Whenever I hear an Arab official warning against attempts to stir up a conflict, I am scared. I feel that the conflict is definitely impending. Whenever I hear an official wager on the awareness of citizens in order to cut off any conflict, I feel that the road towards it is open. Whenever I hear about the desperate attempts to stir up a conflict, I believe it will be ignited soon. Whenever an official celebrates closing the windows through which the conflict is trying to enter, I feel that the doors are wide open to it. Whenever I hear an official singing the praises of national unity, I put my hand on my heart. Whenever I hear him assure that the conspiracies of enemies will shatter on the rock of national unity, I feel like crying. Whenever he says that our national unity is the guarantee in the face of the enemy, I feel that we are naked, without any guarantees. Whenever I hear an official state that national unity constitutes a solid barrage in the face of enemies, I think of pierced barrages and the ensuing catastrophes, and of the symptoms of national immunodeficiency. Whenever I hear an official brandish in the face of enemies the sword of national cohesion, I feel that the clash among citizens will not take long to start. Whenever I hear an official talk about tolerance, I fearfully put a hand on my heart. My fear increases when he starts talking about the great revolution that is constituted by the diversity of loyalties and sects. I feel an urge to escape whenever he exaggerates in talking about comprehension and understanding among citizens who have different references and interpretations for their history or histories. Sometimes the official might exaggerate and talk like a Swedish citizen. He would speak about the deep-rooted acceptance of the other in our societies; about enriching dialogues; about coexistence under the constitution and the law; about the choice of referring to institutions and staying away from execrable fanaticisms. I feel really scared when an official ignores the spilled blood and blames external factors for everything that takes place in his country – conveniently forgetting that the explosions, kidnappings, and killings took place on the hands of nationals, and that the groups that fate put under the national flag to love each other actually have opposing personal chants and a wish to cause prejudice whenever the opportunity arises or otherwise obtain a divorce. I like national cohesion, but I ask: is it true that what we read in books, listen in homes, and follow on the internet and on TV strengthens national cohesion, or does it herald clashes among citizens? Is tolerance an essential pillar in our culture and do we really accept that retarded person living in the same building or adjacent neighborhood, or do we want to see our building and city clean and analogous? Does our condition for accepting the other involve him relinquishing the features that do not correspond to ours, and is this his condition too? These are simple questions. Did we pay attention early enough to the sectarian reactors that were launched in Iraq after Saddam Hussein's demise and execution, and their ensuing radiations in the region? Did we pay attention to the old Lebanese reactors and conclude the necessary lessons? What about the new Lebanese reactors that threaten to start up at full energy? These are both simple and painful questions. Why will it be possible for a Sunni and a Shiite to coexist here or there if it is impossible for them to coexist in a diverse country like Lebanon and a diverse city like Beirut? What we have heard about Beirut during the past two days points out that the campaign for enriching sectarian feelings is active and could provide the sectarian reactors with quantities that exceed the local need and that can be exported. I write this as I read the news about prohibiting group gatherings in Kuwait in order to curb the rise of sectarian discourse. I write this while I think about what Bahrain has been going through for a while. I write while I follow the Iraqi deaths yesterday, along with the confirmation of politicians that the search for a government takes place based on national cohesion and partnership. I write as I follow the awakening of sectarian sentiment in the campaigns that are exchanged in Lebanon. I am an Arab who has acquired nothing but extreme fear in the capitals of the region. I feel that there are several cracks in the national unity. I feel that the institutions that offer protection and guarantees are still considered a foreign concept. There are no effective guarantees in facing the winds of extremism and oppression and the desire to eliminate the other. Those who can, must move fast, as Arabs do not have the ability to support the radiations of the Beirut reactors, while the Baghdad reactors continue to operate. The increase in the number of hotspots and active sectarian reactors heralds a series of catastrophes.
