Where the Fault Lines Meet: How Religion and Politics Affect the Lives of Lebanese Students
Where the Fault Lines Meet: How Religion and Politics Affect the Lives of Lebanese Students

Summary/Abstract: Lebanese students are inevitably involved in religious issues just because they live in a country with confessionalism as the system of government. As young people try to marry, find jobs, and join political parties in this setting, they discover that their opportunities and choices depend on their religious identities. In this case, religion is intertwined with politics, and both enter people’s private lives with car explosions, marriage restrictions, and fighting in the streets. To understand problems that students encounter and discuss in Lebanon, it is necessary to shortly describe the current situation in the country and mention some most controversial topics that lead to nationwide debates and even violence; however, a comprehensive account would be beyond the scope of this little study. This article was an attempt to describe the situation as impartially as possible using various sources, mainly newspapers, blogs, and articles found on the Internet. Definitely, many of these publications contain partisan views; nevertheless, they are all genuine opinions of some Lebanese, so they help the reader to imagine the eclectic environment and highly-charged atmosphere of Lebanon.

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