Some 25 years have passed since the signing of the Taif Agreement that put an end to the Lebanese civil war. The agreement has had many column inches devoted to it. Some considered it a fundamental reform of the unbalanced system that was founded in 1920, since it allegedly concentrated state power in the hands of the Christians.

Others, namely the Christian groups who rallied around Gen. Michel Aoun in 1989, saw it as being dictated by international powers, which, as proved with time, paved the way for the Syrian tutelage of 1990-2005. Today, 25 years later, the gap between Christians and Muslims and between Muslim sects is deepening and the agreement has failed to bridge this gap. Worse, Shiite demands for a constituent assembly to be formed to make amendments to the agreement add to the inherited Christian frustration.

The pertinent question that remains on the mind of many Lebanese is whether this agreement truly serves as a sustainable solution for Lebanon. This question still holds today as the situation in Lebanon has been unstable since the signing of the agreement 25 years ago. There has been no sustainable peace, but rather a succession of crises.

What was dubbed the “National Reconciliation Accord” failed to foster understanding between the Lebanese. On the contrary, sectarian and religious tension have increased.