Bourj Hammoud Evictions Stir Lebanon Debate

W460

A mainly Armenian suburb of Beirut has stirred controversy over a decision by local officials to expel foreign workers, with some linking the move to the revolt in Syria and others to sheer racism.

The controversy erupted earlier this month when the municipality of Bourj Hammud, located east of the Lebanese capital, requested all foreigners without rental leases leave the area by the end of November.

Targeted by the measure were Syrian Kurds as well as other laborers from the Philippines, Sri Lanka and from African countries, who for years have been drawn to affordable housing in Bourj Hammud. The majority have no signed rental agreements, a common practice in Lebanon.

Officials say the decision came after local residents began to complain of increased petty crime and harassment of young women in the streets, pinning the blame on foreigners.

But Syrian Kurds say the measure was a bid by the Armenian Tashnag party, a member of Lebanon's pro-Syrian alliance led by Hizbullah, to punish them for taking part in anti-Syrian rallies.

Several Syrian Kurds interviewed by AFP in Bourj Hammud said they believed the Tashnag was using its influence to squeeze them out after they protested outside the Syrian Embassy over the murder of Kurdish activist Meshaal Tammo in Syria in October.

"The goal is to drive us out of our homes... and leading this campaign is a certain prominent party here in Bourj Hammud," said Khalil, 37, referring to the Tashnag.

Khalil says he was ordered by local officials to obtain a working visa or leave -- a demand he says is "impossible" as Syrian citizens do not need visas to work in Lebanon.

Ahmed, a 28-year-old Syrian Kurd who has lived for five years in a humble one-room flat in Bourj Hammud, said he also believed the eviction order he had recently received was politically motivated.

"This decision is aimed at us, at all Kurds who are standing against the Syrian regime," said Ahmed, who requested his real name be concealed for fear of reprisal.

Officials in the bustling suburb, however, deny that the evictions are political motivated, noting that the measure concerned all foreigners -- not just Syrian Kurds -- without identification papers or legal contracts.

"Several residents have contacted us to complain that they feel the district is becoming an increasingly dangerous place because of increased crime with foreigners living here," said Arpineh Mangasarian, head of the city council's engineering and planning department.

Tashnag officials in a statement also denied the evictions were related to politics.

But Nadim Houry, director of the Beirut office of Human Rights Watch, said he believed racism was at the heart of the problem.

"Lebanon has a serious problem with racism -- racism towards foreigners but also racism towards other Lebanese," he told AFP.

"The case in Bourj Hammud is part of this overall problem of racism and has affected people of all races living in the area, most of whom are in fact Syrian Kurds."

Houry noted that other municipalities in Lebanon had previously banned foreigners -- or even Lebanese of different confessions -- from owning or renting property.

Some Armenian residents of Bourj Hammud have also criticized local officials for the indiscriminate expulsions.

"It's true that when young people, like foreign laborers, hang out in the street at night they might stir trouble," said one shop owner, requesting his name be concealed.

"But a lot of foreign laborers live near my shop and they are really hard-working people who come home late at night and don't bother anyone," he added. "Now they're being asked to leave too."

Lebanon is home to a 140,000-strong Armenian community, mostly made up of the descendants of survivors of what they term the genocide in eastern Anatolia under Ottoman rule almost a century ago.

Comments 11
Default-user-icon Muhamad (Guest) 27 November 2011, 13:40

Reports of crimes by illegal foreigners, drug smugling, prostitution and terrorism all these elements find a safe haven within the illegal immigrant communities. The serial killing of taxi driers, the killed young woman in Jounieh the robbing of the bank in the North, the kidnapping of tourists in Baalbak and the explosions are in connection of foreigners, who are loking for quick money.

Default-user-icon Maroun Abdallah (Guest) 27 November 2011, 16:54

Armenians are themselves foreigners. Why do we give foreigners the right to expel? Can lebanese expel people in armenia?

Default-user-icon Mohammad_ca (Guest) 27 November 2011, 17:24

Muhamad: people from all groups commit crimes not just foreigners, targeting them like this is racist and a clear human rights violation.

Default-user-icon John from Koura (Guest) 27 November 2011, 18:56

"Muhamad" or whatever your real name is, foreign workers are getting murdered weekly and there is almost in all occasions no arrest or prosecutions. Maids are constantly being thrown off balconies and Syrian murdered weekly. According to human rights groups 700 Syrian workers and 500 maids have been murdered in the last 6 years with no convictions. Before the Lebanese complain about foreign workers, think of the millions of Lebanese living in foreign lands. Do they want to be treated that way???

What is happening in Bourg hamoud is not politics, but racism which is worse.

Default-user-icon John Farah (Guest) 27 November 2011, 19:08

At what point do you say what is happening in racism or simply time to sort out illegal immigrants. Lebanon is saturated with Palestinians, Syrians, Kurds, Sri Lankan's, Philippinos, Egyptians etc. At some point the government or local authorities have to step in and say we want to put our house in order. If this is a starting point, then so be it.

Default-user-icon Common Sense (Guest) 27 November 2011, 20:54

Mr. maroun abdallah. No doubt you are a racist. Lebanese Armenians are born in Lebanon they were in Lebanon when Lebanon became independent. Just remember sir at the Lebanese civil war the Armenians stayed true Lebanese and did not distroy Lebanon unlike others. Now you tell me who is a foreigner here?

Thumb erasmus16@gmail.com 27 November 2011, 21:57

Regardless of the reason why foreigners are being expelled, Lebanese Armenians are Lebanese first. They're far more patriotic than many of our so-called leaders.

Thumb erasmus16@gmail.com 27 November 2011, 22:13

Regardless of the reason why foreigners are being expelled, Lebanese Armenians are Lebanese first. They're far more patriotic than many of our so-called leaders.

Default-user-icon Joe (Guest) 28 November 2011, 00:40

Ya Maroun use ur brain ...Armenians were in Lebanon before Lebanon existed...the mayor in bourj hammoud is armenian ,police in bourj hammoud area armenians,members of the parliment have few armenians in there...Armenians contributed in everyday life they help built lebanon during the worst times & the best ...If you wanna call Armenians as forginers but dont forget most of them they never been to Armenia ...If ur "cliaming " that armenians are forigners in Lebanon look at urself ur one of them aswell ...ur ancestors came from antioch...

Default-user-icon Robert Hanna (Guest) 28 November 2011, 02:53

Erasms if thats so then why do they name their kids with armekian names? why keep the armenian church instead of joining an existant one? why speak armenian as a first language. Dont be silly. We all know they are armenian first. either way, they have no right to expel anyone and and as long as they insist on being called armenian then they arent lebanese.

Default-user-icon Ahlan (Guest) 28 November 2011, 05:08

To the writer of the article, dude I wish your parents and grandparents were massacred like the way Armenians were so that you won't finish the article the way you did.