The Tawteen Question

In Lebanon, Tawteen, Arabic for "settling," is a word that pops up every now and then in political discourse. It refers to the settling and naturalization of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and it's one of the few concepts that the Lebanese seem to agree upon, in that they are all against it. Normally I like consensus generating issues; they make it seem like we have hope for building a common Lebanese identity. But then when you look at the reasons behind opposing Tawteen, you start to realize there's a disturbing side to this consensus. It seems to me that most Lebanese are opposed to Tawteen for one of three reasons:

1. Tawteen is equivalent to abandoning the Palestinian cause: this reason is cited by most, even though in reality, I think it is far less significant than politicians make it seem.
2. Tawteen disturbs the demographic balance in Lebanon: For Christians who don't genuinely subscribe to the first reason, they fear Tawteen because it tilts the balance further in favor of Muslims, making Christian an even smaller minority. For those Shi'as who don't care about the Palestinian cause, naturalizing a few hundred thousand Sunnis would cause them to lose their slim demographic lead. And finally there are some Sunnis who worry that these Palestinians would be too sympathetic with Hezbollah, and would thus weaken the widespread Sunni support enjoyed by Hezbollah's opponents.
3. Tawteen disturbs Lebanese identity. In other words, Palestinians aren't Lebanese and naturalizing them would weaken Lebanese identity.

The first reason is one that I find particularly strange. Abandoning or not the Palestinian cause should be solely a Palestinian question, not one to be discussed in Lebanese parliament halls. After all, the Palestinian cause is not an end in itself, but rather a means to a bigger end which is the well-being of the Palestinian people. Those who support the Palestinian cause at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians seem to be confusing the cause as a struggle against Israel, rather than a struggle for Palestine. If we as a nation want to support the Palestinian cause, we must do so by aiding them in their struggle, not by forcing them to remain in it. In that context, the question of Tawteen is a Palestinian question, not a Lebanese one.

The two other reasons can be summarized by two words: sectarianism and xenophobia, and as a secular liberal I reject them utterly and completely. The Palestinians are not here by choice. They're not here to abuse our weak economy or usurp our fragile democracy. They are no more different from the Lebanese than we are from each other ethnically, politically, and culturally. And given the sheer number of Lebanese holding dual-citizenship, living abroad in hope of a better life - out of choice mind you - it makes me wonder where we get off forbidding the Palestinians in Lebanon a chance at a better life for themselves in our small country.

So putting aside our xenophobia and our sectarianism, the question of Tawteen is very easy to answer. Ask the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to decide their own fate. If they decide they are tired of struggling, then let's find a way to help them achieve their aspirations and reach a better life. And if they refuse to live anywhere outside their homeland, then so be it.