Peaceful coexistence of ‘conflicting civilisations?’
By Hassan Haidar Diab

After the terrorist attack on the WTC by the ill-famed Al-Q’aida on September 11th 2001, leading world politicians speak more and more about a “confrontation” of Muslim and Christian civilisations. But is this out of their own military and political interests? According to them, these two civilisations have got ‘stuck in’ in a conflict that’s felt all over. Allusions to intolerance and even outspoken calls to “lynch” the culprits have become part of our everyday lives.

On both sides of the fence the average person, putting “political talk” side by side with his or her everyday experience, will ask - Is that the way it really is?
On a visit to the small village of Barachit, south of Lebanon, Međugorje Tribune reporter Hassan Diab is convinced that the average person, whether Christian or Muslim, thinks completely differently to the politicians.
The ten thousand or so inhabitants of this village have never found any obstacle to peaceful coexistence within their national or religious backgrounds. In Barachit, where the autonomous Christian minority accounts for only 5% of the population - the rest being Muslim Shiites - the Catholics have never found a problem with the Mosque, nor the Muslims with the Church. For more than three centuries these religious institutions, only about ten meters away from each other, have been mutually accepting of each other in their everyday lives.

A Church and a Mosque

Although they’ve been tested and tried by by wars and political turmoil, the inhabitants of this village have never allowed anyone to cloud their minds. Friendships in Barachit, despite religious affiliation, are real and long-lasting, often right into old age as 90-year-old Christian, Bulus Ilijas Jakov (alias Abu Georg) and 95-year-old Muslim, Abdel Amir Chiab (alias Abu Ali) can testify.

These two good-natured old men, whose friendship dates from their early childhood, represent a role-model for this way of life for many citizens of Barachit. They practically live in each other's pockets, separating only at prayer time when one goes to the church and the other to the mosque.

We visited Abu Georg first. Only once in his lifetime has this old man left his native village that dates back over 200 years. As a child, he was forced to earn a living so went to Palestine for a short period, returning to the village immediately after the outbreak of the Arab/ Israeli war. He says that it's only in his beloved Barachit that he can breathe his own air.

At the mention of global politics and “conflicting civilisations” the old man just waves his hand - a timeless smile engraved in the deep wrinkles on his face.
By his attitude Abu Georg - a Christian from Barachite - shows that he is just one of the many ordinary people who speak a language that's different to that of global politics.

The full article can be found on pages 64-65 of Vol 3
2007 issue.