A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

If You Haven't Finalized Your Summer Vacation Plans Yet . . .

. . . You might want to consider Hizbullah's new "tourist complex" and war museum displaying its own weapons and those captured from Israel. It was introduced on the eve of yesterday's 10th anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon and is being promoted as a "war museum" of Hizbullah's accomplishments. Another account is here. It's in Mlita, South Lebanon.

While devotees of heavy weaponry may well be tempted to go just on that score, there's plenty of tourist hype available to promote the site:
Mlita is not only a museum displaying the Resistance’s heavy weapons and those left by the Israeli enemy, to mark the tenth anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon. It is not only “a modest initiative compared… to the sacrifices and historic victories that have been gained.” It is not only an to preserve the history of resistance through a museum built on the ground of Resistance.” Mlita is even more and more. It is the Resistance in itself.
Whoa, heavy, dude. But if you read the official Al-Manar (Hizbullah TV) account, it gets even heavier, with one person who worked on the site remarking, "This is the new Middle East, the real new Middle East that we have always dreamt of."

Really? Not my dreams. Sorry, I've already made my vacation plans this summer.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you also tell you readers that Sammour's dream is a satire joke, quoting Condolezza Rice "New ME".

By the way, next month I will be in Lebanon for a short visit, and I will visit the site (thanks for the vacation tip).

Michael Collins Dunn said...

And before her, Shimon Peres, I believe.