Please do some reading about violence in Lebanon during the 1980s. What were the origins of the conflict? What happened between 1982 and 1988? How does Hanan al-Shaykh attempt to unpack this conflict in The Story of Zahra and how is it tied to the protagonist and the trauma of her life? Please post a 400- to 600-word response here, along with a list of whatever online resources you accessed to read about this issue. This post is due on Monday, April 18th.
after looking at the history of lebanon i have realized that its history is actually very tragic. it never truly has a chance to form itself into an independent nation, since it gained independence in 1946 it has been plagued by constant conflicts. the lebanese civil war itself has been questioned over what really triggered the conflict. it is in these circumstances that one could believe lebanon had been cursed from the start.
ReplyDeletethe story of zahra like that of lebanon is a tragic tale. the similarities between zahra and that of lebanon are all too similar. it causes me to believe that hanan al-shayk is attempting to use the story of zahra to represent lebanon and its struggles and tragedy by revealing it through that of a woman whom has been brought into the world in strife. the lebanese civil war witch lasted until the 80s had an unclear reason into what triggered the conflict. much like that of zahra does zahra enter the narrative with no reason into why she is treated like so. much like lebanon does zahra have promise when she is young for a future far greater than the one she irrevocably enters. like the story of lebanon zahra is betrayed, raped and hurt by those around her. syria the neighboring country has on more than once attempted and in some cases invaded lebanon, destroying the forests and taking control of the land.
the reasons for al-shayk to present us with this view of zahra as an allegory for lebanon is an attempt to feel compassion for the unheard country. by personifying this nation as a woman who is daily oppressed and with no hope of salvation the reader themselves feels a strong sense of compassion towards the plight of lebanon. i believe that al-shayk is attempting to show the sporadic and unforgiving and at times haunting effects conflict has on a nation. zahra portrays all of this and shows the feeble and helplessness that one possesses in the face of men and tyranny.
i feel that portraying lebanon as a woman rather than a man also presents us with another message. that it is possible to believe al-shayk feels the cause of pain towards lebanon has been inflicted through the world of men. of how a nation is defenseless to the never ending oppression that the male psyche brings with it. to look at this further it could also have an underlying meaning into the role of men and religion, as it is clear that the varying numbers of religions within lebanon thus present a possible cause for conflict. either way the reader looks at the story of lebanon and that of zahra their is no questioning their is an underlying message of tragedy in the fate of a nation once sought for its beuty and to this present day remembered as the nation that has slowly destroyed itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
The Lebanon War lasted about 7 years, from 1982-1988. This was not the only time that Lebanon was plagued with war and suffering however, these years were one of the worst years that the country has ever faced in its history. There were more casualties on the side of Lebanon which included innocent civilians as well than on Israel’s side.
ReplyDeleteThe war was initiated when Israeli forces invaded Southern Lebanon since it is closest to their border. This initiation was sparked by a failed attempt at assassinating one of the Israeli ambassadors in the United Kingdom.
Between 1982 and 1984, a peace treaty was signed but which did not suppress the amount of violence in Lebanon. Even after an intervention by the United States, there was still civil unrest in Lebanon which led to greater destruction of property especially that of the United States. After 1984 to 1989, there was further conflict particularly in the government. There was conflict between the Christians and Muslims which led to a split into East and West Lebanon and the country had no president. During these conflicts there were also a couple of leaders of the Lebanese who were assassinated. This caused more problems in that the Lebanese thought that the war was between Muslims and Christians which made the war more intense with extra enmity towards the Israelis. The end of the war was marked by a peace treaty whose conditions took about two years to fully execute.
The Lebanon war is related to the story of Zahra in that her life is always full of problems and also that she makes the situation worse by feeling sorry for herself i.e. making her life only more difficult. The Lebanon war can be related to Zahra’s life when she went to live with her uncle in Africa and little time surrounding that period. It was the time when Zahra was in her worst situation, either insane or psychologically unstable just like how Lebanon was very unstable at the time.
Another way that Hanan al Shaykh attempts to unpack the conflict in Lebanon is by symbolising all what happens to the country in the character of Zahra, although not completely. The pain, the instability and also fighting within the self were all comprised in both the characters of Zahra as well as of Lebanon. Just like how Lebanon ended up fighting with itself between the years, it was also the time of Zahra’s downfall. Proof in the story that the Lebanese fought between themselves is the character of the sniper. He stood on top of a building and killed his own people including Zahra after he had made her pregnant.
Additionally, the several peace treaties signed and then the failures that came to comply with the conditions can be related to the abortions that Zahra had. A child can be symbolised as a sign of peace however, when Zahra had those abortions, it was like there was another war coming, just like the situation of Lebanon.
These are some of the ways that Hanan al Shaykh attempts to uncover the conflicts of the Lebanon war in A Story of Zahra and how it is tied to the protagonist and the trauma of her life.
http://www.ibtauris.com/Books/Humanities/History/Regional%20%20national%20history/Asian%20history/Middle%20Eastern%20history/Violence%20and%20Diplomacy%20in%20Lebanon%20The%20Troubled%20Years%20198288.aspx?menuitem=%7BF34795C3-7F7F-48A4-B95B-19CE1872D261%7D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lebanon_War
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
It’s a shame that World War II affected this part of the world so badly, despite the fact that it finished many, many years before the 1982 Lebanon war started. When WWII finished, a huge amount of Europe’s Jewish population fled to what was then known as Palestine. As the “Israelis” then took the country and the start of the 1948 Arab-Israel conflict, Lebanon became a new home for more than 110,000 Palestinian refugees. In fact, by 1975 the number of refugees rose up to more than 300,000 Palestinians and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) created an unofficial state-within-a-state. This PLO effort was concentrated mostly in Southern Lebanon, which then had a big role in the Lebanese Civil War. Between 1968 and 1978, there had already been some violence between Israel and Lebanon near to the Lebanese border. In 1982, the Likud-led government of Israel became more aggressive to the Arab world, and in particular Lebanon. On 6 June 1982, Israeli forces invaded Southern Lebanon. The Taif agreement in 1989 marked the beginning of the end of the fighting. In March 1991, the Israeli Lebanese government passes an amnesty law which pardoned all political crimes prior to its beginning. In May 1991, the militias (with the exception of Hezbollah) were dissolved and the Lebanese Armed Forces began to rebuild. There was still occasional violence, however, with a car bombing in December of 1991 killing 30 people (including former Prime Minister Shafik Wazzan).
ReplyDeleteDespite Lebanon’s formation in 1946, it has been constantly haunted by violence and has had not much rest from a long and heavy civil war. It is difficult to say what exactly sparked off the unrest, however some point fingers at Israel and its aggressiveness towards the Arab community.
Much like Lebanon, from the moment of her birth, Zahra was cursed by traumatic experiences. From her mother’s affair to her marriage to Majed, Zahra never had a respite from her experiences. Even after her marriage ended, she continued to have a difficult life. This relates very closely to Lebanon’s history and the way in which the country fell apart during its war years. This can be seen as an allegory apart from one small detail included at the very end of the book: Zahra’s death. It is difficult to see how this could relate towards the Lebanese Civil War, as Lebanon was never destroyed and overrun, in fact the war ended and they were allowed to rebuild themselves. It is true that even in the present day Israelis and Palestinians remain in a state of conflict, however this would be seen as constant suffering and not a final end, as Zahra had. However, at the end of the war Lebanon had a chance to start again; a rebirth. And the way in which the final pages of Zahra are written it could be understood that Zahra took her death as a chance to start again in a new life, much like Lebanon did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lebanon_War
Although the Lebanese war took place from 1982-1988, the roots of the civil war and violence in Lebanon started back in 1975 when a shooting took place. Also, the violence did not end in 1988, it continued until 1991. Of course, there is still violence present in Lebanon today, but the worst of the violence is over. In these sixteen years of civil war, Lebanon lost around seven percent of its population.
ReplyDeleteThere were many causes for the civil war, but one of the greatest factors was that the Lebanon population was (and still is) split between the Muslim and the Christians. Therefore, much of the war was religious related. Essentially, it was part of the ongoing Palestine and Israel conflict. However, this is only what started the violence. There was indecisiveness between the government whether they should use an army to stop the violence or not, and eventually, the time they used in deciding only allowed the violence to grow out even more.
With time, the civil war became international, as other countries started to intervene in hope of stopping the violence. Countries such as Syria and the United States intervened but only caused more violence. The United States was able to minimize the conflict by a period of time, before the violence came back ten fold.
The Story of Zahra by Hanan al-Shaykh is set in the time of the Lebanon civil war. Furthermore, al-Shaykh may be using the main character, Zahra, as an analogy to illustrate what Lebanon went through. We have said many times before that Zahra can be seen as an allegory for Lebanon since she goes through much of what Lebanon went through, such as violence and betrayal. Lebanon experienced violence and no one was there to stop the violence, just as Zahra experienced a series of traumatic events and no one was there to help her through these events, which eventually lead to her mental instability. Also, just as other countries betrayed Lebanon whilst trying to help Lebanon, Malek, her husband, and the sniper betrayed Zahra. As Zahra slowly begins to lose faith in humanity and succumbs to mental instability, Lebanon is also losing its stability as a country and inhuman violence continues to grow.
However, the ending does not suit the idea of the allegory, as Zahra dies yet despite all the trouble Lebanon went through, it is still alive. Therefore, in my opinion, it is more appropriate to say that Zahra is an analogy for the war itself. This would make more sense, as the death of Zahra would symbolize the end of the civil war. When Zahra dies, she states that there are rainbows in the sky. This could symbolize the hope for Lebanon as the civil war ends.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
Lebanon has been devastated by violence for most of its history. The Lebanese Civil War started as early as 1975 when gunmen killed four Phalangists. Since the Phalangists believed the gunmen were Palestinians, they too attacked Palestinian civilians. This then led to the outbreak of fighting between the Palestinians and the Phalangists. This tension led to military conflict that turned into a full-scale civil war. Syrian intervention was then called for in an attempt to end the crisis. This intervention brought Syrian troops into Lebanon making the issue only worse. At the same time, and over the next years, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had many military exchanges which then later greatly affected Lebanon. This is because PLO troops used Lebanon to strike at Israel. As a result, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon to fight the PLO forces in 1982. The Israeli forces quickly moved through the south of Lebanon and soon laid siege on the Palestinian and Syrian forces in Beirut. This then led to the intervention of the Multinational Force that was sent to evacuate the Syrian troops and PLO fighters from Beirut. This force consisted of U.S. Marines, French, and Italian units.
ReplyDeleteBetween 1982 and 1988 many things happened in Lebanon. This was the period in which Israel invaded Lebanon as their battle with the Palestinians continued, which led to a massive conflict in Lebanon that damaged the country immensely. Also, between 1982 and 1988, Amine Gemayel served as president of the republic of Lebanon. The conflict continued to worsen between 1985 and 1989 as the Amal fought heavily with Hezbollah. All this war divided Lebanon and ultimately destroyed the once beautiful country.
Hanan al-Shaykh attempts to unpack this conflict in The Story of Zahra by expressing the chaos that is going on in the streets of Lebanon. By experiencing the life of Zahra, the reader witnesses the fear of the civilians in Lebanon and the constant bomb explosions and gunfire that can be heard through the streets. This gives a real sense of the intensity of the conflict and of the seemingly never ending fighting. Zahra witnesses many things that express the conflict. For example, the taking of the hostages to the cellar of a house on the other side of the street from Zahra’s house shows the conflict as well as the issue of the sniper on the building who terrorizes the streets near Zahra’s home. Zahra’s brother Ahmad is involved in the conflict himself so the reader has a small glimpse of what life in Lebanon was like at that moment and how ordinary boys were the ones fighting in the war.
This conflict in Lebanon is tied to the protagonist, Zahra, and the trauma of her life in many ways. Zahra suffers from insanity and mental problems throughout the book as she struggles with life and the oppression she faces. The reader experiences Zahra’s battle with herself as she deals with life. It is clear to the reader that Zahra is not able to cope properly with the situation in Lebanon and this expresses the true chaos the conflict brought to Lebanon. The conflict is also clearly tied to Zahra in the sense that the civilians in Lebanon were completely helpless. Zahra seemed to be helpless as well when she tried to deal with the oppression she experienced. The people of Lebanon had to continue their daily lives and the explosions and gunfire became a part of them in the same way that Zahra’s insanity became a part of her.
Therefore, it is clear that Hanan al-Shaykh uses Zahra’s inner conflicts to express the larger conflict occurring in Lebanon. Al-Shaykh uses Zahra’s life, and her continuous struggles, as an Allegory to the Lebanese Civil War in 1982-1988.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Lebanon#The_Lebanese_Civil_War:_1975.E2.80.931990
http://www.ghazi.de/civwar.html#index
Arno
Lebanon has suffered from many tragic events. There have constantly been conflicts. These conflicts pummelled Lebanon and they never gave Lebanon that chance to regain stability. Their first conflict was in the 1950’s, which consisted of Muslims and Christians. The Syrians tried to intervene with this by sending 30,000 troops. The invasion is, in fact, Syria’s attempt to claim Lebanon however, it never recognized when Lebanon won independence from France in 1943. Israel then invades Lebanon again in 1982. In 1982 between 2,000 and 3,000 Palestinian civilians are massacred. This massacre was overseen by Israeli forces and the massacre was constructed of Christian militiamen.
ReplyDeleteFrom the history of Lebanon we see that the Lebanese suffered greatly because, there was a strong conflict between religions. Hanan al-Shayka portrays powerful messages about the Lebanese conflicts. The people of Lebanon are truly affected by these conflicts. Hanan creates an allegory for these tragic events and the protagonist of his book The Story of Zahra portray powerful images of what people were dealing with at the times and how horrible it was to live in Lebanon. Constant gunfire and explosions being heard gives a sense of insecurity of the conflict. The reader of this novel should be able to grasp the facts about the conflict, and how this book is an allegory for the conflict. In the book, it seems as if the conflict is never ending. Zahra could be seen as a symbol for Lebanon as a whole. Throughout the book, we see how Zahra suffers greatly from this conflict. As her life begins happy it slowly follows the path that Lebanon experience which is straight downwards. Zahra starts to suffer in life and her death can be seen as a very powerful symbol, however, there are many views of her death. I feel that her death can be a symbol of the never-ending conflict and how her death symbolizes a change that will never happen and the conflict will continue for years to come. The conflict may not be as bad, but there will always be tension between the two sides and Hanan makes this clear in his novel. All of these experiences are very traumatic. They give a clear picture of how it was back in the 1980’s and how people are inhumane for what they want. People will fight for what they want generally not taking into consideration of what they are doing to get what they want. The human race is generally selfish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
The infamous Lebanon War took place started on June 6, 1982 and ended in 1988 after several tragic consequences. Although, the war began in 1982, it's roots date back to 1975, April 13 when gunmen killed phalangists in Beirut during an attempt to kill Pierre Jumayyil, a Lebanese political leader. The Phalangists retaliated by attacking a bus carrying Palestinians passengers, killing about 26 people. This was followed by the Phalangists and Palestinians attacking each other leading to a major fight between the two groups. The government became paralyzed and was unable to take any actions in order to control the flaming situation. Within a month the fighting spread to other parts of the country.
ReplyDeleteThe conflicts actually date back to 1940s when Palestinian refugees moved to Lebanon after the Arab-Israeli war. Palestinians played an important role in future Lebanese civil conflicts because they have been in dispute with the Lebanese Phalangists ever since they moved. But the major war began in 1982 when Israel Defense forces invaded southern Lebanon. After attacking the Palestinian Liberation Forces, Israel occupied southern Lebanon and eventually took over PLO and the Syrian army. US intervention led to evacuation of PLO and the Syrian army from Beirut.
Lebanon went through a lot of tough phases during the war losing the lives of thousands of Lebanese as well as foreign soldiers who participated in the war. Events in 1982 severely affected the structure of the economy in Lebanon. After the Israel invasion, Lebanon's economy crippled and Lebanon lost it's international position. It was in 1985 when the actual effects of the war were felt acutely, multiplying the debts, depreciation of national currency and rapidly increasing inflation.
The story of Zahra by Hanan al-Shaykh clearly depicts the abrasive impacts of the Lebanese Civil war on people's lives. It has been set in the time of Lebanese war. Zahra has been cleverly used by the author as a symbol to describe the condition of Lebanon. Zahra is shown as a weak and submissive girl who has been oppressed by almost everyone in her life since her childhood. She is unable to speak against the oppression and thus becomes psychologically unstable. She suffers through most of her life, symbolizing how Lebanon has suffered from the oppression of powerful countries. Hanan al-Shaykh does a great job in taking the readers mentally to the war and making them experience the bombings, firings and the fear in people's mind as if they were physically present in Lebanon during the war. The author provides minute details of the war like sounds of bullet shots, capturing of hostages, fear in the minds of taxi drivers ets. to emphasize on the impact of intense war situation in Lebanon. Zahra, not being able to survive in the war conditions gives the reader an idea of the struggle. She suffers from insanity and even after treatment does not fully recover, symbolizing Lebanon's condition in the late 1980s. Lebanon had been economically and socially devastated by the end of the war. It was shattered into pieces just like Zahra, who had been heart-broken on realizing that she had never been truly loved by anyone but merely been used.
Although, Zahra had not been fully recovered, she leads a normal life by the end of the book symbolizing the impact of the Ta'if agreement on Lebanon and how it helped in the better ment of it's economical status. Zahra had learnt to cope with her insanity and led a rather normal life until she was killed by the sniper.
Her death depicts the end of Lebanon's sufferings and it's conflicts. Thus Hanan al-Shaykh has brilliantly used conflicts in Zahra's life to symbolize Lebanese Civil war and it's impact.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
http://www.lcps-lebanon.org/pub/breview/br3/ykhalil3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
Lebanon has relatively just come out of a time of great turmoil. It’s liberty as an independent state has been threatened more than once, and the struggle against it has been tough. During the late 1970s, the Syrian dictator, Hafez Asad, claimed that “Lebanon and Syria are one country and one people yet are run by two governments”. He was therefore determined in uniting both Lebanon and Syria and was determined to do anything for it to happen. In the book, the unification of these countries is alluded to as the formation of the Greater Syria. During the 1980s, Asad sent military troops to conquer Lebanon based on a decision made solely by himself. The League of Nations, present at the time, sent for peace-keeping troops to no avail. The Syrian invaders made sure to kill all those that were attempting to organize anything that would go against them. Israel soon joined Lebanon in trying to beat Syria. The situation turned critical when the current President was killed and the Syrians attempted to take governmental and militaristic control of the nation. The Army Commander was then appointed Prime Minister, yet the Syrians managed to invade the governmental palace in 1990. From then on Lebanese people were severely mistreated under Syrian control.
ReplyDeleteHanan al-Shaykh really made good use of this tremendous history in her novel. In order to criticize the original reasons for the war as well as the effects it was having on the country, al-Shaykh exaggerates the uncle’s strong affiliation, passion and longing for the Greater Syria through his impulsive acts. She also showed that the war was doing more harm than good by using Zahra and her sympathy for all those that could be killed by the opposing army, such as when she begged soldiers not to kill their hostages. These efforts give the novel an objective view point on what war truly is and what the true results are in those awful circumstances. As a matter of fact, now that I have informed myself on the war, I am surprised to realize that in fact Zahra may perfectly symbolize Lebanon and the harsh history of the country herself.
This is my second part to what i posted previously:
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, Hafez Asad suddenly sends troops to invade Lebanon, just like when Zahra’s body was first “invaded” by Malek. Both the country and her were violated of their liberty and independence. They were under Asad and Malek’s control respectively. The part when Syria makes sure to maintain Lebanon quiet by killing all that could try to organize something against the Greater Syrian movement relates to Zahra as well and how she internalizes the suffering she goes through during her oppression. She has no way of expressing her emotions for years and thus falls weak into a depression. I’m still not fully certain on how Zahra’s departure for Africa ties into the Lebanese war, but perhaps it is used to show how both Zahra and Lebanon searched for help and support in other countries. Zahra went to Africa in hopes of understanding and a chance to start a new, while Lebanon seeked refuge in the League of Nations and countries such as the United States, and Israel. The appointment of the army commander as the Prime Minister is related to the part when Zahra begins to assume control on herself and emotions once she finds herself alone in Beirut with her family away in a village. Finally, what I found to be the strongest metaphor between Zahra and Lebanon is the relationship between Zahra’s pregnancy and the Lebanese final occupation by Syria. Finally both Zahra and Lebanon were fully dominated and controlled by the sniper and Lebanon. From this moment on, people were known to suffer incredibly because of the orders of a man who seemed to want a unified and better country. Civilians were tortured and even killed, which goes back to the point when Zahra was betrayed by the sniper and then shot. In a few words, Zahra represents how Lebanon was violated, how it had to struggle to keep its independence despite being fully invaded, and the overall betrayal.
I find this whole connection between what happened then and Zahra to be truly incredible. The power in characterizing a girl that way was very well done. Although throughout a majority of the book I had been annoyed with the character of Zahra, I seem to appreciate her and sympathize a lot more with her knowing what she stands for. This aspect is incredible. It truly shows how literature can convey a message through so many different ways.
http://www.lgic.org/en/history_lebanon1982.php
Lebanon and Zahra (from “The Story of Zahra” by Hanan al-Shaykh) have many similarities which make it possible for us to treat Zahra as a metaphor for the violence that occurred in Lebanon between 1982 and 1988. The major difference between Zahra and Lebanon in the creation of madness if the fact that Lebanon has survived yet Zahra has died.
ReplyDeleteFirst let us look at the foundations of the two. Lebanon was founded on rather unstable ground. The country was granted independence on the 22nd of November 1943, yet it took three years for French forces in the country to be fully evacuated. Before the French occupation Lebanon had been a part of the Ottoman Empire. Because of this Lebanon lacked the administrative ability to create a functioning state. Zahra is born to a family with unstable foundations. Her mother has a lover and her father either knows of this or does not. The inability for Zahra’s parents to provide her with meat to eat seems to show their lack of resources, which mimic Lebanon’s inability to provide for itself towards its beginning.
Zahra’s childhood is then traumatic. She is used as a shield by her mother who wishes to be as close as “the navel and the orange.” However she is often abandoned by her mother for the safety of the bathroom or the comfort of her lover. This mimics Lebanon’s difficult ties to other countries, in particular the attempted creation of the United Arab Republic. The majority of Lebanon was reluctant to be a part of the UAR while a small part wanted this connection. This is shown through Zahra’s want to be connected to her mother while a small part of her rebels against her mother’s use of her.
Then Zahra leaves Lebanon and travels somewhere within Africa. Here she stays with her Uncle and gets married to Majed. Zahra’s movement is abrupt, which is mimicked by Lebanon’s abrupt movement into the Arab-Israeli war in 1948, only two years after the French had left. Lebanon was not prepared to be taken over by the Palestinian refugees or the PLO and this causes its movement into madness. Zahra, however, is taken over by the role of a wife and she also goes mad from being used too heavily.
After the Arab-Israeli war and Zahra’s break off from Majed things become relatively calm but the seeds of madness or civil war have already been planted. The problems of Zahra’s madness are not solved by electroshock therapy or by her time in seclusion. The fractures of politics in Lebanon do not fix themselves either, Lebanon does not fully unite in political agenda and the religious separation greatly hinders this. Due the use of the two by outsiders there is great stress created.
In Lebanon a strike in 1975 by fishermen at Sidon can be seen as the beginning of the problems again. Whereas for Zahra the madness seems to be created by the introduction of a new love interest (the Sniper) during the war. All of the progress made seems to come undone by the introduction of a new problem. The strike was quickly turned into a political agenda for the PLO and opposing forces. The introduction of the Sniper changes Zahra from just doubting herself to doubting how she could ever be loved. And, thus, the problems begin all over again.
We can see clearly from this that Zahra and Lebanon have huge parallels in their creation and life stories. Shaykh’s portrayal of Lebanon as a woman may show the opinion that problems are caused by “man-made” issues. Zahra is controlled by men and goes insane while Lebanon is controlled by mankind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
http://www.liberty05.com/civilwar/civil.html
The relationship with Lebanese Christians warmed up in 1976, when Syria entered Lebanon at the invitation of the Christian president; Suleimain Franjieh. At the time, Palestine terrorist Organization was establishing a foothold in Lebanon. Lebanon however, established relationship with states helping as a training camp for terrorist operation against Israel. The area was governed separately, independent of the Lebanese government. The PLO continued to shell cities in northern Israel from its base in Lebanon. Though these were the bases of the conflict, the war started three days after Lebanon civilians traveled across the border of Israel and killed tourists on the beach. Since then Lebanon have had a long history of wars that ranged from 1970's to 1980's to 2000. These wars have had a major impact on the people as well as the country itself. Before the war, Lebanon was a fragile state of no war and just peace. However, since 1973, it begun to break down as the PLO strengthened its mini-state in Lebanon, established PLO military training centers and escalated artillery and cross-boarder attacks on civilians in northern Israel.
ReplyDeleteIn her novel, Zhara, Hanan Al-Shaykh used the protagonist Zhara to represent Lebanon to some extent. Just like Lebanon, Zhara goes through not just one but many discriminations. As we know, Lebanon was a beautiful country before it got destroyed by the war and maybe through this Al-Shaykh is trying to imply that it was the situations and circumstances that destroyed Zhara and not her nature. The people around her mainly contributed to her outcomes (Her father, uncle, husband, and the sniper), Just like it was its neighboring countries that contributed to the war in Lebanon. The 1980 war in Lebanon wasn’t the last but the first of many. Similarly, Zhara went through not just one but many discriminations and abuse.
Htpp://www.adl.org/israel/record/lebanon.asp
htpp://blog.standforisrael.org/issues/peace-keeping/first-lebanon-war
The recent history of Lebanon has been tragic and unstable which has affected hundreds of thousands of Lebanese. The civil war initially began in 1975 after Christian backed Militias and Palestinians Militiamen attacked each other over uncertain circumstances. These acts eventually forced other religious backed militias and other countries to intercede thereby dividing the city of Beirut and eventually the whole country of Lebanon into ethnic sections.
ReplyDeleteAfter a 1981 U.S. brokered cease-fire began to unravel and the assassination of the newly elected President, several countries such as the United States, Israel, and Syria intervened between the religious militias. However, this created even more tension and after the withdrawal of these countries, the militias resumed their attacks against each other. In 1982, to protect its Northern border, Israel invaded Southern Lebanon and Beirut. The Muslim factions insinuated that it was for protection of the Christian militias and Syria refused to withdraw their troops. Israel moved out of the city of Beirut to Southern Lebanon, which left no intervening troops to separate the militias. By 1985, the Druze, Christians, and Muslim militias, to include the Palestinians and Hezbollah, fought against each other over different sections of the city of Beirut and country. The hostilities between the militias began to decline in 1989 and eventually ceased in 1991. However, the occupation of Southern Lebanon and the war between the Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah and Israel would continue for the next ten years.
The civil war that was waged in Lebanon and in particular, Beirut cost over 100,000 killed, an additional 100,000 wounded and up to 900,000 displaced. The war is a tragic part of Lebanon’s history that hopefully will not be repeated. The Lebanese civil war can be closely related to Zahra the protagonist of The Story of Zahra because of her psychological unstableness and the problems that were always occurring in her life. This is shown from the time she was a child and had to deal with her mothers affair with the unmentioned man and when Zahra goes to live with her uncle in Africa and is in the worst downfall of her life by her insane personality. Another way that Hanan al-Shaykh’ s novel The Story of Zahra can be closely symbolized as Lebanon throughout the war is with Zahra’s struggle to deal with her own demons just like Lebanon was left to deal with its people as a cause of the war. With Zahra having to deal with her instability and fighting with herself it symbolizes the fighting that was going on in Lebanon between itself. Zahra meeting the Sniper is a good example of Lebanon’s struggle with itself. The Sniper would sit on the roof and shoot Lebanese citizen not thinking twice about taking the life of the citizens just like the violence that went on between the people of Lebanon (Muslims and Christians) even after the peace treaties were signed through out the years.
Hanan al-Shaykh uses Zahra as a symbol of the struggles of Lebanon by creating similar struggles for Zahra herself. These are just some of the examples that Hanan al-Shaykh uses to tie both Lebanon and Zahra together to give a deeper meaning of the struggles Lebanon faced and Zahra faced in the novel.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
Like so many of the wars our world has faced, the civil war in Lebanon began from a small, simple incident that sparked an unfortunate series of violent occurrences and misunderstandings. After a failed assassination attempt on the Lebanese political leader, Pierre Gemayel, in 1975, Phalangists and Palestinians began fighting. The identities of the assassins were unknown, so each side assumed what they wanted to about the opposition. The two main groups, the Lebanese Front (the mainly Christian group that wished for the country to remain the same) and the Lebanese National Movement (the predominantly Muslim group that wished for change), relentlessly fought. The battle was fairly even until the Syrian military entered the conflict on the side of the Lebanese Front. In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon to drive the Syrian Armed Forces and the PLO out of the country.
ReplyDeleteFrom 1982 to 1988, multiple groups tore Lebanon apart. The PLO, Israel, Syria, and the two Lebanese Fronts all battled viciously for their respective desired outcomes. Because of the devastating effects of the continued warfare, other countries like the United States and France entered the conflict as moderators of peace. The multiple treaties and multinational agreements did little to stop the fighting, however. More often, these attempts at settlement resulted in violent terrorist attacks initiated and endured by all sides. It was impossible to make progress because the powerful political leaders of the time were being assassinated, and with the rapid changes in leadership, the people did not trust their own government. The fighting wore on persistently until 1989, when the Arab League orchestrated an agreement that resulted in reconciliation. After so many years of fighting, the country was in shambles. Its peoples and resources had been ravaged, and a great amount of reform was necessary.
The Story of Zahra by Hanan al-Shaykh illustrates the devastating, horrific aspects of the Lebanese Civil War in an allegorical fashion. The character of Zahra can be interpreted throughout the novel as a representation of the country of Lebanon during the war. Throughout Zahra’s life, she is exploited and taken advantage of by people who pretend to care for her but are really motivated by personal incentives. For instance, Zahra’s mother uses her daughter as a shield of innocence when she illicitly visits her lover. Lebanon’s history is riddled with grander scale instances of such situations. Syria joins the battle only so that it could sway the outcome in the desired direction; they did not want to border an extremist Muslim country (which would form if the Lebanese National Movement prevailed). An obvious parallel is that Zahra is continually left damaged, broken, and devoid of hope, mirroring closely the state of Lebanon during the fighting. Many of Zahra’s perceived solutions to her problems, such as moving to Africa or marrying Majed, end up hurting her cause instead. This is similar to the aforementioned situation regarding the numerous backfiring peace treaties.
ReplyDeleteAt the end, a sniper shoots Zahra and she dies. Because most of her conflict occurs internally, such as her battles with self-image and her inner demons, this death can be seen as a long-awaited opportunity for peace. It seemed that this was the only way Zahra’s struggles would end. As she dies, she sees rainbows, which act as a symbol of rebirth, which I believe comments on the second chances given to the Lebanese people after the war ends. After so much trauma, there is finally hope.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
http://www.lgic.org/en/history_lebanon1982.php
A war that consumed the country for almost sixteen years began as a result of a simple misunderstanding between two groups of people. On the 13th of April 1975, several gunmen killed four Phalangists while trying to assassinate Pierre Gamayel, a political leader who founded the Kateab or Phalangist party. The Phalangists thought that the gunmen were Palestinian and they later counterattacked by attacking a local bus. It was this seemingly insignificant misunderstanding that eventually caused fighting, bloodshed and national shame to Lebanon.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the war could have been prevented if the country had a more structured and more rigid political foundation. Inadequacies that existed in the political system fueled the war between the Phalangists and Palestinians. The government could not resolve this issue because many of the leaders in the parliament were unable to agree whether or not to use the army to stop the fighting. As various members of the parliament took sides the war continued and soon got out of control, leading to the sixteen grueling years of bloodshed.
It is blatantly clear that Hanan al-Shaykh incorporated aspects of the war in her novel. Infact, the whole story could act as an extended metaphor for how the civil war affected Lebanon. The fact that Zahra was exposed to the illicit world of adultery at a very tender age mirrors how Lebanon was left exposed by numerous countries who used the country as a tool to promote their own selfish needs.
The lack of a rigid foundation in the political system is portrayed through the lack of support from Zahra’s family. Many people intervene and get involved in her life e.g. Uncle Hashem, Malek and Majed, but none of them actually benefitted Zahra in a positive manner and usually end up making her life more miserable. The fact that Zahra went to see Malek in order to feel some affection lead to her losing her virginity. This, unfortunately, also caused friction between Zahra and her husband Majed later in life. This particular series of events acts as a metaphor to describe how the Syrians intervened against the Lebanese National Movement. Entering the conflict and favoring the Christian side provoked outrage from many of the other Arabian countries. The same analogy can be applied to the sniper Sami. Sami acted as a false sense of hope for Zahra. She believed that the sniper was protecting her but in reality he was just using her for his own personal gain. When Zahra decides to tell the sniper about the pregnancy, he gets frustrated and eventually kills her much like how foreign involvement in Lebanon war acted as a catalyst rather than a suppressant.
In 1992 there was a reelection after the civil war had ended. Prime Minister Omar Karami's resigned on the 6th of May, 1992. The former Prime Minister Rashid al Sulh replaced him in an election that was held after the war had ended. The final pages of the novel dwell on a rainbow Zahra sees before she dies. This rainbow symbolizes a rebirth or a reincarnation of her life. This reincarnation that is portrayed at the end of the novel represents the new elections along with the idea that Lebanon has got a second chance at peaceful nation.
http://www.ghazi.de/civwar.html#elect
The conflict in Lebanon in the 1980’s has roots in it’s religiously, and national pluralism with Shiites, Sunnis, Maronite Christians, Syrian Refugees, Druze sections amongst these affiliations. Furthermore, these affiliations were further exacerbated by these affiliations in a political context as well. Syria and Lebanon, were considered as part of the same region before the French and British separated Lebanon and Syria respectively. The 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israeli war brought in an influx of 400,000 Palestinians into Lebanon, who started the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), responsible for hijackings in Athens and Algiers, ultimately causing a military retaliation from Israeli forces at the Beirut Airport. The Maronite controlled government was resentful of the Palestinians as the muslim population largely supported them. The government began using paramilitary wings, allegedly supported by Israeli forces, to expel the Palestinians. Syrian intervention followed in 1976, as they attempted to quell the conflict, rejecting Palestinian affiliations and supporting the Maronite dominated government. Following a Palestinian assassination attempt on the Israeli Ambassador in London, Israel began a full invasion of Southern Lebanon in 1982, as Christian militia men supported by Israel forces massacre 2000 Palestinian refugees in Sabra and camps. Peacekeeping forces arrive, but 241 American soldiers and 56 French soldiers were killed in bomb attacks by Shia militia. In 1985, Israel, supported the Southern Lebanon Army as it withdrew from Lebanon, continuing to fight through a proxy war. Between 1985 and 1989 the political crisis significantly worsened, as political groups were further divided and reconciliation failed. Shia militia fought with Palestinian groups attempting to uproot them. An illegal appointment of a non sunni (as ordained by their National Pact) appointed Michel Aoun, which alienated the muslim groups, effectively splitting a Christian East Beirut and a Muslim West Beirut.
ReplyDeleteHannan Al-Shaykh’s family is not immune to the political events that ensued from 1982-1988, displacing her as some of her family members actively fought in the war. Her uncle Hashem was affiliated with the Syrians, as he was fighting for a Greater Syria and was forced to move to Africa, and was well known in the Lebanese community. Beirut was seen as an active fighting zone throughout the book as Zahra’s home was attacked, as Beirut fought between the East and West. The harsh fighting locked up many people within their homes as thousands of civilians were being killed.
Zahra’s family is from Southern Lebanon, reflecting their Shia background and perhaps how they were confronted with Israel’s incursion in that area. Zahra’s grandfather recalls and curses the Israeli forces who had come in the 70’s. Ahmed, Zahra’s brother, also fights in the war with Shia forces attempting to expel pro-palestinian forces.
http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/lebanon/?gclid=CO_3lvDsp6gCFcUMfAodDhkLew
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
http://www.liberty05.com/civilwar/civi2.html
Small incidents seem to always have the biggest impacts. The spark tat began the Lebanese civil war occurred in Beirut on April 13, 1975 when gunmen killed four people during an attempt on Pierre Jumayyil’s life. Believing that these gunmen were Palestinians the Phalangists retaliated by attacking a bus carrying Palestinian passengers and killing twenty-six Palestinians. Fighting between the Phalangists and the Palestinian militia broke out the next day. After this the fighting between the groups escalated with other forces joining both sides. The Lebanese government were unable to control the fighting because of their lack of structure causing them to become paralyzed during the continuous fighting.
ReplyDeleteBetween 1982 and 1984 there was a U.S intervention. The U.S brokered an interim cease-fire among Syria, the PLO, and Israel, which lasted for almost a year. However, after several incidents there was an Israeli ground attack to remove PLO forces from Lebanon. In August 1982, a new president, Bashir Gemayel, was elected. However, he was assassinated on September 14th. The next day, Isreali troops crossed into western Beirut to secure Muslim militia strongholds and stood aside as Lebanes Christian militias massacred almost 800 Palestinian civilians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. This period of chaos witnessed the beginning of terrorist attacks launched against U.S and Western interests. It also saw the rise of radicalism among a small number of Lebanese Muslim faction who believed that the successive Israeli and U.S interventions in Lebanon were serving primarily Christian inetrests.
The political crisis between 1985 and 1989 caused even more disruption in Lebanon. Rashid Karami, head of a government of national unit was assassinated on June 1, 1987. Next in charge was a Maronite Christian, General Aoun. Having a Christian in power contravened Lebanon’s unwritten ‘national pact,’ which required the prime minister to be Sunni muslim. Muslim groups rejected the move and pledged support to Salim al-Hoss, a Sunni who had succeeded Karami. Thus, Lebanon was divided between a Christian government in east Beirut and a Muslim government in west Beirut, with no president.
After looking at the history of Lebanon and the events that occurred during the civil war, the reader is now able to better understand the links that Hanan al-Shaykh is making between Lebanon and Zahra. Zahra’s relation to Lebanon includes how Zahra’s youth had scarred her for life and how the events in her life all derived from her youth. Zahra’s mother must have thought that bringing Zahra on her secret meetings must not really affect her for she is a child and doesn’t understand her actions. This can be compared to how the civil war in Lebanon began for it was an attempt on Pierrre Jumayyil’s life that had a domino effect causing disruption and violence in all of Lebanon. Zahra’s affair with the Malek, her revealing this secret to Majed and her feeling that she was now able to move on and her failure to do so, may also be linked with how the U.S intervened in Lebanon and tried to get both parties to come to a peace agreement which caused only further violence. The taking the novel as whole we can see how Zahra’s situation disintegrates in connection with how the disruption caused by the Lebanese war worsened. Zahra’s death at the end of the novel was an indication to how Lebanon would die and become rubble if the war continued and the rainbows that she sees, has the meaning of a new beginning for Lebanon.
The Lebanese war took place from the years 1982 to 1988 but it all really started in 1975, when a very controversial shooting took place. As all wars, the violence didn’t finish in 1988, it all continued and finished in 1991. This war was very bloody and it was bad enough to cause the death to over 7% of Lebanon’s total population, in other words, a complete disaster.
ReplyDeleteThere were many causes for the civil war, but the one that is said to have taken the greatest part in the start was the difference of religions in the Lebanese population. In those times, it was mainly split between the Muslims and the Christians. Because of this reason, we could say that the main cause was religion and that it was very present through-out the war. When it started, it was part of the conflict already existing between Palestine and Israel, but this was only what started the fights/violence.
Like all wars, they eventually made it an “international” war. Many different countries tried to intervene, hoping to be capable of stopping the violence between the two countries. The main country to intervene, like always, was the US, but all this caused was more violence and war. Time after trying to intervene, the United States was able to minimize the conflict by a period of time, before the violence came back.
Hanan al-Shayka might have been using the life of Zahra as a comparison between what was happening in Lebanon at that time, and her life reflects it. This book portrays very powerful messages about the Lebanese conflicts. It might be that Hanan al-Shayka is creating an allegory using these historical tragic events and the protagonist of the book to portray different powerful images of what the people of Lebanon where living through. The non stop gunfire and explosions might be a comparison with the insecurity felt during the conflict, or even a direct reference to the kind of violence that was happening. Zahra is therefore used as a symbol for the country of Lebanon as a whole. In the novel, we see that Zahra goes through great suffering. As Zahra starts to be happy, it slowly ends up falling back into problems and into death. Even though Zahra’s death could be interpreted as many different ways, one that people normally don’t see is that her death can be a powerful symbol of the never ending conflict and how this conflict has cost loads of people their lives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
http://www.ghazi.de/civwar.html#index
In 1982 Lebanon was invaded by Israel defenses, Israel occupied Lebanon for the next seven years, and struck Lebanon with several military operations. This attack began after the attempted assassination of an Israeli ambassador. There were many deaths of civilians through the seven years’ war, and many tragedies one after another. This is similar to the life of Zahra, when she would just start recovering from a tragedy, she would be struck by another one. Zahra went through constant pain, and never truly recovered from abuse all throughout her years, from a child to a young adult. Even after peace treaties were signed, Lebanon continued to have troubles in its countries. After the intrusion of foreign countries, such as the U.S, Lebanon continued having problems containing its people, and regulating peace amongst the different groups of people.
ReplyDeleteLebanon’s history can symbolize many parts of Zahra’s life, and her constant struggle to attain ‘normalcy’. Like Zahra, Lebanon was in constant struggle with other countries (Israel) and itself, which was evident through the Civil war in 1975. The Lebanon Civil war lasted from 1975 to the beginning of the 1990’s. Through this tragically long period of time Lebanon faced an estimated number of 13,000 to 25,000 civilian casualties. There was over 350,000 people displaced and almost one million injured people after the war. Through this war, the center of Lebanon, Beirut was destroyed for ruins. This reflects upon Zahra’s life, because her self-torment and the man vs. self-conflict that she was dealing with, destroyed her from the inside out.
The main reason why Lebanon’s struggles are so similar to the life of Zahra is because Zahra’s decline into insanity was slow and painful, as was the fall of Lebanon. Lebanon never got the chance to rebuild itself, before another event would occur. The Lebanon conflict also started very small, and slowly builds upon itself into a great conflict that shook the entire country. This is similar to Zahra’s history of abuse. What started out as small abuse, over time turned into self-torture and borderline insanity that caused Zahra to drive away everyone that was close to her. As the foreign help in Lebanon was useless, so were the people in Zahra’s life who tried to intervene and assist her.
The novel Zahra can be examined as a reflection upon the hard times of Lebanon’s tragic history.
http://www.ghazi.de/civwar.html#invasion
ReplyDeleteThe protagonist, Zahra, is an analogy of the war and the conflicts that Lebanon was and still is involved in. Her entire character, her struggle and her questioning of the value and reason of life all reflect a country’s situation that can only be described as very controversial. As a the ‘host’ country for a conflict mainly between Palestine and Israel, Lebanon was faced with an incredible amount of fighting on its own grounds yet was unable to actually control or even take a side within the conflict. This is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the war which Hannah Al-Shaykh also manages to reflect in her protagonist – Zahra. Zahra’s struggle to find a proper self, a strong and mature identity is a symbol of Lebanon’s struggle to identify itself in the war. The facts show that the army was basically powerless (since it had been deteriorating since the 1970s) and the official statement of being ‘neutral’ was difficult, if not even almost impossible, to fulfill in light of all the fighting happening on own grounds.
ReplyDeleteThe time slot we are supposed to look at (1982 to 1988) includes the brief intervention of the US as a ‘peacekeeping’ nation. After a brief cease-fire, the attack by Israel on Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon led to increased tension and further war between peoples. Al-Shaykh explores the tension that even exists in the times of cease-fire, by characterizing Zahra as a very tense, and especially unstable personality. Her traits are marked by low self-esteem and loss of control of own emotions and thoughts. Her cognitive patterns are screwed, she tends to mix reality with the intensity of her emotions to find herself making up another world entirely that she lives in mentally. The psychological disorder is not so much a cause-and-effect disease as it is a general state of being. Lebanon as a country suffered not only in the time given for this brief exploration of The Story of Zahra, but a great time span before as well as after. The involvement of Israel can perhaps be compared to Zahra’s rational but also demure personality, whereas the Palestinian role can be compared to the exorbitantly emotional sand conflicted side of her personality.
The deteriorating state of Zahra, especially mentally, is furthermore a symbol of the deterioration of Lebanon as a country itself. Gradually, the outside conflicts elicited reactions from Muslim fractions such as the Shiites who felt threatened by the support of the US, seeing it mainly as a support for the Christians in the country. This increasingly intense hatred between fellow citizenships is presented to us in the difficult relationship Zahra has to her own family members (especially her mother and the conflict that was mainly created by the traumatic experiences of her mother’s affair) as well as the disturbing relationship Zahra has with any man throughout her lifetime. These relationships as well, seem to become more and more extreme, partly even more and more outlandish as she struggles to find any sort of trust person.
Finally, the murder of Zahra can be interpreted as a cry for help of a country that is slowly dying and murdering itself, so conflicted by a fight between two neighbors. Whether the sniper is a metaphor for simply another Lebanese fraction or one of the other participants, his character definitely demonstrates the unstable walls of Lebanon.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lebanon_War
http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/1982-lebanon-war/protagonists.htm
Before the civil war, Lebanon did not have much structure to rely upon. The French instilled rule on Lebanon until 1926. After this, there was an influx of 100,000 Palestinians. Both of these events impacted the country later on. The Lebanese Civil War devastated the country, and its people. It is estimated that around 130,000 to 250,000 people lost their lives during the conflict, not to mention that a quarter of the country (about 1 million people) were injured. There was a mass emigration of about 1 million people out of Lebanon as a result of the war.
ReplyDeleteThere is a distinct correlation between Zahra’s internal conflict and the Lebanese Civil War. Early in the lives of Zahra and Lebanon, it can be seen that both were controlled by means of oppression. Lebanon was under France’s grasp, while Zahra was under the control of her father. Both eventually become free of oppression early in their lives.
Both Zahra and Lebanon’s conflicts were induced by external stimuli. Lebanon received a number of Palestinian refugees because they departed from the newly founded state of Israel. There was heated tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians, so the fact that a large number of Palestinians immigrated to Lebanon internalized their conflict into Lebanon. Zahra realized that her mother was having an affair with a man other than her father. Zahra saw the conflict between her parents, and because of this broken trust her pain became internalized just as the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Lebanon and Zahra had their conflicts on many different fronts. In the case of Lebanon, there was tension between major religious groups, there was conflict between the Israelis and the PLO, there was also intervention on behalf of Syria, and another multinational force. Zahra’s conflicts are multi-faceted as well. She has a conflict with her parents, her husband, and even with the sniper.
Zahra is a symbol for Lebanon’s civil war in the book. This is effectively seen when Beirut is described from a bird’s eye point of view. Looking down from above, there were no signs of conflict. However, what one does not see from a bird’s eye view is the people stuck in their homes, full of fear that leaving would lead to their deaths. Similarly, Zahra has a lot pent up inside her that many people cannot see. She is riddled with internal conflict. In a sense the walls of the Lebanese peoples’ homes could symbolize her skin. The people inside their homes symbolize Zahra’s internal conflict that she is reluctant to share with the rest of the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Lebanon#The_Lebanese_Civil_War:_1975.E2.80.931990
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/lebanontime1.html
http://middleeast.about.com/od/lebanon/a/me081026e.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
The Lebanese war officially began in 1982 and ended in 1988. Even though this is when the war started and ended there has always been acts of violence in the country itself until present time. Even though there are still acts of violence and rebellion in the country during present time, the country was at its worst during the civil war.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the civil war in Lebanon begin?
There were several causes for the war in Lebanon but mostly the fighting was about religion. The country is split between the Muslim Lebanese and the Christian Lebanese therefore it was part of a religious war and resembles the Palestine and Israel conflict that is staking place currently in our world.
The Lebanese war is famous for being international since several countries got involved as attempts to stop the violence. These countries included the United States and Syria and they were not much help at putting a stop to the way.
The book we just read in English : “The Story of Zahra by Hanan al-Shaykh takes place during the Lebanese civil war meaning that its setting is in-between 1982 and 1988. I think that the author of the book, al Shaykh tried to use the protagonist of the book Zahra to illustrate all the ups and downs (her mental state) Lebanon faced during the war and her final death as a symbol for the end of the civil war. In the book the reader gets a chance to experience Zahra’s mental state which could also be a symbol for her oppression against the civil war. In all I believe that Hanan al-Shaykh tried to use Zahra as a symbol of the actual war itself and her life represents an allegory somewhat similar to the Lebanese civil war.
The violence in Lebanon greatly affected all that were involved, it started because of political disputes, although that is open to debate, and then continued to ruin everyone’s lives. It was merely another load to the weight of freedom and the complexity of living with peace in one’s life. The war threw people out of any sanity related to society, it created confusion and distrust to all. If something went awfully wrong, it was up to oneself to fix it, there was no one to call to for help. There is no law, no rules, just chaos. The most destructive conflict lasted from 1982 until 1988, although there was high levels of violence and dispute from both before and after the worst of the conflict. This war in itself is a prime example of why politics and religion should not mix especially in a society that is so oriented by both, and when both of which have differences in beliefs and values. It was during this period of time when the majority of efforts went into trying to stop the war or at least slow it down, but it was because of this that in a lot of situations the violence got worse.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to The Story of Zahra by Hanan al-Shaykh, the narrative of this war holds importance when placed in comparison of the metaphorical meaning of Zahra’s life. Zahra suffered from opression and from that she was able to represent the torment and the undeserved pain felt by all who lived and witnessed the Lebanon Civil War. Hanan al-Shaykh has expertly created this detailed and layered allegory of representing the war through Zahra’s life. Not only this but the author has represented the emotions, feelings and suffering that all the people involved went through. This representation through a witness is important because it helps outsiders to view the event through an insider’s mind. This is important in raising awareness of the event and the trauma that the country went through in order to fix and end this war. Overall Hanan al-Shaykh has expertly used Zahra’s experience and life story to tell the events and effects of the war through a character who was experiencing all the feelings that citizens experienced during that dreadful time. Zahra’s metaphorical story is important because it helps readers to truly understand.
http://books.google.com/books?id=1vBy3uMXP6gC&printsec=frontcover&dq=violence+in+lebanon+1980s&source=bl&ots=sBA16Z0N4q&sig=MPFj03r4GWWRo13ZLSdrAsssrxw&hl=en&ei=nWGsTaudC4HYrQepsYGoCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=violence%20in%20lebanon%201980s&f=false
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
Israel had issued a cease-fire with the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) which has lasted for a year. However, on 3 April 1982 Mr. Yacov Bar-SImantov, an Israeli diplomat, was assassinated by the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Fraction. This particular event was blamed on the PLO by Israel. This accusation would prove to be the start of the war in Lebanon. On 6 June 1982, Israeli forces invade southern Lebanon. French, Italian, and U.S. soldiers aid the PLO in their escape from Lebanon during the invasion. Despite their efforts, an estimated 18,000 Lebanese civilians lost their lives during the event. The Israeli forces push further into the country and eventually reach the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila where 2,000 to 3,000 Palestinians are massacred. A week later, Amin Gemayal takes office, becoming Lebanon’s new president. Shortly after, the U.S. embassy in Lebanon was bombed by Israeli force which killed a total of 63 people. This initiated US’ engaged within the war, taking the side of the Gemayal regime. The involvement of French, Italian, and U.S. soldiers further fires up the ongoing war between Muslims and Christians. The war lasted 7 years and only ended after a peace treaty was signed by the aggressor and defenders in 1989, under US leadership.
ReplyDeleteThe Story of Zahra is built upon the fundamentals of the war in Lebanon. In this sense, the protagonist is an allegory of the grotesque events which were occurring at the time. Zahra found herself under constant pressure of the raging war. Her innocence and desperation for peace led to her to be easily manipulated by the powerful male figures within her life. Just like the Palestinian people, she was forced to please them while at the same time fleeing. Such misconceptions and attempts to take control can cause a civilization to collapse, similar to how Zahra broke down as a person. Just like the Palestinian refugees and PLO present in Lebanon, Zahra found herself roaming around; traveling to distant places such as Africa. These comparisons show how Zahra’s story correlates to the lives of many Palestinians and their involvement within the war in Lebanon.
http://middleeast.about.com/od/lebanon/a/me081026e.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081217101117AAvrKHh