What Does Arsan Say?
Why does Arsan say that April 26th, 2005 a ‘momentous day’ ?(45)
The last of the Syrian troops had finally left Lebanon which ended a 29-year military presence.
What holiday was Hariri killed?
Valentines Day
What were the two main political alliances that emerged after Hariri's assassination?
The march 8 alliance and the march 14 alliance
The US, Syria, and this European country played the biggest role in shaping Lebanon's politics following Hariri's assassination?
France
Following Hariri's death, the US and France presented a Joint Draft to create a more "democratic" Middle East to this UN decision-making body?
The Security Council/UNSC
Arsan begins chapter 1 by describing a very intricate picture of the day that Hariri was killed from the temperature of the day to the food that they ate. What purpose did Arsan hope to create from describing the events of Hariri’s death in such a storytelling way?
Since Arsan tries to make a point throughout the chapter how these political events affect the everyday lives of the people he uses narrative detail to show that Lebanon's story is best understood not through abstract politics, but through the everyday realities and emotions of its people.
Which two groups fought in a 34-day war from July to August in 2006?
Hizballah and Israel
Which political group known for its strong military wing and alignment with Syria and Iran formed in 1982?
Hizballah
Which two counties presented the joint draft of UN resolution 1559 to the security council?
The US and France
What was the name of the act that imposed political economic sanctions for Lebanon?
The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003
What exactly was Arsan referring to as the “defining characteristic of Lebanon” (21) and why does he say that this sentiment remains true with ordinary Lebanese citizens?
The experience of fragmentation and uncertainty which is evident in the immanence of sectarianism.
Why is the date March 14 significant?
The day public grief over Hariri’s assassination shifted into a mass movement, uniting citizens and political factions in a historic push for Lebanese independence and the eventual Syrian military withdrawal vision.
Four parties were traditionally anti-Syrian and Pro-Sovereignty: The Future Movement, Lebanese forces, and which 2 others?
Kateb Party, PSP
Which UN resolution demanded the withdrawal of all foreign forces and disarmament of militias in Lebanon?
Resolution 1559
In what ways do the tensions and patterns of the 1975-90 civil war appear in the post-assassination politics?
Through sectarian political divisions, the influence of militias (specifically Hizballah), and the involvement of foreign powers
Arsan states “Just as the everyday is steeped in the political, so too is politics steeped in the mundane.” (21) in reference to the ‘July War’ of 2006. Why does he mean this statement?
The war was an example to indicate how these political events aren’t just between the two parties, but also affect the lives of the people around these events. It is not just a political event but the “mundane” carries political meaning and therefore is interwoven into the everyday life of the Lebanese people.
What happened on the date of March 8th after Hariri was assassinated?
It marked a major pro-Syrian movement in Beirut organized by Hizballah and its allies in response to the growing anti-Syrian protests that followed Rafiq Hariri’s assassination three weeks earlier.
Name the two Maronite movements that, together with the Shi'i Amal and Hizballah parties, made up the pro-Syrian and "resistance" axis?
Free Patriotic Movement and the Marada Movement
What month did Syria officially withdraw its last troops from Lebanon ending nearly 3 decades of military presence in 2005?
April
This motto from a UN resolution resonated with the Lebanese people because it called for peace, the restoration of state sovereignty, and the end of foreign influence...
"Disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias."
Arsan argues that, "if we are to understand Lebanon in the twenty-first century, we cannot ignore the fraught politics of the everyday in times like these, times out of joint when all seems awry."(3) What do you think this means, and how is this expressed in his chapter "Intifadat al-Istiqlal, or the Independence Uprising"?
How the politics of everyday life are connected to ordinary people’s daily stresses and desires are connected to the country's structural problems. Arsan expresses this by showing individual experiences in places like public squares, refugee camps, and nightclubs are a direct result of the country's political and economic fragmentation.
Ministers from Hizbollah and the Amal movement resign from the cabinet before the approval of a draft plan for a tribunal to try any suspects in Hariri’s assisination during what month and year?
November, 2006
What is the name of the Free Patriotic Movement candidate who was president from 2016-2022?
Michel Aoun
Which international organisation took the lead in monitoring Lebanon's political transition and enforcing resolution 1559?
The United Nations
To what extent did the post-Hariri protest movement mark a break from Lebanon’s civil war–era divisions, and to what extent did it reinforce older patterns of sectarian politics?
It briefly broke of Lebanon’s civil war divisions but quickly went back to its old political patterns, revealing how deeply intertwined the Lebanese confessional system was, which ultimately led to the March 8th and 14th party alliances