Anybody who knows us, knows that our Bedlington Terriers, Simon and Lucy, are beloved members of the family. We have had them for all 11-years of their life. Bedlington's are hypo-allergenic; they don't shed and they have hair instead of fur. This means that they need to be groomed regularly. After a month in Beirut, it was time to take the dogs to the groomer. Dog ownership is not common in the Arab world and many Muslim's believe that dogs are inherently dirty animals that don't belong in homes. But in Beirut, where there are many secular Muslims and Christians, dog ownership is on the rise and many people are interested in them.
Because dog ownership is not common, there are very few places to get a dog groomed. However, there is a vet clinic in Hamra that caters to those few dog owners in the neighborhood by selling food and offering grooming services. In order to get the dogs to the groomer, we have to walk them; we've been told that taxi's won't permit dogs (just incessant chain smoking).
So, Thursday, Lucy and Simon walked to the groomers. The challenge of getting to the office included crossing busy streets and herding the dogs through narrow sidewalks amidst dense foot and car traffic. Simon escaped his collar on the busy Bliss street, but made it across without incident.
When we entered the vet clinic, we were met by the groomer who, unlike almost everyone else in the neighborhood, spoke not one word of English. In order to receive directions about how to cut the dogs hair, he called a friend of his who could work as translator.
In the U.S., I might say, "we want a Bedlington cut, with the exception of x,y, and z. Here, I had to wing it; I told the groomer's buddy, "make it short all around, but leave the top of the head longer." For a classic bedlington cut, look here:(Bedlington Terrier). Later in the day, we returned to the groomer to find our dogs with short hair over their body, but the top of their head had been combed out and styled to look like an eight inch bowl of hair had been velcro'd to their top of their head. Our son couldn't contain his laughter when he saw the dogs. As for Simon and Lucy, they've clearly never been so humiliated in their lives. They've been withdrawn ever since the grooming incident. I purchased scissors and removed the hair bowls from their heads.
The boys are doing really well. Our oldest son is feeling better about life here and he's making many friends, including a friend who is a girl (but not a girlfriend!). He's been invited to a birthday party at a friends' farm in the Bekaa valley. Our youngest son is also doing well, and turns six tomorrow (the 25th). For his birthday we are taking him bowling and then having a friend of his come over for cake. Kelly and I have found a babysitter for the kids and last night we bought birthday presents and had a nice dinner of Lebanese mezze at a Jazz club in Hamra.
It's been fascinating to follow the Palestinian UN bid from the vantage point of Lebanon. Lebanese newspapers are very critical of the U.S. position on Palestinian statehood -- obviously -- but what may be less obvious is the extent to which U.S. policy on Palestine illustrates the fading influence of the U.S. in the region. To many here, the Arab rebellions in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and to some, in Syria, represent a movement for dignity and self-determination. The uprisings are not merely against domestic dictators, but against a world-order that all to often oppresses the Arab world. Thus, while the U.S. and Israel still determine the fate of Palestine -- for now -- there's a sense that a new future is possible because countries in the region, such as Turkey and Egypt, have broken away from the colonial powers.
Palestinian politics are complex and fraught in Lebanon. I can't describe it all now, but it's obvious that while there is widespread support for a free and sovereign Palestine, there is also public disdain for the 450,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon. The Palestinians are blamed for many social problems and are also blamed for inviting both Israeli aggression and Hezbollah. Thus, one of the reasons that some Lebanese support a Palestinian state is because they want to return the refugees to Palestine (and shift the demographic balance of sectarian politics in Lebanon). This reminds me of the American colonization society of the mid-nineteenth century, that sought to send free Blacks in the North to Africa, not because they cared about them and wanted to guarantee their freedom, but because they didn't want free-blacks in American society.
While it has been interesting to watch how the U.S./Israel obstruction has been represented in Lebanon, it has been sad to see the execution of Troy Davis in the newspapers here. I can remember what it felt like to read, from the U.S., about an unfair execution in the Arab world. These stories have been used to condemn Islamic society and to undermine the authority of Islamic politics. Yet, one has to wonder whether the unfair execution of Troy Davis might also suggest something about the normative violence of U.S. society.
So, this week, from Lebanon, I witnessed the U.S. execution of a black man whose guilt is in doubt and the U.S. turning its back on the forward flow of history in the Arab world.
