The statue of Emir Magid Arslan in Khalde, shortly after its inauguration on March 2, 2018. (Photo taken from Talal Arslane's Facebook account)
A bronze statue of Emir Magid Arslan (1908-1983), installed in Khalde, was vandalized overnight from Saturday to Sunday by unknown individuals. The reasons surrounding the incident remain unclear. Emir Arslan, a Druze politician, was one of the founders of the Lebanese Republic in 1943.
The statue, which depicted Emir Arslan on horseback holding a Lebanese flag, was placed on a high promontory along the highway connecting Beirut to southern Lebanon at Khalde. It was pushed off its pedestal, causing the rider and his mount to become detached, resulting in breaks in several places.
The representation of the emir lost an arm, and the horse at least one leg, according to images published by several media outlets, including the Arabic daily An-Nahar. Sculpted by Émile Ayache, this bronze statue was inaugurated in March 2018 by former Lebanese President Michel Aoun and weighs 1,250 kilograms, according to the sculptor.
According to a security source cited by the media outlet Lebanon Debate, law enforcement has opened an investigation, but the motivations behind this incident are believed to be more material than political, aimed at recovering the metal from the statue for resale. Emir Magid Arslan was the father of former minister and MP Talal Arslan, leader of the Lebanese Democratic Party and one of the Druze leaders in the Lebanese Mountain region.
Condemnations
The incident in Khalde was quickly condemned by several officials and parties, including Sheikh Akl, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sami Abi al-Mona, who called Talal Arslan to denounce the "cowardly act, perpetrated to sow discord." Sheikh Akl urged the authorities and security forces to identify the culprits and for justice to "punish" them.
For its part, the Arab Unification Party, led by former minister Wi’am Wahhab, another Lebanese Druze leader, condemned the "suspicious attack" on the statue. They denounced it as an act "committed by malicious and infiltrated individuals, revealing intentions to stir up internal tensions." Demanding that those involved "not be shielded" by any party, Mr. Wahhab’s party emphasized that it "is the responsibility of the state and society to curb" such incidents "to preserve what remains of stability."
Local MP Mark Daou, who has held the seat in the Chamber since the 2022 legislative elections that was previously held by Talal Arslan, stated on X that "symbolic figures" like Magid Arslan "unite the Lebanese, and we need that unity more than ever in these difficult times."
In a message posted on X on Saturday night, Talal Arslan had warned, amid the "existential war" in Lebanon, against "conspiracies," particularly regarding "internal dissent," as several foreign officials, including the French Minister of Defense, have recently warned about the risk of internal tensions, even civil war.
Due to the violent Israeli bombardments in various regions of the country, over a million people have been forced to relocate to safer areas, temporarily causing tensions with local communities. In a video posted on X, Mr. Arslan called for support for the ceasefire negotiations led by Speaker Nabih Berri and for "supporting the heroic resistors defending our land," referring to Hezbollah. He also stated that Israel aims to achieve its goals in Lebanon by "targeting the unity" of the Lebanese and "sowing the seeds of discord."
Emir Magid Arslan served as a deputy and minister multiple times beginning in 1932. He fought for Lebanon's independence and the end of the French mandate, serving as Minister of Defense in 1943, when the mandatory authorities arrested several Lebanese officials, including President Bechara el-Khoury, Prime Minister Riad el-Solh, and several ministers. Magid Arslan then formed the "Free Lebanon Government" with Vice Prime Minister Habib Abou Chahla. They were subsequently imprisoned by the French in the Rachaya fortress in the southern part of the country until November 22, 1943, the date of their release and Lebanon’s independence.
