lebanese family club

A Land of welcome
C o m m e n t i n g o n t h e h i s t o r i c a l r o l e a n d t h e n a t u r e o f i t s c h a r a c t e r, t h e h i s t o r i a n J a w a d B o u l o s s a y s “ L i k e a l l t h e c o u n t r i e s
o f t h e e a s t , L e b a n o n i n t h e c o u r s e o f t h e p a s t c e n t u r i e s h a s c o n t i n u a l l y c h a n g e d i t s r e l i g i o n , i t s n a m e , i t s l a n g u a g e
w i t h o u t e v e r l o s i n g i t s p e c u l i a r p e r s o n a l i t y, c h a r a c t e r o r d e s t i n y. I n r e c e n t y e a r s , j u s t a s i n t h e p a s t d u r i n g i n t e r m i t t e n t
a n d e x c e p t i o n a l p e r i o d s o f i t s h i s t o r y w h e n i t s u f f e r e d p e r s e c u t i o n b y d i f f e r e n t p e o p l e s , r a c e s a n d r e l i g i o n s , i t s o u g h t a n d
f o u n d i n t h e s h a d o w o f i t s f r i e n d l y m o u n t a i n s a n d i n t h e m i d s t o f i t s w e l c o m i n g p e o p l e s , a c l i m a t e f a v o r a b l e f o r t h e
d e v e l o p m e n t o f i t s s o c i a l , r e l i g i o u s a n d l i b e r a l i d e a l s ” . I t s p r e s e n t s t a t e i s t h e r e s u l t n o t t h e c a u s e o f t h e e x i s t e n c e o f
t h i s p a r t i c u l a r r o l e w h i c h i t h a s t o p l a y. J u s t a s t h e p a s t p o i n t s t o w a r d s t h e f u t u r e , L e b a n o n w i l l c o n t i n u e , i n a l l
probability, in other formats, even with other faiths or languages, its traditional and timeless destiny.
In fact, Lebanon possesses a very unique appearance. In a sense it leads one to think, to love, to believe, that there is
nothing quite like it in the East. Above all, it is the land of welcome. Its mountains and valleys, so difficult to access,
were always a refuge for ethnic groups, who were being persecuted for political or religious reasons in other parts of
t h e w o r l d . W h a t r e m a i n s w i t h a s t r a n g e r w h o h a s v i s i t e d L e b a n o n i s a l a s t i n g i m p r e s s i o n o f L e b a n e s e h o s p i t a l i t y. I n t h i s
c o u n t r y t h e s t r a n g e r i s i m m e d i a t e l y e m b r a c e d i n a n a t m o s p h e r e o f h u m a n w a r m t h , s o m e t h i n g t h a t i s n o t c o m m o n i n o t h e r
p l a c e s . L e b a n o n i s u n l i k e t h e o t h e r g r e a t c i t i e s o f t h e e a s t a n d w e s t w h e r e p e o p l e m e e t a n d p a s s , i n d i f f e r e n t t o e a c h o t h e r,
a n d w h e r e t h e i n d i v i d u a l i s n o t h i n g m o r e t h a n a n u n k n o w n c i p h e r i n a t h e m i d s t o f a n a n o n y m o u s c r o w d .