local
Muslims, Christians balanced
Pact aided
Lebanese politics
Editor's note: This is the second
of n three-purl series on Leba
non written by several members
of the Lebanese Student Asso
ciation to commemorate
Lebanese Independence Day on
Nov. 21.
tween Muslims and Christians at
a ratio of 5 to 6. The president
was a Maronite (an Arabic
speaking Christian), the speaker
of the chamber was a Shi’ite
by Toni Prince
A unique political system ex
isted in Lebanon from 194ft to
1975. Conlessionalism — strict
adherence to a particular reli
gious creed — accompanied in
dependence in the Lebanese
government. An unwritten
understanding, the National
Pact, was reached between
Christians and Muslims.
The pact set the basis for
Lebanon’s unique political sys
tem. In a country with 17 Mus
lim and (Christian religious sects,
a republic was instituted. The
republic was governed by a un
icameral parliament of 99 mem
bers, each elected for four-year
terms, and a president who was
elected every six years.
To preserve the delicate reli
gious equilibrium, (h e seats in
the parliament were divided be
Analysis
fi M &SS M SSE n 20 > *^3 M ££ 9a £GS > *:
Muslim and the prime ministei
was a Muslim Sunni.
This diversity of religious
representation was integral to
the state’s structure. The system
generated a relative amount of
freedom and guaranteed full
civil liberties.
That freedom — coupled 1
with Lebanon’s geographic loca
tion — made Lebanon the trade
and cultural center of the Mid
dle East. Lebanon remained the
world’s link between the East
and West tl. ioughthe 1950s and
1960s.
Lebanese politics centered
around the system of religious
'^presentation. 1 he system was
j- (0, npromise between
Christians’ wester,
. the
rn political ten
dencies and the Muslims’ tradi
tional quest for Arab union.
Economic development resulted
from the compromise and from
the nature of Lebanon’s people.
One Western diplomat refer
red to Lebanon as “a country, of
course, but above all, a people.”
The 1948 Palestinian War,
the tragedy of the Palestinian
people and t he Nasserite revolu
tion in Egypt increased social
tensions that culminated in a re
bellion in 1958. The disturbance
was quelled with the interven
tion of U.S. Marines in July
1958.
President Chehab, who re
fused to let the Lebanese army
become involved in the 1958 re
bellion, began the introduction
of scientists and engineers into
the government, regardless of
their religion.
A period of economic de-
'ylopnient followed and con-
tintted until the Arab-Israeli war
‘ n I-**>/. I he Arab world then
Reused its
Pa| estin e
Xr
attention on the
Liberation Organiza-
the Palestinian
Lebanon’s relative freedom
permitted the PLO to develop,
organize and arm itself. Because
of Arab and international press
ure, the Lebanese government
and the PLO signed the Cairo
Accords on Nov. 3, 1969. The
PLO was allowed to police the
ref ugee camps and set up milit
ary bases. The PLO also was
given control over a 270-square-
mile area which bordered Israel
near Bint-Jubayl. This marked
the beginning of a state within a
state,
Through the 1960s, social
tensions were heightened by an
increasing number of qualified
and educated Lebanese who
could not gain political power
because of religious quotas.
In September 1970, King
Hussein’s army drove the PLO
out ofjordan and its leaders fled
to Beirut. Along with them came
great numbers of Muslim Pales
tinian ref ugees. Lebanon’s reli
gious equilibrium had been
broken. Many intellectuals
embraced the Palestinian cause
and consequently polarized
Lebanese politics.
From 1970 to 1973, corrup
tion in Lebanon’s government
reached staggering proportions.
The PLO took advantage of this
and armed itself heavily. In May
1973, the PLO clashed with the
Lebanese army. One serious fact
was noted: some Lebanese na
tionals fought on the PLO’s side.
The October 1973 Arab-
Israeli war and the oil embargo
made the Western world realize
a solution to the conflict had to
be found. The PLO was the
main problem. It either must be
eliminated or given a piece of
land.
In the meantime, Lebanese
militias had formed to counter
the PLO’s armed presence. The
corrupt government, which was
under Arab and international
pressure, was unable to stop the
flow of arms to both sides.
By January 1975, Lebanon
became internally explosive be
cause of military and social ten
sions. The spark that ignited
Lebanon came in February 1975
in the southern town of Saida.
Friday: The Lebanese Holo
caust.
—I 1—i 'v C
Vital statistics
about Lebanon
•Official name: Republic
of Lebanon
•Capital: Beirut (popula
tion 1,200,000)
•Major cities: Tripoli,
Saida, Tyre
by Kt
Battali
jectricity
Ion resief
er the next
net assauda (10,131 feet) K|Jt L5
Population: 3,161,0'
percent urban, 40 perctE
rural
•Principal languages:Artl
bit (official), French, f
jirr to as m
"kilowatt 1
(active w
jse by Gul
Hie city wi
•Area: 4000 square miles
•Geography: neighbors:
Syria (east and north), Israel
(south), western coast on the
Mediterranean Sea. Has two
mountain chains running
north to south called the
Lebanon and the Anti-
Lebanon which are separated
by the A1 Biqaa Valley.
•Highest elevation: Qur-
•Religions:
Muslim, Druze
• A gric u 11 u re: fruit, wli«|
tobacco
• Manufacturing: fool
products, textiles, cement!
petroleum products,
als, metals, plastics, cigarette
• Currency: one Lebanes
lira or pound equals 100p»
tres; U.S. $1 equals (I
Lebanese liras
ChristffiifO $886,0
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Rape discussed hff
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Sun. 11 ■ m --2a.m.
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by Brigette Crossland
Battalion Reporter
Rape is a problem in the
Bryan-College Station commun
ity, the assistant director of stu
dent aff airs told the Off Campus
Aggies Wednesday night.
“People have the attitude that
it will never happen to them, un
fortunately that’s not the case,”
Jan Winniford said.
The Bryan and College Sta
tion police departments re
ported 31 rapes last year. Texas
A&M has had one reported rape
this semester.
But Winniford stressed that
usually only one out of 10 rapes
are reported.
“Texas A&rM is faring pretty
well when compared to the
number of rapes at other uni
versities, but we have our share,”
Winniford said.
“The best preventions are the
common sense precautions that
people forget to take — little
things like locking your tofi United Pi
door and having your WALLAS -
ready when you get to your W ^ve be
The issue of what to doilff two
are attacked is a controvtii I 111 ^ey i
one, Winniford said, luto votei
Some experts say to be pas 8' ectlon -.
to minimize chances of injut IP 16 Lwsi
death, and some say touse» i°‘ ^ saac J
force. I s un ‘ (,n r
“What a person should it | t ^ | as L' r
up to the individual and!|!j t ‘^' <) -
pends on several factors si™* c ^ a
what that person is iaualit» ; „ ere
and the circumstances ofMli s | ) ^ c:
attack,” Winniford said. ■ esan( ‘tha
Members also discussed* laU( ''
upcoming Christmas BallaiWp y^ck
meeting. lilt of act:
|te, threate
The ball will be held IMF because
8 p.m. at the Ramada Inn.I*Lhe suit s;
t ickets go on sale Friday for SW e irregu
the MSC Box Office. Bard J tln g Righ
will he sold, but mustbepaidW ts 10 due
at the bar because IB-yeaMiWction ui
will be admitted.
Ilated.
Women’s past
subject of talk
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“The New Deal and the For
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speech by Dr. Martha Swain
tonight at 7:30 in 226 MSC.
Swain, associate professor of
history at Texas Women’s Uni
versity, is the author of the biog
raphy “Pat Harrison: The New
Deal Years.” She is currently
writing a biography of Ellen S.
Woodward and women’s work
during the New Deal era.
Swain is a member of the
Committee on Teacher Educa
tion and Certification for the
National Council for the Social
Sciences. She also is a member of
the Committee on Congression
al Fellowships and a program
United Pre
Dallas -
member for is reached
Historical Ajsop L with Bra
lie talks co
[ under a n
committee
American
tion.
She has received sevtii
awards, with the most recentom two 0( i le
being the American PtffOnTuesdt
sophical Society grant. Swainiij j uc ]g e
ceived grants to the EleaDWjroved Bn
Roosevelt Institute and theH4 extens j on t
ry Truman Library Institute irganizatioi
She received her doctori idi stoppei
from Vanderbilt Universitysf ingtoconi|
is a former president of it a joint-v
Southern Association ofWoint' Hf ic s 0ut hi
Historians. [Braniff rn
byees to aa
The History Honor Sock gfor lower
and the Department of HistoP Sdmorelibc
are sponsoring the presemati® re the agree
Late Tut
laniffand tl
pion reachi
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