For the last couple of months, Lebanon has been regularly in the news as the relentless protests in the country steadily spread, escalated and culminated in a full-blown national crisis. To a large extent, the media coverage has been somewhat superficial and has failed to capture the bigger picture and to trace the roots of the unrest. Vaguely framed issues like political corruption, economic struggle and inequality are often identified as the primary sources of the citizens’ discontent, painting Lebanon with the same brush as every other protest-ridden country in recent months.

To an outsider, by now desensitized to footage of massive demonstrations in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia, there is very little that sets Lebanon apart.

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