ABSTRACT
Lebanon was a land of strong and able people, not a rich country, but esteemed in such things as music, theater, literature, and thought. The land was oppressed by neighbors and grieved by quarrels and infighting among the different branches of its people. Unity in friendship and harmony was needed to pursue the national destiny. The profound political turbulence and disorders that afflicted Lebanon since 1975 undermined the stability and independence of a Maronite-dominated regime. The special Maronite component in the population and the singular national character of Lebanon help explain this fascinating phenomenon. Lebanon has never been isolated from the religious, ideological, and political currents blowing across the broader Middle East region. From the 1970s Islam in its radical/revolutionary/fundamentalist manifestations, buoyed by money, religion, and weapons, penetrated Lebanon. The Lebanese were losing faith that their country could recover and that the people's trust in the leadership would ever be restored.
