Readers debate whether loneliness is caused by a lack of companionship or if there are other factors involved.
people were merely asking for the reform of a vicious and corrupt system by a government that rules by brute force. Now Lebanon is overwhelmed by some 1.3 million Syrian refugees driven from their homes by this remorseless regime.
The tragedy in Yemen, too, began when the Iran-backed Al Houthi rebel militia began its battle against its own people in a coup condemned by the United Nations Security Council. They did this simply to menace and threaten the stability of Saudi Arabia and the other Arab Gulf states.
Gloating over hegemony
In Iraq, Iran has promoted and funded brutal proxy militias that have spread sectarian hatred in the country and are now undermining efforts to defeat Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).
Iranian officials brazenly boast that their country is now in control of four Arab capitals — Beirut, Baghdad, Sana’a and Damascus — and gloat over their hegemony. Such bluster is an obvious threat, which those of us in Lebanon know to take very seriously, that Iran wants to expand its influence in the Middle East by sowing discord, promoting terrorism and sectarian hatred and destabilising the region through proxies, while pretending to be bystanders.
Contrast this with what Saudi Arabia has done for Lebanon. In the 1980s, while Iran was busy directing its proxy militias in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia helped the country reach a historic agreement to end its civil war. The Taif Accords, named after the city in Saudi Arabia where the Lebanese parliament met, ended 15 years of carnage.
As Lebanon was trying to rebuild its economy after the civil war, Saudi Arabia stepped in with crucial assistance to the Paris conferences for the financial reconstruction of Lebanon, contributing more than $1.5 billion (Dh5.5 billion) in aid.
How many schools and hospitals has Iran built in Lebanon? How much help has it provided for Lebanon to rebuild itself? The answer, of course, is little to none, and any such Iranian aid is structured entirely to the political benefit of Hezbollah.
Iran has a unique opportunity to help those who are really fighting extremism in the Arab world. But to do that, it must stop meddling in Arab affairs — from Yemen and Bahrain to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. It must stop feeding Sunni resentment, which only encourages a fringe minority to think terrorism is the answer. And Iran can force militias from Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Iran to leave Syria. That would be a great first step to clear the last tactical hurdle facing those who are really fighting extremism in the Muslim world.
Iran can be part of the solution, but it must accept the extended Arab hand, led by Saudi Arabia, for normalised, neighbourly relations, allowing Sunni Arabs to get down to the real task of getting rid of extremism. Sa’ad Hariri is also a member of the Lebanese parliament.