Opinion Sequins against Civil War

What unites Jennifer Lopez and the Party of God (Hezbollah)? Lebanon.

New DelhiJanuary 17, 2011 04:35 PM IST First published on: Jan 17, 2011 at 04:35 PM IST

So,Scarlett Johannson,the pouty actress and Jennifer Lopez,the bodacious babe from the Bronx,both wore Lebanese designers to the Golden Globes. Ah,the gowns; simply stunning but there’s more to the matter than frocks.

Johannson,post-split with actor Ryan Reynold stunned agog audiences in her Elie Saab creation and Jennifer Lopez rocked her booty in a Zuhair Murad ensemble. Both designers are home-grown Lebanese,from Beirut.

This got me thinking. The collapse of the the Lebanese government has dominated Lebanon headlines and then suddenly,an explosion of sequins,designers and celebrities too finds place in Lebanon’s grim news. But here is the problem,how many noticed the problem in Lebanon beforehand?

The Lebanon issue oh how old and un-sexy it has become! From the civil war that ravaged the Paris of the Middle East,to Syria’s unfortunate meddling in the country. Then came the images of buildings on fire during the sectarian conflicts that followed. Shi’a’ s against Sunni’s,the Christians against the two,the Maronites against the other. The list goes on. And politicians keen to set their feet firmer in power have played on these sectarian divides to their advantage.

But how many can play Jenny from the Block? Could the mullah from the nefarious Party of God (Hezbollah) take on La Lopez?

This is what’s missing from the Lebanese conflict,the presence of star power to get the world to notice. In fact,this sort of disconnect is a major problem: issues that have been long standing often loose their sexiness and simmer on the fringes until reaching boiling point,until the fear of civil war.

Realistically,how many knew the Lebanese government had stopped meeting since Dec 15? Should that not have made news? Perhaps it could have averted the current stalemate.

We have seen how stars can influence politics. Look at Angelina Jolie and her presence in countries from Cambodia to Haiti,George Clooney in Sudan,Bono in Africa. The list goes on.

And what of the designers Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad they are stars in their own right too. Have they forgotten to lend a voice to the calm the chaos in their country? Is it that the Lebanese diaspora occupied with their successes in third countries have moved on? That when the current PM,Saad Hariri,has called out to them to return home and this return would have tax benefits!

I’m not saying that La Lopez or the sultry Scarlett can sway the mullahs or whip Hairir’s bureaucracy into shape. But they do have the power to get others to notice. Surely Elie Saab can coerce the fair maidens he dresses. So,go on,lend your voice. It counts.