CHALLENGES FACING THE CHRISTIANS IN LEBANON

During the Lebanon war which lasted from 1975 until 1990, 847,000 people were internally displaced, 81% of whom are Christian. (Source: Adwa' ala qadiyyat al-muhajjireen, "Shedding light on the issue of the displaced", Lebanon)

• Following is a breakdown of the major displacement events:
• From Chouf, Aley, Baabda, and Metn: 240,000
• From West Beirut and its Southern Suburbs: 170,000
• From Jezzine, Saida, East Saida, Nabatiyeh, and Rashya: 125,000
• From Zahleh, West Bekaa, and Baalbak: 110,000
• From Tripoli, Akkar, Shekka, Zgharta, Bsharri, and Koura: 30,000
  
  
  

The demographic changes that resulted from the displacement are compounded by the inability of the displaced to return to their villages due to lack of employement opportunities, the cost of education, and difficulty accessing healthcare.

When the war started in 1975, emigration jumped from about 10-20,000 per year to a total of about 700,000 for the years 1975 and 1976. Subsequently, the emigration level varied from 40,000 to 80,000 people per year until the end the war in 1990. Contrary to what was expected, the end of the war did not result in a decrease in emigration but in an increase to levels higher than those during the war years (see chart). Some of the reasons that explain this phenomenon include the worsening economy, the declining state of freedom, and the alienation from the political process.

Several factors are contributing to the progressive impoverishment of the Lebanese population as a whole. Statistics show that unemployment (19% in 2000) is increasing despite the high level of emigration and more people are living below the poverty line. The impact of this economic situation on the Christian community has been accentuated by the fact that most foreign assistance to Christian institutions ceased at the end of the war in 1990.

In 1994, the Lebanese govenement passed a naturalization decree (number 5247) that granted citizenship to about 400,000 foreigners, mostly non-Christians. This decree increased the threat of a permanent change in the political and demographic character of Lebanon.

Alienation from the political process is the end result of a multitude of violations of human rights and freedom of the press. Examples include the violent suppression of peaceful student demonstrations, the assassination of opposition members, and the unprecedented obstruction of the press in the form of closure of tv stations. These occurences and many others contribute to a general state of insecurity and fear.