Lebanese nationalism is a nationalist ideology that believes that the Lebanese people are a separate nation independent of the Arab world . Proponents of this theory claim that Lebanese are direct descendants of the Phoenicians.
This ideology is rooted in the 19th century, during the religious wars between the Maronites and the Druzes in the Lebanese mountains. he took its formalized form during the interwar period and the French mandate of Syria, when it served mainly as a means against Arab nationalism and in substantiating the existence of the nascent country of Lebanon .
During the 20th century and the Lebanese Civil War , Lebanese nationalism was associated with the right - wing parties of the Lebanese Front ( Charles Malik ): Kataib ( Pierre Jmayel , Bashir Jmayel , Amin Jmayel ), Lebanese Forces ( Samir Jaadjaa ), Tanzim ( Georges Aduan ), National Liberal Party ( Camille Chamoun ), Cedar Guardians ( Etienne Sacker ), Lebanese Renewal Party (poet and philosopher Said Ackl ).
Lebanese nationalism goes even further and includes irredentist views that go beyond the borders with Lebanon, seeking to unite all the lands of ancient Phenicia to this day Lebanon [1] . This is due to the fact that today Lebanon, the Mediterranean coast of Syria, and the north of Israel is an area that roughly corresponds to the ancient Phenicia and as a result, most Lebanese people identify themselves as part of the ancient Phoenician population of this region [2] . Thus, the proposed greater Lebanese country includes Lebanon, the Mediterranean coast of Syria and northern Israel.
The cultural and linguistic heritage of the people of Lebanon is a mixture of both elements of the indigenous and foreign cultures that came to rule the land and its people for a thousand years. In a 2013 interview with a leading researcher, Pierre Zalou, it was noted that genetic differences were preceded by religious differences and disagreements: “Lebanon already had well-differentiated communities with their genetic characteristics, but no significant differences, and religions, like layers of paint on top. There is no clear picture, which shows that one community is much more Phoenician than the other. [3] "
Notes
- ↑ Reviving Phoenicia: The Search for Identity in Lebanon By Asher Kaufman
- ↑ Kamal S. Salibi, “The Lebanese Identity” Journal of Contemporary History 6.1, Nationalism and Separatism (1971: 76-86).
- ↑ Maroon, Habib A geneticist with a unifying message unopened . Nature (March 31, 2013). Date of treatment October 3, 2013.