Lebanon

1. Lebanon Mina Moscatelli

2. Geography • Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria • Mediterranean climate: • mild to cool temperatures • wet winters with hot, dry summers • mountains experience heavy winter snows

3. General Information • Total Population: 4,143,101 (2011) • Male to Female ratio of total Population:0.96 male(s)/female • Religious and Ethnic Groups: • Muslim 59.7%, Christian 39%, other 1.3% • Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% • Languages: • Arabic (official) • French, English, Armenian

4. Education • Percent of Budget Spent on Education: (from 2009) • 1.8% of GDP • Literacy: (from 2003) • total population: 87.4% • male: 93.1% • female: 82.2%

5. Health • Infant Mortality Rates: (2011) • total: 15.85 deaths/1,000 live births • Life Expectancy: • total population: 75.01 years • male: 73.48 years • female: 76.62 years

6. Government • Government Type: Republic • Current Leader: Michel Suleiman (president) Najib Makati (Prime Minister) • Stability: Better but hard to say how stable • The agreement to vote for a president put an end to the awful civil wars from 1975-1990 • Government has been very unstable throughout history but is fairly stable now • Civil Wars from 1975-1981 and again from 1985-1989 • Also many conflicts with Israel including wars throughout 1975-1981 time period and in 2006 where bombed like crazy • Michel Suleiman seen as very unifying • Michel Suleiman is seen as very respected and delivering the government from political chaos

7. Economics • Income per capita: $14,400 (2010) • Industries: banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating • Exports • jewelry, base metals, chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper • Imports • petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals

8. Relationship with the United States • Yes, Lebanon is an ally of the United States: we have a bilateral relationship (Meaning Lebanon is very important to US) • Lebanon and US have had good relationship • Have helped them with lots of funding • Intervened in war times and when in need of help • Very interested in helping Lebanon and it’s people • US wants to create a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Lebanon • Overall could help in Middle East with comprehensive peace in the Middle East • Plus we want Lebanon to be stable and independent • 1975-1981 Lebanon suffered major civil war problems and from 1982-1984 the US intervened • 1983, US, Lebanon, and Israel signed agreement, but this didn’t last long • The U.S. government gave $1 billion in additional public debt to the Lebanese population in 2006 and 2007 after being bombed by Israel • United States also has assisted the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Lebanese American University (LAU) • Budget support • Student scholarships • In 1993 US resumed the International Military Education and Training program • Reinforces civilian control in military • It is very important to the US to maintain a good relationship with Lebanon

9. Sharia • Sharia is not the main source of legislation in Lebanon • Lebanon has mixed jurisdiction systems based on residual colonial legal systems and supplemented with sharia • French civil law greatly influenced development of Lebanese legal and judiciary systems • Hudud (Koranic) offences, have their specific penalties for particular crimes, such as adultery is punished by stoning, the consumption of alcohol by lashing, and theft by the amputation of limbs. • Lebanon does not use these punishments in their judicial system today

10. Human Rights • Torture • There are reports that security forces abuse detainees • Beatings • Suspension by arms tied behind the back • Some reportedly beaten, handcuffed, blindfolded, and forced to lie face down on the ground • Government acknowledged that violent abuse usually occurred during interrogation when suspects had no attorney • This abuse occurred despite laws that prevented judges from accepting any confessions that came out under tortuous ways • Minorities • Discrimination against Palestinians • there are 350,000 non-citizen Palestinian refugees in Lebanon • not allowed to own property • even need a special permit to leave their refugee camps • denied access to the Lebanese healthcare system • 2010, government removed work restrictions from Palestinians, enabling them to apply for work permits and work in the private sector • Lebanese Parliament is divided on granting Palestinian rights • Improving Civil Rights for Palestinians VS. concerns for messing up mainly Muslim cultured population • Homosexuals • Sexual intercourse used to be considered a crime (prison sentence varied but was up to a year) today no longer against the law and there are many organizations for gay rights

11. Human Rights Continued • Women • Considered equal to men under civil rights but that’s not really followed out • Living in a man’s world • Fewer rights than men and unfair compared to men’s rights • For example, Adultery- one month to a year for male but 3 months to 2 years for females • Don’t play a big role in politics, when it comes down to it politics are male dominate all over the world, but one step at a time it becomes more natural for women • Due Process • Unreasonable arrests are fairly common • Some prisoners are held for long periods of time without trials or charges • Human Right Violations are pretty common in Lebanon

12. Current Event • Government and Relationships with Israel and the Hezbollah • Government of Lebanon has been in and out of stability with many civil wars • Lebanon and Israel have had lots of conflict • Hezbollah is considered a terrorist group which was established by Palestinians • Although Hezbollah is not affiliated with Lebanon • Hezbollah basically forced Lebanon and Israel into conflict • All started in 60’s and 70’s • Palestinians fled to Lebanon where Hezbollah was established • Hezbollah continuously made small attacks on Israel from boarder • This began a huge conflict between Lebanon and Israel that lasted a long time • Better now but conflict and small attacks still continue and Hezbollah holds places in government • US is very curious to see where government going

13. Bibliography • "CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/le.html>. • "BBC News - Lebanon Profile - Overview." BBC - Homepage. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14647308>. • "Lebanon." U.S. Department of State. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35833.htm>. • "Human Rights in Lebanon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Lebanon>. • Khalaf, Mona Chemali. "UNHCR | Refworld | Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 - Lebanon." UNHCR Welcome. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,FREEHOU,,LBN,4b99012177,0.html>. • "Google Images." Google. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=lebanon>. • Alagha, Joseph Elie. "Hezbollah." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah>. • "Myths & Facts - Human Rights in Arab Countries." Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf16.html. • Islam: Governing Under Sharia. Council on Foreign Relations, Inc., 2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.cfr.org/religion/islam-governing-under-sharia/p8034>.