Appreciate the sentiment. Yesterday's events were absolutely revolting, disgusting...
You have committed several factual errors, however.
Palestinian refugees arrived in 1948 and not in the 70s as you state, they had absolutely no effect on the sectarian make-up of the country as they were and still are excluded from all kinds of government services, statistics and citizen rights.
Lebanon has never had an official census. The population has never been either overwhelmingly Christian or Muslim. It has been a hotly debated issue whether the Christians of Lebanon were ever a majority in the country. Today it is estimated that the population is 60/40 Muslim/Christian.
The head of state, i.e. president, in Lebanon is not as you state a Muslim but remains a Maronite Christian. The speaker of parliament is a Shia Muslim and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, the army commander a Maronite Christian, the army chief of staff a Druze. All other positions in government are allotted on a sectarian quota basis.
It's a shame that Lebanon and the Lebanese are being treated like a football in this regional power struggle.
Appreciate the sentiment. Yesterday's events were absolutely revolting, disgusting...
You have committed several factual errors, however.
Palestinian refugees arrived in 1948 and not in the 70s as you state, they had absolutely no effect on the sectarian make-up of the country as they were and still are excluded from all kinds of government services, statistics and citizen rights.
Lebanon has never had an official census. The population has never been either overwhelmingly Christian or Muslim. It has been a hotly debated issue whether the Christians of Lebanon were ever a majority in the country. Today it is estimated that the population is 60/40 Muslim/Christian.
The head of state, i.e. president, in Lebanon is not as you state a Muslim but remains a Maronite Christian. The speaker of parliament is a Shia Muslim and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, the army commander a Maronite Christian, the army chief of staff a Druze. All other positions in government are allotted on a sectarian quota basis.
It's a shame that Lebanon and the Lebanese are being treated like a football in this regional power struggle.