Christians, Druze question Hezbollah’s controversial land purchases

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The question of controversial land purchases by Shia businessmen with links to Hezbollah is back in focus following a New York Times front page piece last month which focused on Hezbollah’s alleged money laundering practices. It stated that money, mainly garnered through illicit means such as drug trafficking, is being channeled into Hezbollah coffers and is being used, amongst other things, to purchase large tracts of land for use by the party.

The paper highlights one particular case which “involved perhaps the richest land deal in Lebanon’s history, the $240 million purchase late [in 2010] of more than 740 pristine acres [roughly 3 million square meters] overlooking the Mediterranean in the religiously diverse Chouf region.” The area in question lies on the Chouf Coast, next to the town of Debbiyah.

Opponents claim that the Chouf purchases are part of an ongoing trend of land-acquisition by Hezbollah, mainly in areas of key strategic importance. A process which they say began years ago.

In 2007, for instance, reports were rife about Hezbollah acquiring tracks of land north of the Litani river, in strategically high land, just north of UNIFIL’s zone of operations and, importantly, just 10 kilometers from the border with Israel.

At the time, reports emerged that farmers were told not to return to several areas north of the river which had been turned into Hezbollah military zones. One security pocket is apparent from the road between Qotrani and Kfar Houna, and remains closed to the public. The area in question has seen significant construction between 2004 and 2010 [see image] although it is unclear what Hezbollah has been up to in those areas and others.

Other transactions took place in Jezzine area, the bay of Litani, Marjayoun and Hasbaya in South Lebanon, as well as along the Blue Line and in Jbeil, 38 km north of Beirut. Christians and Druze who relocated during the civil war and don’t want to return to their original land frequently sell it at a low cost, around five or six dollars per square meter. For the Christian parties, who have been monitoring Hezbollah’s transactions closely, these purchases are too obvious to be simple coincidences.

In the Bay of Litani, a Shia businessman who appeared to be middle class, bought 1.5 million square meters of land, implying that the funds were not his. In another case in the Jezzine area, a 2.2 million-square-meter farm has been turned into a Hezbollah military compound. Other big pieces of land in Deir Mimas, Marjayoun and Burghuz in Hasbaya were bought by people associated with Hezbollah.

Most of these land purchases are linked to Ali Tajeddine, a former Hezbollah commander turned businessman who has repeatedly said that the land is being used for quarrying purposes. Hezbollah’s chief political strategist and a member of Parliament, Ali Fayyad, denied to the New York Times that his organization was behind the Chouf purchase or other, similar land deals.

Local Druze and Christian politicians and citizens are concerned about the acquisition of land by Hezbollah, with many believing the party plans to create a “Shia belt” linking its stronghold in South Lebanon to the Bekaa.

Aramoun and neighboring Choueifat, south of Beirut, used to be Druze, with a smaller percentage of Christians, until around 10 years ago, when Shia families started to move into the area. There was no sectarian friction whatsoever, Aramoun officials told NOW Lebanon in 2010, until political parties started displaying their paraphernalia, stirring territorial disputes.

The Hezbollah flags started to show up in both the Aramoun and Choueifat municipalities after the so-called “little war” in May 2008, when March 8-backed fighters attacked the area and fought with locals loyal to the March 14 coalition over a government decision to prevent the Party of God from operating its own private telecommunications and security systems. Although municipal officials tried to quell anger and resentment following the May events, there is still tension in the area between March 8 and March 14 supporters, the latter of whom want the flags taken down, according to March 14’s website.

In the north Beirut suburb of Jdeideh, similar tensions were stirred over land purchases. In November, 2010, Christian political parties in the March 14 coalition, namely the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party, reacted aggressively to a land purchase in Jdeideh, accusing Hezbollah of having a “bit-by-bit” strategy of taking over Christian and Druze lands. Transactions such as the one in Jdeideh are taking place all over Lebanon. In some neighborhoods of Beirut, such as Hadath, Christians have agreed not to sell property to Shia buyers in order to “preserve their community.” But the agreement also applies to Shia who don’t support Hezbollah.

Much of Christian and Druze concern lies with the true intentions behind Hezbollah’s move. Strategic land acquisition intended to offset an Israeli onslaught is clearly far more palatable than an active policy incrementally “taking over” territory belonging to other sects. To date it is one group’s word against the other.

New York Times, Now Lebanon

Photo: A locked gate bars entry into the Chouf land ” perhaps the richest land deal in Lebanon’s history, the $240 million purchase late last year of more than 740 pristine acres overlooking the Mediterranean in the religiously diverse Chouf region. Entities with links to Hezbollah have bought a number of properties in largely Christian and Druze areas of the country.

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Comments

36 responses to “Christians, Druze question Hezbollah’s controversial land purchases”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    I’m surprised no-one has seen the latest in tunnel-boring machines … yet.

  2.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I’m surprised no-one has seen the latest in tunnel-boring machines … yet.

  3. Beiruti Avatar

    Christians needs to open their eyes, my family friend who lives in Marjayoun those Hezbollah animals are sitting in his land without his permission and offering him a new price everyday. He is still refusing to sell his land, Christians you need to wake up. The Druze too wake up guys, its quite obvious Hezbollah are doing these wild purchases near the Chouf. The Chouf was one of the most vital areas in the Civil War which has an amazing strategic point from all sectors. If all the Shi’ites own most of the land, and they do have most of the arms, it will be very easy for them to capture everything. Also in East Beirut so many Hezbollah linked business men are trying to rent apartments near the Christian heartlands of Furn el Chebak and Ain el Rummaneh and the most important Achrafieh. Most importantly Jounieh the most beautiful city, couple months ago many apartments being rented by Hezbollah linked people. Do you guys honestly think this is a coincidence? That during the last two years Hezbollah is suddenly purchasing Christian land and Druze land. I know im sounding like i have a tribal mentality, but its not fair. That in the south already their are abandoned churches with no one to attend them due to the fact all the land is bought out. Lebanon needs to have porportian, and you can relate this to the drug dealers in the United States, with all the drug money they buy the best cars and mansions. With Hezbollahs hashish and laundered money, im not suprised people are accepting those amazing offers some ranging in the hundred thousands and millions. But if you guys are in it for the money you going to be crying in couple years and your children too.

  4.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Christians needs to open their eyes, my family friend who lives in Marjayoun those Hezbollah animals are sitting in his land without his permission and offering him a new price everyday. He is still refusing to sell his land, Christians you need to wake up. The Druze too wake up guys, its quite obvious Hezbollah are doing these wild purchases near the Chouf. The Chouf was one of the most vital areas in the Civil War which has an amazing strategic point from all sectors. If all the Shi’ites own most of the land, and they do have most of the arms, it will be very easy for them to capture everything. Also in East Beirut so many Hezbollah linked business men are trying to rent apartments near the Christian heartlands of Furn el Chebak and Ain el Rummaneh and the most important Achrafieh. Most importantly Jounieh the most beautiful city, couple months ago many apartments being rented by Hezbollah linked people. Do you guys honestly think this is a coincidence? That during the last two years Hezbollah is suddenly purchasing Christian land and Druze land. I know im sounding like i have a tribal mentality, but its not fair. That in the south already their are abandoned churches with no one to attend them due to the fact all the land is bought out. Lebanon needs to have porportian, and you can relate this to the drug dealers in the United States, with all the drug money they buy the best cars and mansions. With Hezbollahs hashish and laundered money, im not suprised people are accepting those amazing offers some ranging in the hundred thousands and millions. But if you guys are in it for the money you going to be crying in couple years and your children too.

  5. Crossed Avatar

    Why blame Hezbollah? The owners have the right to sell the land, it’s on them, not the buyers. Also, there is no proof that Hezbollah raises money by selling drugs. This is has been denied many times by the party and they don’t even address these allegations any more.

    1. lebanesesam Avatar
      lebanesesam

      Wow, you are really blind or “Crossed” eyes (a7wal) – or a supporter of HA. Denying something does not mean they didn’t do it. But I do agree a bit on why are the sellers selling. Maybe the govenrment should ban sales of big lands at this time, that will serve both sides whether there is evidence or not.

      1. Crossed Avatar

        Right, denying doesn’t necessarily mean they didn’t. But until there is solid proof, not just “suspicions” no one can conclude they are guilty of raising dirty money. You believe in democracy and the rule of law right? Wouldn’t you say it’s blind to accuse without evidence? So who’s really acting blind here?

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          Well … considering the ones who don’t want the law to investigate, to be funded, or to make a report ….

        2.  I dont know, I just breezed alot of the stuff around on this, and it seems quite plausible. I wont disrespect this site n print a bunch of links, but you can go to discus, then to my blog, and Ill send you the links or as a word doc with it all in text form, so you will be able to then run a translator on it if better, as I know alot of you have censors.

          I would be more curious (if I was Lebanese) about the statements that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is worth some
          $250 million, and that the suspected fortunes of Nasrallah’s deputy,
          Sheikh Naim Qassem, and other senior organization members amounts to as
          much as $2 billion. I would want to know where these saviors skimmed this money from. With finances like that, it shows without a shadow of a doubt, fatboy didnt win the lottery did he. I always looked at him as a senile but genocidal blow-hard, but I guess we can add grifter to the equasion.. Just like Arafat, Abbas, and the rest of the PA, lying cheating Iranian stooges, that rape n pillage the populace of whatever lands they occupy. You really need to overthrow this government and deport them all to Iran.Every last one of them.

          BTW, My computers security has been ringing threats when I click on things on here, so keep your security systems tight, somebody is tryin to ruin things for everyone else.

        3. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          Links were a problem before !.A. …. the link to the ‘Wonders Of The World’ site in their article wanting us to vote, I think …. Reading Wikipedia on Anti-Virus software can scare you as well … the protection overpowers reason.

        4. Crossed Avatar

          @ Iran Aware,
          I hope you know you are citing “an unamed saudi official”. Those allegations are complete nonsense. Only a fool would believe a report with no sources to be fact. Its amazing to me how foolish people will make themselves seem just because they hate a certain party. Qassem is worth $2 billion? Really? Is that in gold or invested in European property? You should stick to confrimed facts, or reports with significant backing. I can open a blog like you have, and start making up sources too. Would you believe me then as well?

    2. Beiruti Avatar

      Ok Crossed you might be right that maybe “HA” is not “dealing hashish” which i strongly doubt. But none the less Hezbollahs and the Shiite pockets are being filled with Iranian money. Infact you have so much money that now the only way to spend it is by buying Christian and Druze land because you guys have pretty much the best of everything. This is a sign of no respect to our Lebanese brothers, of which you always emphasize say “were all brothers”. Lets face it Crossed if the tables were turned and a Christian offered you over a million dollars for your land you would take it in a blink of an eye. Look Crossed, the Shiites will always have the Iranian money and support, the Sunnis will always have the Saudi money and support. What do we Christians in Lebanon have? No one my friend, America doesnt care about us, neither does Europe, we have no one but ourselves. Same with the Druze they have absolutely no one. So by Hezbollah abusing their money by doing this to the Christians and Druze you know well that your taking advantage of us. Because obviously no ones going to refuse million dollars. I find this very disgusting that “The Lebanese Resistance” are starting to do this. Its not enough they run the country but you want all the land too. Dont play this game Crossed by playing stupid “The owners have the right to sell their land”, i know well you would love the million dollars. Thats why Hezbollah and its followers never buy at the Sunni areas because the Sunnis will refuse because they have a lot of money. But they are taking advantage of the weak, the Christians and Druze.

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar
        5thDrawer

        And Israelis have never been ‘for’ the Christians either. Since Jesus, at least. And the push is for the ‘more modern’ Mohammad variety of cults there now. 😉 Political Demographics … gotta love it.
         The push to buy something you can only have for your short life – for a ’cause’ you think humans need – typically human and short-sighted, and one main reason for people-pollution. 🙂

        1. Beiruti Avatar

          Well they are the reason why Jesus was killed, 5th the Israelis used us for peace which never succeeded, and they back stabbed us big time. As the big saying goes “a true friend stabs you while looking at you, on other hand a fake friend will stab you in the back”. No one helped us 5th, sorry but im now going to use the civil war as an example. All the Sunni and Shiite militias had support barely had to use their pocket money and even got mercenaries from Somalia and Libya to help them. Otherhand the Christians in the beginning were buying weapons from countries like Romania and West Germany, not even those Americans which have a country thats 90% Christian wanted to help us. Until Israel came which was almost like our last resort who supplied us a lot. But history proves that the Lebanese Christians were always on their own.

        2. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          Yes Beiruti … it has been seen. That one line by Jesus about ‘turning the other cheek’ didn’t work out so well. One can run out of cheeks quickly when dealing with the human animal – and too often heads as well. Yet we continue to believe that there could be a better way. Eventually. Before the time for this species is gone …. perhaps?

      2. Crossed Avatar

        I think thats the problem with Lebanese society, we see things through the lense of sects all the time. I know its tempting, being offered millions for land, but still. If you take away the right of the owners to sell the land you are violating their freedom. Some areas have set up committees to stop selling land, which is well within their rights as well.

  6. Crossed Avatar

    Why blame Hezbollah? The owners have the right to sell the land, it’s on them, not the buyers. Also, there is no proof that Hezbollah raises money by selling drugs. This is has been denied many times by the party and they don’t even address these allegations any more.

  7.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Why blame Hezbollah? The owners have the right to sell the land, it’s on them, not the buyers. Also, there is no proof that Hezbollah raises money by selling drugs. This is has been denied many times by the party and they don’t even address these allegations any more.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Wow, you are really blind or “Crossed” eyes (a7wal) – or a supporter of HA. Denying something does not mean they didn’t do it. But I do agree a bit on why are the sellers selling. Maybe the govenrment should ban sales of big lands at this time, that will serve both sides whether there is evidence or not.

      1.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        Right, denying doesn’t necessarily mean they didn’t. But until there is solid proof, not just “suspicions” no one can conclude they are guilty of raising dirty money. You believe in democracy and the rule of law right? Wouldn’t you say it’s blind to accuse without evidence? So who’s really acting blind here?

        1.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          Well … considering the ones who don’t want the law to investigate, to be funded, or to make a report ….

        2.  I dont know, I just breezed alot of the stuff around on this, and it seems quite plausible. I wont disrespect this site n print a bunch of links, but you can go to discus, then to my blog, and Ill send you the links or as a word doc with it all in text form, so you will be able to then run a translator on it if better, as I know alot of you have censors.

          I would be more curious (if I was Lebanese) about the statements that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is worth some
          $250 million, and that the suspected fortunes of Nasrallah’s deputy,
          Sheikh Naim Qassem, and other senior organization members amounts to as
          much as $2 billion. I would want to know where these saviors skimmed this money from. With finances like that, it shows without a shadow of a doubt, fatboy didnt win the lottery did he. I always looked at him as a senile but genocidal blow-hard, but I guess we can add grifter to the equasion.. Just like Arafat, Abbas, and the rest of the PA, lying cheating Iranian stooges, that rape n pillage the populace of whatever lands they occupy. You really need to overthrow this government and deport them all to Iran.Every last one of them.

          BTW, My computers security has been ringing threats when I click on things on here, so keep your security systems tight, somebody is tryin to ruin things for everyone else.

        3.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          Links were a problem before !.A. …. the link to the ‘Wonders Of The World’ site in their article wanting us to vote, I think ….

        4.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          @ Iran Aware,
          I hope you know you are citing “an unamed saudi official”. Those allegations are complete nonsense. Only a fool would believe a report with no sources to be fact. Its amazing to me how foolish people will make themselves seem just because they hate a certain party. Qassem is worth $2 billion? Really? Is that in gold or invested in European property? You should stick to confrimed facts, or reports with significant backing. I can open a blog like you have, and start making up sources too. Would you believe me then as well?

    2.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Ok Crossed you might be right that maybe “HA” is not “dealing hashish” which i strongly doubt. But none the less Hezbollahs and the Shiite pockets are being filled with Iranian money. Infact you have so much money that now the only way to spend it is by buying Christian and Druze land because you guys have pretty much the best of everything. This is a sign of no respect to our Lebanese brothers, of which you always emphasize say “were all brothers”. Lets face it Crossed if the tables were turned and a Christian offered you over a million dollars for your land you would take it in a blink of an eye. Look Crossed, the Shiites will always have the Iranian money and Support, the Sunnis will always have the Saudi money and support. What do we Christians in Lebanon have? No one my friend, America doesnt care about us, neither does Europe, we have no one but ourselves. Same with the Druze they have absolutely no one. So by Hezbollah abusing their money by doing this to the Christians and Druze you know well that your taking advantage of us. Because obviously no ones going to refuse million dollars. I find this very disgusting that “The Lebanese Resistance” are starting to do this. Its not enough they run the country but you want all the land too. Dont play this game Crossed by playing stupid “The owners have the right to sell their land”, i know well you would love the million dollars. Thats why Hezbollah and its followers never buy at the Sunni areas because the Sunnis will refuse because they have a lot of money. But they are taking advantage of the weak, the Christians and Druze. 

      1.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        And Israelis have never been ‘for’ the Christians either. Since Jesus, at least. And the push is for the ‘more modern’ Mohammad variety of cults there now. 😉 Political Demographics … gotta love it.
         The push to buy something you can only have for your short life – for a ’cause’ you think humans need – typically human and short-sighted, and one main reason for people-pollution. 🙂

        1.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          Well they are the reason why Jesus was killed, 5th the Israelis used us for peace which never succeeded, and they back stabbed us big time. As the big saying goes “a true friend stabs you while looking at you, on other hand a fake friend will stab you in the back”. No one helped us 5th, sorry but im now going to use the civil war as an example. All the Sunni and Shiite militias had support barely had to use their pocket money and even got mercenaries from Somalia and Libya to help them. Otherhand the Christians in the beginning were buying weapons from countries like Romania and West Germany, not even those Americans which have a country thats 90% Christian wanted to help us. Until Israel came which was almost like our last resort who supplied us a lot. But history proves that the Lebanese Christians were always on their own.

        2.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          Well they are the reason why Jesus was killed, 5th the Israelis used us for peace which never succeeded, and they back stabbed us big time. As the big saying goes “a true friend stabs you while looking at you, on other hand a fake friend will stab you in the back”. No one helped us 5th, sorry but im now going to use the civil war as an example. All the Sunni and Shiite militias had support barely had to use their pocket money and even got mercenaries from Somalia and Libya to help them. Otherhand the Christians in the beginning were buying weapons from countries like Romania and West Germany, not even those Americans which have a country thats 90% Christian wanted to help us. Until Israel came which was almost like our last resort who supplied us a lot. But history proves that the Lebanese Christians were always on their own.

        3.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          Yes Beiruti … it has been seen. That one line by Jesus about ‘turning the other cheek’ didn’t work out so well. One can run out of cheeks quickly when dealing with the human animal – and too often heads as well. Yet we continue to believe that there could be a better way. Eventually. Before the time for this species is gone …. perhaps?

      2.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        I think thats the problem with Lebanese society, we see things through the lense of sects all the time. I know its tempting, being offered millions for land, but still. If you take away the right of the owners to sell the land you are violating their freedom. Some areas have set up committes to stop selling land, which is well within their rights as well.

  8. guss043 Avatar

    Just read the Article in Annahar by Ahmad Ayyach (Makal) in which he talk about the project of the Litani river that was donated by Kuwait in 2001 as gift of 200 million dollars, and Berri ( Al Azaar) blocked the project for 10 years until his contractor Wihbe got the job last week , as Berri wanted to prevent Kuwait from supervising the project , and now Iran gave 40 million for the Batroun dam ,40 million dollar to this project that make Basil a hero in Batroun, but the price of the project is installing long range rocket that can rach 400 km in Batroun area.Hizbollah and Iran want to rush and possess Lebanon, and the big question is Isreal and USA are with who? Iraq is now an Iranian Satellite with the Shiite in Power, and Syrian regime is backed by who that is still in power?

  9. guss043 Avatar

    Just read the Article in Annahar by Ahmad Ayyach (Makal) in which he talk about the project of the Litani river that was donated by Kuwait in 2001 as gift of 200 million dollars, and Berri ( Al Azaar) blocked the project for 10 years until his contractor Wihbe got the job last week , as Berri wanted to prevent Kuwait from supervising the project , and now Iran gave 40 million for the Batroun dam ,40 million dollar to this project that make Basil a hero in Batroun, but the price of the project is installing long range rocket that can rach 400 km in Batroun area.Hizbollah and Iran want to rush and possess Lebanon, and the big question is Isreal and USA are with who? Iraq is now an Iranian Satellite with the Shiite in Power, and Syrian regime is backed by who that is still in power?

  10. guss043 Avatar

    Losing battle anyway ,regardless of land buying, Chritians left rural area and villages and living from the land long time ago for the cities ,opposite to the Druze that kept working the land, all this happened  prior to the war , after came the war and the phase of Hrb el Tahjir , from the Chouf ,East Sidon ,etccc, A new generation now of Christians that live in Beirut or the Christian enclave ( not sure also if it is not sold ) don’t mind to sell their land in Chouf , Jezzine and the South to gain a living , since they dont want to live with Shiite mixed areas ,so what the parents and grand parent had in the past as nationalism and fanaticism to keep the land to Christians  is non existent. Actually in the south it all started with Hariri trying to buy Christian land in East Sidon up to Jezzine, at that time Christian were still have some power and they stood the temptation ,but now it is a different story,LIfe is too expensive and the latest recession in USA and Europe forced many Christians to sell land to have an income . To stop such thing ,you cant rely on individuals, you need certain body to take care of , but unfortunately the Church is the last you can count on as themselves they were and still selling lands,  second the christian dont have a Hariri ,who is financed by a state like Saudi Arabia to back him out, and the few millionaire and billionaire that the Christian have will not do anything . In  a different ideal situation , the church and the wealthy in Christian community should establish a land buying enterprise community that any christian interested in selling land should go to this enterprise and sell the land to them or t least communicate the intention to sell . Life is changed now, I remember back in 1978 a friend of mine ,his parent tried to buy a land that they like in Ajaltoun and the owner was Maronite and he wouldn’t sell him because he was a Greek catholic , the owner will sell only to Maronite , and now accoding to annahar article about land selling last week, most of Kesroaun is sold to the gulf countries and Jroud Kesrouan ,Hizbollah is raping the land by force ( Lasa ,Kartaba ) and the government will not move a finger to stop the illegal possession .About the illegal possession who cares, at one time Isreal is going to flatten Hizbollah beyond recovery and they will be kicked after from the illegal possession, what is bad and irreversible is buying the land , and according to Annahar the way Hizbollah backed by iran is buying the land is exactly how the Zionist bought the land from the Palestinians. One other Solution is convert the Shiite to Chritians , as they did convert in Kesrouan in 17 to 20 century to Maronite , a vast number of them became Christians (smile) 

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Convert? Then you’d end up with Alawites. Half&half. Or several pieces. Worst and most secret of many ‘beliefs’. 😉
      Syria moving thousands in during the occupation while Lebanese Christians fled to other democratic lands didn’t help. For sure.

  11. guss043 Avatar

    Losing battle anyway ,regardless of land buying, Chritians left rural area and villages and living from the land long time ago for the cities ,opposite to the Druze that kept working the land, all this happened  prior to the war , after came the war and the phase of Hrb el Tahjir , from the Chouf ,East Sidon ,etccc, A new generation now of Christians that live in Beirut or the Christian enclave ( not sure also if it is not sold ) don’t mind to sell their land in Chouf , Jezzine and the South to gain a living , since they dont want to live with Shiite mixed areas ,so what the parents and grand parent had in the past as nationalism and fanaticism to keep the land to Christians  is non existent. Actually in the south it all started with Hariri trying to buy Christian land in East Sidon up to Jezzine, at that time Christian were still have some power and they stood the temptation ,but now it is a different story,LIfe is too expensive and the latest recession in USA and Europe forced many Christians to sell land to have an income . To stop such thing ,you cant rely on individuals, you need certain body to take care of , but unfortunately the Church is the last you can count on as themselves they were and still selling lands,  second the christian dont have a Hariri ,who is financed by a state like Saudi Arabia to back him out, and the few millionaire and billionaire that the Christian have will not do anything . In  a different ideal situation , the church and the wealthy in Christian community should establish a land buying enterprise community that any christian interested in selling land should go to this enterprise and sell the land to them or t least communicate the intention to sell . Life is changed now, I remember back in 1978 a friend of mine ,his parent tried to buy a land that they like in Ajaltoun and the owner was Maronite and he wouldn’t sell him because he was a Greek catholic , the owner will sell only to Maronite , and now accoding to annahar article about land selling last week, most of Kesroaun is sold to the gulf countries and Jroud Kesrouan ,Hizbollah is raping the land by force ( Lasa ,Kartaba ) and the government will not move a finger to stop the illegal possession .About the illegal possession who cares, at one time Isreal is going to flatten Hizbollah beyond recovery and they will be kicked after from the illegal possession, what is bad and irreversible is buying the land , and according to Annahar the way Hizbollah backed by iran is buying the land is exactly how the Zionist bought the land from the Palestinians. One other Solution is convert the Shiite to Chritians , as they did convert in Kesrouan in 17 to 20 century to Maronite , a vast number of them became Christians (smile) 

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Convert? Then you’d end up with Alawites. Half&half. Or several pieces. Worst and most secret of many ‘beliefs’. 😉
      Syria moving thousands in during the occupation while Lebanese Christians fled to other democratic lands didn’t help. For sure.

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