The road leading to Beirut airport. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
"Abu al-Zouz! Hafez al-Assad must be turning in his grave." This is how one user responded online after the government's decision on Tuesday to rename Hafez al-Assad Avenue, located at the exit of Beirut airport, as "Ziad Rahbani Avenue." The initiative, however, is far from unanimous in Lebanon, among both fans of the artist — who died on July 27 at the age of 69 — and supporters of Hezbollah, an ally of the former Syrian dictator. While some see the move as a way to immortalize the memory of Rahbani, others have condemned the decision as clumsy, given the avenue’s location. Others have interpreted it as a desire to erase the names of figures allied with Hezbollah, even though the musician and composer supported Hezbollah and the Assad regime.Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, Information Minister Paul Morcos stated...
"Abu al-Zouz! Hafez al-Assad must be turning in his grave." This is how one user responded online after the government's decision on Tuesday to rename Hafez al-Assad Avenue, located at the exit of Beirut airport, as "Ziad Rahbani Avenue." The initiative, however, is far from unanimous in Lebanon, among both fans of the artist — who died on July 27 at the age of 69 — and supporters of Hezbollah, an ally of the former Syrian dictator. While some see the move as a way to immortalize the memory of Rahbani, others have condemned the decision as clumsy, given the avenue’s location. Others have interpreted it as a desire to erase the names of figures allied with Hezbollah, even though the musician and composer supported Hezbollah and the Assad regime.Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, Information Minister Paul Morcos...
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