Damascus

By: Vernon Richards, author of ‘Islam Undressed‘

Understanding the complex system of alliances and support that fuel the conflict in the Middle East can be difficult, but FSM Contributing Editor Tashbih Sayyed walks us through it, explaining just what this war means and why it matters.

In my previous article, “Is Islam a Tolerant Religion?” posted on 30 June, 2006, I did not expect it to be Part One of a series of articles on this subject. The Tanweer website, where I saw the Arabic text, gave no indication of a continued discussion of the topic. But while I was glancing at the website of the Arabic online daily Elaph, I discovered Parts II & III of the series.
As is my method in my contributions to FFI, first I begin with excerpts from the article, and then end with my analysis and comments.

“Before the Israeli attack, Lebanon no longer existed, it was no more than a hologram.” This is what the Lebanese journalist, Michael Behe, wrote on July 30. His commentary was posted on the website of the Metula News Agency in Beirut.

To understand the Lebanese situation, it helps to know that, despite a history that dates back to biblical times, modern Lebanon was literally the invention of Western powers, England and France, after WWI in 1920. It became independent of France in the early 1940s.