A version of this story was published in Monocle Magazine, August 2018 By Habib Battah Just across the skyscraper-lined Bay... Read More
It’s a question I get asked a lot lately, most recently during a radio interview I did this morning. With... Read More
Many have asked if the revolts taking place across Lebanon will succeed. But they have already succeeded at taking away the ruling politicians’ most powerful weapon: the microphone. Extraordinary scenes are unfolding on Lebanese television, a freedom of speech and confrontation with power that may not be found in the... Read More
The Lebanese state (which literally cannot keep the streetlights on at night where hundreds die in highway collisions every year)... Read More
‘We Made Every Living Thing from Water’ (وجعلنا من الماء كل شيء حي) will have its premiere at 6pm today... Read More
If you live in Lebanon, you would probably fall out of your chair if I told you government ministers were being awarded for public services. With no constant supply of water or electricity, no sewage treatment, poor roads and zero police presence to maintain public safety on highways, most Lebanese... Read More
At a time when so many historic sites are being demolished in Lebanon, it’s refreshing to see that some in... Read More
A rare and well-preserved ancient Roman wall that once surrounded Beirut has been dismantled. Photography of the site is not... Read More
“We will find where you live,” a watchman yelled at me after taking a picture of ruins on his construction site. He had followed me across the street to issue the threat, claiming to have memorized the license plate number on my car. “Wait and see what they will do... Read More
Even if independent candidates don’t win big on election day, they are already having an impact on Lebanese political culture.... Read More