The following is a reply to columnist Sarkiss Naoum’s article published in An Nahar on August 10, 2009 titled “Is Lebanon of 1870 … Similar to Present-Day Lebanon?” Naoum quoted Protestant missionary William M. Thomson’s impressions on his travels to ‘The Holy Land’ published in his book “The Land and The Book”. An Nahar published an abridged version of Jawad Adra’s response on August 12, 2009 that The Monthly will print in full.

Regardless of some of the different opinions pertaining to missionaries’ work in our region, one of whom was Protestant pioneer William Thomson, and with reference to the works of Edward Said and his nephew Dr. Ussama Makdisi, the part that you were emailed by your lady friend from the United States was not specifically about Lebanon but about Greater Syria or the Holy Land. * The author stated on page 166:
“Syria has always been cursed with the multiplicity of tribes and religions, which split up the country into small principalities and conflicting classes – the fruitful parent of civil war”.
The author continues to describe these religions and tribes as he saw them and is limited to estimating their numbers:
“… Lebanon has about 400,000 inhabitants, gathered into more than six hundred towns, villages, and hamlets. Of the cities of Syria, Damascus is the largest … (followed by) Aleppo … then Beirut from 40 to 50,000, Hamah … then … then … then … Khaifa (Haifa) …. And Nazareth …”
The population estimate, 1,610,000, in Syria and the ‘Holy Land’ cited by the author is based on figures that he says may not be accurate. The figure includes present-day Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.
To add to your pessimism/ realism, you could also quote the author on page 169: “… They can never form one united people, never combine for any important religious or political purpose; and will therefore remain weak, incapable of self-government, and exposed to the invasions and oppressions of foreigners”.
However, Mr. Thomson is not reliable in these matters. His condescending and racist attitude is evident in many parts of the book. Perhaps Thomson’s most significant contributions were his work as a missionary and the documentation of his impressions of the country’s nature and archeological monuments.
He wrote the following of Beirut: “Here … are the almond, the olive, the fig and the pomegranate, all together” and “… the roofs of houses afford such a delightful promenade …”. In a reply to a letter in which he was asked: “How is it that you never told me in any of your letter that Beirut is such a beautiful place?” he wrote: “I did; but you could not understand, and no wonder. Neither pen nor pencil can do justice to Beirut.” He also described Phoenician, Roman and Islamic archeological sites in Beirut.
On top of these remains, and more specifically on Beirut’s Phoenician port, a building will be constructed and financed by the very people who take pride in their Lebanese identity.
An Nahar has been aware of this project for at least two years but yet to raise the issue. Can you imagine what Thomson would say today of what has happened to Lebanon’s heritage?
This is the Thomson whom I know you admire, whom your friend perhaps admires and whom I also admire, not Thomson the politician and Talmudic activist. What he wrote of the Holy Land, of its beauty, of its archeological sites, of its birds, of a gazelle, of its rivers, its trees, its mountains and rocks warms the heart, brings tears to the eyes and condemns us all. These same mountains and rocks in Dahr el-Baidar, for example, are now being excavated by an MP previously supported by Syrian intelligence, now by the patrons of the ‘Cedar Revolution’ and yes, by ‘overwhelming popular support’ that brought him to Parliament, not once, but twice, thrice, four ,even five times. Excavation works of course continued even after ‘we won our freedom, sovereignty and independence’.
The problem is not with our people, as you stated, but in our leaders who have taken these people hostage and who are, in their turn, hostage to external powers. (Please refer to editorial: Lebanon Election - Stockholm Syndrome and Florence Nightingale Effect, published in The Monthly July 2009 issue titled Lebanon’s Election 2009: A Hostage Situation and Myopic Observers) To condemn our people (who are, of course, condemnable and condemning) is the easy way out. But to condemn the leaders and opinion-makers – professors, authors, journalists and artists – and the decision-makers – businessmen, professionals and experts – and to accord them the treatment that they deserve, dignifying us is the right course of action.
These are some of the ideas that your important article provoked.

*Since the book was first published in 1859, and again in 1866, the author was most probably referring to the events of the 1850’s leading up to the 1860’s civil war. Therefore, 1870 was mistakenly stated as a date in Naoum’s column.