Beirut 1926: The Missing Constitution That Shaped Lebanon's Sects

In 1926, French Mandate authorities granted Lebanon its first constitution, establishing a sectarian power-sharing system that endures — for better and worse — to this day. This episode dives into the drafting process at the Pine Forest Palace in Beirut, the fierce debates between Maronite patriarch Elias al-Huwayyik, Sunni notable Salim Ali Salam, and Greek Orthodox intellectual Michel Chiha, and the creation of the confessional quota system that allocated political offices by religious sect. We explore why Shia and Druze leaders felt shortchanged, how the French High Commissioner Henri Ponsot shaped the final document, and how this constitution paved the way for the unwritten National Pact of 1943. If you've ever wondered why Lebanon's parliament has equal Christian and Muslim seats, or why the president must be Maronite, the prime minister Sunni, and the speaker Shia — this episode traces that blueprint to its controversial origins.

#History #FexingoHistory #Lebanon #Beirut #FrenchMandate #Constitution #Sectarianism #MichelChiha #EliasHuwayyik #SalimAliSalam #HenriPonsot #PineForestPalace #1926 #NationalPact #Confessionalism #MiddleEast #MandateSystem #LebanesePolitics

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