Before the War it Was the War |
In the recent Middle Eastern conflict between the Lebanese guerilla organization Hezbollah and the state of Israel, one man took it upon himself to 'resist with his pen', to bear witness for his people and bring the world 'the real news from Beirut.' His name is Mazen Kerbaj, a young musician and comic illustrator whose impromptu blog site reached tens of thousands of people. The bombing of Lebanon has ceased but his blog-site continues. Producers Anna Burns and Nicole Steinke of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation give a vivid audio recreation of Mazen’s blog-site and of everyday life inside a war zone. This program airs as part of the international documentary exchange series, Crossing Boundaries.
Links:
Mazen Kerbaj
Mazen Kerbaj's website.
Israel
Information on Israel's history, government, demographics, military, economy, and culture.
Hezbollah
Summary information on commonly asked questions about the Lebanese group including what it is, its origins, leaders, size and operating territory.
Books:
The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years by: Bernard Lewis 1997 In a sweeping and vivid survey, renowned historian Bernard Lewis charts the history of the Middle East over the last 2,000 years, from the birth of Christianity through the modern era, focusing on the successive transformations that have shaped it.
Hezbollah: A Short History by: Augustus Richard Norton, Dale F. Eickelman 2007 Hezbollah: A Short History tells how Hezbollah developed, how it has evolved, and what direction it might take in the future.
33-Day War by: Gilbert Achcar, Michel Warschawski, Michel Warschawski 2007 The authors describe the popular basis of Hezbollah in Lebanon among the Shiites, but also its relation to the country's other religious communities and political forces. The book analyzes the regional roles of Syria, Iran, and Hamas as well as the politics of the United States and Europe.
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