“Lebanon Debate”
As part of its effort to regulate the public scene and remove violations from the streets, the Tripoli Municipality launched a campaign to remove unlicensed signs and pictures, in a step aimed at controlling visual chaos and enforcing laws.
However, this campaign quickly sparked controversy in local circles, after objections to the implementation mechanism, especially with regard to banners of a religious nature.
This step did not pass without objection, as one of the sheikhs in the city expressed his reservations about the implementation mechanism, stressing that his position does not come out of outbidding or defamation, but rather out of jealousy for what God has forbidden, and a desire not to throw anything that includes the remembrance of God on the ground.
He believed that the municipality could have adopted a different method, based on coordination with the sheikhs of the city, and requested the removal of these banners from the parties that placed them, instead of the municipality taking them down directly, which might put it in the position of being accused of removing banners carrying religious content.
He added that some of the opinions that considered these signs offensive to the image of the city of Tripoli are inaccurate, pointing out that these signs do not necessarily express general behavior among the people of the city.
He added that the municipality “was involved in removing these pictures with its own hands,” considering that it would have been more effective to consult with religious authorities, especially in cases related to sensitive religious content.
In a related context, he pointed out the presence of pictures of representatives and ministers spread throughout the city, wondering about the standards of “civilization and sophistication” in this context, and considering that this phenomenon deserves to be addressed.
He concluded by saying: “We do not aim to infringe on the municipality’s powers, but it would have been better to adopt a more balanced approach, based on coordination and prior study, especially with regard to banners that include the mention of God, taking into account the reactions and possible results.”
