“لكم لبنانكم”..من يخاطب جبران في النص؟

“Your Lebanon”.. Who is Gibran addressing in the text? Who has turned Lebanon into a battleground of sectarian, religious, and political conflicts? Lebanon is an Arab country in the Middle East in Western Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, the occupied Palestine-Israel to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It is a communal state of a democratic republic. The majority of the population are Arab Muslims and Christians. Unlike most Arab countries, there is an active presence of Christians in public and political life. Due to its central location between Northern Europe, Southern Arabia, Eastern Asia, and Western Africa, Lebanon has faced many civilizations that have passed through or occupied its land since ancient times. The Phoenicians settled what is now known as Lebanon with a part of Syria and Palestine, and these Semites made maritime navigation and trade their profession, and their civilization flourished approximately 2500 years ago. Throughout the ancient times, different civilizations and peoples have passed through Lebanon since the Phoenician times, including the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and the French. Lebanon’s mountainous and fortified nature, like most of the Levantine mountains, has always been a refuge for the oppressed in the region since ancient times, while at the same time its climate and natural beauty that attracts tourists from neighboring countries who love their vibrant economies even in the darkest crises, and their economies rely on tourism, banking services, which together represent more than 65% of the total GDP.