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A Beirut exhibition in memory of thousands who disappeared during the 1975-1990 civil war (Reuters) Last update - 09:52 12/04/2008 Anniversary of Lebanese civil war blighted by ongoing crisis By DPA Tags: Michel Aoun, Lebanon  Eighteen years after the Lebanese civil war ended in 1990, Lebanon's chances of burying hatred seem dim, with the country hit by its worst political crisis since then. The volatility of the political situation engulfing Lebanon has ignited hidden hatred and divided the country between the ruling majority - mainly Sunni Muslims, some Christians and Druzes - and the opposition led by the Shiite Muslim Shiite movement Hezbollah and hardline Christians. "This time if there is a war in the country, Muslims will fight each other and Christians will fight each other. This, in my opinion, is more dangerous," says political analyst Shafik Al Masri. Advertisement The spark that ignited the civil war in Lebanon occurred in Beirut on April 13, 1975, when gunmen killed four Christian Phalangist party members. Believing the assassins to have been Palestinians, the Phalangists retaliated later that day, attacking a bus carrying Palestinian passengers across a Christian neighbourhood, killing 26 of them. Next day fighting erupted in earnest, with Phalangists pitted against Palestinian militiamen, who were backed at the time by the Muslims and the Druzes. The confessional layout of Beirut's various quarters facilitated confessional random killing, leaving the country in a state of civil war that left more than 150,000 killed. As Lebanon prepares to mark the occasion on Sunday, amid heavy tension among its rival factions, most of the population feel traumatized as they see no glimmer of hope for a clear future. "All I can see is darkness for Lebanon," says Christian Patrick Awad, a student in one of Lebanon's universities. "There is no prospect of a future in this country any more." He adds: "Before, the enemies were known. Now, brothers are turning against each other and this is really scary." The western-backed ruling majority and the opposition led by Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran, have been unable to reach a consensus on a president to replace pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud, whose term ended in November 2006, plunging the country into total political paralysis. The result of this crisis has left the Lebanese in total distress. Some have decided to live the crisis day by day, while others are thinking of leaving the country for good. "Many young people are leaving the country, taking a job outside the country, just to be safe and to build a future, because they have lost faith in their political leaders and their country," says former Lebanese ambassador to Washington and political analyst Riad Tabbara. "It seems our political leaders have erased from their memories what wars can bring and are refusing to open their war books to draw lessons from it," Tabbara says. Samir Munzir, a Muslim, says: "The problem is in our leaders. None of the nation's major politicians is regarded as a truly national figure. Rather, each represents mainly the interests of his own clan - Christian Maronites, Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims or Druzes." Under Lebanon's constitution, the president should be a Christian Maronite, the premier a Sunni Muslim and the House Speaker a Shiite Muslim. But no matter what the coming days bring, the Lebanese fear that if a war breaks out this time, it will be worse then the first. "As long as our country is based on a system that divides the political seats among the religious sects, the country will be always subjected to new wars," says Nada Habbal, a Muslim student. "The guns may have fallen silent until now, but emotions have yet to reconcile. Hatreds have yet to be removed until we can foresee real peace in Lebanon." Related articles: Siniora accuses Syria of blocking elections, deepening crisis Lebanese government approves UN draft on Hariri tribunal Headline Lebanese TV: Saudi, Kuwait urge nationals to leave Lebanon Bookmark to del.icio.us   Banning Beijing boycott Israel's Olympic panel warns against mixing sports and politics. 20,000 strong Study released by Israeli think tank shows Hamas' military buildup in Gaza has peaked.   1.   Good Riddence 09:34  |  ELIAS KHOURY 12/04/08   2.   Good Riddence 16:09  |  GZ 12/04/08   3.   #1 elias 17:59  |  Ron Haddad 12/04/08   4.   CHRISTIAN MINORITY IS THE PROBLEM 18:55  |  Arik Silverman 12/04/08   5.   Let them kill eachother....kos em Labnaan brejly 18:57  |  El7as Teezy 12/04/08   6.   I feel sorry for Lebanese: pals, Hizbollah, militias...Peretz stu 19:21  |  Alain 12/04/08

Read & React Olmert tells IDF commanders: Think of Palestinian suffering at roadblocks Responses: 154 Turkey seeks to block Knesset debate on Armenian genocide Responses: 89 IDF kills eight, including two boys, in Gaza clashes Responses: 172 Report: Secret Iranian missile site revealed in new spy photos Responses: 140 Rice criticizes Carter over planned meeting with Meshal Responses: 140 Rosner's Domain The rabbi, the preacher and love of Israel Carter, Obama, Hamas (WTR) Guest: US-Israel defense pact would be a bad idea Obama should prepare the world for disappointment The Rosner-Levy debate on bloggingheads.tv More Headlines 19:47 Gaza coordinator blames Palestinians for fuel crisis 13:53 IDF kills 8 Palestinians, including 2 children, in Gaza 18:51 Construction of 30,000 homes planned in new W. Bank suburbs 13:09 Rice criticizes Carter over planned meeting with Meshal 14:45 U.K. advertising watchdog nixes 'misleading' Israel tourist ad 09:52 Anniversary of Lebanese civil war blighted by ongoing crisis 15:49 'There really are no good Jewish men out there' 17:00 Ukraine arrests Transport Min. DG for not having entrance visa 15:02 One killed, several wounded in Tel Aviv area violence 18:03 Police arrest Hadera woman for allegedly threatening to kill son 12:27 Barack Obama campaign launches Hebrew blog in Israel 18:43 Police arrest Nazareth man, 17, suspected of attempted rape 15:32 Israeli nuclear whistleblower Vanunu seeks asylum in Norway Previous Editions Select Day 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr 07 apr 06 apr 04 apr 03 apr 02 apr 01 apr 31 mar 30 mar

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