Archive-name: lebanon-faq/part1 Last-modified: 1993/09/21 Version: 1.8 _______________________________________________________________________________ Many FAQs, including this one, are available on the archive site rtfm.mit.edu in the directory pub/usenet/news.answers. The names under which this FAQ is archived are "lebanon-faq/part1" and "lebanon-faq/part2". If you do not have ftp, you can request messages from rtfm by using the local mail server. Send mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu containing the line "send usenet/news.answers/lebanon-faq" to get this file. Send a message containing "help" to get general information about the mail server. This FAQ could also be obtained via regular anonymous ftp at the site: borg.poly.edu (128.238.10.106) (try rama.poly.edu if borg is down) in pub/scl/lebanon-faq, filenames "part1" and "part2". Version: Version 1.8 Changes since last posting: New information stored on the liasun cultural server (Question 22), new companion ftp server for the liasun server at Ostfold Regional College set up by Barre Ludvigsen, companion server address is : ftp.dhalden.no (158.36.33.3), new material posted on the new server in: /ftp/pub/mideast, new merchandise shipping company listed (Question 28) , new Lebanese Embassy and consulate addresses in France [Paris and Marseilles] (Question 2). Here is a listing of questions : 1. What is the value of a Lebanese pound in terms of US$, Can$, UK lb, etc.? 2. What is the address and phone number of the Lebanese Embassy and/or Consulates in the US, Canada, France, etc.... and how can I contact the American University of Beirut ? 3. How can I phone Lebanon and which carrier gives the cheapest rates? 4. What are the airlines servicing Beirut ? 5. Where can I find tickets for Lebanon at a good price ? 6. What are the e-mail and telnet IP addresses for sites in Lebanon ? 7. What are the phone numbers to call to get Lebanon news ? 8. What are the radio frequencies and broadcast times of Lebanese related radio programs ? 9. What are the various Lebanese organizations and how can I contact them ? 10. What are the projects you can contribute to help rebuild Lebanon ? 11. What are the various Lebanese magazines and newspapers ? 12. Where can I find Lebanese magazines and newspapers ? 13. What has been written by Lebanese and/or on Lebanon ? 14. Where can I find works written by Lebanese and /or on Lebanon ? 15. Are there Arabic word processors ? 16. Is there a standard Arabic alphabet representation in Latin ? 17. Where can I find Lebanese songs and music ? 18. Where can I find a Lebanese restaurant ? 19. Where can I find a Lebanese grocery store? 20. Is there a good Lebanese recipe book ? 21. Are there recipes available on the net ? 22. Is there an ftp archive site for Lebanese art works ? 23. What is the best way to deal with multiple system TVs and VCRs and where can I get my VCR tape converted to a format that works in Lebanon ? 24. What are newborn names that could be used for Lebanese children living abroad that would work in both Lebanon and Western societies ? 25. I plan to go home soon and I have heard rumors that the draft will be re-instituted, do you have any additional information about this ? I was born in 1923 and I am afraid that I would be subject to the draft !!! 26. Where can I get a copy of the English translation of the Lebanese Constitution ? 27. Where can I get a copy of the English translation of the Taef Agreement ? 28. I need to ship a car/ or some merchandise to Lebanon, do you know of a shipping company that handles this ? 29. I suddenly developped an urge for Middle-Eastern cuisine, can you help me quench this horrifying thirst ? 30. Where can I find information about US State Department visa regulations for foreigners. 31. Where can I get the latest travel advisory for Americans wishing to visit Lebanon or the Middle-East ? 32. Are there available statistical and basic general information about Lebanon, and what are they ? Thanks to all contributors to this FAQ, namely: Naji Mouawad (who started the effort), Bassem Medawar, Samir Fahs, Mazen Saghir, Edmond J. Abrhamian, Alex Khalil, Olivier M.J. Crepin-Leblond, Hassan Hammoud, Mazen Mokhtar, Barre Ludvigsen, Ghassan Semaan, Elie Wardini, Fady Harfoush, Debbie Masri, Pauline Homsi Vinson, Youssef Fawaz, Mike, Nasri, Rached Zantout, May Nasrallah, Khalil El-Khoury, Danny Chahal, Haidar Harmamani, Wadih Shaib, Walid Nasrallah, Kamie Kitmitto, Ibrahim Ballouz, Nadim Maluf, Fadi Andraos, Boudi Sahyoun, Naji Rizk, Berthe Choueiry, Jamal Zemerly, Wassim Alami, philo, George Fisher, Roger Adbel-Hay, Knut Vik|r, Walid Keirouz, Jihad Kawkabani, Joseph Mouhanna, Ayman Kayssi, Hayssam Taha, Elie Mourad, Jihad Daba, Ala'a Dakroub, Salah Sadek and Basil Hamdan (sorry if I missed anyone). This FAQ file was compiled and edited by Alex Khalil and Basil Hamdan. ****************************************************************************** DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is presented with no warranties or guarantees of ANY KIND including correctness or fitness for any particular purpose. The author(s) of this document have attempted to verify correctness of the data contained herein; however, slip-ups can and do happen. If you use any information included in this FAQ, you do so at your own risk. The FAQ authors cannot and have NOT used all the the services suggested in the FAQ, nor have they checked them for accuracy. They were all included mostly verbatim at the suggestion of contributors to this FAQ. You can reprint any FAQ posting of mine anywhere you want, as long as the following conditions are met: 1. You use as recent a version of the FAQ as possible. 2. My name (as well as the "credits" section, if any, listing other people who have contributed) stays on it. 3. Any modifications (other than typesetting changes) you make to it are clearly designated as your modifications. If you are significantly reformatting the information in the FAQ, then you don't have to explicitly show every change from the original, but you make clear that what you are printing is derived from my FAQ rather than a direct copy of it. 4. You tell people where to find updated versions of it, i.e., what newsgroups it appears in. ****************************************************************************** _______________________________________________________________________________ First of all, for the patriotic among you, here is a uuencoded Lebanese flag gif file, with instructions on how to display it using xv, all provided kindly by Naji Rizk. A nice way to use this flag is to have it displayed in the background of your workstation. Here is the procedure: 1) Cut the file out (between Cut Here signs) so that the following line be the first line in the file: begin 400 flag.gif and save on your filespace as a file named say, "leb.uu". 2) Once the file leb.uu is saved after these modifications, type under the unix prompt: uudecode leb.uu, this procedure will automatically create the Lebanese flag gif file "flag.gif".on your filespace. 3) If you are using xv as a gif viewer, type: xv flag.gif & In order to have the flag in the background (tiled), type this: xv -rmode 1 full-path-name-of-flag.gif & xv -rmode 1 full-path-name-of-flag.gif & ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If the file is in your home directory called /users/lebanese then the full path name is: /users/lebanese/flag.gif ___________________ Cut Here ______________________________ begin 400 flag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end ___________________ Cut Here ______________________________ ******************************************************************************* 1. What is the value of a Lebanese pound in terms of US$, Can$, UK lb, etc.? It fluctuates. Typically, a good way to keep abreast of the 'latest' figures is to: - Look at the Wall Street Journal - Subscribe to Leb-Net (Leb-Net@@cumesa.mech.columbia.edu), which reports the value every couple of days. ******************************************************************************* 2. What is the address and phone number of the Lebanese Embassy and/or Lebanese Consulates in the US, Canada, Germany, France, etc... and how can I contact the American University of Beirut ? For Canada: Embassy of Lebanon 640 Lyon St. Ottawa, Ontario K1S 3Z5 (613) 236-5825 Consulate of Lebanon 40 Cote St. Catherine Montreal, Quebec (514) 276-2738 For the USA: Washington DC Embassy: Embassy of Lebanon 2560 28th Street NW Washington D.C. 20008 Phone: (202) 939-6300 Consulates: New York Consulate General of Lebanon 9 East 76th St. NY, NY Phone: (212) 744-7905 Detroit Consulate General of Lebanon 1959 E. Jefferson Suite 4A Detroit, Michigan 48207 Phone: (313) 567-0233 Los Angeles Consulate General of Lebanon 7060 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 510 Hollywood, CA 90028 Phone: (213) 467-1253 For the United Kingdom: Lebanese Councilor Section 15 Palace Garden Mews, London W8 4QQ. England UK Phone: 00 44 (0)71 7276696 For Germany: BOTSCHAFT DES LIBANON RHEINALLEE 27 53173 BONN TEL. (0228)352075-77 For France: AMBASSADE DU LIBAN 42 rue Copernic Tel: +33 1 40 67 75 75 75016 Paris Fax: +33 1 40 67 16 42 Consulat du LIBAN (Paris) 47 rue Dumont d'Urville 75016 Paris Tel: +33 1 45 00 03 30 Consulat General du Liban (Marseille) 424 rue Paradis 13008 Marseille Tel: +33 91 71 50 60 Here are the AUB NY office numbers and the Beirut AUB number: The numbers for the NY office are: Phone: (212) 319 2425 Fax : (212) 486 2867 You can now fax directly to Beirut, via a NY number: (212) 478 1995 The switch board numbers in Beirut are: +961-1-350 000 +961-1-865 250 +961-1-340 740 ******************************************************************************* 3. How can I phone Lebanon and which carrier gives the cheapest rates ? Using the *local* Lebanon number 04-961345 as example, you dial: 011 961 4 961345 (to use AT&T) 10 222 011 961 4 961345 (to use MCI) 10 333 011 961 4 961345 (to use SPRINT) Note how the Metn area code 04 has been used *without* the leading zero. These calls do not require an operator. Calls have been placed to beirut (01), & metn (04) without major difficulty. MCI has the lowest rate, if you do the following. 1- register for the $3 dollars a month international calling program. This will give you 15% discount on your calls if they were placed within the package specified time intervals. 2- You have up to two international number to register under the family and friend program. So do register your Lebanon number under family and friends, and you will get 20% discount on these numbers when called. Total saving is 35% on their already cheapest Rate. Rates to Lebanon are $1.06 per minute all day saturday. ******************************************************************************* 4. What are the airlines servicing Beirut ? Most European and Arab airlines are now flying to Lebanon. *Some* are: MEA(obviously), Air-France, Swissair, Austrian Airways, Alitalia, Sabena, Alia, Egypt Air. Recently the State Department banned MEA from operating from its NY offices, and travel from the US with MEA has become very difficult. Here is a related UPI article: Subject: Lebanese aircarrier chief urges lifting U.S. embargo Date: Mon, 24 May 93 13:17:16 PDT BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) -- The president of the Lebanese national air carrier, Middle East Airlines, said Monday that a U.S. order to suspend MEA activities in the United States has left tens of thousands of Lebanese stranded there and caused millions of dollars in losses. MEA President Abdel Hamid Fakhoury called on the U.S. Administration to exempt his company from a U.S. embargo imposed on Lebanon following the hijacking of a TWA airliner in 1985. Accordingly, MEA flights to New York and back to Beirut were suspended while all other carriers were prevented from selling tickets from its U.S. offices for destinations in Lebanon. Fakhoury said MEA abided by the embargo but its U.S. offices ``continued to issue tickets, with the knowlegde of the U.S. officials, placing either Damascus or Cyprus as destination countries.'' ``But we were surprised last month of a new U.S. order to cease immediately all commercial activities, which left tens of thousands of Lebanese trapped there and inflicting losses estimated at $15 million,'' Fakhoury said. The new order was apparently in retaliation to a decision by the Lebanese Military Court on April stating that the 1983 bombing of the U. S. Embassy in Beirut was covered by a general amnesty law. The Lebanese Parliament approved the amnesty law as part of a national reconciliation drive to end the Lebanese civil war. The U.S. expressed dissatisfaction with the Military Court decision and accused MEA of violating the embargo imposed during the administration of President Ronald Reagan. A month later, the Lebanese Supreme Court overruled the Military Court decision concerning the U.S. Embassy bombing in which at least six people were accused of involvement. A suicide bomber drove through the gate of the U.S. Embassy in the Muslim sector of Beirut on April 1983, killing 63 people and wounding 123 others. activities in the U.S. as peace and security were restored in the country. He said contacts with U.S. officials have so far failed to alter the order and called for launching a campaign ``to save the company and allow the Lebanese residents in the U.S. to visit their homeland.'' The following is a summary of an article which appeared in Middle East International (MEI - No. 450, p. 9-10); The background is that Lebanese investigators had recently identified 15 suspects in the 1991 truck bombing of the US embassy in Beirut, and the US government was anxious to see them prosecuted. However, on April 24, Beirut's military court ruled that the suspects were included in the general amnesty covering "political" war crimes approved by the Lebanese parliament in 1991. The US was incensed that the court's ruling would render them immune from prosecution, and warned Lebanese leaders that the prospect of normalizing relations with the US, which seemed likely following Secretary of State Christopher's March visit to Beirut, were no longer realistic. The impact on travel stems from the fact that Middle East Airlines (MEA), which had hoped that it for the way it had issued tickets to Beirut (actually entered on tth connecting flights to or from Europe. Although technically a violation of the US travel ban, this subterfuge had been used without objection for many years. Suddenly, MEA was told to stop selling tickets or doing any other business, and warned that it was subject to fines of $1000 per day for the entire period during which it had sold such tickets. The Beirut government is having a second look at the amnesty law, and may find a way out of the difficulty, but until it does so, it may be impossible to get tickets to Beirut in the US, and MEA is threatened with millions of dollars of fines, an amount which MEI characterized as "potentially crippling". The Lebanese Supreme Court has already reversed the earlier ruling making the suspects once again not covered by the General Amnesty law but the US has yet to relax its position with regard to MEA operations in the United States. ******************************************************************************* 5. Where can I find tickets for Lebanon at a good price ? Travel Agency Number(s) Contact person(s), Name location, (if available) and/or comments (if supplied) _______________________________________________________________________________ Admiral : (800) 822 2727 (located in Marietta GA) (ask for Hassan Ramadan) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Travel: (800) 344 7060 (ask for Matthew) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantis : (212) 972 5540 TEL 141 East 44th Street #702 (212) 972 5543 FAX NYC, NY 10017 (800) 543 9362 (Alitalia and British Airways) ($ 1100 round trip ticket from San Francisco to Beirut bought in Christmas 92/93). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Mediterranean Travel : (213) 876 5601 (deals mainly with Alitalia, recommended for its good prices). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Char Tours: (800) 323 4444 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate : (800) 532 8455 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Farra Travel: (213) 463 9211 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Golden Arch: (800) 749 2724 (may be out of business ?) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Haddad Travel: (213) 466 4662 (experienced but beware) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Int'l Travel & (800) 248-8462 (ask for Doha Gabro ?) Trade, Inc. : (Example of price quoted for Dec '92 round trip $ 880 Travel from: Washington, DC - Beirut United: Wash <-> London, MEA: London <-> Beirut) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lotus : (800) 344 2220 (located in Los Angeles area) (deals mostly with ALIA, the Royal Jordanian Airlines, can get relatively good prices if you are willing to endure traveling on ALIA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mill-Run Tours:(800) 645 5786 (Ask for Jean Zodo. She's lebanese, and she has been very helpful). They are located in Chicago, IL.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxford Travel & (ask for Sami Silfani) Tours : (800) 245 7264 TEL (located in the Atlanta area) (404) 266 8783 FAX (Sami was quite informed and worked hard to get the cheapest fare possible. Strongly recommended by myself (Basil). Example of a fare: $ 1080 U.S., round trip on Air France from Cleveland, travel date: April 13, 1993). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sharif Travel: (714) 635 0837 (could be the same as the reference that shows up later as Moursi Sharif - other reference has an 800 number - Recommended as super nice and cheap) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunship : (800) 344 9428 (deals mainly with British Airways) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel All(??):(800) 621 4795 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Corner: (800) 843 3214 (from outside Atlanta) or (404) 952 4044 (Atlanta) or (404) 924 4207 (Atlanta) (Ask for Lina Makhlouf, gets the prize as the most recommended travel agent) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Nework: (201) 628 7071 TEL 1581 Route 23 South (201) 628 7827 FAX Waynes, NJ 07470 (Ask for Ms. Peggy Healy) (tell her Tommy's sister recommended!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vista Int'l : (800) 228 4782 (located in West Virginia ??) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- World Express Travel: (ask for Annie - she is from Lebanon). (800) 942 4992 TEL (located in Houston, Texas) (713) 556 5700 TEL (713) 556 0895 FAX _______________________________________________________________________________ No name given for travel agency: (ask for Garbiz Askanian) (212) 685 4499 (gave the best deal to someone) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (617) 354 3399 (ask for Malek Haddad) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (800) 426 8831 (ask for Hala) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (202) 625 0770 (ask for Marwan or Maha) (located in the Washington DC area) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (514) 398 0771 TEL (ask for Pierre or Nathalie) (514) 398 0795 FAX (located in Montreal-Canada) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (800) 332 5302 (ask for Moursi Sharif) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (212) 370 5353 (ask for Ali Srour) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (904) 763 2933 (located in Florida) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No name given for travel agency: (305) 856 3434 _______________________________________________________________________________ Negative Recommendations _______________________________________________________________________________ D'International: (located in West Roxbury, Ma.) Travel agent is a Lebanese person. She booked flight on non-existing flight from Paris to Boston. The traveler had to pay a $ 100.00 penaly, and agent did not reimburse him even though she had made the mistake. Traveler also found out she had done the same thing with several other people. _______________________________________________________________________________ for 800 number directory call 1 (800) 555 1212 In France the following Travel Agency has been recommended as giving good prices for travel to Lebanon: Nouvelle Frontiere with prices ranging from 3000 to 3500 F.F., round trip, Paris-Beirut for Summer of '93 travel. No phone number was given, it is assumed that the agency is listed in the phone directory. ******************************************************************************* 6. What are the e-mail and telnet IP addresses for sites in Lebanon ? As far as anyone can tell, none accessible to the public so far. If such is not the case, let us know. There is a service, however, similar to CompuServe that is available for a fee. To my knowledge,the closest that comes to international computer communications is LibanPac, that is modeled on the French TransPac and that regularly transfers data between Ashrafiyeh and France through the submarine cable. AUB has some MCI mail boxes but access is restricted. This is what Nabil Bukhalid, Manager of Personal Computer Support Unit at AUB says about it in a recent communication: AUB has a restricted TYMNET link and an MCI mailbox. The PC Support Unit at AUB is negotiating the implementation of an EARN node at AUB and we are in the process of testing an X.5 gateway to EARN via a C O. concentrator. Also AUB has applied to the NCI for an Internet address. A TCP/IP backbone network was planned and its implementation was scheduled for the last quarter of 1991. The project was freezed after the blasting of College Hall, the upper campus cabling ducts are badly damaged, and we are facing some budget problems. For the time being I have the permission to use the MCI mailbox for urgent correspondence.. There are efforts to link Lebanon by an X25 network, which would give email access through France. Here are some of the details: AUB now has its own IP numbers. AUB is not connected yet to the Internet. However, it will be very soon. Through the X.25 network in Lebanon, one *can* access CompuServe, MCImail, AT&Tmail and possibly Internet (that's how AUB is gaining access). Connection cost to the Lebanese X25 network: 600$ Monthly fee for the Lebanese X25 network and the server in France: 50$ The connection to France will be used until Internet will be available in Lebanon. Each 1024 characters to the states cost 2.1 F.F (around $0.39) plus around 500 Lebanese Pounds for X25. But no telnet or ftp can be done. However the subscription offers you a 10,000 PC and Macintosh programs to download. They are updated on a daily baisis. There are Forums and debates in French. You can also access the NEWS of the INTERNET. You will have an Easy Link, Mercury Link, X400 , Telex address as well as the usenet one. Also you can send faxes through the net....All in one subscription. It seems that the costs for now are rather expensive, unless they are borne by a business or a corporation. ******************************************************************************* 7. What are the phone numbers to call to get Lebanon news ? There is a mailing list called Leb-Net that sends digests to subscribers every two days on the average. It is usually quite thorough. To subscribe, send a short request to: Leb-Net@cumesa.mech.columbia.edu ******************************************************************************* 8. What are the radio frequencies and broadcast times of Lebanese related radio programs ? This information is extracted from Passport to World Band Radio, L. Magne (Ed.), IBS, 1992, ISBN 0-914941-27-5: All times are in GMT, frequencies are in KHz. Voice of Lebanon, Beirut-Ashrafiyah, Phalange, 8KW, English but mostly Arabic broadcast. 0900-0915 6550 1315-1330 6550 1815-1830 6550 King of Hope, Marjayou^n, Mideast, 12 KW, English and Arabic broadcast. 0700-1100 6280 (Mideast), 11530 (Europe) 1400-1700 6280 (Mideast), 11530 (Europe) Neither one of the stations listed above were easily received in NY with a portable SW radio and an indoor antena. The book doesn't list the government radio station which used to broadcast in the 11KHz-12KHz range from Amshit. The Amshit broadcast could not be received either. According to the 1993 edition of World Radio and TV Handbook (WRTH), there are a multitude of radio stations in Lebanon, transmitting on longwave, medium wave and FM. They apparently represent every shade of politics, religion and finance. ranging from the government RADIO LEBANON through SAOUT AL SHAB (in Rmayleh, near Sidon - I new it for it's sugar cane and lettuce!) to RADIO DUTCHBATT (UN Forces). WRTH notes: "There are dozens of AM and almost 150 FM statons operating in Lebanon. Many of these are unliciensed , therefore available details are incomplete, and many stations change frequencies often." For listeners abroad there are 3 possible stations that may be received depending on propagation conditions. You might want to consult rec.radio.shortwave or rec.radio.broadcasting for postings on listening conditions and tips on equipment, antennas and help in finding Lebanon on the dial. The 3 stations transmitting regularly on shortwave are: 6280 kHz King of Hope, south Lebanon, 0500 - 2200 UTC 6550 kHz Radio Voice of Lebanon, 24 hours 11530 kHz Wings of Hope, south Lebanon, 0500 - 2200 UTC Only the 6550 transmission is regularly audible in northern Europe. The government-run RADIO LEBANON does not appear to have a shortwave service at present. The Voice of Lebanon has an address at PObox 165271 Ashrafieh, Beirut, vox +961 323458 tix VDL 23203 LE. General manager; Simon El-Khazen. The address of King of Hope is PObox 3379 Limassol, Cyprus (High Adventure Missionaries, Box 7466, Van Nuys, CA 91409), which is also the address of Wings of Hope. The WRTH, ISBN 0-8230-5924-3, also contains useful information about radio receivers, antennas, radio dealers, etc. For France: People who are living in Paris can receive the broadcast of "Radio Orient" on FM 94.3 MHz, Radio Orient provides News and cultural programs from Lebanon and the Arab world in general. They provide headline news each hour and detailed news at 7:00, 8:00 12:00 18:00 19:30 and 23:00 (Paris Time i.e +2 GMT). It is received in Lebanon as well in Syrie and Jordan, and in some Europeen countries via cable(?). It can be also received by calling +33 1 45 02 12 12, it's useful in some french cities where RO broadcasting does not reach. ******************************************************************************* 9. What are the various Lebanese organisations and how can I contact them. American Task Force for Lebanon 2250 M St., N.W., Suite 305 Washington, DC 20037 Telephone: 202-223-9333 Fax: 202-223-1399 This organisation publishes a monthly newsletter called "Outlook", with Tanya Rahal (Exec. Ed.), and Deeb Keamy (Managing Ed.) ******************************************************************************* 10. What are the projects you can contribute to help rebuild Lebanon ? There is a non-profit organization for Lebanese Academics and Professionals that is working on development projects between Lebanon and North America. It is called ALPA (Association of Lebanese Professionals and Academics) to join or contact them, send e-mail to: alpa@lido.eng.uci.edu or fawaz@harrier.berkeley.edu ******************************************************************************* 11. What are the various Lebanese magazines and newspapers. Some of the newspapers are: Al Hayat (published in London as well as in Beirut) Al Nahar Al Safeer Al Anwar Some magazines: Al Nahar al Arabi wal Duwali Al Hawadess A very good source of information on economic developments in Lebanon is the Middle East Economic Digest, which is published weekly, in English. To subscribe, send a letter to the following address: P.O. Box 14 Harold Hill Romford Essex RM3 8 EQ U.K. It costs 275 sterlings in the UK, 300 sterlings outside the U.K. No special concessions are offered for students. The AUB Alumni Science Subcommittee publishes a quarterly magazine (Sci-Quest) that is distributed free of charge (in Lebanon--outside Lebanon, you may have to pay a small amount to cover mailing charges). To get on the mailing list, contact: Sci-Quest AUB Alumni Science Subcommittee AUB Alumni Club American University of Beirut P.O. Box 11-0236 Beirut, Lebanon. ******************************************************************************* 12. Where can I find Lebanese magazines and newspapers. In NY/NJ, you can buy it in the World Trade Center, in Penn Station, Newark, NJ, and in Arab shopping areas (see below). In Boston there is the "out of town news" which sells them. It is located Harvard square, right outside the "T" station. It has several newspapers including "al hayat" and "al hawadeth". In Norway, many big libraries have magazines and newspapers relating to the Middle East. In Arabic there is the Ahram or the British based alHayat or Sharq al-Awsat. In Oslo the small Kiosk besides Saga cinema sells magazines and newspapers that relate to the Middle East. The University of Oslo publishes a magazine called Midtosten Forum that takes up issues related to the Middle East. Most articles are in Norwegian, but there are some in English or other Scandinavian languages. To get this magazine write to: Midtosten Forum Tidsskriftredaksjonen 1030 Blindern 0315 Oslo Norway In Montreal, There are the "Maisons de la presses internationales", that have a wide variety of Arabic/Lebanese newspapers and magazines. They have the daily Alhayat (printed in NY), Al-Hawadeth, Al-Wasat, Al-Watan Al-Araby, etc. "Les Maisons" have three locations on St-Catherines st. in downtown Montreal. Other downtown Kiosques and arabic food stores, get Al-Hayat and other papers and magazines. A couple of local Lebanese papers are issued in Montreal weekly or bi-weekly, the most important are Al-Mustaqbal and Sawt-Canada. These papers contain news from Lebanon and the middle-east as well as news of the Arab and Lebanese communities in Canada. ******************************************************************************* 13. What has been written by Lebanese and/or about Lebanon ? What follows are titles of books by contemporary Lebanese writers available in English.(They all deal with the war in one aspect or another). Kamal Salibi, "A House of Many Mansions, The History of Lebanon Reconsidered", 1988. Emily Nasrallah, _Flight Against Time_ trans. Issa J. Boullata. Charlettetown, P.E.I.: Ragweed Press, 1987. This is a very touching depiction of an older man's inability to get used to life in Canada, where his children live and where they want him to move because of the outbreak of the war in Lebanon. The old man's attachment to his Lebanese village is conveyed in a simple, direct style, making his predicament that much more poignant. Elias Khoury, _Little Mountain_ trans. Maia Tabet. Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1989. What I find really interesting about this book is its post-modern style. The narrative point view, speaker, time, place, all shift without warning. It is almost as though Khoury is trying to re-create stylistically the disjunctions and disruptions occasioned by the civil war in Lebanon. (his representation of women, however, is rather sexist in my view) Etel Adnan, _Sitt Marie Rose_ Post Apollo Press, 1978. In this work Adnan narrates the experiences of a Maronite woman who falls in love with a Palestinian and is kidnapped by a group of men (her co-religionists among whom is an old school friend of hers. Her experiences are witnessed by her students who are deaf-mutes. This is a very powerful and disturbing book. Etel Adnan, "five senses for one death." The Smith Special Issue 18, 1971. This is a long imagistic poem by Adnan. Jean Said Makdisi, _Beirut Fragments: A War Memoir_ New York: Persea Books, 1990. Makdisi is a Palestinian-Lebanese who describes her experiences in war- torn Beirut. For her those experiences, which she retells in very moving terms, and her determination to stay in Beirut make her a true Beiruti. Her love for Beirut and her agony over what is happening to it are quite clear. Employing different styles (chronicle, descriptive narrative etc.) in different chapters, Makdisi ends her book with a very moving poem. Here's the poem : "Is it possible to hope that from the rubble of war, which at certain times seemed to haved ended civilization, a new form might arise and permit future creativity? There is something of the alpha and omega in this hope, is there not? Zbale garbage surrounds us, everywhere we look, there are piles of rubbish, debris, there is stench and ugliness, we Yield always we yield to the force of things, we are in danger of surrendering to despair, and to the ease of Xenophobia there is always someone else to blame for what has happened to us, it's never our fault, oh no, and meanwhile we are Waiting always waiting, for the others, for the solution, waiting for them to let the water come gurgling into our empty taps, waiting for the walls to crumble Weary of the never ending War we listen, overwhelmed with sorrow and anger to the the empty Words the endless empty rhetoric which has only brought more Violence while the Veneer of fashion glitters like a wrothless, forgotten coin in a mound of rubble as it catches the sun. Ugliness surrounds us, the ugliness of a broken city, ugly buildings sprouting up everywhere, ugly streets, whole neighborhoods, the beauty of mountains is destroyed by utilitarian ugliness, and Time weighs heavily on us--our days are long, and we carry History on our backs, an intolerable burden--but History gave us also Tyre and Tripoli and Sidon timless relics from the past, ancient, beautiful, but Scarred by war and the suffering of Refugees We are a land of refugees, a people of refugees, coming from everywhere, going nowhere. Refugees make beautiful causes, but they are people--their trucks piled high with the pathetic remnants of former lives, mattresses and goats and children and stoves--they have found no Quicksand in which everyone sinks. We are in a Prison of violence and forgotten ideals. Still, Peace will come, and Oppression will end, must end, and Nemesis will come, but not with more Militias certainly not with more fighting men, nor with more Lies the lies told by everyone to preserve the war and to preserve the Knitting together of the unravelling whole. Justice In war there is no Justice, and it is not from War that Justice will come. Jbeil ancient Byblos, and Jounieh with its ancient harbors and stunning bay, emerald mountains dipping into the blue sea and searching into the azure skies, they are in danger of drifting away from us, but someday perhaps there will be Joy and Jubilation when this war ends and the Internecine butchery ends. They say Hope springs eternal and so it does, in spite of the Guns and the Fawda the anarchy which threatens us at every turn, because Earth around us is beautiful: the gray rocks on the sheer cliffs, the shimmering silver leaves of the olive trees, the deep dark green of the ancient cedars, the sweet smell of the pine forests, the oranges dotted like yellow stars in the sparkling groves that lie by the blue seas. Meanwhile, our Days pass, drearily, with explosions shattering the stillness of the nights. Our senses are dulled by the Catastrophe that has been upon us here in Beirut --poor, ugly, stricken beirut, broken Beirut, unloved city, lost Beirut, like the child in the tale, torn between two mothers, but no Solomon here, no true mother. Beirut pleads to be redeemed, but not by Another Army. ............................ (This poem is more effective as a culmination to Makdisi's memoirs. It is reproduced here without permission.) Hanan Al-Shaykh, -The Story of Zahra_ trans. Peter Ford. New York: Quartet Books, 1986. Zahra is a shia Lebanese living in Beirut during the war (though she also goes to West Africa for a while). I won't give away the plot but only mention that she has a very complex relationship with a sniper. I really liked this book. It deals very frankly with sensitive issues such as sex and politics, and especially with the struggles of women. Other Lebanese writers I like but for whom I have yet to see anything published in English are Ghada el Samman and Layla Baalbakki. Excerpts of their works are available in English in anthologies such as -Opening the Gates_ edited by Margot Badran and Miriam Cooke. Indiana UP, 1990 and _Middle Eastern Muslim Women Speak_ edited by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea and Basima Qattan Bezirgan. Univ. of Texas Press, 1977. There are several other anthologies out as well. The University of Chicago library has an excellent collection of books in Arabic. You might search there for what's available. UC Berkeley also has a very good collection. There is at least one bookstore that I know of in San Francisco called The Arabic Book Center that also supplies books in Arabic as well as English. They will order books for you as well. If you want to read good books by Lebanese writers, Amin Malouf has written "Samarcande", "Leon l'africain", and "Les croisades vues par les Arabes". These books were best sellers in France. (Samarcande in particular is HIGHLY recommended). Amin Maalouf's books have been translated into English. Here are the English titlesof two of them: "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" trans. Jon Rothschild. Schocken Books, New York, 1987. "Leon l'africain" has also been translated. The English title is Leo Africanus. [Begin French] Le dernier roman d'Amin Maalouf s'intitule "Les jardins de lumiere". Il raconte l'histoire de "Mani", un oriental qui a vecu au 3eme siecle, et fonde une nouvelle religion, le "manicheisme". Son principe de base etait le respect de toutes les religions (Christianisme, Boudhisme, ... l'Islam n'existait pas encore). Apres s'etre repandu un peu partout (de l'Inde jusqu'en Europe, en passant par la Perse, le Moyen Orient, l'Egypte ...) cette religion a disparu vers le 12eme siecle a cause des nombreuses persecutions de la part des autres religions (Christianisme, Islam ...). Bref, le roman est une sorte de biographie imaginaire qui constitue neanmoins une vraie lecon de tolerance et pose beaucoup de questions sur l'interet des religions ... Personnellement, j'ai lu les trois romans d'A.M. : "Leon l'africain", "Samarcande" et "Les jardins de lumiere". Tous les trois sont excellents (a mon avis) mais j'ai eu une legere preference pour "Samarcande". En realite, je pense que ce qui plait aux occidentaux dans les oeuvres de Maalouf c'est son style de "conteur" (Haqawaati), auquel ils sont peu habitues (parfois il va un peu trop loin dans l'invraisemblance des coincidences...) [End French] Robert Fisk,"Pity The Nation - The Abduction of Lebanon", Oxford Paperbacks, 1990, ISBN 0-19-285235-3, approx $16.00 Fisk is an AP correspondent who reported on the war in Lebanon *from* Lebanon since its inception in the mid 70's. A devastating book. 'Required' reading for anyone interested in an unbiased account of the wars in Lebanon. Covers events through the late 80's. Thomas Friedman, "From Beirut to Jerusalem" Charles Glass, "Tribes With Flags" Jonathan Randall, "Going All The Way" N. Alamuddin Title: Turmoil: Druzes, Lebanon and the arab-israeli conflict Publisher: Quartet books (London) ISBN 07043 7050 6 (hard back) 07043 0189 x (paper back) Price: 14.95 (english pounds), hard back. 9.95 // , paper back. The book has recently been published and it is useful to those interested in the lebanese politics and the history of Lebanon. For those interested in the affairs of the Arab world, especially, the issue of identity, Xavier de Planbol offers his ideas in a new book in french. The book : Les nations du prophete, manuel geographique de politique Musulmane. Author: Xavier de Planbol. Evelyne Accad : _Sexuality and War : Literary Masks of the Middle East_ New York : New York University Press, c1990 The topics in this book seem to include: Arabic fiction--Lebanon--History and criticism. Arabic fiction--20th century--History and criticism. Lebanese fiction (French)--History and criticism. Sex in literature. Feminism in literature. Violence in literature. Sexual animosity--Lebanon. Sexual animosity--Arab countries. Lebanon--History--Civil War, 1975-1976--Literature and the war. Stefan Wild, Libanesische Ortsnamen, Typologie und Deutung, Beirut 1973. (lebanese place names: their typoligie and meaning). This books belongs to a series called: Beiruter Texte und Studien, vol. 9 Wild's book is in German :(, yet he has an excelent summary in English. Here is a quotation from the summary: "A very interesting feature [in Lebanese place names] is presented by sound-shifts due to an etymologizing tendency. This phenomenon was called in a recent most illuminating study by Joshua Blau (On Pseudo-Corrections in Some Semitic Languages) 'hyper-correction due to over self assertion'. In correnction with Lebanese place-names it means that an Aramaic place-name, when taken over by an arabophone population may be changed in its consonantic and/ or vocalic structure in accordance with an etymologically related Arabic model. We find Sibliin < Aramaic Shibbliin 'ears (of wheat)' an Aramaic plural form, with its initial 'sh' shifted to 's' under the ifluence of the etymologically related Arabic 'sabal' with the same meaning. Another example is Biskinta < Aramaic bee Shkinta 'house of dwelling', under the influence of the Arabic root 'skn'. The etymology is, of course, not necessarily 'correct' from a linguist's point of view. A name like Nakhli most probably derives from the Aramaic 'naHla' 'valley, waadi'. Since Aramaic 'H' frequently corresponds to to Arabic 'kh', the Arabic word 'nakhl' 'palm-trees' could easily but wrongly be assosiated with the Aramaic form..." (p.327) "It is reasonably plausible to suggest that similar developments took place when the Canaanite-speaking population gave way to Aramaic speakers, and even before, when pre-Canaanite (pre-Semitic?) place-names were moulded into Canaanite. BUt our data are insuffcient to quoet examples." (pp.327, 328) "The great majority of place names in Lebanon, in fact about two thirds, is now Arabic. The rest are chiefly Aramaic, some Canaanite (not more than 2%) and a sprinkling of Greek names like Traablus < Tripolis, Turkish names like Qashlaq < Kishlaa 'winter quarters', and French like Bois de Boulogne...." "This clear cut division [of plcae names into Arabic, Aramaic etc.] is, however, misleading. A large number of names must have shifted morphologically from Canaanite to Aramaic and/or from Aramaic to Arabic. This is demonstrable in cases like 'Jbail'. THis name sounds now like a purely Arabic toponym, a very common 'f@ail'-diminutive of 'jabal' 'mountain'. We happen to know, however that the same palce is attested as 'ku-ub-la' in Sumerian texts of the thrid mellenium BC., a time when it is impossible to think of an Arabic origine. While the original meaning of the name is unknown, the structure mankes it highly probable that it was a Semitic name, and we may be justified in calling it Early Canaanite. If we did not know the pre-Arabic evidence, and this is the point, we should be obliged to interpret 'Jbail' as a quite recent purely Arabic name. The only was to prove that an existing Arabic-looking and -sounding name is in reality pre-Arabic, is of course to find an attested pre-Arabic form. As the majority of Lebanese place-names which can be attested at all before the 20th. century, are to be found at best in late mediaeval sources, a pre-Arabic origin can normally be suspected [as Frayha does], rarely proved. There is however one further piece of circumstantial evidence indicating that the shift of place-names must have frequently. We may safely assume that the general eco ogical conditions determining, why names were given to places remained fairly stable from Canaanite times up to the beginning of industrialization in the 20th. century. We are therefore justified in assuming that the proportion of compound place-names like '@ain'... 'spring of' or 'bait'... house of' was in early times as great as it is now. The most important of the appelatives used to form place names are the same in Canaanite, Aramaic and Arabic: @ain, @ainaa, @ayin 'source'; bait, baitaa, bayit 'house'; karam, karmaa, kerem 'vineyard'; tall, tellaa, tel 'hill'; and many others. The close structural and etymological relation between place-names the three languages involved has made the transformation of place-names very easy, and conversely often renders distinction between place-names of Canaanite, Aramaic and Arabic origin very difficult. The place-names which have preserved their Canaanite or Aramaic character are the exception rather than the rule." (pp. 328, 329) "... Place names show the Lebanon as a resort of te pious, where Canaanite gods, Christian saints and Muslim sheikhs mingle. Velleys and rivers, springs and forests, peaks and mountain stamp the life of the people. Place-names, the linguistcially petrified remnants of cultural history, preserve the memory of the cedar, where there are no more cedars, and recall roaming wolves and bears where is today no more tha the occasional fox. Generations of hunters and farmers, shepherds and hermits have left their unmistakable imprint on Lebanese toponomy. At a time where, in the Syrian desert, the Bedouin are beginning to use place-names like ij-jfuur (the pump-station H4), and the industrial age in Lebanon is dawning, the spektrum of Lebanese place-names shows us an enthralling and extraordinary vivid picture of yesterday." (p. 330) Here is a review that recently appeared in TIME magazine of Ziad Rahbani's latest play: From TIME Magazine (May 31, 1993) SIGHTINGS by Emily Mitchell (p.61) THEATER Lebanon You Gotta Have Wasta "Of Dignity and Stubborn Folk" Written and Directed by Ziad Rahbani ACT I: BEIRUT, 1998. Syrian and Israeli troops have withdrawn from Lebanon, and the country can determine its own fate. But greed is ascendant, and mayhem is at hand. In kaleidoscopic scenes, belly dancers alternate with news flashes and fake TV commercials, while people boast of their "wasta" (connections). When an old Armenian is electrocuted trying to repair a generator that is the only power source, an announcement is made: " He was the last Armenian in Lebanon - nothing technical will work again . " ACT II: BEIRUT, 2003. Though the country is in its death throes, sectarianism has not expired. Animals join the few surviving Lebanese, and an orangutan wants to vote. "What is your religion?" the humans demand. Cannibals garbed in animal skin- and holding walkie-talkies - proclaim a new credo:" We only eat our friends." In this bleak, gallows-humor play, Ziad Rahbani parodies Lebanese society and evokes the pessimism of Orwell's 1984. The daily "Hayat" notes that "Rahbani is like those animals that feel the earthquake before it happens." "Of Dignity and Stubborn Folk" is selling out in Beirut's 620-seat Piccadilly Theater, and audiences sense that the tremors may already have begun. ******************************************************************************* 14. Where can I find works written by Lebanese and /or on Lebanon ? Check your local or University Library, most of the books listed above can be obtained in major bookstores or on special order from your local bookstore. ******************************************************************************* 15. Are there Arabic word processors ? Bassem Medawar has compiled a large FAQ on the subject of Arabic on computers. It is very comprehensive and is available on the SoL archive in borg.poly.edu in /pub/reader/text/faq2 (notice the 2 in faq2) There is Arab TeX. A message was posted about it on scl and Leb-Net some time ago. It is public domain, based on TeX which is also public domain. TeX is NOT user friendly -as compared to the Macs. ArabTeX 2.07 is available by anonymous ftp from cs.ubc.ca. The directory is /pub/local/arabtex A new public domain release of my X-Windows based text editor for arabic and any other Right-to-left language was recently announced. The system was designed with flexibility in mind and ease of configuration. Any one can configure the keyboard and font mapping to suit their language and the keyboard they are used to. The system can also be instructed to generate TeX files suitable for the language in question. The System was tested on ArabTex with satisfactory results. The README file provides more information. The archive containing all the source code needed is available from: ftp.ecs.soton.ac.uk /pub/incoming/xaw.tar.Z borg.poly.edu /in.coming/xaw.tar.Z If you have any problems or queries and suggestions please contact: A M Shihab There are Arabic word processors. But the solutions are a little more complicated than we would want them. There is one program which runs on any Mac operating system, i.e. any language. I produces text that can directly be pasted into other word processors. This program is called AlKatib, but is very old and has very many restrictions. Don't expect much from it. Otherwise the way to go is to use the Mac's Arabic Operating system (AOS). This system is designed to work with any program. Yet again this is not completely true. Most programs that are worth their price, are not compatible with AOS. Only very primitive programs that uses the editor routines of the operating system correctly and are very limited in their features. There are however a few programs that work correctly with AOS. There are the products of a company called WinSoft (based in France?). They have a word processor, WinText and a database WinFile. I use the word processor and am sort of satisfied. It is not very expensive either. On the other hand, there is an Arabic (and a Hebrew) version of Nisus. I have not used it, but some colleagues who did are satisfied. I am not sure of the price. For those who need a useful and cheap database, you could opt for FileMaker Pro. It is not completely compatible with the AOS (you can not search Arabic text) but is useful and quite efficient. Another program that I used earlier was SuperPaint 1.xx. It is a paint/draw program which is compatible with AOS. For those interested in Islamic studies, there is also Koranic software. The Alim is an "Islamic Study Toolkit". It offers the entire text of: - The Qur'an in Arabic - Transliteration of the Qur'an - Yusuf `Ali's translation - Yusuf `Ali's commentary - M. Pickthall's translation - All nine volumes of Sahih Bukhary - Islamic Subjects Database - Maududi Sura information - Chronological History of Islam - Biographies of Companions - Islamic terms dictionary The Alim runs a clean and powerful text based windowing system. Several windows can be run at once. It also has a powerful pattern searching feature. The databases are cross-referenced. Separate modules can be purchased, they include Sahih Muslim, Tirmizy, Al-Muwatta and Assad's translation among other volumes. The standard package has an introductory price of $99.00 and costs $149.95 in retail. Macintosh, Windows, OS/2 and OSF/Motif support is expected in the first quarter of 1993. I saw the package and it is EXCELLENT. It is certainly worth the price. If were to buy the books in paper form it would cost more than $100, plus you would not be able to cross reference or search. The current version is distributed on 7 high density DOS disks and when decompressed takes 15Mb on a Hard Disk. You need at least 1.5Mb on your Hard Disk to run the Software and you can decompress the components you need. You also need EGA graphics or better. It also runs on a Macintosh with Soft-AT. The Software was developed over six years by a two person company called ADVENT (800-397-5561). It is distributed by IQRA Bookcenter: 800-521-ICRA or 312-274-2665. For users of Wordperfect, there is an Arabic module that can be added to Wordperfect. The module enables one to write in English and Arabic. It's extremely user friendly! The regular price is expensive but the educational price is about $135 (with student or faculty id). However that you need to have/buy the standard version of Wordperfect in order for the module to run. So it's great for those who already use Wordperfect, but it may be too expensive for those who don't since they would need to buy both the standard version and the Arabic module. Recently Arabic text editors for the Mac have undergone some major upgrades, here is a critique of threeMac Arabic text editors that have recently been published. These are: Tex-Edit, MuEdit and Style. The problem with using Arabic on the Mac is that, while the Arabic system itself is free and available, you can't use your standard word processor properly with Arabic, and the Arabic-compatible programs like WinText and Nisus Int. are expensive and always copy protected. The only alternative has been to use small and fairly primitve "text editors", program-lets that allows you to type text, but not very much more; not very useful. However, recently some new text editors have appeared that makes this option more attractive. How do they handle Arabic? I have looked at three of these new text editors, Tex-Edit, mu-Edit (formerly Quill), and Style, to check how useful they are for the Arabist Mac user. These are some brief remarks, based mainly on typing, editing and printing a couple of pages in each. A general remark first: These are still text editors. That means in particular that they are limited in size, you can only write up to 32K (about 10 pages) per document; any they may slow down when you approach this limit. They do not have things like footnotes, style sheets, and formatting beyond what is explicitly stated; none of them have rulers. But they are free. Evaluation: Tex-Edit A capable text editor. Has standard text styles like bold, italics, outline, shadow, condensed and extended, as well as colour. You can freely choose font and size and mix several in a document. All these three allow multiple documents to be open at the same time. Tex-Edit has find/replace, with functions for finding returns, tabs, linefeeds, whole word only, match case, and Replace all. Like Word, if you select a word by doubleclicking, it will include the space after the word. Useful detail. Triple-clicking selects a sentence. It can strip unwanted control characters, and can paste time & day and page number. It does not have a ruler, but when printing will ask for margin sizes and may include page numbers. This does not work properly, however, if you try change the margins on a document about a page or two, the program hangs, and then crashes on command-period. You can justify left, right and center, but this will relate to the whole document. Works under system 6.0.3 and newer, and with Macintalk will read out typed text for you. (The name, incindentally, seems to refer to Texas, not TeX.) Handling of Arabic: Text entry and editing is acceptable, with a caveat below. There are however some cursor problems with line breaks. Sometimes when it should position the cursor at the beginning of a line, it is put at the end instead. Eg: Moving back one step from the beginning of line 4 to puts the cursor at the beginning of line 3; and typing will put new text before the text in line 3. You can set the justification to right-oriented, but this is not saved and has to redone every time you open the document. All these three editors link fonts and script, thus changing script also automatically switches to the previously used font in that script. Find/replace works with Arabic, but the dialog box shows only Chicago, i.e. Roman characters (like Word would). However, what is inserted into the text appears in the correct font. Positive: You can set the default font to an Arabic one, like Geeza 12. The editor will then start up with the Arabic script active. Negative: Actually, you have to do this. If the default font is a Roman one, cutting and pasting will not work correctly. On pasting in the middle of an Arabic block, the default will switch to Roman, and the Arabic block will be split; the first part coming the left of the last. This can be repaired, but is a nuisance. Also, if you write an English text, Arabic is still default, so if you click somewhere in the English text, the script often (not always) reverts to Arabic. MuEdit MuEdit appears to be designed for Arabic, thus it has a menu option for "Orient left to right" and "Orient right to left". Generally, it has capabilites similar to Tex-Edit: Multipe fonts and styles in a document; multiple windows, text styles include extended and condensed; find & replace. It has "find previous", but only options for whole word and case senstive searches. It allows changing case, has a word count, and can strip/add linefeed and carriage returns, but not as Tex-Edit, all control characters. Like T., it has colour, but not "smart quotes". Print margins are set in the Page Setup dialog box. It works under System 7 only. Interestingly, cut and paste between these two editors work better than between standard word processors: Script, font and size information is remembered from one to the other. Both read each other's files; Tex-Edit can read font and style (but not justification) of a MuEdit document; MuEdit can only read the text of the Tex-Edit. Handling of Arabic: Typing and editing Arabic text is unproblematic. Selection, cutting and pasting work as they should. Justification does not automatically follow scipt, but both are saved with the document. It has a couple of bugs, though: -- When you open Mu-Edit by double-clicking on a file, the line breaks do not appear properly. However, if you open MuEdit first and then the document, they appear as they should. There is an option for "word wrap", what happens is probably that it is improperly set "off" when you open document and program together. -- Find-replace does not work properly: It finds the Arabic, but the "replace" string is inserted in Roman, i.e. as garbage characters; breaking the line in two and reversing their order, in spite of the Right-Left general orientation. Instead, you have to copy the correct text, and then use Find-Paste instead. -- Another peculiar bug when I use MuEdit with other text editors: If right-left orientation is chosen in the MuEdit window; and I switch directly to another editor, the text window there appears (incorrectly) right-adjusted. Only by switching through the Finder is this corrected, and the editor's window redrawn. This happens when I switch both to Tex-Edit and to Eudora, but not to Word. Either it is problem in MuEdit, or in the Arabic resources themselves. Style: Style, an Italian offering, is the least capable of the three, and is not really adapted for writing Arabic. It has the standard styles, and Find/Replace, but no options for setting page width in printing. More seriously, the word wrap does not break at the edge of the window, but at a predefined length that seems to be calculated from a 13 or 14" monitor. Thus, on my SE/30, I cannot see a full line, and I have to scroll horizontally manually in order to see what I am writing. This is clearly not acceptable. You can, however, mix styles and fonts in a document. Style does not save in TEXT format, as the two others do, but has an XTND file, so you can use it with MacWrite and other XNTD-programs. In version b.3, the Open command did not work, perhaps due to a conflict with Super Boomerang. In handling Arabic, another problem is that you cannot set justification; it is stuck on left-adjusted. Thus you are always writing 'backwards', as it were, and printing will also be left-adjusted. Also, I have been unable to add anything at the end of a line. The cursor will then, whatever I do, place the correction at the beginning of the line. Further, the cursor moves incorrectly. The left-arrow keys moves the cursor forward, as it should, but at the end of the line, it jumps up to the previous, rather than down (and vice versa for the right-arrow key). I.e., as in Roman text. Although Style handles Arabic text entry and editing, it is thus not useful for Arabic; and hardly for for European languages, at least if you don't have a 12"+ monitor. Summary I will not recommend Style in its current version. The two others are, however, very useful contributions, although both have some drawbacks. Each has a bug; Tex-Edit the incorrect placement of the cursor at the beginning of the line; MuEdit defaulting to no word wrap when you open the program with a document. You can live with both, however. Tex-Edit can be set to Arabic as standard script, so you can open it and just start typing Arabic. MuEdit has an orient right->left option that makes it apt for Arabic, and which is saved with the document (unlike Tex-Edit's justification). As it currently stands, I have problems choosing between them. If you use System 6, you have to choose Tex-Edit, as MuEdit requires System 7. Otherwise, the printing bug in Tex-Edit, if it is general and not just on my machine, would tip the scales against it; I do not fancy being stuck with a half-inch margin. On the other hand, the Find-Replace bug in MuEdit is serious, but can be circumvented using Paste instead of Replace. Thus, with the faults I have found to date, I would choose MuEdit; but both are very useful, and to be recommended. If you want to include Arabic in a major work, like a book, you must still buy a commercial Arabic-compatible word processor. But for simple things, these editors are now almost as capable as the standard word processors; and they are free. Versions tested: Tex-Edit 1.8.1 (8 April 1993). Freeware. Recommended memory: 390K MuEdit 1.0d0 (9 May 1993, formerly Quill) Freeware. Recommended memory: 360K Style 1.1b3 (US) (5 April 1993). Freeware. Recommended memory: 256K Tested on a Mac SE/30, 8 MB. All are on Sumex, in /info-mac/app. ******************************************************************************* 16. Is there a standard Arabic alphabet representation in Latin ? The standard is called cat (for Classical Arabic Transliteration) and is the work of Bassem Medawar. The file can be retrieved from the SoL archive by anonymous ftp to borg.poly.edu in pub/reader/text/translit/cat ******************************************************************************* 17. Where can I find Lebanese songs and music ? Town Records in Manhattan sell International records including, sometimes, Lebanese. Shahin Brothers, in Brooklyn, Atlantic Avenue, sell a large collection of Lebanese and other Arabic Music. They also sell Lebanese/Arabic books. ******************************************************************************* 18. Where can I find a Lebanese restaurant ? In Brooklyn, NY, there are a couple Lebanese Restaurants on Atlantic Ave. One is Tripoli Restaurant, good food, a bit expensive, good to invite a guest, and another more popular (and affordable) Kabab and Shawarma restaurant (a-la Abu Khudor) accross the street from Tripoli Restaurant. The Kabab restaurant even has an indoor water fountain, nice touch. The area near NY Univ in Manhattan has quite a few M.E. restaurants. In Manhattan there is Cedars of Lebanon restaurant. Here is the Address: Cedars of Lebanon 39 East 30th Street New York City, 10016 Phone: (212) 213 2380 I've been to this restaurant and it is excellent. They have a Lebanese band that sings Lebanese songs, and the food is very good. Excellent place for a saturday evening. _______________________________________________________________________________ There are three in the St.Louis area: Aladdin's - 2241 S. Brentwood, (314) 963-0090 Very good, reasonable price. Salim's - 6501 Delmar, (314) 721-7947 Good, but expensive. Mediterranean Taverna - Edwardsville IL Good food & entertainment, Middle-Eastern buffet for ~$7. _______________________________________________________________________________ Canyon Cafe, 330 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA 92262 Tel (619) 322-6777, Owner Ghassan Razzouk. It is a small cafe in Palm Springs that serves Lebanese dishes The propritor is half Lebanese half Italian, he is married to a Colombian and has lived most of his life in Mexico. He does a good falafel, the makanek are nice, Tabouleh and Baba Ghannouj need some work. _______________________________________________________________________________ In Denver there is a Cedars Restaurant run by a Lebanese guy, I've heard good things about it, but I've not been there. Hopefully, you can find it listed in the phone book. _______________________________________________________________________________ In Austin, Texas: Longhorn Po-Boy's 2801 Guadalupe, Suite 5 Austin, TX (512) 495-9228 Armen's Meditarranean-Armenian [mediocre food except for Restaurant mashaoui's] 2222 Rio Grande Austin, TX (512) 474-2068 _______________________________________________________________________________ Here are two lebanese restaurants I've been to in Paris - France. Name : Al-Dar. Address : very close to Place Victor Hugo (?Av. Raymond Poincarre?). Price : relatively expensive (200-300 FF per person = medium size mezze + meat + dessert). Quality : Good to Very-Good (same quality then in Lebanon). Remarks : Lebanese service, arabic music, grocery with lot of lebanese staff (less expensive). Name : Al-Diwan. Address : Avenue Georges V (close to the Champs Elysee) Price : relatively expensive (250-350 FF per person = medium size mezze + meat + dessert). Quality : Good. Remarks : Lebanese service, arabic music, grocery with lot of lebanese staff (less expensive). There are a lot of other lebanese restaurants in Paris. I only know these two and I recommand Al-Dar. _______________________________________________________________________________ Here in London, we are well supplied with a number of Lebanese restaurants. I'll describe only a small selection of them. Name: Maroush I Location: 21, Edgware Road, W2 Telephone: 071-723 0773 Cost per Person: No music, no arak : GBP.18 (US$ 36); Music and alcohol : GBP.37 (US$ 74); Quality: The food is okay. This is the flagship of the Maroush/Ranoush chain of three restaurants+ 1 takeway in London. On week-ends in the winter and throughout the week in the summer, there is live music and dancing which makes you think you are in Bairut itself ! Beware though, minimum charge when there is music and dancing is GBP.37 (US$74) which is damn expensive, but if you don't care, then go for it. Last time I went there with friends, we spent 4 hours eating, singing, and generally having a good time. Quantity of food: Well, since they will charge you a minimum price of GBP.37, you really have to eat a lot to make up to this price ! Say 3 starters per person, plus main course, plus baklawa, plus fruit, plus mint tea etc. - open 'til 4:00am or so ! Name: Maroush II Location: 38 Beauchamp Place, SW3 Telephone: 071-581 5434 Cost per Person: GBP.18 (US$ 36) + drinks (3 starters(shared) + main course) Note: Second Maroush restaurant in London, near Knightsbridge Quality: I'm not pleased with this one. Bad service. Crowded with the wrong type of crowd. Although the food isn't cheap, the decor is el-cheapo. Quantity of food: Okay. Name: Maroush III Location: 62 Seymour Street W1H - perpendicular to Edgware Road. Telephone: 071-724 5024 Cost per person: GBP.18 (US$ 36) + drinks Note: 1 minutes away from Maroush I Quality: This one's my favourite Maroush restaurant because I have been there so many times I know everyone. The food is good while not too expensive. Summer is more crowded than winter because of the Gulf population taking its quarters around the nearby Edgware Road. Recommended starters: Arayes, Baba Ghanouj (Mouttabal), firri, Makanek Un-recommended starters: Kibbeh (it's not the real thing), sojuk (it is different every time I go there !) Recommended main course: Lahem Meshwi. Farrouj Kebab. Recommended drink: Laban Ayran (they know how to do it properly) Beware of the meat Shawarma, it's very greasy, *very*. Quantity of food: plenty. 3 starters to share plus main course is enough. Baklawa and/or fruit is included in the cover price. If you can eat the whole tray of baklawa (about 40+) your meal is on the house (that's what they told me) Additional notice: Check-out the Maitre d'Hotel. He thinks he's Lebanese but in fact he is Spanish, and it's funny to hear him speak Arabic ;-) Name: Al Hamra Location: 31/33 Shepherd Market, Mayfair, W1Y Telephone: 071-493 1954 Cost per person: GBP.29 (US$58) + drinks Quality: Situated in the heart of Mayfair, a very prestigious area of town, Al Hamra is pretty expensive. But then again, it is the only place which has someone at the entrance to park your car for you. Since it is so hard to park in central London, it's pretty good, especially in the evening when you don't want to walk the streets. The food is of good quality. But then, one would really expect it. Book in advance, because the restaurant is pretty small and very popular. Quantity of food: less than in Maroush III, but who says that quantity counts ? Name: Fakhreldine Location: 85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1 Telephone: 071-493 3424 Cost per person: GBP.40+ (US$80+) + drinks Quality: Very popular, very expensive, very good. The bill seems to be exponential with what you eat. If you have a business meal with anybody you want to impress, take them there. Most people whom I know and have gone there have gone only once. They are still saving for the next time ! This is known to be the best in town. Go there, if you can afford it. Quantity of food: at those prices, do you bother ? It's the people there that matter. Who knows, you could be striking the deal of your career ! Name: Beit Eddine Location: 8 Harriet Street, SW1X Telephone: 071-235 3969 Cost per person: GBP.25 (US$50) including drinks Quality: This is a small restaurant where it is advisable to book during week-ends. The food is good, but nothing special. But a friend of mine really likes it. I guess the atmosphere, although being simple, is very pleasant. Shawarma is pretty good. Lahem Meshwi is a bit dry, so be sure to order Humus to dip the meat in... Quantity of food: the portions are rather small. Be sure to order enough ! Take-away food: There is a quantity of takeaway shops for Arabic food in London, especially on the Edgware Road. After having tried nearly all of them, I can only recommend one: Name: Ranoush Juice Location: 43 Edgware Road, W2 Telephone: 071-723 5929 Cost of sandwich: GBP.2.50 (US$5) average Recommended sandwiches: Chicken Shawarma; Mouttabal Sandwich Recommended drinks: freshly-made carrot juice, it's good for you ! Recommended process-to-get-served: go to the till, and order your food; pay and use the ticket that you get to give to the cooks. If you are a pretty girl you'll probably get served immediately ;-). Well, that just about rounds-up a small selection of Lebanese restaurants in this part of the world. One last observation: you'll find that the garlic sauce served with chicken (for example) is pretty weak compared to what is served back in Lebanon. Home cooking is still the best ! Editorial Note: I have used GBP for Great Britain Pound Sterling, and the exchange rate is US$ 2 for GBP 1. -> I can't be bothered to use the exact exchange rate. The PHOENICIA, 11/13 Abingdon Road (Off Kensington High Street) London W8. Tel: 071 937 0120. The food is consistently excellent, the quantities are more than ample, the prices are reasonable and extremely good value, and above all the service is friendly, courteous. They even speak Lebanese instead of the condescending French some are prone to. It merits at least one visit every time I leave this cold country for the nearest I can get to a good Lebanese meal barring home cooking. Try their mezza! ******************************************************************************* 19. Where can I find a Lebanese grocery store? There are two large Arab shopping areas that I know of in NY/NJ: Brooklyn, NY, Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn Heights. Paterson, NJ, off Guarden State Pkwy, Hazel Street exit. _______________________________________________________________________________ In St.Louis: Middle-Eastern Markets (Aswak al shark-al-awsat) on Grand Blvd. Jay International Markets on Grand Blvd. Al Madina Al Arabia in North County. _______________________________________________________________________________ Phoenicia Bakery & Deli [very good bread] 2912 S Lamar Blvd Austin, TX (512) 447-4444 Austin Gourmet Market 1931-G East Oltorf Austin, TX (512) 444-4344 _______________________________________________________________________________ These two bakeries in Michigan will ship baklava: Afrah Bakery 12741 W. Warren Dearborn, MI 48126 Phone: 313-582-7878 Shatila Food Products 8505 W. Warren Dearborn, MI 48126 Tel. (313) 934-1520 Fax. (313) 934-3232 Warren Avenue in Dearborn, Michigan: *Lots* of places where you can find Lebanese grocery stores and restaurants, Lebanese bookstores, Lebanese music stores etc ... end of part1/2 ****************************************************************************** Archive-name: lebanon-faq/part2 Last-modified: 1993/09/21 Version: 1.8 20. Is there a good Lebanese recipe book ? Fann-Al-Tabkh by Georges Al-Rayess. *The* book on Lebanese cuisine. This book is a classic, and is extremely thorough. Not for the amateur cuisinard or the faint-of-heart, though. Can be obtained from Librairie Antoine in Beirut. For a more practical and less complicated cookbook, see Madeleine Farah's book 'Middle-Eastern Cuisine' There is also "Cooking the Lebanese Way" by Cedar Hashashe. Another alternative is a book, that is not specifically Lebanese but contains many Lebanese and other Middle Eastern recipies: Claudia Roden: A New Book of Middle Eastern Food. Penguin. Sahtayn! ******************************************************************************* 21. Are there recipes available on the net ? Yes! Telnet to Archie and search for recipies with the command: prog recipies. Here you will get the address of the servers that have on- line recipies. Choose the server closest to you and FTP the file(s). following are addresses to Archie servers: archie.doc.ic.ac.uk [146.169.11.3] UK/European Imperial, London, UK archie.funet.fi [128.214.6.100] European FUnet, Helsinki, Finland archie.au [139.130.4.6] Australian Deakin, Geelong, Australia archie.sura.net [128.167.254.179] World SURAnet, Maryland, USA archie.rutgers.edu [128.6.18.15] World Rutgers, New Jersey, USA archie.unl.edu [129.93.1.14] World Lincoln, Nebraska, USA archie.ans.net [147.225.1.2] World ANS, New York, US archie.mcgill.ca [132.206.2.3] World McGill, Montreal, ******************************************************************************* 22. Is there an ftp archive site for Lebanese art works ? There is an effort undertaken by Barre Ludvigsen and Berthe Choueiry to provide a multimedia server of cultural material relating to Lebanon and the Middle East. Material is deposited as it appears and as people contribute. Everyone is urged to contact Barre Ludvigsen at or to directly add to the collection and contribute under the cultural material heading. Barre will be happy to help anyone who feels they might have something to contribute, but feels unable to manage the technical aspects. The liasun3.epfl.ch server has companion anonymous ftp servers in Norway and the USA. If you are interested in cultural material pertaining to Lebanon, the Middle East and "Arab World" you might want to investigate the anonymous ftp servers liasun3.epfl.ch (128.178.155.12) /users/choueiry ftp.dhhalden.no (158.36.33.3) /ftp/pub/mideast borg.poly.edu (128.238.10.106) /pub/sol (try rama.poly.edu if borg is not up). ______________________________________________________________________________ ** Pictures, texts and sounds from Lebanon ** This is a overview of the /users/choueiry directory of the liasun3.epfl.ch anonymous ftp server. This area is a cultural repository of texts, images, sounds and animations related to Lebanon and the Middle East in the form of a hitch-hiker's multimedia server. (See the general remarks at the end of this message.) Read these first! /users/choueiry/README.etq /users/choueiry/README.ftp /users/choueiry/README.gif /users/choueiry/README.msg /users/choueiry/README.snd /users/choueiry/README.uu General description of contents (May 15, 1993): /users/choueiry/ miscellaneous graphics images, text and message files /users/choueiry/aleppo-Syria recent photographs from Aleppo and Syria /users/choueiry/bin sound utilities for IBM PC, Mac and Unix /users/choueiry/bonfils photographs from Lebanon 1870-1900 /users/choueiry/Bibliography bibliographies on text sources about Lebanon /users/choueiry/poetry poetry such as Jibran Kahlil Jibran's 'My Countrymen' /users/choueiry/fairuz songs (soundbytes), songtext, pictures and animation of and by Fairuz /users/choueiry/Language information files on aspects of the Lebanese and Arabic languages /users/choueiry/maps maps of Lebanon, general and detailed /users/choueiry/sabah pictures of Sabah and Mohamed Fawzei from an early film /users/choueiry/sahrathub songs (soundbytes) with Fairuz and Wadi el Safi /users/choueiry/samiraToufiq soundbytes and animations of/by Samira Toufiq /users/choueiry/umKoulthoum soundbytes, song texts (as gifs) of several Um Kalthoum songs /users/choueiry/wadielsafi soundbytes by Wadi el Safi /users/choueiry/1968 some photographs from 1968 (Beirut and Saida) /users/choueiry/giha Giha gif and story /users/choueiry/postcards gifs of various old postcards of Lebanon. The description of each gif is in its respectve .msg file. Here is a list of some of the files: alaqsa.gif alaqsa.msg arab-girl.gif arab-girl.ps corn.gif jiitacard.gif nahribrahim.msg nahribrahimFront.gif nahribrahimRev.gif aitanit.gif stjohn.gif raouche.gif martyr.gif jupiter.msg cedars.gif cedar.gif casinon.gif casinod.gif beyrout.gif beirut.msg stjohn.msg raouche.msg martyr.msg baalbak-s.gif baalbak.gif baalbak.msg fruit-s.gif fruit.gif fruit.msg hotels-s.gif hotels.gif hotels.msg teylan-s.gif teylan.gif teylan.msg New postings to ftp.dhhalden.no in pub/mideast: lebanon: total 3 drwxr-xr-x 3 ftpadmin 512 Sep 17 21:39 ./ drwxr-xr-x 4 ftpadmin 512 Sep 17 21:38 ../ drwxr-xr-x 2 ftpadmin 512 Sep 17 21:45 beirut.mosques/ lebanon/beirut.mosques: total 60 drwxr-xr-x 2 ftpadmin 512 Sep 17 21:45 ./ drwxr-xr-x 3 ftpadmin 512 Sep 17 21:39 ../ -rw-r--r-- 1 ftpadmin 322 Sep 17 21:45 mosques.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 ftpadmin 19114 Sep 17 21:45 mosques1.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 ftpadmin 19845 Sep 17 21:45 mosques2.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 ftpadmin 17693 Sep 17 21:45 mosques3.gif postcards: total 2589 -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 278631 Sep 21 09:50 aqueduct.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 364 Sep 21 13:22 aqueduct.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 168908 Sep 21 09:51 baalbak1.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 419 Sep 21 13:22 baalbak1.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 171851 Sep 21 09:52 baalbak2.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 419 Sep 21 13:22 baalbak2.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 157720 Sep 21 09:54 beirut030192.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 323 Sep 21 13:22 beirut030192.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 206905 Sep 21 09:55 cedres.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 415 Sep 21 13:22 cedres.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 143185 Sep 21 12:09 coast.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 427 Sep 21 13:22 coast.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 219909 Sep 21 09:56 grapes.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 417 Sep 21 13:22 grapes.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 123862 Sep 21 12:10 jouniehbay.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 403 Sep 21 13:22 jouniehbay.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 248591 Sep 21 09:57 kharobpress.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 397 Sep 21 13:22 kharobpress.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 242112 Sep 21 09:58 murretelHarb.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 404 Sep 21 13:22 murretelHarb.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 199208 Sep 21 12:56 raoucheq.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 576 Sep 21 13:22 raoucheq.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 188720 Sep 21 09:59 stantoine.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 433 Sep 21 13:21 stantoine.msg -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 115669 Sep 21 12:11 sunset.gif -rw-r--r-- 1 borrel 333 Sep 21 13:21 sunset.msg Enjoy (read the README files first) Nineteen files about the reconstruction of Downtown Beirut are also posted at this ftp site, in the subdirectory beirut-reconstruction. These articles first appeared in the Lebanese monthly construction, Industrial and management magazine "Al-Handasah". They appeared as three seperate articles and thus they are named accordingly. The articles are in "Gif" format and are NOT uuencoded. The retriever of the articles should make sure that all ftp'ing is done in the binary mode. In addition to the files mentioned above, another article concerning the same subject is posted in the same directory. The article is retyped from a Canadian daily newspaper " The Toronto Star". Anonymous ftp site: liasun3.epfl.ch Directroy: /users/chouiery/ beirut-reconstruction ** Reconstruction ** alh49p1.gif - alh49p4.gif alh50p1.gif - alh50p4.gif alh54p1.gif - alh54p11.gif article The filenames indicate the issue in which the article appeared and which of a total number of pages in the article. A map of Lebanon is also available at this site in gif format and in bitmap format (.BMP file). The bitmap file is intended to be used as wallpaper under Windows on a PC (where you can use Paintbrush to visualize it & edit it). The gif format is usually used by unix users and is visualized with a viewer software such as xv or an equivalent one. Both files are in directory : /users/choueiry/maps filenames: MAP.BMP for the bitmap format file MAP.gif for the gif format file and don't forget to switch to binary mode (type binary at ftp prompt) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a purely experimental server maintained on a voluntary basis by individuals whose contributions are made on their spare time. Therefore, no support in the use of this server is given by the staff of epfl. If you cannot find the help you need in the README files, refer to the sysop of your local system for help. As for support from contributors to this server, use them only as a last resort. Before attempting to download or reading any of the files on this server, we ask you *please to read the REAME files*. File types are as follows, remember to set the correct transfer mode and note the filesize before downloading: .gif - graphics image (pictures or Arabic texts) .snd - soundbyte .au - soundbyte .uu - uuencoded file (mostly graphics) .msg - message .JPEG - graphics image .tiff - graphics image .anim - directory of sequential .tiff "movie" images Files with other extensions will usually be text files where the extension denotes the character of the file contents. ******************************************************************************* 23. What is the best way to deal with multiple system TVs and VCRs and how can I get my VCR tape converted to a format that works in Lebanon ? Three solutions : 1. Buying a switchable television and use your video recorder. 2. Buying a switchable video recorder (PAL / SECAM / NTSC) and a PAL / SECAM television. 3. Buying a switchable video recorder (PAL / NTSC) and a PAL / SECAM television. First case : You can watch to french and foreign broadcast, you can use your video recorder and your tapes, but you can't record french broadcast. Second case : You have still to find a french PAL / SECAM television. That should not be that much expensive. But : in that case, you can watch the local broadcasts, watch your tapes AND record local broadcasts. I don't know how much costs a switchable television, but as for the video recorder, it's about 300.000 yen in Japan for the only model available. That video recorder converts any video signal to any other. Some people may point out that the conversion is not perfect. That's true. In fact, the signal conversion achieved by that video recorder is a VERY LOW COST conversion. It converts SECAM to a pseudo PAL, PAL to a pseudo NTSC, but that's neither a professionnal quality, nor a broadcast quality. Just for information : a professionnal quality PAL/SECAM/NTSC converter (the converter only) costs 1.800.000 yen. Third case : There is another video recorder (AIWA) which converts NTSC to PAL only. That one is quite cheap (60.000 yen here in Japan). That one with a french SECAM / PAL television would make it, if you don't expect too much quality, and if you don't record SECAM broadcasts. About the quality : There are some video recorders allowing to make low speed records (one third of the normal speed). Up to six hours on one tape, but of course lower quality. The quality of a low cost converter is about the same... The ideal solution : you buy a switchable television AND a switchable video recorder. In that case, you can record in any format you want and use your tapes in any country. Since you don't need the signal conversion, you get a broadcast quality image in any case. _______________________________________________________________________________ Here are some recommendations for businesses that will convert VCR tapes from one standard to another : DAKE International 3208 Foxboro Dr. Richardson, TX 75082 (214) 234-8518 1pm-9pm The cost is $18.50 per tape which includes a new tape and shipping. They can convert to any TV system: PAL, SECAM to NTSC or vice versa. Another one is in Raleigh, NC. It provides conversion from and to any format (VHS, VHS-C and 8 mm types of cassettes). This will allow playback of videotapes made overseas, here on U.S. TV's and VCR's (NTSC System). The service will also convert the other way around,(i.e. from U.S. system to any of the systems used anywhere else in the world - PAL, SECAM, etc..) Mailing Address: INTERNATIONAL VIDEO CONVERSION 520 Harvest Lane Raleigh, NC 27606-2217 Phone: (919) 233-8689 Fees: $24.90 + $5.00 S&H (Price of a High Grade Cassette Included, 2hrs or less) Delivery: Mailed back the next day, express shipping at request. Payment: Check, Cash or Money Order mailed with tape. Conversions from photographic pictures, slides, 8, super 8, 16 mm movies to any of the video standards are also provided. A third one is: SOMI International 50 Summer Street Edison, NJ 08820. Phone 908 548 3065 Their price is good ($12.99 for a regular 2-hr tape and $17.99 for more than 2-hr tape, include $3/tape for postage and handling). Fourth recommendation : This information was obtained from listings in VideoMaker Magazine. Another good company is: RVT 1911 Douglas Boulevard #85 Roseville CA 95661 (916) 773-3705 The approximate cost is around $25 for 2 hours including tape and return shipping. CA residents have to pay tax at 7.25%. They have a 24 hour turnaround time. ******************************************************************************* 24. What are newborn names that could be used for Lebanese children living abroad that would work in both Lebanon and western societies. For girls: If names sound alike (Homonyms) the first one mentioned will be the Arabic spelling, then the English (or the English equivalent): Dana Danah The name that got the most votes from the net Dania Dina Dima Farah Farrah Faten Hala Hana Hannah Jihane Johayna Joumana Karima Laura Leila Leyla/Layla Lina Lubna Mariam Myriam Marwa May Maya Mona Moniya Nadia Nadine Najat Nariman Nour Noura Nora Rania Salam Samar Summer Samia Sawsan Susan Safiyya Sofia Sara Sarah Sourayya Sukayna Yasmin Jasmin For boys: Yusef Joseph Ree'an Ryan Kareem Nabil Bill Waleed Sami Nadeem Fadi Chadi Chad Fouad Fred Raji Roger Ya'oub Jacob/Jake Ree'an Ryan Naji Farid Ramzi Ramsey Samir Sam Rabih Robbie ******************************************************************************* 25. I plan to go home soon and I have heard rumors that the draft will be re-instituted, do you have any additional information about it ? I was born in 1923 and I am afraid that I would be subject to the draft ! The latest on the subject and the most recent decision is that men born during 1972 and later years will be drafted. The same was also confirmed recently in some of the arabic papers published in Canada. Originally it was thought that only those of 1975 will be drafted, but it was later decided to go with 1972... ******************************************************************************* 26. Where can I get a copy of the English translation of the Lebanese Constitution ? A Translated copy of the Lebanese Constitution is archived on borg.poly.edu (128.238.10.106) as /pub/scl/constitution. To obtain a copy from ftp enabled sites the following commands should be followed: ftp borg.poly.edu (or ftp 128.238.10.106) login name: anonymous password : send id as password cd pub/scl get constitution ******************************************************************************* 27. Where can I get a copy of the English translation of Taef Agreement ? A Translated copy of the Taef Agreement is also archived on borg.poly.edu (128.238.10.106) as /pub/scl/taef To obtain a copy follow similar procedure as the one followed in the previous question using at the end : get taef (instead of get constitution) ******************************************************************************* 28. I need to ship a car/or some merchandise to Lebanon, do you know of a shipping company that handles this ? There is a Lebanese person that handles shipping cars (among other things) to Lebanon. His name is Hassan Issa, and his home phone is : (316) 636-4612 You can mention that Hassan Hammoud referred you. It may be very helpful. Phoenicia Shipping in Woodridge-Monachie in NJ is another company that deals with shipping merchandise to Lebanon. Phoenicia's number is (201) 939-1010 but be warned, they're no longer owned/operated by a Lebanese. Charles Audi used to own Phoenicia. The latest information about him is that he went back to Lebanon but is trying to restablish himself again in the shipping business to Lebanon. Someone contacted them over the phone. The guy who spoke is American. He said they subdivide containers going to Lebanon. For one cubic meter, it costs $200 plus a $150 one-time "documentations fee" (whatever that means). You pick up your stuff from their office in Beirut. From San Francisco, CA, the following price was obtained in September 1993: Company name: Danzas Corp. Phone: (415) 871-0845 Ask for Hernando, the Quote I got was about 260$/m3, plus an assortment of charges for pick up, handling.... ******************************************************************************* 29. I suddenly developped an urge for Middle-Eastern cuisine, can you help me quench this horrifying thirst ? You can try to prepare any of the following recipes: Tabbouleh 1 cup fine bulgur 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine 1 small bunch mint, chopped 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup olive oil juice of 2 lemons 1 to 2 ts salt fresh ground pepper to taste Soak bulgur in hot water for 30 minutes or until no longer crunchy. Drain in fine strainer then squeeze excess water out by hand. Return bulgur to bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Use the lemon juice to taste. >From "Cooking the Lebanese Way" by Cedar Hashashe (inexpensive paperback from AH & AW Reed) slightly adapted by me: Tabbouli 225g (1c) fine cracked wheat 1 large onion 2 - 3 c parsley 1/2 c olive oil 1 c fresh mint juice of 3 lemons 2 not-quite-ripe tomatoes black pepper cinnamon (2 heaped tsp) Soak the wheat 1 hr in cold water. Finely chopped parsley, mint (I usually am forced to use dried mint which is quite adequate), tomatoes and onion. Put in a large bowl. Drain wheat and sqeeze out all moisture with hands. Toss onto salad. Add spice, lemon juice and oil. Mix well. Season to taste so that salad is distinctly lemon-tasting and highly spiced. Hummos Ingredients: 2 cans of cooked Garbanzos 1/2 cup of Tahini (sold at Int'l food stores-mashed sesame seed pulp) 1/2 cup of lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) 1/4 cup of olive oil 2 T of chopped Italian flat leaf parsley 1 T of paprika (or ground red pepper-depending on whether you like it hot) salt (to taste) It is a good idea to boil the precooked garbanzo beans that come in the cans for an extra 10 minutes, it helps make the garbanzo easier to mash thus the final product will have less granularity in it. Save some (about 15 garbanzo beans) whole to use for plate decorating once the hummos is done. mash the rest of the garbanzo beans all by themselves in the food processor (you can add a bit-less than 1/4 cup- of water to help the processing along) once they are finely ground, add the crushed garlic, the tahini, and start adding the lemon juice then mix in the food processor every time you add a little bit and taste-test (I usually put less than what the recipe calls for then increase the lemon juice slowly to the mix until I attain the level of tanginess that I like, so it would be a good idea to keep adding the lemon juice slowly, until the amount of tanginess you like is attained). same thing for salt, put a little bit than add as you go along (or don't add if you don't want it in). Once you are satisfied with the mix, put it in a plate, decorate with chopped parsley and whole garbanzos in bunches, then sprinkle the paprika or red pepper on top, and add the olive oil. Eat with pita bread. Sahtain Baba Ghanouj 1 eggplant (about 1.25 lbs.) 1/4 cup of olive oil 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1/2 cup of lemon juice 1/4 cup of tahini 2 T of minced parsley 1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and make several incisions in the flesh. Sprinkle the exposed meat with salt and let it drain for 30 minutes. 2. Coat a baking pan with the olive oil and place the eggplant face-down in the pan. Bake it in an oven preheated to 400F for about 20 or 30 minutes, until tender. 3. Remove the eggplant and let it cool. Then scoop out the pulp and place it in a food-processor or blender. Discard the skin. 4. Place the garlic in the blender with the eggplant and puree. Add alternately the lemon juice and the tahini. Finally, blend in the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired. 5. Chill before serving. Sprinkle with paprika to add a bit of color, if you like. Serve with raw vegetables and toasted pita triangles. Falafel 1 lb. dry ful (fava beans) 1 small onion 1 bunsh of chopped parsley 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 t. ground coriander 1/4 t hot red pepper (optional) 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. cumin Salt and pepper to taste 1 T. flour Soak ful in cold water for a few days, changing water daily. When ready, peel ful and grind with onion in meat grinder. Add all ingredients, mixing well. Grind mixture a second time. Form into patties and fry. Variation: Soak 3/4 cup of dry homus with ful. Then follow above directions. Stuffed Grape Leaves in Oil. 1 lb tender grape leaves 12 oz. rice 12 oz chopped red onions 4 bunches parsley chopped fine 12 oz ripe tomatoes chopped very fine 2 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. spices (mixed cinnamon and sweet + hot pepper) 2 1/5 lb sliced tomatoes 1 pt. boiling water. 2 oz. lemon juice 4 oz. oil potatoes cut in the thickness of 1 1/2 inch. My Lebanese mother-in-law adds garbanzo beans as well, about a cup or so with the above proportions. Note that these are the "lentin" variety; there are also grape leaves with meat, for those who eat meat. As hinted above, rolling the leaves is the tricky part an the book doesn't explain how to do it. Could anyone provide any hints on that? Nothing substitutes for experience. When my wife and I make grape leaves, hers are always much tighter and more consistent than mine. But I'm learning! Here's how we do it: Lay the leaf face down in front of you, with the stem end towards you. (Be sure to remove the stem, by the way). Put a tablespoon or two of the stuffing in the middle of the leaf. Fold in the sides, then roll up the leaf starting with the end that is closest to you. It's very much like rolling a burrito, if that's any help. When cooking, be sure to put a plate on top of the grape leaves, so that they don't expand too much. Also, we like to crush some garlic and sprinkle it on top of the grape leaves before cooking. Sahtain! Knafi (bil Jibn or Ushta): I have recently learned to make Knafi, and if I do say so, I think I have become very good at it. I use the shreded stuff, not the breadcrumb crust. First prepare the syrup ('ater) from twice as much sugar as water with some lemon juice and orange-blossom water (mazaher). Mixing in honey makes it taste more familiar to American palates, and putting in a tiny amount of Carob molasses (dibs) makes the flavour "heavier" (i.e. more like something cooked). The syrup goes in the fridge. Next I prepare the clotted cream ('ushta). The ingredients are: One liter milk, 1/4 litre heavy cream and one teaspoonful rosewater (maward) Prefereably boiled over a light flame in a wide, shallow tray over two burners. After that, it needs to be left at room temperature overnight so that the thick layer of stuff on the surface can trigger the coagulation of a greater of the milk/cream mixture. Adding the rosewater after most of the boiling is done is a good thing to do. You may refrigerate the 'ushta now if you want to do this later. The cheese could be Lebanese white cheese (jinbi baidha) if you can get it or mozerella otherwise. The shredded dough needs to be well buttered : pouring melted butter over it is not enough, you have to leave some butter in solid form and rub it in to make sure every strand is coated. I assume this will not be a problem with breadcrumbs. Also, using clarified butter is a good thing to do if you have time. (If you are still with me, you probably have time ;) In order to clarify the butter, melt it and throw away the parts that float or sink (unless, of course, you have some REAL samneh!). One layer of knafi in the tray followed by the cheese (cut into any shapes you wnat: it'll melt anyway), covered with the 'ushta and topped off by another layer of buttered knafi is the final configuration. Bake at 350 for half an hour then raise the temperature to 450 to brown it; remove when it looks brown enough (unless you see smoke, which is another indication it is done :>). Baklava recipes Syrup Ingredients: 1.5 cups sugar .5 cup water 1 tablespoon mazaher (orange blossom water) squeeze of lemon Baklava Ingredients: 1 box phillo dough 3 cups chopped walnuts 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons mazaher 2 sticks melted unsalted butter honey 1. Cook syrup first so that, if you mess up the syrup, you can make another batch. Combine all syrup ingredients and cook over medium heat and after it has come to a boil cook for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Do not let it get too thick when it's still cooking or it won't be absorbed by the phillo dough. Place syrup in the refridgerator. 2. For the walnut mix - mix walnuts, mazaher and honey. Mix honey in so that the walnuts stick together but are not dripping. 3. Using a pastry brush, put a coat of butter on cookie sheet. Carefully place 1 sheet of phillo on top of butter. Brush sheet with butter then put another sheet on top of that one. Continue until you've used 1/3 of the phillo. 4. Spread the walnut mixture on the phillo, leaving a tiny bit of space at the edges. Cover with the rest of the phillo, spreading butter between each sheet. 5. Make sure the top of the baklava has butter spread all over it. Then. cut the baklava in squares. 6. Place in oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes - but watch it closely. 7. When the Baklava is done cooking pour the syrup on top - a little at a time using a spoon or ladle. The thing to remember about the syrup is hot baklava/cold syrup or cold baklava/hot syrup. You want the maximum amount of syrup to be absorbed. BAKLAVA Fillo dough (pastry leaves). 1 1/4 cups butter/margarine 1/4 cup sugar 1-2 tsp cinamon (ground) 4 cups almonds, slivered and chopped. cloves (NOT ground) syrup: 4 cups sugar 3 cups water 1/2 cup honey 1 stick cinamon 5-6 cloves (NOT ground) Mix sugar, cinamon, sugar, and almonds. Lay the fillo dough out on a table. Fillo dough will dry quickly, so you'll need to work fast, so what spills out of the pan doesn't dry (although it will anyway), and keep a damp towel on the rest of it (that you had laid on the table) so it doesn't dry. On a medium-sized, buttered pan (you'll need to melt the butter) lay one of the sheets of dough. Butter it, and lay another on top of that. Continue until you have 5-6 sheets of dough on the bottom of the pan. Then lay another sheet, and do NOT butter it. On that, put some of the almond mix, enough to cover it evenly, but not making a thick layer. On that, lay another sheet of dough, butter it, and then another, unbuttered. On that place some almond mix again. Repeat until all the mix is gone, or you have only 4-5 sheets of dough left. Fold in the dough that hangs from the side of the pan. Some of sthem will be dry, so just cut them and discard them. Make sure to butter all of them (except, of course, if they have almonds on them).Lay down some more sheets of dough, buttering every one, and cutting off the edges, that hang from the sides of the pan. here, I've found it easier if you just lay the dough down, width of dough to length of pan. That is to say, the width of the dough is sometimes about teh same size as the length of the pan, and the length of the dough about twice the widht of the pan, so lay the short side of the dough down along the length of the pan, so that some (about half) of it will hang out the end. Then butter it, and fold what hangs back in the pan, buttering that. This way you get it to look better, and stick better. When you're done with laying the sheets of dough down, make sure you butter the first one VERY well, and sprinkle some water on it before you put it in the oven. Also, with a sharp, pointy knife, cut the top few sheets of dough, not getting all the way through, just sort of "scratching" the top layer and marking the pieces, in rhombus-shaped pieces. I find it easier to cut along lengthwise, and then sideways, from corner to corner, and lines paralel toothat: ______________ | / / / / | |_/__/__/__/__| <--I HOPE you get this "drawing"..and i hope it's useful. |/ / / / /| |__/__/__/__/_| (you get the idea). Then, at the center of each rhombus, stick a clove, so that it keeps the sheets of dough together. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, until golden-brown, and the edges no longer touch the wall of the pan. Syrup: Place sugar and water in a pan and bring tooa boil Boil for 5 minutes, then add honey and spices and simmer until all is combined well, 10 minutes maybe, enough for the spices to give off flavor. Retain the syrup hot until the baklava comes out of the oven and cools. Pour the hot syrup over the cold baklava. (some do it the other way, I don't think it matters, as long as one is hot and the other cold, so that it "boils" into the baklava and it saturates it well, whicle at the same time keeps the top layer of filo dough crispy). Note: I usually put in along with the spices a piece of lemon peel. A friend of mine, on the other hand, uses 1-2 tbsp rosewater. They both work well, and I sugest one of them. Note2: (on syrup/baklava hot/cold thing): I think you can save yourself some time if you just take the baklava out, and then start the syrup, so that by the time you're done, the baklava will have cooled down enough. Note3: You may use wallnuts or baking pistachios instead of almonds, or any wallnut/almond or pistachio/almond combo. I've never tried pistachio/almond/wallnut all in one, but I don't think it would be good. Anyway, I usually prefer not to put any wallnuts because they give off wallnut oil, which I don't think is fitting. (I guess I could roast them first, so they wouldn't give off the oil, but I'm not a big wallnut fan as it is.) Pistachios make it extra-special. Make sure that, no matter what you use, they're ground coarsly. Baklava here's my recipe. i'm doing this off the top of my head, so bear with me. :) 1 pkg philo dough 1 bag (the larger of the 2 kinds of bags, i think 8 oz) walnuts 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg almonds (optional, if i add them, i do 2 parts walnuts to 1 part almonds) 3 sticks butter (not margarine!) 3/4 cups sugar syrup: 1/2 water 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups honey 3 or 4 lemon slices 1 cinnamon stick make syrup: dissolve sugar in water, bring to boil. add honey, cinn. stick and lemon slices, reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes. strain and leave to cool. assemble baklava: preheat oven to 325-350 (depends on how hot your oven is) in a food processor, grind nuts, mix with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. set aside. melt butter. in a large pan (i use a roasting pan that is about the size of a sheet of philo) place 2 layers philo, butter them lightly, then 2 more sheets, repeating this until you have about 8 or 10 layers. add 1/3 of the nut mixture. cover with 2 more layers, lightly butter, repeat until you have about 6 layers, add another third of the nut mixture. repeat this until you have used all the nut mixture, then layer the remaining philo and butter on top. take a sharp knife and cut diagonal through the top layers of philo (not past the top nut layer, and about 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide). turn and do the same on the opposite diagonal, to form diamond shapes. bake for 1 hour, or until golden. turn oven off and let baklava sit in oven for 1 more hour. remove, pour cooled syrup over hot baklava. take knife and slice all the way through the cuts you made previously. let cool, and enjoy! p.s. until you get very fast at assembling the baklava, you might want to cover the sheets with a damp towel while you are putting it together. -- Ragout of Green Beans (Loobyieh ou rozz) --------------------- Ingredients: 2 lbs. 10 oz green beans strung and cut 1 lb meat cut in medium-sized pieces 7 oz. onions chopped 6 cloves of garlic cut 5 oz. butter 2 tbs salt 1/2 tbs pepper 2 pts 2oz boiling water 2 lb tomatoes cut in slices Clean and string beans and cut them in halves. Melt butter in a pot and fry onions, garlic and meat. when onions turn brown add tomatoes, then beans, salt and spices. After two minutes turn the beans with a flat ladle. Repeat this four times. Add boiling water and cook fast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until beans are done. Serve with rice on the side. Potato kibbeh recipe from the book _The Art Of Cooking_ or Fann al Tabkh Potato Kibbeh Ing. 1 kg. of potatoes 1 cup of Burghul (soaked in water) [alternatively called Bulgur] 1/2 cup of flour 2 onions (chopped) 3 cloves of garlic (chopped) 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (or coriander) chopped salt (to taste) 1 gram of ground white pepper 1 gram of ground black pepper 1 pinch of cumin 1 pinch of nutmeg 150 grams of olive oil Boil potatoes, taking extra care not to overcook them, peel potatoes. Saute' onions, garlic and cilantro in a little bit of olive oil. Mash the potatoes, mix in the flour, the burghul (after draining them and squeezing excees water out), the spices and the sauteed ingredients. Form into small patties, and fry them in olive oil over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes (until they are golden brown color). Eat. Sahtain Here is another recipe for "Potato Kibbeh". I suppose this one is a "jabalieh"!! Mountaineer Potato Kibbeh ;-) 3 potatoes (large) 1/2 cup of Burghul Na'em (Fine Bulgur) 1 onion 1 to 2 cloves of garlic (according to taste) 3 tablespoons of Tehini Boil potatoes and peel. Mash the potatoes and the onion together using either a hand-mill or a food processor. I have personally found that a mill usually gives better results (maintains a solid mixture). Add the burghul and the garlic and mix well. You may choose to pass everything through the mill or food processor once more to get good mixing. Finally, add the tehini and again mix well. If you find the tehini to be a little too thick, add some water. Serve chilled on a platter and decorate with fresh mint leaves and olive oil. Good appetite. Mjadara recipe. Ingredients: 1 cup of lentil (the orange-colored type that you can find in health stores international stores and even some groceries) 4 cups of water 1/2 cup of rice 1 huge onion pepper and salt to taste (a couple of pinches should do) Chop the onion and fry with some oil until moderately brown. Place the rice lentil and water in a pot, add the salt and pepper and the onion and bring to a boil. After the mixture reaches the boiling point, reduce temperature to low, cover the pot, and let simmer for 20-40 minutes. I like the mjadra to have a pudding consistency. So uncover the pot 30 minutes after letting it simmer to check if the pudding consistency has been reached. If the thick pudding consistency was not achieved, then cover the pot again and let simmer for 10 minutes. Keep checking until the pudding consistency has been achieved. At this point, pour content in deep dishes and let cool in room temperature. When cooled, the mjadra will become firm. Get a small white onion, cut it in quarters and place in saucer w/ cold water. Heat some Lebanese bread. And... sahtein... Hint: it takes me a couple of times before I fully achieve the desired flavor when I cook. My first time around is usually experimental, though I learn from it in order to perfect the dish the second time around. My latest experiment was Mloukhieh. That was rather complicated but it turned out delicious!! Sambusik. Meat Filling: 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1 small onion chopped Pinch of cinnamon .5 to 1 lb ground beef or lamb Salt and pepper to taste 3 to 4 tablespoons of pine nuts 2 teaspoons of lemon juice Melt butter in saucepan and add onion. Saute' until tender and then add meat. Cook until just brown, then add remaining ingredients. Cook and stir about 2 minutes. Spinach Filling: 1 lb spinach fresh or frozen Juice of one squeezed lemon 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 teaspoon sumak 1 small onion chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 crumbled feta cheese or cottage cheese Rinse spinach throughly several times and trim off stems. Chop leaves and drain well. If you use frozen spinach, squeeze dry after thawing and fluff with a fork to separate. Put it in a large bowl, and then start heating olive oil and add onion. Saute' about a minute and then add this to the bowl of spinach. Add remaining ingredients and toss/ stir gently to mix well. Cheese Filling: 1 cup crumbled feta, ricotta, 1/2 cup fresh parsley or Syrian cheese Salt and pepper to taste 1 small onion grated Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Prepare filling. Preheat oven to 350F. Using filo dough (about 20 sheets for each recipe, or one box), cut lengthwise into thirds (making long, thin strips). Keep the rest covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Using one strip (of the three), take one from the top and brush it with clarified (melted) butter. Then continue until you have a total of four, all stacked on top of each other, each one brushed with butter (except the top one). Place a heaping tablestoon in the corner of each strip, and fold it flag- flag fashion, to make a triangle. Place seam-side (when you are done folding it, it looks like a seam - just turn it upside down) on a baking sheet with as many as the baking sheet can hold, but give each a little space inbetween. Brush each top with butter and bake about 15 or 20 minutes or until the top is golden. If your butter starts to get cold (hard to brush sheets with), just put it on the stove for a few minutes until it melts. The butter is best when it is melted, but not too hot. It is good to use a paint brush to brush the sheets, and I don't know if you've ever made baklawa before, but follow the directions of thawing the filo dough. It is hard to make sometimes, but if you have it at the right temperature, it will work very well. Be sure to cover the dough that you are not using, to make sure it doesn't dry out on you. I think this is the best recipe (easiest), but if it's the first time you are using it, it won't take very long before you know how to wrap each triangle. Salam and sahteen, Rice Bidfeen Recipe ------------------- Ingredients: 3 lb. rump of lamb with bones (boneless beef can be substituted) 2.5 lb small onions 1.25 lb rice (soaked) 3 tsb cumin 1/2 tsp spices * 8 oz. soaked chickpeas (or Garbanzo beans) 11 oz. butter 3.5 tsp salt 3 pts water (9pts if "American" rice is used) Cut meat into medium-sized pieces. Melt butter in a pan and fry the meat and bones till they are a golden brown. Lift meat and bones into a pot and add salt, pepper and water and allow to boil for about an hour. In the meantime, fry the onions and chickpeas in the same butter in which the meat was fried, until golden brown. Add onion, chickpeas with the butter to the boiling meat. Add cumin and spices. After the meat is done, remove a large portion of the meat, onions and chickpeas and put them aside. Add the rice to the water and remaining meat. Cook rice until it's done. When ready to serve, put rice in a platter and arrange the meat and onions that were put aside on top of it. Yogurt can be served on the side. * A mixture of cinnamon and hot and sweet peppers. Pita Bread Recipe This recipe comes from Bernard Clayton's "New Complete Book of Breads, Revised and Expanded", Simon and Schuster, 1973, p 679 I have tried the recipes for pita in Moosewood and in Beard on Bread but this one has consistently produced the best results for me. If you have any interest in making breads, Clayton's book is a must! PITA - eight 6-inch pieces The pieces of dough must be rolled flat before they are placed into a hot (500F) oven. The dough should be rolled to a thickness of no more than 3/16 inch. This is the thickness of a wooden yardstick, the kind given away at country fairs, auto dealers, and paint stores. It can be used as a gauge. The oven heat generates steam inside the pita which causes the dough to puff into a ball. Later, as it cools the dough will collapse. The oven must be hot. If it is not, the piece of dough will think it is meant to be a bun, and will rise slowly but without the all- important pocket in the center. While this is a yeast dough, it puffs because of the steam. The yeast only adds flavor and texture. Don't overpower the dough with flour or it will be too dry to allow sufficient steam to be generated. Leave the dough on the soft side. Sprinkles of flour will take care of stickiness. Ingredients: 2.5 cups bread flour, approx. 2 tsp salt 1 Tbs sugar 1 package dry yeast 2 Tbs oil, olive oil preferred 1 cup hot water (120-130F) Eight 7-inch squares of aluminum foil Into a large mixing bowl measure 1 cup flour and stir in the dry ingredients. Add the oil and hot water. Mix for about 30 seconds to blend and then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for three minutes. Stir in the balance of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should be a rough, shaggy mass that will clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough is moist, add a small amount of flour. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with a rhythmic motion of push-turn-fold. Knead for about 6 minutes. Preheat oven to 500F. Divide the dough into eight pieces. Roll into balls, cover with wax paper or a towel, and let rest for 20 minutes. With the palm of your hand, flatten each ball into a disk. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a disk about 6 inches in diameter and 3/16-inch thick. Their thinness is more important than making perfect circles. Irregularity adds charm! Place each round on a prepared piece of foil. Placing the rounds on the foil rather than on a baking sheet or stone allows a softer heat to surround the dough. A direct thrust of heat from a baking sheet or stone would form a crust difficult to puff. Carefully place 2 or 3 of the breads (on their foil) directly on an oven rack in the oven. Back for about 8 minutes, or until they are puffed. Repeat with remaining disks. Place the pitas under the broiler for 2 minutes if a browner crust is desired. Remove the breads from the oven and wrap in a large piece of foil. The tops will fall and there will be a pocket in the center. Serve warm, or let cool and freeze. Thaw before using. To reheat, stack several in a pile, wrap in foil, and place in 375F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. ******************************************************************************* 30. Where can I find information about US State Department visa regulations for foreigners. If you need any information about US visas or related subjects, check out the new State Department BBS. Here is a detailed description on how to access the BBS: In order to access the Sate Department's BBS, you need to have a Telecommunications software, such as Procomm, a modem, and a phone line (of course!). In the Telecommunications software, set the transmissions options as follows: Baude Rate: 9600(or 2400 if 9600 is not available) Parity: None Data bits: 8 Stop bits: 1 Duplex: Full Phone number: 1-(202) 647 9225 Then, use the dial command to connect to the BBS. Once connected, online information will come up on screen, and it is easy to follow. This procedure was tested with a 9600 baud modem, and it worked fine! Note: The BBS is not connected to Internet, yet! ******************************************************************************* 31. How can I get the latest travel advisory for Americans wishing to visit Lebanon or the Middle-East ? A collection of all travel advisories released by the State Department during the last 4+ months is FTPable from RASCAL.ICS.UTEXAS [128.83.138.20] file Travel-Advisories in directory misc/misc. There is another copy of these travel avisories in, /pub/travel-advisories/advisories on ftp.stolaf.edu ******************************************************************************* 32. Are there available statistical and basic general information about Lebanon, and what are they ? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Several files have recently been added to the Lebanon archives on borg.poly.edu Forty Six files named: leb01.gif ... lebnn.gif ... leb46.gif consisting of 46 pages were scanned from: Title: The Midlle East and North Africa Published by: Europa Publications Limited Copyright: Europa Publications Limited 1993 Printed and bound: In England by "Staples Printers Limited" at the stanhope Press, Rochester, Kent, stablishment. Issued: In 1993. The chapter concerning Lebanon is entitled : "LEBANON: Physical and Social Geography" edited by W. B. Fisher The average size of each of these binary gif files is 250K. The article treats the different aspects of the country. It introduces the reader to its geography and economic life. The article contains a somewhat detailed section about the history of Lebanon, starting from the ancient history going through the Ottoman period, and discussing the economic difficulties and constitutional reforms in the early days of independance from the French occupation. This particular section about the history of the country ends with modern day Lebanon, highlighting the most recent civil war with its inter-alliance fightings and the several Israeli invasions. In addition, it deals with the circumstances and events leading up to the Taef accord. The history section was revised by Fida Nasrallah. The economic section (revised by Alan George) offers seven pages of treatment of the subject from the early days of the country to the current situation. The statistical survey section offers a good general idea of the country, and thus is especially beneficial to people who were not previously familiar with Lebanon, or those who have a recent interest in the country. It also provides a diversified general look at the economy as well as the social and political, institutional and constitutional structure of Lebanon. A list of the different newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations currently in operation is also provided. The addresses and phone numbers of the Diplomatic representations in lebanon are listed in the Directory section towards the end of the chapter. A long list of bibliography is included which may prove helpful to people interested in further researching the subject. These files were scanned in GIF format and are NOT uuencoded so ftp 'ing should be done in the image or binary form (type i for image before ftp'ing). ********************IMPORTANT NOTICE:****************************************** Due to the size of these files you are urged to download them at a time that would not inconvenience other users of the archive server borg. The files should thus ONLY be downloaded on weekends, or in evening times between 5:00 pm and 8:00 am US Eastern Standard Time, which is GMT-5:00. ******************************************************************************* Individuals interested in viewing these files can use any of the available utilities that can handle GIF files to view the document. Note: xv, on unix, and PhotoFinish for MS windows are recommended choices since both offer zooming in capabilities; this function does seem to be more easily applicable in the latter option. The screen gif document is a very legible form of the original document even when viewed on a PC using a standard VGA monitor (640x480), although the higher resolution monitors would certainly provide a better image quality of the scanned document. There appeared no need for magnification (zooming in), in terms of legibility, when each of the documents was viewed on a 19" monitor using xv. Due to the volume of these documents, a better solution might be to print those documents rather than individually viewing them on the screen. This procedure was tested on a postscript printer and the printed copy is of fairly good quality. Depending on the type of printer used, processing might be time consuming. In such a case, overnight batch jobs do offer a reasonable alternative. A note of caution, when using "xv" to convert the GIF files into PS files, the printed document was illegible. However, using PhotoFinish to view the GIF files and selecting "Print" to send the document to a PS printer resulted in a quality very comparable to a photocopy of the originals. This work is a result of the collaborative effort of several individuals: Original Material: Rached Zantout Coordination: Basil Hamdan Archiving: Bassem Medawar Scanning: Samir M. Fahs These files are available by ftp from: borg.poly.edu in directory: /pub/scl/gif filenames: leb01.gif lebnn.gif (nn here is a double digit variable integer counter from 1 to 46) leb46.gif lebfiles.msg The file "lebfiles.msg" contains a description of the contents of the of the lebnn.gif files. Important Note: This file is to accompany the digitized material, or parts thereof, at all times. **************************** DISCLAIMER ************************************** This material has been digitally reproduced without permission for non-commercial use. The intent of the archiving of this material is to give ready and convenient access to the information included in this document to people interested in Lebanon, or for research purposes. All other uses of this document would be a breach of applicable copyright laws. All rights reserved to: Europa Publications Limited and Staples Printers Limited. ******************************************************************************* _______________________________________________________________________________ Here are two listings of general information about Lebanon, one is taken from the CIA fact book and has information dated to 1992, the other is from another database (Kaleidoscope) and has information dated to 1990. ******* DISCLAIMER ********* These were published "as is", with no editing on my part, so if anyone wishes to disagree with the numbers or the information offered, please address your grievances to the issuing agency, not me. By publishing these, I do not imply that what is in them is "the" truth, however, I think that the information can be of some use to someone interested in Lebanon. As always, one has to be careful to not take everything one reads as god given or indisputable. ******************************** a) CIA Factbook on Lebanon listing (dated 1992): Lebanon Geography Total area: 10,400 km2 Land area: 10,230 km2 Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut Land boundaries: 454 km; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km Coastline: 225 km Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October 1976 Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa` (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a water-deficit region Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 8%; other 61%; includes irrigated 7% Environment: rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary Lebanon People Population: 3,439,115 (July 1992), growth rate 1.6% (1992) Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: -5 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Lebanese (singular and plural); adjective - Lebanese Ethnic divisions: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% Religions: Islam 75%, Christian 25%, Judaism NEGL%; 17 legally recognized groups - 5 Islam (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma`ilite, Shi`a, Sunni); 11 Christian, consisting of 4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Nestorean, Syriac Orthodox), 6 Catholic (Armenian Catholic, Caldean, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Roman Catholic, and Syrian Catholic) and the Protestants; 1 Jewish Languages: Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English Literacy: 80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 650,000; industry, commerce, and services 79%, agriculture 11%, government 10% (1985) Organized labor: 250,000 members (est.) Lebanon Government Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note - may be changed to Lebanese Republic Type: republic Capital: Beirut Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Biqa, `Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended) Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943) Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note - by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi`a Muslim Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic - Majlis Alnuwab, French - Assemble Nationale) Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases) Leaders: Chief of State: President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989) Head of Government: Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri (since 13 May 1992) Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education Elections: National Assembly: elections should be held every four years, but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972; in June 1991, the Cabinet appointed 40 new deputies to fill vacancies and balance Christian and Muslim representation; the legislature's mandate expires in 1994 Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000. Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Lebanon Government Diplomatic representation: Ambassador - no ambassador at present; Mission is headed by Charge; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6300; there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles US: Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER; Embassy at Antelias, Beirut (mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut, or Box B, FPO AE 09836); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802, 415803, 402200, 403300 Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band Lebanon Government Note: Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil war between its Christians - then aided by Syrian troops - and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims, and the Palestinians and Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians, brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms - the original cause of the war. Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops. Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated; his elder brother Amin was elected to succeed him. In the immediate wake of Bashir's death, however, Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew. In 1988, President Gemayel completed his term of office. Because parliamentarians failed to elect a presidential successor, Gemayel appointed then Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander Gen. Michel Awn acting president. Lebanese parliamentarians met in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia, in late 1989 and concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing formula, specifying reduced powers for the Christian president and giving Muslims more authority. Rene MUAWAD was subsequently elected president on 4 November 1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. MUAWAD was assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November, Ilyas Harawi was elected to succeed MUAWAD. In October 1990, the civil war was apparently brought to a conclusion when Syrian and Lebanese forces ousted renegade Christian General Awn from his stronghold in East Beirut. Awn had defied the legitimate government and established a separate ministate within East Beirut after being appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing President Gemayel in 1988. Awn and his supporters feared Ta'if would diminish Christian power in Lebanon and increase the influence of Syria. Awn was granted amnesty and allowed to travel in France in August 199l. Since the removal of Awn, the Lebanese Government has made substantial progress in strengthening the central government, rebuilding government institutions, and extending its authority throughout the nation. The LAF has deployed from Beirut north along the coast road to Tripoli, southeast into the Shuf mountains, and south to Sidon and Tyre. Many militiamen from Christian and Muslim groups have evacuated Beirut for their strongholds in the north, south, and east of the country. Some heavy weapons possessed by the militias have been turned over to the government, or sold outside the country, which has begun a plan to integrate some militiamen into the military and the internal security forces. Lebanon and Syria signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation in May 1991. Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops, which are deployed in Beirut, its southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and northern Lebanon. Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards in the Bekaa Valley to support Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups. Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985, although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's first line of defense against attacks on its northern border. The following description is based on the present constitutional and customary practices of the Lebanese system. Lebanon Economy Overview: Since 1975 civil war has seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Following October 1990, however, a tentative peace has enabled the central government to begin restoring control in Beirut, collect taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. The battered economy has also been propped up by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances, banking transactions, manufactured and farm exports, the narcotics trade, and international emergency aid are main sources of foreign exchange. In the relatively settled year of 1991, industrial production, agricultural output, and exports showed substantial gains. The further rebuilding of the war-ravaged country could provide a major stimulus to the economy in 1992, provided that the political and military situation remains reasonably calm. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $4.8 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate NA (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1991) Unemployment rate: 35% (1991 est.) Budget: revenues $533 million; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.) Exports: $700 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products partners: Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5% Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.) commodities: NA partners: Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3% External debt: $900 million (1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products - citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa` is increasing; hashish production is shipped to Western Europe, Israel, US, and the Middle East Lebanon Economy Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $664 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $9 million Currency: Lebanese pound (plural - pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (#L) = 100 piasters Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (#L) per US$1 - 879.00 (January 1992), 928.23 (1991), 695.09 (1990), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987) Fiscal year: calendar year Lebanon Communications Railroads: system in disrepair, considered inoperable Highways: 7,300 km total; 6,200 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone, 650 km improved earth Pipelines: crude oil 72 km (none in operation) Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ra'Sil`ata, Juniyah, Sidon, Az Zahrani, Tyre Merchant marine: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 236,196 GRT/346,760 DWT; includes 36 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 1 container, 8 livestock carrier, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 3 bulk, 1 combination bulk Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft Airports: 9 total, 8 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the Lebanese Government Telecommunications: rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of microwave relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM (numerous AM and FM radio stations are operated inconsistently by various factions), 13 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station, erratic operations; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan inoperable, but operational to Syria, coaxial cable to Syria Lebanon Defense Forces Branches: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (including Army, Navy, and Air Force) Manpower availability: males 15-49, 750,319; 465,938 fit for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $271 million, 8.2% of GDP (1992 budget) /Lebanon/ b) Kaleidoscope listing (dated 1990): KCWD/Kaleidoscope Copyright (c) 1993 ABC-Clio, Inc. COUNTRY: LEBANON LOAD: April 16, 1993 GENERAL INFORMATION Note: Due to unstable political and social conditions caused by the current civil war, data for Lebanon are often unavailable and frequently based on estimates.| Capital: Beirut Location: Lebanon is located in western Asia on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the east and north and Israel to the south. Time: 7 hours later than US Eastern Standard, 2 hours later than Greenwich Mean Currency: 100 piastres = 1 Lebanese pound Weight & Measure System: The metric system is in use. AREA: 4,036 square miles Land Use: 29.13% cropland; 0.98% permanent pasture; 8.11% forests and woodland; 61.78% other (mostly desert). Arable Land: 29% Arable Land per capita: 0.27 acres Coastline: 140 miles Land Borders: 282 miles POPULATION: 2,913,000 (1990 estimate Rank: 114-th Population Density: 722 inhabitants per square mile (1990 estimate Population Distribution: 83.74% urban (1990 estimate Population Growth Rate: 2.05% per year (1990-95 proje Regional Population: (not available) MAJOR CITIES POPULATION: (1980 estimate Beirut 702,000 Tripoli 175,000 Zahleh 47,000 Sidon 25,000 Tyre 14,000 VITAL STATISTICS Average Life Expectancy (years): 68.50 years (1990-95 proje Male 66.60 years (1990-95 proje; Female 70.50 years (1990-95 proje Age Distribution: (1990 estimate 0-14: 35.30% 15-64: 59.60% 65+: 5.10% Median Age (years): 21.50 years (1990 estimate Maternal Mortality: (not available) Infant Mortality: 40.00 (per 1,000 live births) (1986) HEALTH CARE Hospital Beds: 43 (per 10,000 pop.) (1982) PAGE 15 KCWD (c) 1993 ABC-Clio, Inc. LEBANON Doctors: 12 (per 10,000 pop.) (1986) CULTURE Ethnic Composition: Lebanese - 93%; Armenian - 5%; other - 2%. Religion: Moslem and Druze - 57%; Christian (mostly Catholic) - 42%; other - 1%. Language: Arabic is the official language, while French is a common second language. Kurdish, English and Armenian are spoken by some groups. Education: Illiteracy: 25%. In 1984, there were 329,340 primary school students; 230,934 secondary school students; 37,036 vocational school students; and 70,510 students in institutions of higher learning. In 1980 there were 1,663 students in teacher training schools. ECONOMIC DATA ( amounts expressed in US$ ) Budget: Revenues: $ 331,000,000 (1986); $ 582,600,000 (1985). Expenditures: $ 467,500,000 (1986); $ 692,900,000 (1985). Budget Deficit: as % of GDP: (not available) Expenditures by Function (as % of total): (1985) Community, social and personal services 10.77% Government services 10.19% Fuel and energy 5.42% Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 8.54% Manufacturing and construction 16.46% Transportation and communication 3.74% Trade, restaurants and hotels 28.29% Commerce 15.58% Economic Aid Extended: (not available) Economic Aid Received: Gross non-private: $ 101,900,000. US only: $ 24,000,000. (1985) External Public Debt: $ 443,000,000 (long-term). Service payments: $ 114,000,000. (1987) Gross National Product (GNP): $ 6,050,000,000 (1984) GNP per capita: $ 2,292 (1984) Gross Domestic Product: $ 1,800,000,000 (1985) GDP % by sector: Agriculture, forestry and fishing - 9.20%; mining - 0%; manufacturing - 12.16%; utilities - 5.06%; construction - 3.19%; commerce - 28.63%; transportation and communication - 3.78%; other - 37.98%. (1980) GDP per capita: $ 687 (1985) International Liquidity: Reserves (minus gold): $ 977,800,000. Gold reserves: 9,222,000 fine troy ounces. (1988) Consumer Price Change: (not available) Imports: Consumer goods, petroleum products, machinery. Total Imports: $ 1,806,800,000 (1988); $ 833,600,000 (1987); $ 899,700,000 (1986). Exports: Textiles, metals, machinery, foodstuffs, jewelry. Total Exports: $ 575,500,000 (1988); $ 291,700,000 (1987); $ 220,500,000 (1986). Trading Partners: (Imports-1987) Italy - 14.00%; France - 12.00%; US - 6.00%; Turkey - 5.00%; Saudi Arabia - 3.00%. (Exports-1987) Saudi Arabia - 16.00%; Switzerland - 8.00%; Jordan - 6.00%; Kuwait - 6.00%; US - 5.00%. Tourists: Total: (not available). Revenue: (not available). Country of origin: (not available). Balance of Payments: (not available) Labor Profile: Agriculture, forestry and fishing - 22.83%; manufacturing - 9.93%; transportation and communication - 4.53%; construction - 5.52%; other - 57.19%. (1985 estimate Agricultural Products: Citrus fruits, potatoes, sugar beets, grapes, apples, grain, olives, tomatoes. Industrial Products: Cement, processed food, textiles, refined petroleum, timber, jewelry, tobacco manufactures, chemicals. Natural Resources: Salt, limestone, iron, wood. ENERGY Electric Power Generation: 4,839,000,000 kWh.; kWh. per capita: 1,480. (1988) Generating Capacity: 1,381,000 kW. (1988) Nuclear Power Plants & Output: None (1987) Crude Oil Production: None (1988) Natural Gas Production: None (1988) EMBASSIES Canadian Embassy in Lebanon, None US Embassy in Lebanon, Avenue de Paris (Corniche), Imm. Ali Reza, Beirut Lebanese Embassy in Canada, 640 Lyon Street, Ottawa K1S 3Z5, Tel: (613) 236-5825 Lebanese Embassy in US, 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008, Tel: (202) 939-6300 TRAVEL NOTES Climate: The climate varies with altitude. During the summer the coastal lowlands are hot and humid and during the winter they are mild and damp. The weather in the mountains is cool in the summer, with heavy snowfall in the winter. Health Precautions: (not available) Holidays: 1990| Jan 1 (New Year's Day), Feb 9 (Feast of St. Maron), Feb 23 (Leilat al-Meiraj), Mar 22 (Arab League Anniversary), Apr 13-16 (Easter, Western and Eastern Churches), Apr 27 (Id al-Fitr), May 1 (May Day), May 24 (Ascension Day, Western Church), Jul 4 (Id ul Adha), Jul 24 (Islamic New Year), Aug 2 (Ashoura), Aug 15 (Assumption), Oct 2 (Mouloud), Nov 1 (All Saints' Day), Nov 22 (Independence Day), Dec 25 (Christmas), Dec 31 (Evacuation Day). Miscellaneous: Before the beginning of the civil war in 1975, Lebanon was a major tourist center because of its natural beauty and such historic sites as Baalbek and Byblos. TRANSPORTATION Roads: Total miles: 4,580; paved miles: 3,896. (1989) Vehicles: Registrations: 539,729. Passenger cars: 473,372; persons per car: 5. Trucks and buses: 49,560. (1982) Railroads: Total track-miles: 235 (1989). Passenger-miles traveled: 1,757,900; freight-ton miles carried: 24,018,100. (1973) Ports: Total: 6. Major: 3 (Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon). Cargo loaded: (not available); unloaded: (not available). (1989) Merchant Fleet: 102 freighters; 9 bulk carriers; 3 tankers; 613,000 dwt. tons. (1985) Civil Aviation: Total airfields: 10; usable: 9; permanent surface: 5; runways over 8,000 ft: 3 (1989). Commercial aircraft over 20,000 lbs take-off weight: (not available). Scheduled airline traffic: passenger-miles 420,066,400, international 420,066,400; short ton-miles 22,673,500, international 22,673,500. (1986) AGE 17 COMMUNICATION Radio: Stations: 8 (1989). Receivers: 2,100,000; per 1,000 pop.: 802. (1985) Television: Stations: 15 (1989). Sets in use: 800,000; per 1,000 pop.: 305. (1985) Newspapers: Major dailies: 13. Combined circulation: 234,000; per 1,000 pop.: 89. (1984) Telephones: Sets in use: 325,000; per 1,000 pop.: 114 (1989). Subscriber lines in service: (not available). (1982) ARMED FORCES Total Armed Forces: 16,500 (1988) Active Armed Forces (% of pop.): 0.68 (per 1,000 pop.) (1988) Although the regular armed forces represent less than 1% of the population, there are at least three private armies in Lebanon and at least 22 militias, the most powerful of which are Shiite-controlled. The largest of the militias, Amal, has an estimated 10,000 armed personnel, with as many reservists. In addition, there are approximately 25,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon, more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers (mostly in the south), and hundreds of armed Palestinians in the Bekaa Valley. A peacekeeping force comprising soldiers from 11 nations, the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL), also maintains a presence in southern Lebanon. | Annual Military Expenditures: $ 100,000,000 (1986); $ 150,000,000 (1985). Military Service: (not available) ARMY Personnel: 15,000 Organization: 5 brigades Major Equipment: (1988) 288 tanks: 135 M48A5 60 AMX-30 medium 50 T-54 25 AMX-13, light 18 M-41, light Armored personnel carriers include: 400 M113A2 80 M113A1 70 Saladin 16 M59 VAB-35 Panhard M3 Saracen Antitank missiles include: AT-3 Sagger Milan Surface-to-surface missiles include: 20 MGM-71, TOW AS.11/SS.11 M88A1 recovery vehicles Howitzers include: M109A2 M98 Guns include: 60 84mm Charioteer self-propelled antitank 18 155mm M144 18 105mm 15 40mm M-42 self-propelled, antiaircraft 10 122mm 6 75mm 20mm antiaircraft Mortars include: 120mm M1950 120mm M1965 81mm M125A2SPM 60mm M27/31 60mm HB, light 88mm, 83mm rocket launchers Army Aviation: None NAVY Personnel: 500 Organization: The naval base is located at Juniye. Major Equipment: (1988) Patrol craft include: 6 Aztec class 9-meter, 28 tons 3 Byblos class coastal Tarablous class, 90-tons Tracker Mk 2 class, 31 tons 2 French Edic class landing craft, 670 tons Naval Aviation: None AIR FORCE Personnel: 1,000 Organization: The operational base is at the Juniye-Jubayl highway strip. Major Equipment: (1988) 12 fighter aircraft: 9 IIIE Dassault Mirage 3 F-70 Hawker Siddeley Hunter 14 trainer aircraft: 6 126 Bulldog 5 CM-170-2 Super Magister 2 T-66C Hunter 1 IIIBL Dassault Mirage 2 transport aircraft: 1 Dove 1 Turbo Commander 690B 36 helicopters: 12 Aerospatiale SA 330 Puma 10 Aerospatiale SA 316 Alouette III 7 Agusta-Bell AB-212 4 Aerospatiale SA 342K Gazelle 3 Aerospatiale SA 313B Alouette II Missiles include: Matra R-530 air-to-air AS.11 air-to-surface GOVERNMENT Lebanon (al-Jumhuriyah al-Lubnaniyah -- Republic of Lebanon) is a republic with a parliamentary form of government. The Government was virtually irrelevant from 1975 to 1990 due to a civil war that divided the country into regions controlled by militias associated with religious and ethnic factions, including Druze, Sunni and Shiite Moslems, and Maronite Christians. Syria and Israel have maintained troops in various parts of the country since the early 1980s. The National Assembly's (see below: Legislature) failure to elect a successor to President Amin Gemayel in September 1988 prompted Gemayel to appoint an interim military government headed by army chief Gen. Michel Aoun. When in November 1989 Rene Mouawad was elected President, Aoun refused to relinquish power; Mouawad was assassinated by unidentified assailants 17 days after taking office. Although current President Elias Hrawi was installed later that month, he did not take effective power until late 1990, when Syrian and Lebanese forces expelled Aoun from his East Beirut stronghold of two years. Most other militias withdrew from the Beirut area soon thereafter and relocated in southern Lebanon. Constitution: The Constitution was promulgated on May 23, 1926 and amended several times, most recently in 1990. According to the National Pact of 1943, which provides for the proportional allocation of Government offices among various religious and ethnic groups, the President must be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Moslem, and the president of the legislature a Shiite Moslem. Executive: The President (head of state) is elected by the National Assembly for a 6-year term. While he or she may serve multiple terms, they may not be consecutive. The President appoints the Prime Minister (head of government) in consultation with the National Assembly. Amendments passed in 1989 transferred other executive powers from the President to a half-Christian, half-Moslem Cabinet. Legislature: A 1990 constitutional amendment expanded the unicameral National Assembly from 99 to 108 members, elected to 4-year terms, with seats equally divided between Christians and Moslems. Formerly, the National Pact of 1943 mandated the distribution of seats between Christians and Moslems according to a 6 to 5 ratio. Judiciary: Four courts of cassation, comprising at least three judges each, head the independent judicial system, which also includes 11 appeals courts and 56 courts of first instance presided over by one judge. Specialized judicial bodies include: a 6-member council of state that deals with administrative cases; a court of justice, consisting of a president and 4 judges, that hears matters affecting state security; and Islamic, Christian, and Jewish courts, which handle marriage, divorce, death, and inheritance issues. Local Government: The country is divided into 6 provinces (muhafazat). Each province has a Governor -- appointed by the President -- and a provincial council. Election Qualifications: All males 21 years of age and older are required to vote. Voting is optional for women 21 years of age and older who have completed an elementary education. Chief Government Officials: President: Elias HRAWI - since November 1989. Predecessor: Amin GEMAYEL, from September 1982 to September 1988. Prime Minister: Umar KARAMI - since December 1990. Finance Minister: Ali Yusif al-KHALIL - since November 1989. Note: The following ministers took office on Dec 24, 1990. Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister: Michel al-MURR. Foreign Affairs Minister: Faris BOUEZ. Justice Minister: Khatchig BABIKIAN. Interior Minister: Maj. Gen. Sami al-KHATIB. Economy & Trade Minister: Marwan HAMADI. Public Works & Transportation Minister: Nadim SALEM. Political Parties: Political parties are largely organized along sectarian lines, with members motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations. Many have well-armed militias, although a number of them ceased activity following Government changes in late 1990. Major parties and those with representation in the National Assembly are listed below. The Parti Socialiste Progressiste (PSP -- al-Takadumi al-Ishtiraki -- Progressive Socialist Party), founded in 1948, is a largely Druze organization that advocates socialism and has an anti-Western, nationalist orientation. The PSP has 10 Assembly members. The Parti National Liberal (al-Wataniyin al-Ahrar -- National Liberal Party) is right-wing group with 9 members in the Assembly. It is mainly Maronite, promotes a federal system of government, and is known for its anti-Palestinian stance. The nationalist and right-of-center al-Kata ib al-Lubnaniyah (Phalanges Libanaises -- Phalangist Party) is the largest Maronite party and has 7 members in the Assembly. Samir Geagea leads the Phalangist militia. The Bloc National (al-Kutla al-Wataniyah -- National Bloc) is a right-wing Maronite group that advocates power sharing between Christians and Moslems and the exclusion of the armed forces from politics. There are 5 National Bloc members in the National Assembly. The Parti Dashnak (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) advocates collective leadership and socialism. It has 5 Assembly members. Hizb al-Baath al-Arabi al-Ishtiraki (Arab Socialist Renaissance Party), a secular pro-Syrian party advocating Arab union, has two National Assembly members. Branches of the party can be found in several Middle Eastern countries. A pro-Iraqi wing, also known as al-Baath, has existed since 1976. The hard-line Parti Communiste Libanais (LCP -- al-Hizb al-Shuyu i al-Lubnani -- Lebanese Communist Party) was founded in 1924, banned in 1939, and legalized in 1970. Primarily Christian in the first 50 years of its existence, the LCP became predominantly Moslem following the onset of the 1975-1990 civil war. It holds one Assembly seat. The Parti Socialiste Nationaliste Syrien (National Syrian Socialist Party) advocates the creation of a "Greater Syria" embracing Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Palestine. It has one member in the National Assembly. Shiite Moslem in orientation, al-Amal (Movement of the Deprived) is a politico-military group that supports the 1979 Iranian Revolution and aligns itself with Syria. The militia, led by Cabinet Minister without portfolio Nabih Berri, has fought against pro-Palestinian Moslems, pro-Iraqi Baathists, and the Christian right. An offshoot of al-Amal, Hizballah (Party of God) is a fundamentalist Shiite organization with ties to the Iranian regime of the late Ayatollah Khomeini. The group has claimed responsibility for various terrorist acts. A militant Shiite group based in the Baalbek region, al Jihad al-Islami (Islamic Jihad or Holy War) has claimed responsibility for various kidnappings of foreigners in Lebanon, as well as other terrorist acts. Results of Recent Elections: The last general election was held in May 1972; subsequent scheduled elections have been postponed. Of the 99 deputies elected in 1972, 30 have since died, many in the civil war. In 1972, the required distribution of seats was as follows: Maronite Christians - 30; Sunni Moslems - 20; Shiite Moslems - 19; Greek Orthodox - 11; Greek Catholics - 6; Druzes - 6; Armenian Orthodox - 4; Armenian Catholics - 1; Protestants - 1; others - 1.// Note: Information on the distribution of seats following 1990 constitutional amendments was not available at press time. ******************************************************************************* end of part 2/2