DNA research traces Phoenician past in Middle East. (Reuters)

I love this story. DNA research is blurring religious boundaries in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East. Story excerpted below.

BYBLOS, Lebanon (Reuters) - A Lebanese scientist following the genetic footprint of the ancient Phoenicians says he has traced their modern-day descendants, but stumbled into an old controversy about identity in his country.

Geneticist Pierre Zalloua has charted the spread of the Phoenicians out of the eastern Mediterranean by identifying an ancient type of DNA which some Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians share with Maltese, Spaniards and Tunisians.

A seafaring civilization which reached its zenith between 1200 and 800 BC, the Phoenicians' earliest cities included Byblos, Tyre and Sidon on Lebanon's coast.

But their link to Lebanon, whose borders were drawn as recently as 1920, has long been a subject of controversy in a country split between an array of religious communities. "Negotiating these waters is a very delicate job," Zalloua said.

Seeking to set themselves apart from their Muslim compatriots, some Lebanese Christians have drawn on the Phoenician past to try to forge an identity separate from the prevailing Arab culture.

"Whenever I use the word 'Phoenician', people say 'this guy is trying to say we are not Arabs'," said Zalloua, himself a Christian. But after five years of research, the scientist says his work has shown what Lebanese have in common. "We had a great history -- let's look at it," he said.

The genetic marker which identifies descendants of the ancient Levantines is found among members of all of Lebanon's religious communities, he said. "It's a story that can actually unite Lebanon much more than anything else."

The marker, known as the J2 haplogroup, was found in an unusually high proportion among Lebanese, Palestinians and Syrians tested by Zalloua during more than five years of research. He tested 1,000 people in the region.

Comments

[Danny]

DNA, J2 haplogroup or late John Paul II's comments when he visited Lebanon that the Christians of Lebanon should be Arabs, the fact remains that history and truth is on our side when we say:

"Lebanon at its roots is not Arab or Muslim but has in it Arabs and Muslims given the flush of Arab/Muslim conquering armies from the Arabian Peninsula towards the East Mediterranean basin and leaving behind them settlers.

Later, Muslims from North Africa and Turkey joined the first wave. Since Arabs & their offspring Islam arrived to Lebanon and this country has not had a single day of rest."

By published law Lebanon is an Arab country. Nonetheless, an intelligent observer would wonder why more than 90% of names of towns and cities are not Arabic but rather Aramaic, Phoenician, Canaanite, Amorite, etc.

Though the REVISED constitution (1989) says that Lebanon is Arab in Identity and Belonging, the 1st consititution does not mention that. Of course, the revision is a whorish twist to truth and history and was forced on Christians by Arab countries, namely Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Arabs can do some things but are unable to clear their prints. Why? These can bring an ammendment to the Lebanese constitution but it is declaration of war if any attempt is done to ammend the National Anthem, which is more important. The Anthem does not mention directly, tacitely or indirectly that we Arabs, which at least the natives of Lebanon are not.

The melody of the Anthem has nothing to do with Arab art or culture, as compared to Anthems of Arab countries.

If an observer examines the Lebanese flag and its Art, and if one removes the Christmas Tree, the Cedar Tree, from its midst, one would think he is examining the flag of Austria. Red White REd.

For goodness sake, Arabs are known to claim what is not theirs and re-register it as their own. Why? Well, in Islam they believe that "Allah" the God of the Muslims is the Cheater of cheaters ie. if need be."
Qur'an Sura III 54.

In conclusion, Arabs were successful in forcing their language on us, but, they have never will never be able to force their culture on us.

Danny
farlinkinter@hotmail.com

[Danny]

DNA, J2 haplogroup or late John Paul II's comments when he visited Lebanon that the Christians of Lebanon should be Arabs, the fact remains that history and truth is on our side when we say:

"Lebanon at its roots is not Arab or Muslim but has in it Arabs and Muslims given the flush of Arab/Muslim conquering armies from the Arabian Peninsula towards the East Mediterranean basin and leaving behind them settlers.

Later, Muslims from North Africa and Turkey joined the first wave. Since Arabs & their offspring Islam arrived to Lebanon and this country has not had a single day of rest."

By published law Lebanon is an Arab country. Nonetheless, an intelligent observer would wonder why more than 90% of names of towns and cities are not Arabic but rather Aramaic, Phoenician, Canaanite, Amorite, etc.

Though the REVISED constitution (1989) says that Lebanon is Arab in Identity and Belonging, the 1st consititution does not mention that. Of course, the revision is a whorish twist to truth and history and was forced on Christians by Arab countries, namely Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Arabs can do some things but are unable to clear their prints. Why? These can bring an ammendment to the Lebanese constitution but it is declaration of war if any attempt is done to ammend the National Anthem, which is more important. The Anthem does not mention directly, tacitely or indirectly that we Arabs, which at least the natives of Lebanon are not.

The melody of the Anthem has nothing to do with Arab art or culture, as compared to Anthems of Arab countries.

If an observer examines the Lebanese flag and its Art, and if one removes the Christmas Tree, the Cedar Tree, from its midst, one would think he is examining the flag of Austria. Red White REd.

For goodness sake, Arabs are known to claim what is not theirs and re-register it as their own. Why? Well, in Islam they believe that "Allah" the God of the Muslims is the Cheater of cheaters ie. if need be."
Qur'an Sura III 54.

In conclusion, Arabs were successful in forcing their language on us, but, they have never & will never be able to force their culture on us.

Danny
farlinkinter@hotmail.com

[Robin]

I'm haplgroup J2 and I'm of German Lutheran heritage.