Lebanon.

This is coolbert:

From only yesterday after seeing this event as covered on the news my instantaneous and intuitive reaction was - - DOES THIS MAN REALLY MEAN WHAT HE SAYS?

The Holy Father, the Pope, the head of Roman Catholicism, on a trip to Lebanon, suggesting that Lebanon be a model for a society where various differing religions can live in peace and harmony, at ease with one another.

"Pope Benedict: Multi-Faith Lebanon Should Be Model for Middle East"

"Pope Benedict urged multi-faith Lebanon on Saturday to be a model of peace and religious coexistence for the Middle East . . . religious freedom was a basic right."

Surely Benedict has NOT forgotten the fifteen year war that raged in Lebanon [1975-1990]? A war the casualties of which were 100,000 dead and one million wounded!! [That population of Lebanon at the time numbering no more than ten million]

[That entire war lasting fifteen years began with the rape of two Christian girls by a group of Muslim men. There had already been tension between the various religious groups in Lebanon, that single proverbial spark setting off a general conflagration!!]

NOR is Benedict surely forgetting the war in the former Yugoslavia? Croat [Catholic] versus Serb [Orthodox] and then Croat [Catholic] and Serb [Orthodox] pitted against the Bosnia Muslim?

NOR is Benedict surely forgetting the war in Sri Lanka that raged for almost a thirty year period? [if not for at least thirty years on and off at times] Sinhalese [Buddhist] versus Tamil [Hindu].

Racial, linguistic and religious differences being those three factors causing controversy and strife, peoples mixing together in the same spot in conflict - - issues for which there is quite often no amelioration or negotiated settlement leading to peace.

In Lebanon the religious mix is most contentious, you have some many different groups trying to live in the same place. Christian and Islamic [Druze, Alawite, Sunni, Shia] THAT FIFTEEN YEARS OF WAR ENDING WHEN EACH GROUP FINALLY WAS ABLE TO STAKE A CLAIM TO A DEFENSIBLE CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY IT WAS ABLE TO OCCUPY AND HOLD  AGAINST ALL COMERS!!

Hezbollah the Shia faction NOW too the pre-dominant factor in the area, a state within a state and intimidating the other groups, a factor all have to take into consideration.

Peace and harmony relatively speaking finally becoming the norm, separate and parallel lives now led by the various factions, NOT necessarily mixing as that  term generally, commonly and ordinarily understood. AND A CONSTANT TENSION STILL EXISTING AND PROBABLY MORE OR LESS ALWAYS WILL!!

Personally, Lebanon at least from my perspective does not make a good model for the desired peace among men and good will to all. Was not in the past, is not now, NEVER will be. Just my opinion.

coolbert.