"Makram Rabah: Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, The Maronites & Collective Memory | Sarde #102"

2023 Apr 2 "What really happened in the 1860 Mount Lebanon conflict between the Druze and the Maronites? How does it tie into the 15-year civil war(s)? Lebanese lecturer and researcher Makram Rabah joins us to demystify this obscure period in Lebanon’s history, reveals the context of these conflicts and provides insight on the current geopolitical political dynamics of the region. In this #sardeafterdinner, we discuss: "

"Weaponizing collective memory -The roots of the Lebanese Druze and Maronites -The Mount Lebanon Conflicts -Deconstructing the narrative surrounding Bachir Gemayel & Kamal Joumblatt -The Iran-KSA deal in Beijing & Walid Joumblatt -How silence over political violence encourages impunity "

"Sarde (noun), [Sa-r-de]: A colloquial term used in the Middle East to describe the act of letting go & kicking off a stream of consciousness and a rambling narrative. The Sarde After Dinner Podcast is a free space based out of the heart of Beirut, Lebanon, where Médéa Azouri & Mouin Jaber discuss a wide range of topics (usually) held behind closed doors in an open and simple with guests from all walks of life"

Chapters 00:00 | The Dangerous myth of War

06:17 | Maronite & Druze narratives put them on a collision course

09:31 | Should our differences stop us from being inclusive towards each other?

12:38 | Understanding the origins of Druze & Maronites in the region

16:10 | Did Lebanese nationalism exist under Ottoman rule?

20:52 | The international element of the Mount Lebanon wars

23:38 | Why was “Greater Lebanon” of 1920 rejected by Muslims?

27:32 | From producing knowledge to exporting c*ptagon

31:12 | Why did Makram choose to write about the Mount Lebanon war?

33:37 | The Druze/Maronite experiment

38:57 | The Gemayels, Joumblatts, & the 1982 Mount Lebanon war

45:07 | Isr@el, Sabra & Chatila massacres, and the aftermath

47:01 | Who was the real victor of the Druze Maronite war?

50:35 | The assassination of Kamal Joumblatt & the Syrian entry to Lebanon

51:28 | Explaining the Right/Left nuance of Maronites & Druze

55:28 | Did the PLO cause the Lebanese Civil War?

56:40 | Our silence enables their violence

59:34 | Why H.A killed Lokman & targeted others

1:02:16 | The Lebanese Crisis is an “Ethical Crisis”

1:05:35 | We don’t want a superhero/savior we need a super system

1:12:03 | Iran, KSA and Walid Joumblatt

1:17:30 | Crises of succession - From the Iranian to the Lebanese regimes

1:22:20 | Our power lies in our pluralism.

1:24:11 | Is there hope?

Connect with Sarde | @sardeafterdinner