Zahle during and after the Lebanese War (1975-1990)

Description :

The initial interest for Zahle stemmed from stories I heard from locals and other actors on the town through various periods of Lebanese History. With the current disinterest for the periphery in the current literature I wanted to know more. My PhD dissertation will examine the history of Zahle with a special focus on the town’s experience during and after the Lebanese war (1975-1990). The geographic position of Zahle strategically located between Beirut and Damascus justifies Leila Tarazi Fawaz description of Zahlewis as being “aloof” and strangers to both capitals. This particularity is key to understand the role of the city in shaping the history of the country while maintaining with its Syrian neighbor a singular relationship. But beyond geography it is the primacy and the weight of the Greek-Catholic community under the aegis of the bishop that is compelling to study. The following proposal looks at the centrality and role the Greek-Catholics along with the local leadership played in the Lebanese war, its relationship with Damascus on the one hand, and national political parties on the other who eyed expanding their influence onto Zahle. Furthermore, there is no academic scholarship or research to this day assessing the role of the town throughout the conflict against the backdrop of Syrian military presence in Lebanon, and the geographic proximity of Damascus to Zahle.