History
For a long time (and before the economic collapse and the August 4 blast) Lebanon's Capital, Beirut, was known as ''The Paris of the Middle East''. Beirut has a lot of things that remind people of Paris, not just because of its culture but also because it was a French colony during the Second World War. At the time, Beirut was where most political and intellectual work was being done. Lebanon got its independence at the end of the war, but the people did not lose their cultural renaissance.
The French Influence
Beirut Downtown
So in every part of the Lebanese culture and lifestyle, you can see the French influence. This is reflected in the city's street names and architecture. Namely, Rue Gouraurd (Gouraurd Street), named after General Henrie Gouraurd in Gemmayzeh neighborhood. After World War II, the city became a business, culture, and fashion center. The city of Beirut was always bustling with activity, from art exhibits and performances to poetry readings and cafés reminiscent of Paris as well as classical restaurants and jazz bars.
Beirut Airport
Everywhere you go to in Lebanon, from the airport to restaurants and cafes or even governmental institutions, you are probably going to hear at least two languages, mainly French and Arabic, and in many times English as well. The Lebanese community tends to view this as a Flex, trying to defend their feeling of superiority over the other Middle East region.
A Western-minded, Open-minded Society
Beirut Downtown
Another Flex is this flexibility or open-mindedness, and how the Lebanese in general tend to readily accept diversity and value liberty. These characteristics are typically attributed to the west by orientalists (Read more). Many Lebanese claim that they are “a Western-minded Society”. Lebanon is a place where people from many different religions and communities live together. The presence of mosques and churches right next to one another supposedly represents the coexistence of Christians and Muslims. When it comes to women’s attire and “liberation”, socially it is accepted for a woman to wear what suits her and how conservative she chooses to be from short shorts and crop tops to headscarves and Abayas.
The Paris of the Middle East
I learned and grew up in Lebanon, where the educational curriculum made sure that I saw Lebanon as “همزة وصل الشرق الغرب”, a phrase frequently used in our history books and Lebanese songs. It means is that Lebanon as a whole and Beirut, in particular, seem to blend the east and west smoothly. Sherif, the owner of the Mayflower Hotel in Hamra, announced that “It was a cultural crossroads — the center of the world. The rich Arabs arrived to party and the Europeans came for the culture.”
It seems that the existence of several churches and mosques for religious diversity, a French Mandate architecture, a world-class cuisine, trendy “liberated women”, and a vibrant nightlife and European Cafes, represent the image that the Lebanese like to portray. While these portrayals are not inaccurate, it's important to note that in this way, the Lebanese tend to create their own identity by relying on what Edward Said calls the constitutive “other”. As a region belonging to the Middle East, some Lebanese tend to be orientalists flexing their western lifestyle. This is what makes the case of Beirut as a Middle Eastern region a special one.
Tourism Advertisement
Mitchell speaks of the exhbitionairy order of the world and how the orient is put on display through the western projection that does not reflect the truth. In some cases, Arab countries such as Kuwait and Egypt fall into the category of self-orientalism through tourism advertisements that accept and reflect Western stereotypes. These stereotypes embody the idea that Arabs are non-modernized and uncivilized individuals who live in the desert and ride camels for transportation. Yet, Lebanon tries to do exactly the opposite when it is self-promoting and trying to attract tourists. I would call this approach an anti-orientalist one.
From Tourism advertisements to Instagram and TikTok reels, the message portrayed by the locals is that even though we are in the Middle East, we are separate from the Middle East. The “Habibi come to Lebanon” reels that went viral on social media are screaming out the message that: “we are great because we are unlike the other nations in the region, and we are more similar to the west, so this is what makes us unique and worth visiting.” As such, Edward Said would say that the Lebanese community identifies with the "occident" more than the orient by having this “binary logic” of being the complete opposite of the west and being more civilized, modern, and flexible. In this sense, we are supporting orientalism or the stereotypical misleading projection of Western views about the East.
Here are 5 videos that show the Lebanese’ anti-orientalist approach to attracting tourism and exhibiting Lebanon as being similar to the "occident".
An ad by the Ministry of Tourism by the name of #liveloveLebanon showing different activities that you can do there.
Another ad by the Ministry of Toursim: the airport staff are announcing the last call for the passengers who are too happy to leave and enjoying their time in Lebanon.
Influenced by "Habibi come to Dubai", "Habibi come to Lebanon" shows the "Western" lifestyle in the region.
Rocca Marina, "the Greece of Lebanon".