Ya Libnan

Fate of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Revisited

Published: Saturday, 4 July, 2009 @ 8:39 AM in Beirut

By Ghassan Karam
Special to Ya Libnan

Whenever parties that represent opposing points of view, concerning
practically all matters, agree on an issue by taking even a united
stand then it should be obvious that something is amiss.

The Lebanese political scene is represented by all sorts of
ideologies, homegrown, imported, extreme right and extreme left but
yet time and again all of these discordant voices sing in harmony the
tune that the over 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon
should not be given the chance to become Lebanese citizens but must be
kept as aliens that eek an existence in camps that lack access to
modern school, job opportunities, social safety network, decent
infrastructure or even recourse to law enforcement. The residents of
these camps are discriminated against in practically every single
sphere only because they are Palestinians.
So why do the Lebanese politicians of all stripes insist on the
continued dehumanization of these unlucky Palestinian refugees? It
cannot be the fear of a cultural clash since the Palestinians and the
Lebanese are practically indistinguishable and it cannot be the
concern of the fiscal burden associated with assimilation since most
studies conducted in various countries all over the world have
demonstrated that new immigrants usually more than pay for their share
of the fiscal cost because of the additional jobs and economic growth
that they create. So if there is no basis for an economic argument
neither is there a rationale for a cultural argument why do the
Lebanese parties act united in their opposition to absorbing the
Palestinian refugees? The common response by all sides is that these
bigoted policies are adopted because they are good for the
Palestinians. Yes you heard it right. Depriving people of their rights
and forcing them to live in sub human conditions is good for them, it
builds character and keeps them yearning for their fatherland. This is
as good as arguing that slavery was good for the slaves since they did
not have to worry about their next meal. What a crock.

How come no one used this argument when the Armenians came to Lebanon
and why is it that most of the Christian Palestinians have been
absorbed into the Lebanese society not only without creating a
meaningful fiscal burden but by playing an essential role in the
economic growth and prosperity of Lebanon in all fields? The answer is
clear. The only reason for insisting on the continuation of policies
that deprive the Palestinians of their inherent rights is
political. The real reason that the Phalange in addition to the
Lebanese Forces and the Aounists oppose the integration of the
Palestinian refugees is sectarian. They are very concerned that the
demographic position of the Lebanese Christian who barley account for
40% of the population but are granted 50% of the parliamentary seats
would become untenable. As soon as the youthful Palestinian refugees
are given Lebanese citizenship then the Christians would become 35% of
the population which will then highlight the absurdity of their
insisting on 50% of the parliamentary seats. This absurdity should
remind us of the Orwellian dictum that `we are all equal but some are
more equal than others’. The Lebanese progressive parties on the other
hand, led by Hezbollah, cannot bear to loose the only cause that
justifies their presence. Take away from these parties the need to
`resist’ on behalf of the disinherited and you would have taken away
their whole reason to exist. The progressives would not look
favourably on any attempt to take away their power to use the
Palestinian refugees as pawns in justifying their `resistance’.
What makes both of these selfish positions powerful is that each of
them is based on half truths. A sectarian society would not welcome
policies that will throw its sectarian balance out of whack and the
`Pan Arab resistance’ parties cannot surrender an issue that is
essential for their existence.
Fortunately there is a solution that will benefit all sides. (1)The
adoption of a secular electoral system will dispense of this divisive
sectarian tribal system once and for all. This can actually be a boon
to all by enabling true citizenship to emerge. (2) The act of
transforming the deplorable conditions in the camps will rob the
`resistance’ parties of their military option which has been
ineffective anyway but should help them move into the potentially more
productive realm of promoting civil disobedience policies. And
obviously every single Palestinian will gain more self respect and a
greater opportunity to fulfill their human potential.
A Podcast of the above can be heard on: Ramblings11.mypodcast.com
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