CETRI
This dossier is a collection of conversations that took place during the events that shook
Lebanon in May 2008. The whole week of most serious unrest that lasted from 7 to 15
May led many to say the country was ‘on the brink of civil war’.
Tired of getting the same copy-and-paste reports from mainstream international media,
and encouraged by the many questions we got from friends, family and colleagues who
were following the so-called May crisis from abroad, we set to hold the conversations
you will find in these pages.
Taken individually, the conversations soon became obsolete as a piece of news, but
taken as a whole, they aim at giving the reader a picture of Lebanon, in such a way that
the crisis eventually becomes an excuse to understand the wider Lebanese context. We
thus hope to contribute, however modestly, to give a richer vision than the often oversimplified
approaches found in mainstream media.
The interviewees were approached with the same basic set of questions, which were
intended to serve as a guide to spark conversation, not necessarily as something to stick
to. Our intention was not to confront any argument or view, but rather to listen to what
different actors had to say about a range of topics.
That is why we think of these pages as a series of conversations rather than strictly
interviews. That is also why we have tried not to ‘over-edit’ the texts, nor avoid the
repetitions or ticks of spoken language.
The conversations are presented in chronological order, according to the date they took
place. They are followed by three annexes : a brief timeline, a glossary including some
useful references to people, places and events, and some maps of the clashes created by
Lebanon Support.
Our deepest thanks go to all those that spared their time and effort to talk to us : Ziad
Abdel Samad, Ghassan Ghossn, Diana Moukalled, Samah Idriss, Gaby Jammal, and
Leila Mazboudi. Special thanks for i compagni Teo, Bilal and Luca.