Comments on: Expats, Immigrants, Descendants, Sectarianism And The Vote

By: Fadi Abboud

Fadi Abboud — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:28:02 +0000

Let me clarify, the person much hold a Lebanese Citizenship, its not enough to just be of Lebanese decent.

By: Inamyat

Inamyat — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:37:22 +0000

That is a very good example Ghassan.

Fadi, if say you have a Brazillian or an American whos ancestors by chance left Mount Lebanon in the Ottoman Empire 200 years ago,he has no Lebanese citizenship and knows nothing about Lebanon, should he be given a say in how Lebanon is run? Perhaps an Aussie should vote in Brittain in that case, those who hold an intrest in their home land, are likely to have a Lebanese passport and are able to vote anyway.

By: Fadi Abboud

Fadi Abboud — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:38:18 +0000

If a Lebanese Person living outside of Lebanon, no matter for how may generations, wants to vote, they should have every right to do so. Obviously if a person who was born outside of Lebanon cares enough to go out of their way and vote, then they also care about the politics of Lebanon. I doubt a person like Salma Hayek would cast a vote, even if she could.

By: Ghassan Karam

Ghassan Karam — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:33:14 +0000

Inamyat,
I obviously agree with you. For a moment I was about to include the reference to Africa but then I did not. That is an excellent example of how silly that idea of offering citizenship to all that are of a Lebanese origin. Another good example would be to have most of the US citizens, Australians, Canadians etc… vote in the UK.

By: Inamyat

Inamyat — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:29:17 +0000

I believe that a good indicator for weather an expatriot can vote is weather he has a Lebanese passport, many of those whos ancestors left long ago don’t and are virtually only Lebanese by family tree, those who keep their passports cleary hold intrest in Lebanon and it’s welfare and deserve the right to vote. Giving citizenship to those whos ancestors left Lebanon 200 of so years ago is ubsurd, it is like giving us all the right to vote in Africa or the Garden of Eden, or wherever humans originated from.

By: Ghassan Karam

Ghassan Karam — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:18:13 +0000

Walid,
Radical change will not happen by itself. It is the duty of each of us to lobby for it and to act as a catalyst. All our efforts might not bear fruits during our life time but at least we would have done the right thing and prepared the path for the future generations. This discussion must start at some point in time and I am convinced that no time is better than the present.

Rafik,
Your point about the major contributions of the expats and immigrants is one point that no one will ever deny. Lebanon will be a basket case without the annual remittances from its expats. They are responsible for over 25% of the GDP.
Yet not all descendants should get the right to vote. In most countries the expats are a tiny proportion of the population but in Lebanon if one is to offer citizenship and the right to vote to all Lebanese descendants then the ones living abrod will outnumber the ones in Lebanon by a factor of three. Also remember that the US citizens who live abroad and vote must pay every year income taxes on their earnings irrespective of the country of origin. So the right to vote comes with a lot of responsibility and is very costly to the individuals. In the case of Israel not everyone can vote. One must be a citizen who is living in Israel. As for Armenia, as I had mentioned earlier no external votes whatsoever are permitted.

I am sure that all Lebanese value your contributions but a line must be drawn somewhere and I think that the first generation immigrants with a time limit on nonresidency is appropriate.

By: RAFIK

RAFIK — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:57:53 +0000

DEAR LEBANESE PEOPLE,I LEFT LEBANON OVER40 YEARS AGO TO STUDY AND I TRIED TO GO BACK IN1975 BUT THE WAR WENT ON FOREVER I COULD NOT DO ANY BUSINESS,I STILL VISIT LEBANON I HAVE A HOUSE AND PROPERTIES AND ONE OF MY CHILDREN IS A STUDENT IN A UNIVERSITY.MY POINT IS THE MIND SET IN LEBANON IS GETTING VERY SECTARIAN REMOVING IT WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE THE EXPAT. ARE MORE EDUCATED ,SUCSESSFUL BUSINESSPEOPLE THAT HAVE OUTGROWN, THIS RELIGION IS BETTER THEN THAT CAUSE GOD NEVER SAID THAT AND THE REASON IS JEWS THINK THEY ARE GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE AND JERUSALEM BELONGS TO THEM THINK WHO WROTE THE TORAH OF COURSE JEWS ,WILL THEY GIVE THE HONOR TO AN OTHER NATION ,OF COURSE NO,SEE WHAT KIND OF MISERY HAS BEEN PERPETRATED SINCE 1948,BUT ONTHE OTHER END INFLUXE OF JEWS FROM EUROPE AND ALL OVER THE WORLD MADE ISRAEL A VERY PROGRESSIVE STATE ALSO OPEN DOOR POLICY FOR CITIZENSHIP ELIGIBILITY MADE ISRAEL A VERY RICH COUNTRY IMAGINE ALL THAT EDUCATED HIGH TECH BRAIN , MONEY INFLUX, WHY CAN WE NOT DO THE SAME THING AND GET THE EXPATS INVOLVED AGAIN WITH NEW THINKING MONEY NEW BUSINESS VENTURES AND ELEVATE THE LOT OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL THUS MAKING US LESS SUSEPTIBLE TO BLAME OTHER RELIGIONS FOR OUR MISERY NOR WANTING FOR A HAND OUT FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY SO WE DO NOT NEED TO BEAT THEIR DRUMS,CAUSE WE ARE FINANCIALLY SECURE THUS A STRONG COUNTRY WITH SECURITY FOR EVERYBODY THROUGH GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS. SO GO THINK ABOUT IT IF IT IS GOOD IDEA TO WIN THEM OVER AND GETTING THEM INVOLVED SO LOTS OF US WILL RETURN WITH NEW MIND SET EDUCATED NONSECTARIAN FINANCIALLT HELPING THR-E COUNTRY TO GROW,WOULD IT NOT BE A WONDERFUL THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO LEBANON. SO LET’S THINK POSITIVE ENOUGH OF NEGATIVISM. ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS PLEASE!

By: Walid Khouri

Walid Khouri — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:51:18 +0000

Before the civil war, during the elections, we were making the trek back from our northern village, after voting. We stopped to buy some produce from a young farmer. My grandfather asked him if you could vote, whom would you vote for? He managed to pick all Shiite candidates from different opposing lists, ignoring the rule. Although, I dream of the day when religion and state are no longer “courting”, the reality of Lebanon is that religion does matter and the one man one vote, whether we like it or not, will elect a Shiite president at every juncture. Until such time, where sectarian religious divide is no longer in our hearts, I think all this is premature. I think best we elect a list representing all, including the minorities, and power shared by rotating the offices accordingly. I would love to see a Druze official become President, and a Catholic Christian becomes Lebanon’s Prime Minister, an Orthodox Christian speaker of the house, and a Moslem head the LAFs. What a glorious day it would be.

By: George Haddad

George Haddad — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:56:29 +0000

I believe Mr. Berri initiative to allow 18 yrs old to vote is a ploy to increase the Shiite voting power. Its fine as long as he’s okay with those Lebanese who live overseas and currently hold Lebanese citizen be allowed to vote at their embassies/consulate in their local areas. But i hear Mr. Berri is against it why?
does he like to Give Syrians citizens so they can vote for him and his allies? why is he acting if he controls everything? he wants everything for him? This is not what Imam Mussa Al Sadr stood for? he was a fair leader and looked for all Lebanese not his own sects only. Its a ploy to be controlled by Hizzballah and Amal and since the Shiite are the majority in Lebanon then they can easily win any elections. No i dont agree allowing citizens who were born overseas to be granted citizenship until they prove they have Lebanese origin and it slow going process basically. But Lebanese abroad should be allowed to Vote so we don’t have to travel there to vote. Its seems Hizballah and Amal want to control Lebanon at whatever cost. What a pity for other Lebanese and even shiites..

By: Dalal

Dalal — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:20:16 +0000

Ohh and who do you trust counting the votes anyway..what a joke!!