<story><title>What Beirut was like before the war (2019)</title><url>https://www.the961.com/this-is-what-beirut-was-like-before-the-war/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>james-redwood</author><text>Lebanon became independent in 1945. Civil war began in 1975, largely as a result of radical Islamist Palestinians who had left Palestine and wanted an Islamic state in Lebanon.
 Lebanon beforehand, it is important to note, was not Muslim majority at all. It was Christian and Druze, and that was the very foundation of the country itself. It was never the country of Muslims in the first place.&lt;p&gt;Iran was also never colonised by European countries. Its decline began with both theocratic rule as well as sanctions, but even despite this it’s still remarkably functional and developed in comparison to a ton of countries that weren’t put in such a position.</text></item><item><author>rayiner</author><text>Lots of places in the Middle East were more European like this before the colonial influences weakened and the Muslim majority populations got back more power over their own countries. Egypt and Iran are similar. The nostalgia is somewhat uncomfortable because in some respects things were better because they were better, but in others it’s the perception of things being better because they’re more relatable to Europeans.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>babarock</author><text>Your description of Lebanon is correct, but incomplete.&lt;p&gt;- Lebanon (as an independent state) has been created in 1920, right after WW1 by the French &amp;quot;colonialists&amp;quot; &lt;i&gt;specifically&lt;/i&gt; to draw an enclave of non-muslim minority in the country. It&amp;#x27;s classic Divide&amp;amp;Conquer strategy.&lt;p&gt;- The PLO (Palestinian  Islamists) did try to set up an Islamic state in the country, but they were aided, or at least encouraged through inaction, by the muslims in the country who felt that the system was unfair.&lt;p&gt;- Currently the conflict isn&amp;#x27;t &amp;quot;muslims vs non-muslim&amp;quot;. It&amp;#x27;s much more a conflict between Shia muslims (affiliated to Iran) and Sunni muslims (affiliated to KSA&amp;#x2F;Gulf). The non-muslims are now a minority and are split more or less evenly across the two camps.&lt;p&gt;- As of today, there&amp;#x27;s a lack of national identity, where every region&amp;#x27;s local lord amasses more power and influence than any &amp;quot;central&amp;quot; government.&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s not as simple as &amp;quot;they were non-muslims, got invaded by muslims and now it&amp;#x27;s gone bad&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Source: I&amp;#x27;m Lebanese.
PS: Pedantically, we became independent in 1943.</text></comment>
<story><title>What Beirut was like before the war (2019)</title><url>https://www.the961.com/this-is-what-beirut-was-like-before-the-war/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>james-redwood</author><text>Lebanon became independent in 1945. Civil war began in 1975, largely as a result of radical Islamist Palestinians who had left Palestine and wanted an Islamic state in Lebanon.
 Lebanon beforehand, it is important to note, was not Muslim majority at all. It was Christian and Druze, and that was the very foundation of the country itself. It was never the country of Muslims in the first place.&lt;p&gt;Iran was also never colonised by European countries. Its decline began with both theocratic rule as well as sanctions, but even despite this it’s still remarkably functional and developed in comparison to a ton of countries that weren’t put in such a position.</text></item><item><author>rayiner</author><text>Lots of places in the Middle East were more European like this before the colonial influences weakened and the Muslim majority populations got back more power over their own countries. Egypt and Iran are similar. The nostalgia is somewhat uncomfortable because in some respects things were better because they were better, but in others it’s the perception of things being better because they’re more relatable to Europeans.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>campground</author><text>Iran may not have been colonized but their democratic government was overthrown by the US and Britain to prevent them nationalizing their fossil fuel supply.&lt;p&gt;I often wonder what the Middle East would look like today if Iran has been able to use their oil wealth for their own democratic civil development.</text></comment>