JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1995, Page 55

Special Report

Fayruz Concert Inaugurates Beirut Reconstruction Project

By Nuha Marchi

When Fayruz, the beloved diva of Lebanese and Arab song, stepped onto the stage in the once beautiful and historic Martyrs Square in Beirut, some 40,000 Lebanese admirers instantly stood up together in awesome unity and pure adoration.

The concert, which took place on the evening of Sept. 17, 1994, was basically an act of faith in the two national symbols that met and intertwined on that very special and glorious night: Fayruz, who had vowed not to sing or act in public until the civil war ended, and Martyrs Square—the throbbing heart of the once incredible energy, vitality and color that was pre-civil war Beirut. Now devastated by 20 years of civil war, Martyrs Square is on the verge of massive reconstruction and redevelopment.

For many young people who were enjoying Fayruz—familiar to them through recordings broadcast on the rival radio and television stations throughout the years of senseless killing—the event was an emotional journey of rebirth and resurrection.

An Emotional Journey

Ms. Nidal Ashqar, the concert organizer and a Lebanese poet and actress, expressed it best when she declared that "Fayruz represents everything pure and beautiful and nationalistic, in the true poetic sense, in every memory in Lebanon." And Ms. Rula Beydoun, a 25-year-old Lebanese journalist, added that "Fayruz means a lot to me because she has always sung for the unity of Lebanon and for co-existence. For her to sing here, in the downtown area destroyed by the war, is a symbol for the rebirth of our country."

Such strong sentiments permeated the incredible response of the audience once Fayruz began singing her familiar old songs expressing endless love and unreserved homage for her bleeding homeland. "Bahibbak ya Lubnan ya Watani" (I love you, Lebanon, my country) brought the bewitched audience to spontaneous hand clapping, whistling and cries of sheer joy and adoration.

But while Fayruz is a national institution, the concert and its location aroused controversy and condemnation from many people who passionately oppose this particular reconstruction project. They believed the concert was an endorsement for and an instrument of the real estate company called "Solidere," which has taken over the center of Beirut for a reconstruction plan which is the brainchild of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. The first stage of the project was to demolish already damaged property, hence angering the original owners and tenants. Even Fayruz's son, Ziad Rahbani, the famous playwright and composer, signed the petition which begged her not to perform there.

However, even the form of the protest bore witness to altered realities in Lebanon. Four years ago such an intense dispute might have touched off a bloodbath. In 1994 the bitterest of opponents only signed petitions protesting the project. As a result, four days after Fayruz's unforgettable concert, President Elias Hrawi laid the foundation-stone, signalling the sure commencement of the "Solidere" project.

Solidere, the private-sector firm, has been granted a 25-year concession to rebuild and develop 1.6 million square meters of Beirut's central district. When completed, the area will house 40,000 citizens and provide offices for 100,000 daytime employees. Initial cost projections total $3.25 billion, with an annual outlay of $310 million—including the infrastructure bill of $400 million for the first four years.

Sympathetic to scholarly concerns, Solidere has agreed to conserve Beirut's 3,000-year heritage of antiquities and history on the site. Graceful old buildings, archeological findings and other national treasures will be protected from the bulldozers and carefully preserved in what planners describe as "a vibrant, bustling metropolis that blends the best of old and new. This giant marketplace will run right down to the Mediterranean shore line, near the first basin of Beirut Port."

Unfortunately, despite the rapid start of the Solidere "steamroller," long-term prospects for the Martyrs Square project, like all aspects of the Lebanese economy, remain hostage to political stability. Everything depends on what happens in the peace process between Israel and Syria, because war-torn Lebanon cannot make peace without Syria's approval. Only if Syria and Israel can agree on total Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights in return for total Syrian recognition of and peace with Israel can both parties be pressured to withdraw their military forces from Lebanon.

Then, if the interim accord between Israel and Palestine evolves into a real peace agreement, Lebanon seems poised to grasp the rewards of a permanent regional settlement. With the resulting hope and faith in the future, and a lot more hard work, perseverance, and unity of purpose, sweet, suffering but always proud Beirut will once again resume its vibrant place in the heart of a renewed and prosperous Middle East. Inshallah, God willing.