|  Forum members behind the screens -
13th December 2006
When I observe what goes on here and in other Lebanese (and also other Arab forums), I wonder what really drives people to participate in forums and discussion boards! It seems that very few people LISTEN or READ each other, and almost no one convinces another person to modify or enrich their viewpoint and find common ground. Most people seem to repeat the same rhetoric they have been dictated from their leaders, lords or religious figures not only to convince others but to maintain their own faith in what they say.
For that reason I would like to present a case study, and give you an inside look at one member here who is closely related to me!
This member has almost opposing views to mine although we live under the same roof. I have lived in Lebanon for many years and went to school there, while he only visited Lebanon a couple of times and has been influenced by the media and history books here. Due to the negative stereotypes of people in the Arab region and the devastating collapse of culture, literature and religious harmony in our region, he finds himself forced into the mainstream here to avoid the dissonance and emotional and mental stress I have endured. I fully acknowledge that it is not easy when you do not comply with the mainstream here or the destructive mainstream in the Arab region (tazammut, ilghaa2 el aakhar, faoda, darwashe w ta2ifiyyeh). Feeling isolated and unable to fit in here and there and having no one or very few people to represent your views in the Arab media and in Lebanon is very distressing.
However, the solution is not to parrot positions just to feel comfortable and fit in. It is definitely not acceptable to discuss and criticize people and issues without reading or listening to more than one perspective. This member can't even sit still and watch a news broadcast on channels that support the views he adopted because they might say something that disturbs what has been dictated to him. He restricts himself to a couple of obscure Lebanese websites and CNN, and he speaks of events and people he doesn't really know much about.
Any viewpoint that doesn't fit his position is "stupid", and to assert that he has to shout and scream his lungs out. Any information that might make him uncomfortable or experience any dissonance is immediately dismissed as "invented propaganda broadcast on NewTV" - even the Lebanese Army's statement which partly supported Mr. Sanyoura and was broadcast on LBC (which he doesn't watch for fear of broadcasting something not to his liking)!
This is just the story of one member, who is very dear to me, behind the scenes. How many thousands of such very young intellectual-wanna-be youths exist in Lebanon? And this person is certainly one of the better examples of our teenagers who aspires to become an intellectual and reads books (although those supporting his own viewpoint!), and participates in debates in his social studies classes.
People shouldn't really wonder why El 7iwar has failed in Lebanon, and why our youths are easily incited and polarized. This stubborness and the side-blinders are being passed down to the next generations.
هذا الشبل من ذاك الأسد
Pun not intended!
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13th December 2006
