Last week, the day after Lebanese president Michel Sleiman met Barack Obama at the United Nations to discuss the Syrian conflict, the New York Times thought it timely to publish an article titled In Beirut, Where Fashion Lives Dangerously.
The article discussed the apparently innocuous question of the survival of couture in a conflict-ridden country. It framed Beirut’s couturiers in the context of a paradigm that most Western readers expect when reading about Lebanon: the war.
The journalist began by describing an explosion, then quoting a young couturier: “‘It sounded like a bomb,’ said [Krikor] Jabotian, who grew up in the city during the civil war that raged in Lebanon from 1975 to 1990 and started his label there five years ago. ‘But we just kept working. That’s just how we work in Beirut: expect the unexpected.’”
There was more of this familiar contrast throughout the rest of the article. On one hand, terror and explosions. On the other, dreamy gowns, clouds of chiffon, pearls and satins – and a culture of resilience in the face of inevitable disaster.
On one hand, terrifying chaos, monstrous carnage, a doomed destiny of violence. On the other, French couture; luxury, escapism and sophistication.
In a sentence that expresses the article’s main idea, the journalist sets up a binary: “Beirut traditionally has been described as the Middle East’s most fashionable city – but in recent decades the country has been better known for conflict than couture, especially today with the civil war in Syria.”
Conflict or couture? Either Lebanon is a terrorist-infested, war-ridden hell, or the Paris of the East. This article falls into a tradition of western coverage of Lebanon that reduces the country to a clash between barbarism and western-style liberalism, attempting to create a causal link between the two and ultimately failing to grasp the deep history and many layers of complexity in contemporary Lebanon.
Beirut is a labyrinthine web of religions, cultures, political parties and socio-economic strata, all of which are the result of centuries of various dominations, geopolitical struggles and socioeconomic crises. Anyone attempting to write about Beirutis’ reality today must understand and explain this context.
By setting up this simplistic binary opposition, the journalist defines the Lebanese as the other – which cannot be contained or understood outside pre-established categories. Beirut, in this Western construct, is foreign and exotic. It is the most sophisticated city in the Middle East – and yet it is ravaged by war. Behind these contrasts are a way of viewing Lebanon that is fundamentally Orientalist, fundamentally “othering”. Beirut cannot merely be a city, in the way that, say, Paris or New York are cities, collections of living, breathing people. Instead, it has to permanently be a “symbol” of something, a reflection of a greater struggle. The language of the article – which is symptomatic of a wider narrative – suggests that Beirut is always torn between these two longings, this oriental barbarism and the western sophistication. The idea that Beirut could merely exist on its own terms, that it could be a city in and of itself and not permanently striving to be something else, is alien to the West.
In the midst of a week of crucial and rare diplomatic dialogue, such articles must be read in the context of the ideological struggle between the West and the Middle East.
There are serious political issues in Lebanon and they provide the context for why the country is riven by conflict. But in the New York Times article, they are ignored. Rather than place the resilience of fashion in the context of the city and the country, the piece presents Beirut as if it is permanently at war. But war is not a permanent part of the Lebanese national psyche; it is an alien event that came to Lebanon. And the roots of it go far back into history.
Historically, the tiny land of Lebanon has been manipulated and fought over by world powers seeking access to the East. When the French and English sliced up the Levant as part of their plans for regional hegemony, France made sure to draw the borders between Syria and Greater Lebanon to create a Christian majority on the coast and mountains, which they then courted, creating an elite that ruled the country and aggravating sectarian tensions.
For years Lebanon was known as the Paris of the East, the Saint Tropez of the East, the Switzerland of the East, a country where you could ski and swim in the same day – with sexy, couture-clad women shaking champagne bottles and belly-dancing belts in your face. It was an exotic yet friendly East, far from the untamed orient of the movies and novels. It was Christian. It was western.
Then the civil war started and images of a tanned Jean Paul Belmondo lounging at a pool were suddenly replaced by scenes of slaughter, grenades, bombs and bloodshed. For 20 years news networks and papers filled their pages with analyses of the civil conflict, which seemed to everyone – including Lebanese, who still call the war “the events” as if to erase its monstrous scar – gruesome and unfathomable.
The Lebanon that we were proud of, an ancient and tolerant land of history and culture, a complex web of religions, languages and sensibilities, morphed into a never-ending, gruelling news report. Lebanon died.
And then, as the cliché says, the phoenix rose from its ashes and the city restored its bullet-scarred façades, blasting skeletons of the city and replacing them with hotels, restaurants, bars, cabarets, luxury boutiques, valet parking, starchitect towers, all eager to restore Beirut’s place as a choice tourist destination.
The media began to promote the city again, reassuring weary readers with sexy clichés. Once again, Beirut was the Paris of the East! The city of all sins! Of partying with sexy girls on rooftop bars! Only, this time the clichés were even more alluring. What’s more thrilling than a war-torn city partying away to bury the horrors of human atrocity? Tourists flocked in, lured by the mix of danger and Mediterranean hedonism.
They called it living on the edge.
But Lebanon fell into the darkness again when, at a time of revolutions and calls for change in the region, the Syrian regime abruptly shut down its voices of dissent, drowning the country into a tragic – and seemingly endless – war.
And, among images of gas-massacred children and despairing refugees, as frustratingly ineffective world powers convened to discuss solutions, The New York Times thought it pertinent to ask: “So what is the point of fashion in Beirut now?”
Surely the newspaper could – and should – have asked many other questions. But perhaps the worst sin is that of omission: the exclusion of the complex, subtle and nuanced reality of Lebanon today. We are fed up with being reduced to stale clichés.
A journalist I know once said that the world’s perception of the Middle East is dictated by TV news. I would say that it is the media in general that shows what it claims is the reality, and that reality is dictated by norms, by ideas about what a place such as Beirut represents and how it can be reported.
Western, and especially American, media treats Lebanon in a way it would never report on another western country, constantly surprised to find Beirutis doing what millions of Lebanese, Arabs and people around the world do: dance, fall in love, create art, make a living. What truly matters is that Beirut has always been one of the region’s thriving centres, a great model of plurality, openness, tolerance and relative democracy. A city of ideas and change. This is the Beirut we need to fight for, both from the inside and from afar.
Shirine Saad is a Brooklyn-based writer on culture and lifestyle. She is the author of Boho Beirut: a Guide to the Middle East's Most Sophisticated City and is working on her next book Boho Brooklyn
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
Bahrain%20GP
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
SPECS
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THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
AL%20BOOM
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3%20Body%20Problem
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
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Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
more from Janine di Giovanni
Quick%20facts
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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.
SCHEDULE
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Amith's predicted winners:
6.30pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.05pm: Etisalat
7.40pm: Mulfit
8.15pm: Pennsylvania Dutch
8.50pm: Mudallel
9.25pm: Midnight Sands
