tent, with separate entrances for men and women and separate seating (with the women all covered in black). A huge poster of a nuclear mushroom cloud surmounts the scene, with the inscription oh zionists, if you want this type of war then so be it! During the warm-up, an onstage Muslim Milli Vanilli orchestra and choir lip-synchs badly to a repetitive, robotic music video that shows lurid scenes of martyrdom and warfare. There is keening and wailing, while the aisles are patrolled by gray-uniformed male stewards and black-chador’d crones. Key words keep repeating themselves with thumping effect: shahid (martyr), jihad (holy war), yehud (Jew). In the special section for guests there sits a group of uniformed and be-medaled officials representing the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Hitchens also alludes to the next (inevitable) war in the region, between Israel and the Iran / Hezbollah / Hamas / Syria / Venezuela / Cuba / Russian axis. You know it’s coming.
Related posts: