Lebanon’s recurring anxiety about its identity and survival does not require external warnings to resurface. As argued by Hicham ‘Alaiywan in ASAS Media, the Lebanese entity has been unsettled since its creation more than a century ago, never fully stabilizing around a shared national narrative. Recent remarks by international envoys merely hold up a mirror to Lebanese society, particularly to Christians, highlighting that the historical conditions under which Lebanon was founded have fundamentally changed, most notably with the re-emergence of Syria under new political balances.
The historian Kamal Salibi famously observed that Lebanese people never succeeded in agreeing on a single founding myth. This absence of a unifying narrative obstructed the development of a coherent national identity. Competing visions of Lebanon have long coexisted: for some, Lebanon was a Christian refuge, as described by Henri Lammens; for others, such as Michel Chiha, it was a uniquely small yet ancient country, a crossroads of civilizations, religions, cultures, and economic models. Chiha portrayed Lebanon as a “microcosm of humanity,” simultaneously a land of refuge and emigration, mountains and plains, diversity and contradiction.
Yet this romanticized vision rested on exaggerations and strategic omissions. While Lebanon indeed embodies diversity, many of its supposed distinguishing features—economic openness, pluralism, and cultural multiplicity—also existed, and still exist, in Syria, often in richer and more expansive forms. These Syrian characteristics were historically frozen by authoritarian rule, allowing Lebanon to flourish temporarily during its “golden years.” With Syria’s recent political transformation following the 2024 “Deterrence of Aggression” operation, this imbalance is no longer guaranteed.
The writer emphasizes that Lebanon now faces a far more consequential challenge than traditional fears of Syrian interference. Syria’s movement away from minority rule toward broader representation, combined with its adoption of liberal economic and democratic elements inspired partly by the Lebanese experience, undermines Lebanon’s long-held self-image as the singular “land of minorities.” This development is more destabilizing than any direct political or territorial threat because it strikes at the core of Lebanon’s existential narrative.
Meanwhile, Israel’s post-October 7, 2023 behavior has further destabilized the region, acting with unprecedented military freedom and violence. Caught between an unrestrained Israel in the south and a resurgent Syria in the north, Lebanon finds itself, after 105 years of existence, back at the starting point, without a convincing shared past, a unified present, or a credible vision for the future.
Drawing on Ernest Renan’s concept of the nation, the columnist underscores that nations are not built on race, language, or geography alone, but on shared memories, collective suffering, and a present-day will to live together. Lebanon lacks these unifying elements: its languages, religions, symbols, and even martyrs remain fragmented along sectarian lines.
The article concludes that Lebanon’s remaining option is pragmatic rather than mythical. If common identity, language, or sacrifice cannot unite its people, then shared interest, or shared awareness of collective loss should the country fragment, must form the basis of a renewed national vision. The opportunity still exists to redefine Lebanon beyond its exhausted founding myths, but time and regional transformations are rapidly narrowing that space.
Source: https://asasmedia.com/101495/
