How to end the Confessional Political System, One Step at a Time
Our confessional political system will not be abolished through street protests but must be abolished in the hearts and minds of all our people first. The only way to turn a new leaf, to start a new chapter in our national history is to move on to a fully secular state. Below are a few ideas I wrote down of how we can start, I’m sure others have more to add:
- Bring the smartest people in Lebanon on board, get them committed to boycotting all institutions, governmental and non-governmental, that deepen the sectarian divide, this includes political parties.
- Organize, organize and organize. Create an umbrella organization, encourage members to set up anti-sectarian units in each town and village and for each sect. Let members form round tables in each Caza to discuss sectarian issue, any fears and apprehensions citizens may have. Let members of the same sect focus on converting their own to the idea of a civil state where state and faith are completely separate, where a citizen is just that, no sectarian identity required.
- Print a newsletter in English, give it a business-like feel, offer smart well thought out answers to people’s concerns, do not use haughty political language or left-leaning dogma, become a friend to business, convince them that separating state from faith is good for business.
- Establish a research unit to gather and collate reliable data, know what you want to change, become a national resource, as this is sorely lacking in Lebanon (the Press will love you for it).
- Be absolutely transparent in you actions and be clear on what your core principles are and what you stand for, do not allow room for ambiguity.
- Wake up every morning and resist the urge to go back to the warm loving embrace of your particular confessional unit; I know its hard, but real change is never easy.
- Lobby your MPs to raise the issue of putting the provisions of Article 95 of the Taif Constitution into action, remind them of the spirit of the text if they have forgotten. This article was meant to create a legislative framework to end political confessionalism in our country, the first step to achieving real equality between all citizens.
- Take strong and clear positions on sectarian issues that arise in the country that affect individual rights and freedoms: Women’s rights in particular. Designate a press office (or officer) to issue regular press releases and hold regular short briefings to the press at a designated fixed location; this lends the group an aura of permanence.
- Along the lines of statistics gathering that certain poling companies carry out, conduct an unofficial national referendum, prepare a list of suitable candidates, the best and most capable and committed secular public figures, and ask people to choose one of them for President. Publish your findings.
- Hold community outreach events, village-fair-style, where everybody can come and get access to information and resources and ask all the questions they need.
- Designate a fund raising committee as part of the umbrella organization to secure a steady stream of funds to maintain efforts at optimum levels.
- Join other similar like minded organizations in the Arab world and beyond, share experiences and advice and pool efforts.
Remember, we are still in a transitional phase, the one outlined in Article 95 of our constitution, and change is not revolution it’s the letter of the law, the most important law, which no one seems interested in applying apparently. Below is the text of Article 95 that I found online:
- “Article 95 [National Committee]
(1) The first Chamber or Deputies which is elected on the basis of equality between Muslims and Christians takes the appropriate measures to realize the abolition of political confessionalism according to a transitional plan. A National Committee is to be formed, headed by the President of the Republic, including, in addition to the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the Prime Minister, leading political, intellectual, and social figures.
(2) The tasks of this Committee are to study and propose the means to ensure the abolition of confessionalism, propose them to the Chamber of Deputies and the Ministers, and supervise the execution of the transitional plan.
(3) During the transitional phase:
a. The confessional groups are to be represented in a just and equitable fashion in the formation of the Cabinet.
b. The principle of confessional representation in public service jobs, in the judiciary, in the military and security institutions, and in public and mixed agencies are to be cancelled in accordance with the requirements of national reconciliation; they shall be replaced by the principle of expertise and competence. However, Grade One posts and their equivalents are exempt from this rule, and the posts must be distributed equally between Christians and Muslims without reserving any particular job for any confessional group but rather applying the principles of expertise and competence.”-
- Bring the smartest people in Lebanon on board, get them committed to boycotting all institutions, governmental and non-governmental, that deepen the sectarian divide, this includes political parties.
- Organize, organize and organize. Create an umbrella organization, encourage members to set up anti-sectarian units in each town and village and for each sect. Let members form round tables in each Caza to discuss sectarian issue, any fears and apprehensions citizens may have. Let members of the same sect focus on converting their own to the idea of a civil state where state and faith are completely separate, where a citizen is just that, no sectarian identity required.
- Print a newsletter in English, give it a business-like feel, offer smart well thought out answers to people’s concerns, do not use haughty political language or left-leaning dogma, become a friend to business, convince them that separating state from faith is good for business.
- Establish a research unit to gather and collate reliable data, know what you want to change, become a national resource, as this is sorely lacking in Lebanon (the Press will love you for it).
- Be absolutely transparent in you actions and be clear on what your core principles are and what you stand for, do not allow room for ambiguity.
- Wake up every morning and resist the urge to go back to the warm loving embrace of your particular confessional unit; I know its hard, but real change is never easy.
- Lobby your MPs to raise the issue of putting the provisions of Article 95 of the Taif Constitution into action, remind them of the spirit of the text if they have forgotten. This article was meant to create a legislative framework to end political confessionalism in our country, the first step to achieving real equality between all citizens.
- Take strong and clear positions on sectarian issues that arise in the country that affect individual rights and freedoms: Women’s rights in particular. Designate a press office (or officer) to issue regular press releases and hold regular short briefings to the press at a designated fixed location; this lends the group an aura of permanence.
- Along the lines of statistics gathering that certain poling companies carry out, conduct an unofficial national referendum, prepare a list of suitable candidates, the best and most capable and committed secular public figures, and ask people to choose one of them for President. Publish your findings.
- Hold community outreach events, village-fair-style, where everybody can come and get access to information and resources and ask all the questions they need.
- Designate a fund raising committee as part of the umbrella organization to secure a steady stream of funds to maintain efforts at optimum levels.
- Join other similar like minded organizations in the Arab world and beyond, share experiences and advice and pool efforts.
Remember, we are still in a transitional phase, the one outlined in Article 95 of our constitution, and change is not revolution it’s the letter of the law, the most important law, which no one seems interested in applying apparently. Below is the text of Article 95 that I found online:
- “Article 95 [National Committee]
(1) The first Chamber or Deputies which is elected on the basis of equality between Muslims and Christians takes the appropriate measures to realize the abolition of political confessionalism according to a transitional plan. A National Committee is to be formed, headed by the President of the Republic, including, in addition to the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the Prime Minister, leading political, intellectual, and social figures.
(2) The tasks of this Committee are to study and propose the means to ensure the abolition of confessionalism, propose them to the Chamber of Deputies and the Ministers, and supervise the execution of the transitional plan.
(3) During the transitional phase:
a. The confessional groups are to be represented in a just and equitable fashion in the formation of the Cabinet.
b. The principle of confessional representation in public service jobs, in the judiciary, in the military and security institutions, and in public and mixed agencies are to be cancelled in accordance with the requirements of national reconciliation; they shall be replaced by the principle of expertise and competence. However, Grade One posts and their equivalents are exempt from this rule, and the posts must be distributed equally between Christians and Muslims without reserving any particular job for any confessional group but rather applying the principles of expertise and competence.”-
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