Check out this post for more information about the sale.
View from the land sold
The area in question is called the Hill of the Cross (Tallet el Salib) and it was sold to Saudi prince Mokran Ben Abdel Aziz Abdul Rahman Al Saoud.
Tallet el Salib is a huge forest, rich in its flora and fauna. It contains many rare species of mammals and birds that use the millenary forest as shelter. As you can see from the above map, it overlooks the Mediterranean sea. It is in the region of Dlebta, close to Harissa.
The selling of this huge piece of land requires governmental approval to be fulfilled. MP Abi Nasr has said the Saudi embassy put pressure on the government and the Prime Minister in order to allow the transaction to proceed.
No matter how much we talk against this, when it comes to the powers at play in the matter of land purchases in Lebanon we stand powerless. Soon enough, the trees of the area will be cut down in order to make use of them. The winter of the area is especially harsh and wood for the fireplace is needed. The animal species of the forest will, therefore, disappear. And then the construction will start to turn whatever greenery that remains of the Harissa mountain into a massive concrete jungle. The people in the are won’t be able to afford housing in the newly built apartments. Those that can afford housing won’t have anything to do with the area.
Where were the other MPs of Keserwen when the deal regarding this land was being struck and tailored? They’ve already started their 2013 electoral campaign with bulletins on certain bridges in Jounieh. But when it comes to true work, instead of shouting up and down about how Christians are threatened and how they are defending “us,” there’s not much there.
I don’t see any of the Christians constantly worrying about losing foothold in Lebanon do anything when it comes to selling their land. In fact, they are more than glad to make a few millions, get out of the country, and nag about how they are losing influence. Hypocrisy much? You bet. But that’s how many Lebanese Christians have always been.
Where’s the Maronite Church which has been so worried about people selling the land in its regions of influence? Why doesn’t it help those that end up selling because they absolutely need to? Why doesn’t it stop those selling because of greed? Doesn’t it have enough money and influence to counter whatever offers and pressure the government is facing?
The situation is beyond despicable. I know this firsthand because the real estate market, even in my Batrouni hometown, has prices going through the roof and people coming from places you didn’t know existed to buy lands which you had previously thought useless. This is not paranoia. This is reality.
It’s high time those preaching stop doing so and start acting. I don’t have millions on me to help but if I were one of the billionaire Christians of Lebanon, I’d start splurging not on Maybachs and Maserattis but on the only reason we can call Lebanon home.
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
What source is this from?
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Do you know Arabic?
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Also, if true, it’s ironic, as this land directly borders Ma’rab and the LF HQ.
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Didn’t think of that, to be honest.
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If all this is true and the sale is 100% complete I wonder what the Geagea/LF response will be?
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They technically can’t do anything about it since they are not the MPs of the region and they don’t have influence in the government. I’m more interested in how Aoun handles it, with Keserwein being his faux-region and all.
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Could be good for Aoun.
As he is in government, he could be seen to be doing something for the ‘Christian street’ in warding off Saudi intrusion into the Christian heartland.
Come to think of it that area is so symbolic as it is right next to Harissa, the LF HQ and also port Jounieh.
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Seeing as he must have known about the sale and didn’t do much about it, I don’t know how he can spin this into something beneficial.
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Yes
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Here you go: http://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/newsDetail.aspx?Id=410237
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Wasn’t there some sort of law put in place by MP Boutrous Harb that disallowed the sale of property between the different sects?
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They didn’t pass it. “Too sectarian.”
As usual.
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anyone knows who the owner was?
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No. All the sources I read haven’t released that yet.
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that would be the interesting question… was it a waqf or a private property? …
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I highly doubt it’s Waqf. That would be a scandal for a church asking not to sell land. The more logical assumption would be private property.
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Looks like Church Land to me.
Something isn’t kosher about this story.
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It’s big enough to be church land. But a church selling land to a Saudi prince would be a huge scandal so I think this is privately owned by someone who inherited it from a distant ancestor.
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At least i hope the area stays green, it cant be uglier than beirut or the seller’s intentions 😉
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That, my friend, would be hopeful to a point of foolishness. No?
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First,let him enjoy it only on papers,till his time will come and he will go with the others.
second,it will be one of his dream if he can build anymore one small tente and not a big project in this area,especially that all of his supporter’s now in Lebanon can’t cut one small tree in this mountain anymore especially in the presence of our present patriarche.
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The fact that he managed to buy the land is telling enough. He’ll do wonders.
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fuck every saoudi in the world and fuck mikati and al safadi they are both responsable for this purchase what is there reply if asked why you fuking mulsim guys sold this land they will say:its not our fault its the saoudi embassy that made some pressure on us well fuck them all and fuck the lebanese people who dont do anything about it im going up on the 2nd of june at 4pm hope lots of lebanese christian will be there im out peace and fuck all muslims specially “KHALIJJJJJ COUNTRIES TFEHH”
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@Richie Hakim, Omg can u get any more ignorant !! if it was a foreign christian buying the land would it have made it acceptable ??? Before u bring religion into this, and before u immaturely swear at “all muslims” remember that even the muslims in lebanon don’t approve of this. so just because i might share a religion with a saudi or an emirati it does not mean i will turn my back on my people for them. This is shameful to lebanon. Maybe u can have a bit of respect for the lebanese muslims that plan to protest with you on the second of june. 3ayb 3aleik.
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oh AND PLEASE NOTE THIS LAND IS NOT FOR CHURCH!!! Nothing can be done without the approval of the vatican all lands owed by the maronite church in lebanon if want to be sold or register the vatican should approve on it and they dont for muslims so its a privat land
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@Richie Hakim…I don’t know how old you are, I would only understand your reaction if you were a teenager, but if your not, then people like you are the main problem of our country, people like you, blind followers to a certain political shepard are the pawns used in the day to day streets show downs, as for the sold land issue, believe me I’m a Sunni and I’m just as dissapointed and pissed to see this happening, its not the sellers fault, its our fault that we keep silent to all the wrong doings that are happening to our country, not only being silent but to make it worse, every year we stand in line to cast our vote to the politician that will protect the christian from the Muslim that wants to kill him or cast him outside Lebanon, and the politician that will protect the Muslim from the christian that wants to kill him with his Israeli and American allies, so let’s cut this short, no one has the right to complain, WE, the proud Lebanese youth, have brought this upon ourselves, our children and our grand children.
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Pingback: Land sold in Lebanon …. « Ritachemaly's Blog
There’s nothing MASSIVE about this sale.
It’s 7700 sqm. That is about 1000th of the size indicated on your map.
Not worth bursting a nerve cell on.
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7700 squared meters of forest land, to destroy and build on them, is not much?
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IMPORTANT: This picture is not representing the DLEBTA valley Sold. This is the very nearby Areas of HARISSA Valley! The red line represents the HARISSA valley and has NOT been sold. DLEBTA is just in the top right corner of the picture outside the red frame.
The picture posted on facebook, by myslef, clearly had the below caption next to it:
“To avoid any confusion, the below message is sarcastic and was created to reflect anger and disappointment regarding the selling of a huge piece of Land, not in Harissa but in a nearby area called DLEBTA. If the current trend continues, then we night be seeing similar messages for real… (Read below article to know more)”
Please fix the information in the blog and make sure people are getting the appropriate info.
In solidarity with the citizens of DLEBTA, there will be a gathering in their public square this Saturday at 4hpm. Make sure to go there with your friends and Lebanese flags if you want to support them.
https://www.facebook.com/events/163698767093353/
Thank you.
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That’s not my point.
It’s 300 meters by 250 meters of land.
Would it merit a post if it was bought by a Lebanese Christian intent on building his villa there?
I don’t think so.
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If I know about it, I would write a post. You seem to be totally ignoring the fact that it was sold to a non-Lebanese.
And regarding your comment on another post which I have now removed:
Let’s see – do you know of any way to verify the authenticity of a video?
If someone sends you such a video, which seems legit, how do you go around verifying if it’s correct or not?
Yeah, thought so.
And yeah, I do research when I need to. I correct posts when I need to. And for all I know, this could very well be a Syrian video.
And no, this blog isn’t my source of living and it’s also a hobby. You don’t want to read anymore, don’t worry – it’s more than fine by me.
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Elie,
I am glad you decided to remove the entire post and not just my comment.
If someone sends you a video of two people being beheaded, do a simple google search:
Beheading + Chainsaw … and see what comes up. It only takes a minute.
Could you also do me a favor and reduce the marker of the size of the land you have generously shared with us to the appropriate 7,700 sqm on the same google photo.
My point remains. Your post is neither about the size of the land or your love of nature. It’s simply about a Saudi national having bought it. If it was Lord Cochran who did, you’d be proud.
Now, don’t go complaining if the Spaniards won’t sell you 7,700 sqm of land in Marbella … because you are Lebanese !
Stick to your day job.
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I don’t censor comments unless they are demeaning to me personally. Yours was not.
I do not have a day job – unless you count being a medical student a job, in which case then yeah I have my hands full.
I didn’t think about googling the words you mentioned because the video seemed credible: Arab-looking men and Arabic speaking army man. I know there’s such a thing called voice over but I didn’t think someone would go the trouble to do it to a 20 second video. In retrospect, I should have thought of that. The post has been removed.
Regarding this post, I am against selling any non-Lebanese any land especially when it comes to a land with this one’s location: ie – close to Harissa. If the Spaniards don’t want to sell me land for not being Spanish, that is their right and I wouldn’t complain.
We need laws in Lebanon that drastically regulate the mess of land purchases because the country is being sold out. I gave the example of my hometown to illustrate this point and my hometown is among the largest in the Batroun area. Land is being bought left and right without caring to whom it’s being sold.
I am currently writing a follow-up post about the matter with corrections and clarifications.
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Pingback: An Update on the Land Sold in Dlebta, Keserwan to the Saudi Prince « A Separate State of Mind | A Lebanese Blog
Here’s a simple solution to all fed up and concerned Lebanese citizens: stop crying and start burning. Burn down all Gulfie-owned villas and apartments, and they will stop coming and buying. They don’t allow us to own property in their countries and treat us like slaves, why should we treat them any better? To ALL Lebanese, Christian, Muslim, and Druze, stop being the prostitutes of the Gulf, and take pride in LEBANON for once! If we the PEOPLE don’t act now, then we will become tourists in our own homeland, with no land to call home. And please stop betting on our governments, 8 or 14, neither have the PEOPLE’s interests in mind, only those of the rich and powerful. THE TIME FOR CITIZEN ACTION IS NOW! RISE UP, LEBANESE, RISE UP!
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What’s the source of this story? and what’s a ‘huge piece of land’? any numbers there or just prose?
When I started reading, I said good the guy is interested in his environment. Then I realised you are worried about Christian land.
Funny we don’t care until it comes to our backward, but it’s been happening in Beirut and Muslim areas for decades. Why we always have to see things through a sectarian angle?
Of course I kind of understand your dislike of this land sale, but this is normal business in this country, which is living on real-estate! You need to lobby to change the laws, and it’s not about Christian leaders doing things etc.
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I care about it being Christian land sold to a prince from a country where I get no rights.
And the sales of land between sects even among Lebanese has become extremely peculiar, to be optimistic.
I posted an update to the story, hyperlinked above the picture, with data & sources.
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History and Geography are not so far !
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I thought there was a law that foreigners could not by large areas of land? Let’s be fair and honest, Lebanese laws are printed on toilet paper…worthless. I blame all Lebanese for the worthless politican that they keep voting in office. Wait until Lebanon is a gas & oil producer and all the money will be divided among the mafia’s in parliament. Wake up Lebanese and vote in new, young, techncrats and only for two terms. These mafia families think they own the country. Don’t you see what’s going on in the Middle East? They are fighting for what you have, freedom of speech, religion, media and to dress and think for yourselves…don’t lose these precious freedoms or you will never be the same! Your politician are dead, corpse and should be removed before it’s too late. God Bless you all and God Bless my dear LEBANON!!!!
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