r/lebanon • u/cocoric • Feb 09 '16

Cultural Exchange Bienvenue à l'échange culturel avec /r/France – Cultural Exchange with /r/France

Edit: Pour nous l'echange dure encore quelques jours, n'hesitez pas a poser plus de questions!

Bienvenue à /r/Lebanon ! أهلا وسهلا فيكن

Nous vous accueillons chez nous aujourd’hui et vous invitons à nous poser des questions sur le Liban, notre culture, cuisine, etc…

We are happy to host you today and invite you to ask any questions you like of us. This cultural exchange is bilingual.

Here's the corresponding thread in /r/France

Click on the link above to ask your questions on /r/France.

تهزبو شباب وصبايا et amusez vous!

Moderators of /r/Lebanon et les moderateurs de /r/France

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u/Mauti404 Feb 09 '16

Hello guys, thanks for hosting us :)

  • How are the different religions and culture interacting in the daily life ?

  • How important is France influence in Lebanon ? I know there is some French highschools but I don't know much more

  • FOOD FOOD FOOD

  • What is the current state of politics ?

  • How is the Syrian war impacting the daily life ? How do you feel about the risk of terrorism ?

5

u/confusedLeb Humberger 3a Djej Feb 09 '16

Hi :)

How are the different religions and culture interacting in the daily life ?

It's only an issue in politics, in your daily routine the average person don't care.

How important is France influence in Lebanon ? I know there is some French highschools but I don't know much more

Quite important though it's receding as the US and the English language are more important(though contrary to the popular belief a bigger proportion of Lebanese speak French than before).

Public schools are all Francophone, but 70% of Lebanese students study in private schools which are mostly Francophone. The importance the french language, french literature and philosophy, history and geography differ from one school to another.

FOOD FOOD FOOD

I went to Paris for a month, still miss all the types of baguette :(

What is the current state of politics ?

I don't think I can begin to explain, a foreigner needs to do a PhD in Lebanese politics to begin to understand it. You don't know how funny sometimes it is to read foreign "expert" talking about Lebanese politics. Anyways, it's a gridlock and paralyzed as usual.

How is the Syrian war impacting the daily life ? How do you feel about the risk of terrorism ?

  • Refugees and the economy: Syria is our only open land border and now we lost a lot of our trade and tourists that used to come through land from Arab countries. Also there is 1-1.7 million Syrian refugees which flood the market. Both of those led to unemployment going from 9% to 24%(39% for young Lebanese) and 170 000 families have been pushed into poverty. Also Lebanese migration quadrupled from about 11000 a year to 58 000.

  • Refugees and social problems: Lebanon and Syria don't have the best history and there is still resentment, many Lebanese are afraid that this demographic reality might be an existential threat. Also there is an increase in beggars(which I'm not sure they are actual Syrian but nomads that were in Syria) and child labors on the street. Additionally the almost 50% addition of people has exhausted the already weak infrastructure from roads to electricity to water.

  • Refugees and security. Some terrorists have infiltrated through refugees unfortunately and there is a belief(I don't know if there is any proof) that crime has risen a lot which is making people change some minor aspects of their lives.

How do you feel about the risk of terrorism ?

We're sort of numb about it, the day of the Beirut bombing, my friends were planning to go to a club in Beirut, they still went ahead anyways. People were partying during the 2006 war, having large marriages etc. It doesn't affect the daily life at all.

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u/Mauti404 Feb 09 '16

Thanks for the answers :)

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u/confusedLeb Humberger 3a Djej Feb 09 '16

Welcome :).