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The tourism minister Michel Pharaon lauded the accomplishments of his ministry. Pharaon was speaking on Tuesday during his participation in the conference to promote so-called ‘Phoenicians Road’ held in London on the sideline of the International Tourism and Travel Exhibition. Pharaon stated that his ministry is anticipating much from the said project in both the touristic and cultural arenas. It should be noted, that the Phoenicians Road is a joint venture, launched back in February, 2015, by the Lebanese ministry of tourism and the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The project seeks to highlight designated cultural and archeological landmarks from the ancient Civilization in some 18 Mediterranean countries. In the same vein, the Nature Reserve of Shnaneer inaugurated new walking trails in a ceremony held on Tuesday at Mar Maroon Ruways Monastery. The Reserve committee’s president, Butros Abi Nasr, outlined in his address the objectives of the walking corridors, which are, 1) walking in nature away from pollution, and 2) activating the protocol signed between the Reserve and the Holy Spirit University-Kaslik to carry out scientific, environmental and biodiversity research after the entry to the woodlands of researchers was secured. (Al Mustaqbal, November 9 and 10, 2016 )

 

Nearly one year after the initial launch by the government of feasibility studies involving three new industrial zones in Lebanon, (namely in Baalbak, Turbol and Jaliliyah- Deir Mkhallis), that are part of a joint initiative between the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, and the industry ministry under the theme, ‘Relief of Syrian Refugees’, the industry minister Hussein Hajj Hassan disclosed that some USD 77 million are still needed to start implementation. Hajj Hassan  was speaking during a meeting with donors to finance the infrastructure of the three cities. And while UNIDO resident representative, Cristiano Bassini, said the development of industrial zones is a priority, along with the development of the food industries sector, and that the initiative also supports the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises, and contributes to the rationalization of energy consumption and boosts the livelihoods of the most vulnerable communities affected by the Syrian displacement crisis, Hajj Hassan, for his part, asked, “can we first secure jobs for the Lebanese people before the Syrian refugees as mandated by the international community?” It should be noted, that the estimated cost of the above project is USD 83.5 million; Britain has donated a sum of 500 thousand euros for the studies, in addition to a USD 7 million in soft loan for construction works, which leaves some USD 77 million still needed to begin implementation.

And according to the studies, the 3 projects, are expected to provide around 1925 jobs during the construction phase, and 27,000 thousand after the investment, as per the following:  Baalbak industrial zone 530 jobs during the construction phase, and 4 thousand after the investment,  in Torbol, 845 jobs during construction and 19 thousand after the investment phase, and in Jaliliya-Deir Mkhallis, 550 jobs during construction and about 4 thousand jobs after the investment period. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Hayat, November 9, 2016)

 

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Foreign funding for Terbol Industrial Zone from relief aid to Syrian refugees!

Three new industrial zones to boost investments and employment

 

In less than a week after the uncovering of a prostitution ring north of the capital, the General Directorate of Security Forces announced in a statement yesterday, the uncovering of a new prostitution network based in the Beqaa. According to the released details, a group of persons luring girls from Syria to come to work in Taalbaya and the environs (Beqaa) were identified and the house used for prostitution (located in the town of Jlala) raided. Suspects, including three Syrians and one Lebanese, were also arrested. Meanwhile, the girl victim who managed to flee the house disclosed that she has been subjected to systematic beating and forced into prostitution, the statement said. Under interrogation and investigation, the members of the ring confessed to facilitating prostitution for a number of Syrian girls. One of the detained person admitted that he sold one girl for LBP one million. The four suspects were taken into custody along with the wife of one of them, Syrian national, wanted for charges of human trafficking. The Syrian girl victim was handed over to her family. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, November 9, 2016)

 

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Prostitution ring, victims mainly Syrian girls, busted north east of Beirut

 

In its edition of Saturday, As Safir newspaper reported on a study undertaken by Information International on Lebanon’s summer festivities. The study, which showed a prolific season across the various Lebanese towns and villages with various performances, shows, plays, concerts and art as well as, artisan exhibitions, stressed the popularity of such events which generate an acceptable economic output amidst the significant recession in the country. The above survey, As Safir wrote, classified the festivals into three different categories: local, characterized by a limited audience from the town and its neighbourhood inhabitants; and national festivities, involving national bands and is attended by dozens of spectators from across the country, For its part international festivals (a handful in number), normally host local as well as, Arab and foreign bands and are attended by a larger audience from Lebanon and the world. The study pointed out that in the absence of a central authority and of coordination, administrators of similar events boast their private vision, hence tend to act independently, thus resulting in unnecessary and negative competition, which also leads to the fall in the number of guests, The study referred to several overlapping events in the summer 2016. As for the audience, the study estimated the total number of visitors at 215 thousand guests until the end of August, down by 5 thousand from last year. On financial returns, the study was not able to provide any clear figures however it pointed out that some of the festivals has insisted that they had zero-profit. Others even suffered losses due to the increasing costs, particularly involving the wages of foreign teams, and the considerable associated levies, which forced them to seek high interest bank loans that consumed most of the proceeds. (For more information about the study in Arabic, please check the link:  https://assafir.com/Article/1/516497 )( As Safir, November 5, 2016)

 

The Beirut International Exhibition Center, BIEL, is hosting the 6th edition of the Beirut Cooking Festival and Salon du Chocolat from November 17 to 19, with the participation of some 40 chefs and cooking consultants. The event encompasses a lineup of activities and workshops on the latest in culinary arts and hospitality tips, in addition to wine tasting sessions. This year will receive, and for the first time, the celebrated Pop-Up Restaurant in support of Tamanna association which works with persons with autism and special needs. The restaurant will offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy mouthwatering delicacies prepared by talented chefs for a symbolic fee. The ChefXChange community will be represented by the famous Maxime Le Van who will prepare a dinner banquet on Friday, November 18. The event organizer, Hospitality Services, general director, Joumana Damous Salameh, said that “food brings people together under one roof,” adding that this year will be exceptional for the art of Lebanese cooking, after Beirut was chosen as the best global city for food. “Through this festival and the Salon du Chocolat, we seek to highlight the distinctive features of the Lebanese cuisine and its achievements,” Salameh said. (Al Mustaqbal, November 9, 2016)

 

Following angry protests against the detention of Fatmeh Hamzeh who refused to relinquish the custody of her child, (http://bit.ly/2fzk9e2), the mother of the 3-year-old toddler was released upon a decision of the Jaafari Court Sharia Judge, Jaafar Kawtharani, to suspend until further notice the ruling which awarded custody of the boy to her estranged husband. Immediately after her release, Fatmeh stressed her determination to pursue her right in practicing  motherhood until the very end. She also spoke of many mothers out there who share the same predicaments as a result of the discriminatory laws that “must be amended” as she said. “Women should not remain silent after today,” she maintained. In his comment on the decision, Kawtharani said he withdrew upon pressure by Hamzeh’s legal team, but refused to hold any responsibility for her imprisonment. Kawtharani noted that the Jaafari sharia judiciary is an essential part of the state judiciary, as it bases its verdicts on Islamic jurisprudence of the Shia Imamah while observing the prevalent laws and legal jurisprudence of the country. Al Akhbar daily, on the other hand, attributed the judge’s latest decision to the intervention of Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri and the Deputy Chair of the Higher Islamic Shia Council at the Jaafari Court. Meanwhile, the ‘National Campaign to Increase the Age of Custody for the Shiite Sect’ considered in a statement yesterday that Fatmeh’s release is not a victory, but rather a natural outcome of popular pressure, stressing that victory is achieved when the age of custody changes for the Shiite sect. The Campaign vowed to keep to the streets, calling for a demonstration this coming Saturday, 4 pm, in front of the Higher Shiite Council. In the same vein, Maya Ammar, from Kafa Enough Violence and Exploitation, described the prison sentence as unjust to many women like Fatmeh. (As Safir, Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, November 8, 2016)

 

 

Al Azm Forum for Heritage concluded last Friday a special session for the orientation of local tourist guides at its premises in Tripoli, the North, aimed at inspiring interest in the archeological legacy of the northern capital. Organized under the theme, ‘local tourist usher’, the 3-month-long workshop included first aid and communication techniques, in addition to field trips to the Old City. During the graduation event, Maram Ma3aliqi, speaking on behalf of the Forum, stressed the role of similar activities in the development of the diversity of historic culture as well as in building the personal skills of beneficiaries. At the end of the workshop, al Azm director, Mostafa Agha, handed certificates to participants. (Al Diyar, November 5, 2016)

 

The Hariri Foundation signed a partnership agreement with Souk el Tayeb to kick off a new restaurant ‘Tawlet Saida’ aimed at promoting traditional foods as well as developing the skills of housewives in all Lebanese regions. The signing comes as part of the Sustainable Civil Development Strategy for Saida, and within the framework of the ‘Hariri Foundation Programs for Sustainable Human Development in Old Saida’ planned to promote the southern capital as a lively historic and heritage hub and develop the social and economic conditions of its inhabitants. The project involves the training of a group of Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian women in catering for traditional food and will result in the launch of a traditional eatery. The significance of the above initiative lies in its impact on the sustainable development of the Old City quarter through supporting the potentials of the most vulnerable women and revival of the city’s heritage, and in its contribution to the growth of local tourism. It should be noted, that the ‘Tawlet Saida’ restaurant is located at a heritage house on the Old City’s water front, and that it has received the support of UNDP/Ministry of Social Affairs Lebanon Host Communities Support Project, as well as of ‘Create a Community Kitchen and Restaurant in Old Saida’ project funded by Norway. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, November 8, 2016)

 

A number of news portals reported that the Syrian government agreed on the first of November to allow the import of Lebanese bananas in exchange for citrus fruits. Accordingly, Syria is ready to import one kilogram of Lebanese banana in exchange for five kilograms of Syrian citrus products. The agreement will apply as of the first of this month and until April of next year. On this matter, the president of the Lebanese Farmers Association, Antoine Howayek, reiterated, in an interview with Al Akhbar newspaper yesterday, the direct cause of the banana crisis which is the decision last April by agriculture minister, Akram Shehayeb to ban the entry into Lebanon of all made-in-Syria fruits and vegetables until February 2017. What is surprising though, is that neither the ministry nor any of the local media channels have referred to the recent Syrian decision. Al Akhbar, citing agriculture ministry sources, said that negotiations were underway between the two countries and that the Syrian side was responsive. Howayek also criticized government’s failure to deal with challenges facing agriculture, recalling his prognosis way back in 2007 of a tragic death of the banana sector. His warning, Howayek clarified, came after Syria decided to impose tariffs on all foreign banana imports, with the exception of Lebanese banana, in line with the Arab Free Trade Agreement that gave Lebanon a differential trade margin allowing it to compete in the Syrian market. Today, Howayek went on to say, the country produces nearly 250 thousand tons of banana annually, 60% of which are consumed locally and 40% are intended for export. The Syrian market, however, represented around 90% of the Lebanese banana estimated at 95 thousand tons and that is before the break of the Syria war, Howayek. Thereafter, the Lebanese government has struggled to find new external outlets, but to no avail with only Jordan importing 10 thousand tons per yea, a quantity which clearly does not compensate for the loss of the Syrian market, Howayek concluded. (Al Akbar, Al Diyar, November 7 and 8, 2016)

 

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President of farmers' association slashes the Chamber of Commerce and demand a solution for the crisis of bananas exports to Syria

Recession in the banana sector following the closure of the Syrian market

Lebanese bananas banned from Syria shedding new lights on marketing difficulties

 

Fatmeh Hamzeh, a proud Lebanese woman victim of the chauvinistic religious laws, was thrown in a Beirut Southern Suburb jail since Thursday. Refusing to relinquish the custody of her child, Fatmeh, was sentenced to jail by the Shiite Jaafari religious court who granted her estranged husband, married to another woman, custody over their 3-1/2 year old toddler. It should be noted, that according to Jaafari spiritual courts, the husband has the right to the custody of his boy once he turns two and his girl when she is seven. Fatmeh’s case has won public and social media sympathy with a trending hashtag, ‘with Fatmeh against the Jaafari Court’ https://www.facebook.com/events/1108787035895167 . Organizers of the ‘National Campaign to Increase the Age of Custody for the Shiite Sect’ staged a sit-in last Saturday in front of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council and Gobeiri Police Station in support of Fatmeh and other mothers sharing the same predicament. Demonstrators demanded the ratification of a unified personal status law and gave the authorities an ultimatum (ending today) to release Fatmeh, otherwise they will resume their protests. In a show of solidarity with Fatmeh, the Progressive Youth Organization, Al Shaab Movement, ‘Say No to Violence’ Association and the National Coalition on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women called for a solidarity meeting today at 4:00 pm at the Beirut premises of the League for Lebanese Women’s Rights. Fatmeh’s detention has been the focus of spiritual jurists. In this context, and while Sheikh Jaafar Kawtharani, judge at the Mount Lebanon Jaafari Court, who pronounced the decision on Fatmeh’s case, said the sentence is an implementation of the laws in effect (for more on his position: http://m.assafir.com/Article/176/516513 ) . The Jaafari Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Taleb, on the other hand, described the verdict as unjust, maintaining that Sharia courts should handle each case separately and not according to the religious texts only. For his part, the Premier Jaafari Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan, revealed in a statement that he has begun a campaign to free the detained mother, making clear that the “Jaafari court is the competent authority in charge of resolving personal status conflicts within the Shiite sect and not the Shiite Council,” as he said.  Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, has started negotiations with the concerned parties calling for Fathmeh’s immediate release. It is a shame, Berri told As Safir newspaper, that “a mother is arrested for the charge of being attached to her son,” and described the incident as offensive by all standards.. (Al Akhbar, As Safir, The Daily Star, November 5 and 7, 2016)