This weekend, Beirut will come together for the marathon. There is no more striking example of unity, common purpose and the best of the Lebanese spirit. The road is a great leveller – it does not ask your confessional group or political allegiance.
A small group of Ambassadors always join in, slowly. This year, they will be running for the families who are trying to rebuild their lives following the horrific attack in Achrafiyeh. Also racing for the families is Lebanese Paralympian Edward Maalouf. Edward’s qualification has made the Lebanese so proud at the London 2012 games.
The Achrafiyeh explosion shook Lebanon, and all of us who care about Lebanese stability. It showed the need for consensual leadership that puts Lebanese interests first; to challenge the culture of impunity; to support the important role of the army. In responding as we did, the international community wanted to support the institutions of the state, including the Presidency. The UK has intensified our work on helping to prevent contagion from Syria, increasing our support to the army, and to the UN agencies working with refugees. Most importantly, it is vital that the politics work – as a 1976 US telegram put it, ‘the centrifugal forces are so great, the potential for incident and alarm so high, the meddlers external and internal so readily at hand, that Lebanon can only be managed through unrelenting political process’.
The Achrafiyeh explosion was designed to create division and anger. The best response is to show unity and solidarity, just as we sought to do when we honoured the fallen of two World Wars today in services across Lebanon. Common humanity, not winners and losers.
Beirutis, like New Yorkers and Billy Ocean, know that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Politics may be in flux, but life carries on. Last week we launched the new Bond film in Beirut. With the resilience the Lebanese have shown in recent months, international solidarity, and moments like the marathon, Lebanon can remain ‘From Rauche with Love’ and not ‘Skyfall’.