Welcome Guest. Please Login or Register. Jul 31, 2010, 11:50am
Cedarland Discussion Board
Welcome to the Cedarland Discussion Board. This is a Lebanese online open discussion forum where you can start or join discussions regarding Lebanese issues. Please try to be respectful and constructive, DO NOT BE ABUSIVE. People who use foul language will be BANNED.
Re: Lebanese in Australia: What you should know! « Result #1 on Nov 17, 2005, 4:33pm »
Strange as it may seem, when I went to the USA for my post-graduate studies, I came accross people from the 'motherland' & we were all divided based on trivial (& often stupid) reasons. For example, aside from Muslim/Christian, Sunni/Shia, it was also 'Harriri schollarship versus non-Harriri schollarship' or those who paid from their own pockets. Likewise, jealousy was always a problem & it seemed that a Muslim who did well was shunned by Christians & vice versa.
Lebanese in Australia: What you should know! « Result #2 on Nov 17, 2005, 4:30pm »
The Lebanese community in Australia is a mess. Unemployment, drugs, mafias & under-achievement have marked the Lebanese community in Australia & it is not a respected community within the broader aussie landscape. It is true that other communities have had problems adapting, however, the Lebanese community remains far behind & is only better off than the Aboriginal (native Australian) community.
When we first moved to Australia we had some rough times. Money was a problem, our home was hardly suitable to study (or go out) & the neighbours were messy, noisy & unwelcoming. A majority were not even native Aussies but Lebanese Sunnis just like us!!! On top of everything else, we were crampped.
However, my parents instilled in me confidence to always do my best, work hard at school, & to become 'second to none' in that domain. I never considered myself super intellegent, but I always worked hard & even 'played hard' be it football (soccer), martial arts, gymnastics, & so forth.
Eventually, my efforts paid off. I got recognition, I was given rewards, gifts, sometimes cash by school, clubs, & even AirTC (Air Training Corps) or 'cadets' as we called it etc for being on the honour rolls, a good 'community servant' & a member of the Salvation Army. In addition, it helped my status in a Catholic school (so much so that they even allowed me to pray in a special room) & certainly did help the image of Muslims in a catholic school.
Through persistant work, effort & so forth, I ended up with friends, winning respect from most (but the opposite from others), had more time to myself, & eventually got a full-time schollarship in Australia & the USA. There were those who were jealous, mostly Shia (who seem to make up a majority of Lebanese in Australia) & of course Christians but many Sunnis too.
It is fair to say however, that regardless of religion, the motivation & jealously appeared to stem from something much, much deeper. Lebanese in Australia must stop pretending that discrimination is holding them back. Yes, every minority is discriminated against (to some degree) but can always go around it & become achievers.
The Lebanese community in Australia should become aware that Australia offers opportuntities to those who work for them, not those who complain when they have themselves (mostly) to blame.
Unfortunately, Muslims complain of discrimination (which doesn't exist to the degree they may suggest) & Christians complain of being 'misidentified' & all of us 'Lebs' or 'Lebos' are often steryotyped because of the actions of the crimminal element that exists in the Lebanese Australian community.
I say, "STOP COMPLAINING, HEADS DOWN, BACKSIDES UP, START WORKING!"
Re: I need help « Result #3 on Nov 13, 2005, 9:59am »
Christians take the name Ali, Fatima etc. A name is but a name no matter how unusual it may be for this or that person. My wife's name is Hanady but she's Chinese!
Assad's speech « Result #4 on Nov 13, 2005, 9:57am »
Full of untruths, lies & some truth, in summary. Our PM is a mouthpiece for the mafia that is called 'the opposition' half our country in a state of false mourning (for Harriri) & no body it seems has read Melis report in full only to realise that he's moved from 'who did it' to 'what Syria should have done' of it.
Never-the-less, Bashar Al'Assad's multi-varied speech contained no apologies, no admission of past mistakes, no reference to Lebanese people's wishes & needs, & certainly (by relaxed standards) is merely making a case for the record rather than talking serious.
As Lebanese, we may have been willing to say 'thank you' had Syria pulled out by 2000, when Hizbullah beat back the Israelis & the traitors that formed the SLA. I only wish that Hizbullah could have made the case that it was time for Syria to go now that we regained our land, rather than guests who become transgressors. It's also a fact that Syria's meddling with Lahoud's term against the constitution was sign enough that Syria was transgressing. Maybe Bashar should answer these questions as opposed to accusing everybody else of wrongdoing.
Re: I need help « Result #5 on Nov 11, 2005, 8:59am »
You can have any name you want. I must admit it does sound a bit funny to be a Christian and be called Mohamed. You might want to think about changing your name for the sake of convenience. Christianity is about how you choose to live your life and not about a name you were given. Good luck.
I am sorry for posting here, but I know no other place to do so, sorry again. So: I have some questions to ask, but I don't know where else to find the enswers so I write. My name is Mohamed. My father is Lebanese, he's muslim-shia, my mom's from Europe, we all live in Europe. She's Greek Orthodox, so am I. I wonder can I be christian with the name Mohamed. Please it is very delicate matter. I have a christian name wich is Mikhail. But it is not official. Can I stay with my official name, and still be true christian? Thank you in advance. 3sha Lubnan
Re: Release of Geagea for 67 islamic extremists « Result #7 on Sept 24, 2005, 8:19am »
What we need to do is develop a consenus by which to get over the dirty civil war. I don't see releasing extremists or traitors regardless of their convictions as a step in the right direction. Likewise, I do not think that it's time to get into a muck with Syria. We need to re-establish relations on the basis of equality & co-operation, not domination. I think that Emile Lahoud should resign & bow out gracefully while he still can.
Re: Where is Hizbollah? « Result #8 on Sept 24, 2005, 8:13am »
Where was the SLA when Israel was bombing Beruit into darkness, & killing Palestinian citizens? Oh wait, the SLA is a Christian proxy army that belongs to Israel. I wonder why actually collaborating with an occupier is seen as less of an issue than a pacfisit response by Hizbullah, especially when they can serve as a bridge with Syria over the land issues.
Re: Guilty without evidence « Result #9 on Sept 24, 2005, 7:59am »
You have your view, I have mine. As Lebanese Muslims the majority of us do not agree with Lebanese-Christian hypes or misperceptions. If anyone isn't with you, then they are an enemy, unpatriotic, & unLebanese. As Sunnis, we were the least protected, most vulnerable, & even today we have no military organisation, & certainly no experience in war. The Christians have a foot in every camp, the Shias to a degree, the Druze are practically chums with everybody one day (except Maronites) & now have taken the role of being mediators for the isolated Shias.
I have always seen the war as a bastard of events (pardon my language), one that leaves a foul taste in everybody's mouths. What is worse is how the 'opposition' exploited Harriri's assisination & expressed fake sorrow I might add, false love for a man many had previously loathed for being a Sunni. I couldn't believe how the death of one man can be exploited so morbidly.
It also comes down to seemingly mundane, even tedious things. You call yourselves Phoenicians, I call myself an Arab, & your reason for being a Phoenician in the first place is to claim some kind of distinction no matter how false from the rest of the Arab world. Well I have news for you, be a Phoenician if you want to but don't speak for me or any other Lebanese who considers himself an Arab.
Cedarland Discussion Board
![[Home]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/menu/home.gif "[Home]")
![[Help]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/menu/help.gif "[Help]")
![[Search]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/menu/search.gif "[Search]")
![[Login]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/menu/login.gif "[Login]")
![[Register]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/menu/register.gif "[Register]")
![[Search This Thread]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/search2.gif "[Search This Thread]")
![[Send Topic To Friend]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/buttons/sendtopic.gif "[Send Topic To Friend]")
![[Print]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif "[Print]")
Author
![[avatar]](http://www.diamondcomics.com/update/400-499/486/gw_tallgeese.jpg "[avatar]")
Logged
![[homepage]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/buttons/www_sm.gif "[homepage]")
Author