Business
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Lebanon has two strong neighbors, Syria and Israel. Although the Maronite Christians are a minority, they have traditionally governed the country that was declared a French mandate in 1920, was granted formal independence on November 26, 1941, and gained complete autonomy with the reinstatement of its Lebanese officeholders on November 22, 1943. Since then, the 22nd of November has been its national day. Lebanon threatened to break apart because of a civil war that broke out between Muslims and Christians in 1975.
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Culture
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
No matter which Arab country you happen to visit, there is no avoiding the dark and powerful voice of Fairuz.
Whether sitting in a bus or being more or less forced to listen to a neighbor’s radio, the Lebanese diva with the golden throat, who is now 73, sweetens every Arab morning, singing full of passion and romantic about the beauty of her homeland, celebrating the holy city of Jerusalem or remembering wistfully life in the countryside. Her mixture of European rhythms and traditional Arab music culture delights and inspires millions of Arabs – be they Moslem, Christian or Druze; be they Palestinian, people in the Gulf Sates or Moroccans.
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Tourism
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Slowly but surely Lebanon is establishing itself once again as the Mecca and playground of the Middle East. Today, visitors can enjoy spectacular sightseeing dating from the time of the Crusaders and Romans, the world renowned Lebanese cuisine and the charm and courtesy of its people. I am not going to dwell on the more recent problems that have certainly taken its toll on the population as a whole.
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Corps Diplomatique
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Lebanon is regarded as the gateway between the Orient and the Occident. Numerous cultures have left their legacy there on the eastern rim of the Mediterranean, while others have spread out into the world from there. As a meeting point for cultures and religions, this land known as the Switzerland of the Middle East gained the reputation of being very liberal, which has always made it attractive to artists and merchants. The balance of power of the religious factions anchored in the constitution provides stability. But the country had recently become the pawn of vested interests involved in the Middle East conflict so that news of war and civil unrest were dominant. Lebanon has now found its way back to the stability it once enjoyed with the latest presidential and parliamentary elections. ARAB FORUM spoke with H. E. Ramez Dimechkié, Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic in Berlin, about the future of his country. more...
Window on Europe
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Interview mit dem Arab German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Thomas Bach, president of the Ghorfa Arab German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The economic crisis has had only relatively little affect on the Arab countries. Their economic power, especially that of the oil and gas producing countries, has even had a stabilizing effect. ARAB FORUM was able to speak with the president of the Ghorfa Arab German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Thomas Bach, and ask some questions about the future of German-Arab economic relations, including Iraq’s potential and educational training as an export article.
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