BEIRUT // Abu Marwan is very old and, thus, when asked about Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections and concerns that they could lead to renewed sectarian violence, he reached back into French history for his answer.
"When Charles de Gaulle lost an election, he said: 'If 350 different kinds of cheese don't satisfy these people, what can I do?'" the tailor recounted. His shop is in Tyre's market, which has been in use for thousands of years.
"In Lebanon, we have 18 different religions and sects. If 18 sects can't agree on one thing to make the people's lives better, then there will be no consensus or stability."
While much of Lebanon fears a return to such violence, as a western-aligned government dominated by Sunnis, Druze and some Christians does battle with mainstream Shiite parties led by the militant group Hizbollah and its Christian allies in Sunday's elections, Tyre is a remarkable oasis of election calm.
In stark contrast to the rest of Lebanon, few election posters can be seen adorning walls and homes and residents joke that not a single election rally has been held in the picturesque port city just 10km from the tense border with Israel. The lack of election drama can be strongly attributed to Hizbollah and its more secular Shiite ally, the Amal Movement, completely dominating local politics.
Tyre might not have election posters, but on almost every corner, Hizbollah and Amal's slain fighters peer down from yellowing photographs, honoured even 20 years after their deaths.
Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbollah's leader, likes to refer to the nearby town of Bint Jibal as the "heart of the resistance" against Israel, but Tyre serves as the group's brain, as it remains a critical command and control centre for the group both politically and militarily. The largest city in Lebanon's troubled south, its overwhelmingly Shiite population and a long history of abuse at the hands of the Israelis has made "the Resistance" an almost divine force in the eyes of local residents.
Such is the faith in the decision-making of the Hizbollah leadership that hardly anyone seemed bothered that the largest military manoeuvres in Israeli history are occurring just over the border, close enough that artillery explosions could be heard through the city streets yesterday. Throughout the region, rumours fly that an opposition win that brings Hizbollah into national power will be quickly followed by war with Israel, but the people of Tyre have simply seen too many wars to really care. "The people who live here, we trust the resistance," said Abu Ali, working at a clothing stall in the market. "We have no fear of war any more as long as the resistance is taking the decisions."
Abu Marwan agrees.
"The people here are used to a situation of war and damage," he said. "I lost my old shop in 1978 when the Israelis invaded. So I opened this one. We're immune to the fear of damage."
Tyre bustles with confidence that residents say came after the 2006 summer war with Israel. Although the city was damaged and its outlaying villages completely destroyed, the area quickly bounced back economically, voiding many of the sectarian problems in the rest of Lebanon because of close ties between the majority Shiite and the small Christian and Sunni communities.
"Last May, while Beirut burnt, we didn't even see one fistfight, even in the civil war we never had any sectarian violence," bragged Abu Mazloun, who runs the bustling Salinas restaurant along Tyre's lovely seafront. Popular with United Nations personnel, western aid workers and even Hizbollah officials, his business is the best its ever been, he boasted.
"We're not worried about Israel either," he said. "As southerners, if there's a war, it's nothing new to us. If we have a mentality of being afraid, then we'd never go out. So we just act like it won't happen and then rebuild if it does. No problem."
Part of what instils this confidence is the booming economy, which despite the damage in 2006, was jump-started by the arrival of tens of thousands of UN peacekeepers, non-governmental agencies and other Lebanese who returned home to help their country rebuild.
"The economy is really good," Abu Mazloun said. "Unifil and the NGOs employ a lot of locals and they spend a lot of money here and in the villages. People are really happy."
But part of the secret, according to the elderly tailor, Abu Marwan, is that for once there appears to be a sense of equilibrium along the troubled border that he thinks could lead to stability after decades of watching wars break out.
"Before 2006, people were always afraid of the Israelis," he said. "I have been hiding in bomb shelters for half my life. But in 2006, the resistance did such a good job, that people have relaxed."
"Since before 1970, the Israelis would bomb us and we would have to run away. I used to sit for weeks inside a bomb shelter and pray to God, not to kill the Israelis, but just to show them how it feels to have to hide. So God sent us Hassan Nasrallah, who in 2006 taught the Israelis that they couldn't just attack us without a problem. If they attack, now, they have to hide just like we did. He's my hero."
mprothero@thenational.ae
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
SHALASH%20THE%20IRAQI
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Shalash%3Cbr%3ETranslator%3A%20Luke%20Leafgren%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20352%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20And%20Other%20Stories%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Majestic Thunder
7.05pm Commanding
7.40pm Mark Of Approval
8.15pm Mulfit
8.50pm Gronkowski
9.25pm Walking Thunder
10pm Midnight Sands
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding