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The reason for Lebanon's creation

Reader comment on item: "Greater Syria" in the News

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Jan 8, 2015 at 17:47

I imagine the reason Lebanon was set apart as a separate country by the French, is that it was the only Arab country with a Christian majority. That ended, when the country was flooded with "Palestinians" from Jordan and elsewhere, accelerating the Christian exodus from Lebanon. In 1926, the country was 86% Christian; and this was reflected in the over American Lebanese figure (until recently) of over 90%. By 1985, that figure had fallen to 25%. Now it is up to 41%, probably due to a large Christian exodus from Syria. Perhaps that is why Lebanon's Muslim government wants to restrict Syrian immigration.

The Middle East would probably be better off, if the Syrian Christians would be allowed to move to Lebanon and the Muslim Lebanese would move to Syria. All the Middle East was once Christian, from Iraq to Ethiopia -- all except the Arabian Peninsula, that is. Islam was largely founded on the blood of Jews and Christians.

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

Le petit Liban had that overwhelming Christian population but the local Christians agitated for Le grand Liban and fell immediately into a minority. That's the danger of wanting land regardless of who lives on it - a warning to Israel as well.

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