This is apropos a letter to the Editor titled “Lebanon’s tragedy” carried by the newspaper on Monday. The writer, Murat Tinas from Lebanon’s capital, has presented the plight of his country and its people in a highly effective and meaningful manner. That the Lebanese have suffered too much and for too long is a fact; the protracted civil war that began in the 1975 and continued for a quarter of century is a strong case in point. Nearly 230,000 people died, and over a million had to leave their homes.
In my view, however, both Israel and Iran have immensely contributed to the suffering of the people of Lebanon-Arabs and non-Arabs alike.
The Arab sheikhdoms of the Arabian Peninsula too have shown no empathy to the distress and agony of the people of Lebanon; in fact, their approach to this highly important country of the Levant has been characterized by a certain degree of hostility, if not outright animosity, to say the least. Great Lebanese author and diplomat George Antonius in his seminal work “The Arab Awakening” had viewed Lebanon as an integral part of the broader Arab social, cultural and political movement.
Needless to say, he had backed his thoughts with strong argumentation and historical facts. Unfortunately, however, the rulers of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and even Syria still consider Lebanon as an isolated entity.
Saleh al-Jubairi (Damascus)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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