[Global Issue+] Why Beirut Is Called the 'Paris of the Middle East'

Crusader Stronghold, European Influence Since Medieval Times
Complex Sects Including Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Sunni, Shia, Druze
French Mandate After WWI...Prevented Sectarian Conflict and Granted Autonomy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Lebanese citizens, outraged that the Beirut explosion disaster was caused by the neglect of ammonium nitrate explosives stored at the port, have launched large-scale protests demanding the resignation of the government. It is reported that they even requested French President Emmanuel Macron, who cut short his vacation to visit Beirut immediately after the disaster, to help bring down the regime.

Petitioning a foreign president to overthrow their own government is a very unfamiliar scene in our country, but behind this lies the history of Lebanon’s formation and France’s deep involvement. Beirut has long been called the "Paris of the Middle East," a nickname attributed to the profound French influence dating back to the medieval era.

According to foreign media including AFP on the 8th (local time), large-scale protests related to the explosion disaster erupted in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, resulting in violent clashes with police and over 100 injuries. Approximately 5,000 protesters participated. The demonstrators are demanding the entire government step down, calling the regime murderers. The cause of the Beirut explosion on the 5th was identified as 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse at the port, which has also ignited public outrage.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Earlier, when President Macron visited Beirut on the 6th, protesters held anti-government demonstrations and requested him to facilitate a regime change in Lebanon. President Macron responded, "I understand how you feel," and warned the Lebanese government strongly, saying, "What Lebanon needs now is reform, and without reform, it will continue to sink."

In other countries, such remarks might be seen as interference in internal affairs and provoke backlash, but the fact that Lebanese citizens responded positively indicates that France’s influence in Lebanon remains strong. It is no exaggeration to say that modern Lebanon was essentially created by France. This relationship is not simply one of colonial exploitation like that between Korea and Japan in the past.

Lebanon is one of the most historically complex countries in the Middle East. This is evident even in its government structure: the constitution mandates that the president and army chief of staff must be Maronite Catholics, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim, the deputy speaker and deputy prime minister Greek Orthodox Christians, and the army commander a Druze Muslim. This arrangement symbolizes a nation formed through the coalition of numerous sects and factions. Conversely, due to intense sectarian competition, Lebanon is also regarded as one of the few Middle Eastern countries where democracy functions properly.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The complexity dates back to the 11th century. At that time, the area was part of the Byzantine Empire, where Greek Orthodox Christianity coexisted with the Maronite Catholic sect, an indigenous sect of Syria and Lebanon. When Islamic forces advanced, the Byzantine Empire requested aid from the Roman Catholic side, and after the First Crusade entered the region in 1099, Catholicism and Greek Orthodoxy deeply rooted themselves in the local culture until 1291. As a result, Catholics still make up more than 40% of Lebanon’s population today. Lebanon is unique among Middle Eastern countries, which are mostly Muslim, in having a significant Christian population.

However, after the Crusaders withdrew, the region came under the rule of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the predecessor of modern Turkey, like other Middle Eastern countries. Following the Ottoman Empire’s defeat in World War I, Britain began its mandate over Palestine, and France took over the mandates of Syria and Lebanon in the 1920s.

But this was far from the brutal colonial rule we might imagine. At that time, religious conflicts were ongoing, with the Druze sect, a branch of Shia Islam, massacring Maronite Catholics. France intervened to guarantee the autonomy of the Maronite community and maintain order. Under French mandate, Lebanon was completely separated from Syria and became an autonomous state in 1926, gaining full independence in 1944. Consequently, Lebanon is known to feel more affinity than animosity toward France.

Because it was historically a passageway for Crusaders heading to the holy city of Jerusalem and remains the most Europeanized among Middle Eastern countries, Beirut has been called the "Paris of the Middle East" and regarded by European countries as the easternmost part of Europe. The fact that the French president cut short his vacation to visit underscores Beirut’s continuing geopolitical and political importance in Europe.