2 of 3

CT: At the beginning of the protests, some people in the United States compared them to the fall of the Berlin Wall. But the situation in Lebanon differs from the protests in Germany at least in the area of religious freedom, which as you've just said, you have enjoyed.

Accad: That's right. Having said that we have religious freedom, we need, however, to also point out that there is a sense in which the young Christians in Lebanon feel that they don't really have a future in the country.

CT: Why is that?

Accad: That is due to a large extent to the atmosphere of oppression. The freedom of expression is under a lot of stress these days. There's a sense among young people, especially the Christians, that Lebanon does not belong to them. There's a sense that freedom, not specifically religious freedom, but freedom in general is being threatened. There is a sense that you can say whatever you want, but you're like a dog who can bark but whose vocal chords are cut. So no one bothers you if you bark. But it doesn't affect the reality.

CT: Can you give me an example of that?

Accad: The example is what has been happening in the recent three weeks. I don't want to pretend that my opinion applies to everybody, but I and most people around me are very hopeful that Lebanon is moving to a time of more freedom, more democracy, more self-rule.

Lebanon has been, for so many years throughout the war and until recent times, under control of foreign governments. There is always a desire among the young people to have more self-rule in Lebanon and to have a true democracy. Since the death of Hariri the young people hoped this was going to be realized. This was very much the case for me, too. I took part in the demonstration during that period as well.

CT: Is this hope still alive?

Accad: The fact that last Thursday the same prime minister was again appointed is a huge disappointment. There's a feeling that we have been heard, but we have not been able to achieve anything.

Sanders: Back to square one, in a sense.

CT: Really? But aren't the 14,000 Syrian troops in the process of moving toward the border to leave Lebanon?

Accad: They are. But in many ways the retreat of the Syrian troops is not that important. What is more important is the huge influence that the Syrian authorities have on the Lebanese government. I don't know how you get rid of that apart from a total overhaul of the government, apart from free elections. You can remove all of the armed forces, all 14,000 of them, and it still may not have any positive effect if the government is not really renewed, reformed.

CT: So the atmosphere of oppression you mentioned …

Accad: It's political, you understand, it's not religious.

Sanders: We can say anything we want practically from the religious standpoint as long as we're not insulting another religion or its leaders. But in terms of making political statements, this is a totally different story.

CT: Let's talk hypothetically: If an evangelical leader were to make some statements implicating the powers that be, then what would happen to him?

Accad: If I do it officially on behalf of an institution, I'm putting the institution at risk of being closed down. The number one accusation that will be issued against me is going to be that I am pro-Israel, because the whole Western agenda, particularly of America, is perceived as being pro-Israel and pro-Zionist.

next page... |  2 of 3

share this page

March (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49