BPR Research In-Focus

This piece explores the development of Maronite Orientalism, a discourse that positioned Maronite Christians in Lebanon as the primordial, indigenous community with a unique identity and mission. Through historical, religious, and political narratives, Maronite thought sought to assert its primacy and distinguish itself from other communities by framing them as perpetual "others." The essay delves into how these Orientalist methodologies were employed in the Maronites' state-building project, ultimately shaping Lebanese nationalism and identity.

This paper explores how Palestinian and Tunisian anti-colonial struggles are depicted through cinema, specifically analyzing Elia Suleiman's "The Time That Remains" and Moufida Tlatli's "The Silences of the Palace." By comparing these films, the study highlights shared cinematic techniques that evoke collective memory and resistance against colonial oppression. It examines how silence, memory, and mortality are used to represent the ongoing struggles of Palestinian and Tunisian societies, ultimately bridging the gap between North African and Middle Eastern anti-colonial narratives.

This paper offers a comparative analysis of power-sharing systems in Lebanon and Northern Ireland, focusing on their effectiveness in managing deeply divided societies. It explores how consociational democracy, a model characterized by grand coalitions and proportional representation, has been applied in these regions to prevent and resolve conflict. The study emphasizes the role of external factors in shaping the success or failure of these systems, arguing that while Lebanon's power-sharing has been prone to instability due to external interventions, Northern Ireland has seen more robust outcomes thanks to supportive external actors.