Lebanon could be on the brink of a “massive” new refugee crisis if massacres of the Alawite minority in Syria continue, Lebanese MP Haidar Nasser has told The National.
Independent MP Mr Nasser, who comes from the Alawite community in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, has been co-ordinating with the Lebanese army to maintain order in the north since September, when he met former army commander Joseph Aoun – now the country's President. The war between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah was raging at the time, but the army has long played a leading role in aiming to stabilise northern communities in Lebanon.
Lebanon has a small indigenous Alawite community, thought to number about 120,000 people. At least 10,000 members of the community in Syria have fled across the border into Lebanon over the past week after facing targeted killings by forces aligned with the new self-declared Syrian government. There are about four million Alawites in Syria – out of a total population of around 25 million people.
Mr Nasser said Alawites in Syria were also victims of former president Bashar Al Assad, a member of the community who was deposed in December.
“Syria’s Alawite community lost a significant percentage of its population during 14 years of war. So, they have already paid for their choice to support Assad,” said Mr Nasser.
“They have paid for their choice when Assad left the country with all his money after the economy collapsed. Then security forces massacred Alawites as if they are all responsible for what Assad did. What is more sad is that the close circle of Assad, some Alawites, Druze, Christians and some Sunnis, have left the country with all their money.”
The UN said recent attacks on civilians in Syria's coastal region, overwhelmingly against Alawites, “appear to have been carried out on a sectarian basis, in Tartus, Latakia and Hama governorates”. The violence began on March 6 after Assad regime loyalists launched attacks on forces of the new Syrian government in the area. Fighting involved “unidentified armed individuals, members of armed groups allegedly supporting the caretaker authorities’ security forces, and by elements associated with the former government”, according to UN monitors.
According to a preliminary report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), 961 people were killed between March 6 and March 13, mainly Alawites, in the coastal area and Hama province.
Mr Nasser said that “we have seen children who have been killed, and the elderly … it’s not acceptable to kill them. The international community, the US, European countries, should intervene to stop this.”
Syria's interim President Ahmad Al Shara, leader of the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group, which formerly had ties to Al Qaeda, must “make good steps towards the Alawites”, said Mr Nasser. “He should start by doing real investigations of what happened in the coastal massacres, not just statements in the media. We’re going to see a new holocaust if it continues.”
He warns that the current estimate of 10,000 Alawite refugees in Syria could swell to civil war levels. Around 1.5 million Syrians fled to Lebanon during the civil war, putting huge strain on the country’s weak economy.
Lebanon's endless crisis
Today, Lebanon is grappling with the costs of the Israel-Hezbollah war, with the World Bank estimating that about $11 billion will be needed for recovery and reconstruction. The country was already struggling with an economic collapse caused by political mismanagement and corruption. The arrival of Syrian refugees placed a further strain on the economy – including hyperinflation – and also raised social tensions. The pandemic dealt a further blow, accompanied by the August 2020 Beirut port blast – which killed more than 200 people and devastated parts of the capital, when warehouses full of fertiliser exploded.
This new influx Alawite Syrian civilians into northern Lebanon has raised fresh fears of social tensions, particularly in Tripoli where Sunni and Alawite militias have clashed sporadically for decades since the country’s 1975-1990 civil war.
“We have some fears, because of this security issue in Tripoli; it could be used by external parties to explode the situation further,” said Mr Nasser, although his hometown has seen positive intercommunal relations between Sunnis and other communities and a determination not to revisit mistakes of the past.
But peace cannot be guaranteed, Mr Nasser says, without urgent international intervention to help marginalised communities in Tripoli and in the Shiite majority war-damaged south where Hezbollah has held sway, both areas with persistent high unemployment.
“Tripoli is always forgotten. If you really want to rebuild Lebanon, I think we should start from Tripoli. Poverty is the mother of all of all problems, and Tripoli has suffered poverty for decades. And no one is really willing to solve this problem.”
Weapons have flooded into Lebanon since the fall of the Assad regime but Mr Nasser warns they have long been widely available in Tripoli, where “people can be going hungry, but still, they have guns”.
“We believe that the new President, Joseph Aoun, can play a good role in rebuilding Lebanon,” said Mr Nasser. “He played a major role in stabilising the situation during those years where we had a lot of problems, starting from the economic crisis in 2019 that was followed by Covid pandemic, followed by the explosion in Beirut.
“During all those years, General Aoun played a major role in stabilising the situation and preventing a new civil war. Starting from this perspective, I think he’ll play a major role in rebuilding the new Lebanon.”
On Thursday, the Lebanese government appointed Brig Gen Rodolphe Haykal to lead the army, which is currently expanding recruitment. Experts have long hoped that the cash-strapped military could help shore up state power, after years of political deadlock and rising Hezbollah power.
Along with Mr Aoun taking office, the appointment in January of Nawaf Salam, a former president of the International Court of Justice, as Prime Minister raised hopes further that Lebanon could be turning a corner.
“The Lebanese army needs a lot of support, especially as we start implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” Mr Nasser said.
This UN-led effort was intended resolve the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Never fully implemented, under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Hezbollah was to withdraw to north of the Litani River and Israel to remove its forces, while UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army would be the only military presence south of the Litani.
“We need to increase Lebanese army members, adding about 6,000 soldiers. And we need international support in order to prepare them to control the border with Israel.”
Mr Nasser says strengthening the state armed forces is a critical step regionally, in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, where Mr Al Shara must show he is able to control violent factions.
“Al Shara can contain the violence to some extent – at least temporarily,” said Federico Manfredi Firmian, an expert on militant groups in Syria and a lecturer in political science at Sciences Po university in Paris.
“However, his concern is not the well-being of Alawites but his own grip on power. In 2012, his former organisation – Jabhat Al Nusra – explicitly threatened the entire Alawite community, referring to them in sectarian terms as 'Nusayris' and framing them as enemies. This history remains relevant today, as members of his organisation and other Islamist factions now play leading roles in Syria’s new security forces,” Mr Manfredi Firmian said.
Mr Nasser says Mr Al Shara needs to support his words with firm actions.
“He should take serious steps, he should also encourage Alawites to participate in building a new Syria. Instead, he has fired Alawites from government jobs. By contrast in Lebanon, we are on good terms as Alawites and Sunnis, especially in Tripoli. We have a lot of discussions and are doing our best to prevent any escalation across the Syrian border.”
Even if the killings can be curtailed for now, Mr Manfredi Firmian is not hopeful about the new government in Damascus.
“What matters to Al Shara now is consolidating his rule,” said Mr Manfredi Firmian. “The violence in Latakia undermines his image as a leader in control and raises serious questions about the influence of hardliners within Syria’s security apparatus. He has a clear incentive to rein in the bloodshed, but that does not mean he will hold perpetrators accountable – especially when they come from the ranks of his own organisation or allied factions.”
For long-term regional security, Mr Nasser says there could be regional dialogue for ensuring non-state groups can be reined in.
Many Lebanese were furious about Hezbollah’s decision to intervene in the Israel-Gaza crisis by launching attacks into Israel. But most did not support the devastating armed conflict that followed. Iraq, likewise, has struggled to control powerful Iran-backed armed groups which have nearly turned the country into a war zone between US forces and the militias.
“Regarding Iraq and Lebanon, sincere discussion should be started,” said Mr Nasser. “Who should have monopoly over the decision to start a war or not?
“We have a lot of issues to discuss between us as Lebanese. We cannot rebuild our future with the same problems from the past.”
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20Music%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20individual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2410.99%20(from%20%249.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20family%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2416.99%20(from%20%2414.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndividual%20annual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24109%20(from%20%2499)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20TV%2B%3Cbr%3EMonthly%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%246.99%20(from%20%244.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAnnual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2469%20(from%20%2449.99)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20One%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20individual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2416.95%20(from%20%2414.95)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20family%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2422.95%20(from%20%2419.95)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20premier%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2432.95%20(from%20%2429.95)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The years Ramadan fell in May
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
The%20specs
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
The%20Witcher%20-%20season%20three
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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