on the lot more on our website, that's d w dot com. ah ah, ah, the mediterranean was once a major crossroads at the heart of the ancient world. today it has become a barrier separating europe from africa. is there anything left of a past ones share, and what do today's distinct cultures have in common? journalists, xena, l moss rock and joe far abdul karim, travel the coast of the mediterranean in search of answers to what do you see yourself as a tunisian junior used to go the rights and responsibilities? how can you afford to think of these animals? god help with join us to get to know the people and their dreams. a mediterranean journey.

hello and welcome. i'm seen ab almera and i'm just thought abdulla cutting. 40 years ago we began an amazing journey at the southern mediterranean 100. we began in lebanon, the nation of my roots, the series ended in morocco, the nation of my rates. and it's during those 2 years in many countries, experienced political and economic people here on helps off with a global pandemic company. so let's go to europeans, one region, one of those nations and flux is lebanon, where we began our odyssey over 2 years ago. lebanon is a traditionally multi religion nation, politically unique in the middle east. the muslims and christians coexist here. but more than 30 years after the end of the civil war, societal tensions are high. the lab is coastline is 225 kilometers long,

the nation border sirius to the north and israel to the south with a population of around 6000000. i'm looking forward to welcoming the journalists, xena, and master xena brides, among other things about the emancipation of women in islam. she was born in hon over at 1981. her parents come from morocco and she lives and works in berlin. xena is taking pardon my talk show and a route on jeff, our talk we debate, political and socio critical issues of interest to people in the arab world lie the level that on that that was important to me because i turned out of the, you know, let me do it again, please. okay. are you coming to me or my going over to you? okay, thanks. have a little more. what's your topic for today? via hum? we've recorded 2 topics today. this is the 1st was whether it's okay for unmarried

people to live their lives together. so it, so is it possible? is it allowed, get us is a better not to film on me and the discussion with you on the slides. edema and the 2nd issue was about refugees in lebanon. emma windows, people always think that refugees are only debated in germany on, on. but there's also a debate going on in lebanon, his wealth, syrians and palestinians are facing huge challenges right now, and anybody, lebanon is changing legislation. what impact of that, having somebody, because there are some tension that we usually produce. jeff, our talk at deutsch avella and berlin once a month were also an arab countries. and today we're in lebanon. for me, that's like coming home. i was born in liberia, but i grew up in switzerland and here in beirut, or i attended the german school. my parents are also living here once again. they root is the economic and cultural heart of the country. like any good beach

promenade, the beirut cornish is a popular place for all manner of leisure activities. walkers love the view. joggers enjoy the breeze and teenagers pose as though they're on a catwalk then when they would vis. if you're ever and a route you really need to check it out. yeah, it's a wonderful atmosphere with the see the do math. how was that for you? then? you will say lived in bay rate for many years. yeah. and i think you also went to school here. yeah. and what did you do here with you will say come here and take photos if it up on to mile. i came here now and again with my family lunch. my. we sometimes came here for dinner, he se i was good, but there is also an ice cream parlor here. yeah. yet every child growing up in beirut must have eaten ice cream there, i guess. okay. what, hello. hello. how's it going? was with what would you like? i think well i said lemon before, but now i'm seeing something else. was that i should that manga then will do. i

said, you just ordered an arabic. well, no, i just asked, but in morocco we speak moroccan diploma. do you understand what she says when she speaks, go on board or something? i'd like some mango ice cream. i like manila i did move on alone. even i'm having vanilla and among law, sometimes when you taste or smell something, does it take you back to your childhood sooner than that? that's exactly what happens to me with a root in the background on the ice cream. now i finish mine and you've still got some. okay, no problem. we'll pretend i get oh and now yet they root still bears the scars of the civil war. it ravaged the city and the country for 15 years. initially, christians fought against the palestinian p. zillow. then the conflict escalated

into a battle between christians, pillow, supporters and arab nationalists. eventually israel invaded in 1982 and occupied southern lebanon until the year 2000. so this case has great historical significance, right? got it. huh. yes, absolutely. so this is mortar square. it has to do with lebanese independence and then if i was paying attention during history lesson is on that was 1943. but if you take a closer look, you see a lot of little holes in the show. i don't, it tells us exactly from the civil war. got he thank you he that so yes, a church church bells on the machine. yeah. there's a mosque as well. symbolic and from above and all looks good was good off, but things could definitely be better. one of them, especially when we're talking about laws about elections and religion does play

a role there haunted. everyone somehow entrenched and their religion in their 2nd 9 o'clock as soon as i was on the surface, everyone lives happily together like one big family, one big but within that family. but people still argue about. domino hm, bison, destiny, and continuing my journey alone, traveling 85 kilometers north to triplet. by, bless, tripoli is the nation, 2nd largest city, and according to a world bank report, the poorest metropolis on the entire mediterranean coastline. up until a few years ago, civil war still raged in some tripoli neighborhoods fueled among other things by the conflict and syria. the city saw clashes between sunni's and all wheat between enemies and supporters of the syrian dictator assad. now former opponents have laid

down their arms and joint forces to repair the roads and restore power lines with what the initiator of the reconciliation project march is, lay about rudy from the route. so can he, could you explain what happened here? oh okay. you'll hear in the city of tripoli, but in some of the poorest districts for years, these 2 neighborhoods where it won't work each other. jebel mason here and ben tabitha down there. we have people here from debbie topper noon and john mason. i'm from bell halvenetz. i'm the only one from chapel lesson, but i've been talking to it so you didn't talk to each other before. well, get to talk to each other. back then if we wanted to see each other, it wasn't to talk to teacher. i think that in on the dominant language was the language of weapons a day and the mutual fear is deep seated. it is based on the experiences of several decades and many wars. the goal is to overcome this fear. the march community

center provides a place for discussion and programs for countering aggression. i've been observing how your overall a woman between men will come from very much for your code structures, the way they thing they look at woman. what was it for you? the fact that i am a woman and i'm not home and i'm not from either sex, has them in the work that my work because 1st of all, i'm perceived as neutral. second of all, i think that in full day of the societies, you are a woman, man, dental show, their weakness is more than, than if you, because there's no dies and there's no ego. and, and one day i was asking them this question. imagine i was none. would that have worth the way it had was? and they only did. he said no, no. there are still traces of hatred and violence in serious street. but tentative

reconciliation efforts are at least under way. from tripoli, we travel on to be bellows. the small port town is just 40 kilometers away. the blows is one of the prettiest locations on the coast. i came as a child on a school trip. the blows offers natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage. phoenicians romans arabs and the crusaders all left their mark here not far from the blows i spend the night at bate albert's ruin. the eco lodge lies between tripoli and beirut. everything's either homemade or handmaid here, from the food right through to the furniture. it's like i'm in paradise. with this small estate, the owner colette co here has fulfilled a dream. and i really like mon achish was like,

particularly on the grid. i love it. the wheat is from this region and ask, man is making the dough. but i'd like 2 slices because i'm really hungry. a young among young, lebanese breakfast consists of a kind of pizza with that are seasoning plenty of greens and a lug of olive oil. ah, they want him a familiar with you to be mother to day many people's idea of being modern is skyline. so all new and high tech. oh hi tech. so combination, you combined tradition, nature, land, and village in a way that makes this place so authentic because of putty. that's really amazing. holy mechanic when he and ideally policy and i said active to be honest. and i'm often surprised that the reactions of some of the people who come to me that i know they need a modern life, london pure and i it was their love laid off when,

when and where does your passion come from any being on? i should. i lived abroad for almost 17 years. what during the war i left lebanon? so besides, i spent half the time in saudi arabia and the other half in london guest house is the idea of having a restaurant came to me during this time. it was kind of a dream of mine. he loved when i returned, i wanted to fulfill that dream here in lebanon. lebanon is my homeland, and i'd like to show that lebanon is a modern country, even with all the many problems we have here, to the label, the linux, that is way milady polio. lebanon has many problems for sure, thought, bestest, bestest. yes, but i'm very optimistic. optimistic set off and that optimism is the vital. in august 2020, there was a huge explosion in may route. the entire ports on was flattened in the blast.

dozens of people died and hundreds were injured. it turned out that almost $3000.00 tons of highly flammable material had been stored for years at the port without appropriate safety measures. it's thought construction work may have triggered the detonation. the accident stood as a symbol of failure for a state that could not protect its people. ah, even before the explosion since 2019 people of all backgrounds have been protesting in beirut. ah, someone who is always fought for societal change in lebanon is the journalist jonah had died. her work is breaking taboos. that was done well. the plan, i'm going to have a small kind of exercises like award, instead of yet una, the main thing is i'm all coming out with governor homosexuality is a criminal offense here. but there's a small l g, b,

t i q plus community. but most people just conceal their sexuality. more often coming out leads to expulsion from the family. the writers, yamaha dud, supports the activists and organizers regular events such as this one. okay, always she might have like okay, firstly hello again and turn out. i'm really glad you're all here. you know what? i certainly don't need to say it again, but i will, an you're now in a place where there are no judgements. i feel when a she study, there's nothing negative here yet. hope there's just a lot of love and unconditional acceptance for all of you. got it. and now. oh, so this is what's going to happen. the motto of our meeting is to come out or not to come out to come. what does that mean for us to get close to the person we want to say something to or are no wrong decisions, because there are people around us who support us will be sci fi. so yes, there will be a support system or a support group on oh. okay, so with ha, ha ha,

okay. that they're worried about you. you mean you miles away? okay. don't you speak to them out with a lot. are you doing this or breaking to boosters? or also in the time of risk, what was the cause for you for doing it? i think that at one point in my life because i was raised in such a conservative family, i had enough of all the hypocrisy because i knew that my own values are not necessarily the values of my society, but i was led them stop me from defending them and trying to bring them to life. so i decided not to be scared because if you're scared, it means they won them. another hot topic in lebanon is the traffic problem with cyclists still aren't in the world view of lebanese transport planners. chain effect wants to change that and make a route fit for bikes. i'm meeting project initiator,

zayna. how one and your colleagues yours. i so something it's all over the defeated you're doing? yeah. which is a quite a chain effect. so with chain is the bicycle chain obviously, and if i just decide that it was so people are going to be stuck in traffic and they will be available to ela, who and we have other sentences, like if you wrote a bicycle, you'd be there by now or we have stuff like, i'm going to say them and i was there, i'm yes. so we have one the study. i'm if the stuff, whatever that was out of the bush, then going to come here as fast as a grenade land. and you can also part quickly what's the funds to orgs or something like that. i a, i cycle a lot at home in berlin. and today for the 1st time in beirut with what you always wanted to cycle through bed route one day is the 1st

time i. yes. it's really the 1st time i have cycled in beirut. yeah, it's really exciting and a why do you say you're the only ones in beirut town lebanon to take cycling, say seriously the bike with wanted to some on the by did i and those that exercise he'd eat well to at toll it, it smells of hummus sesame and wild time. so in other words, of traditional lebanese food, the owners gold to get the nations many religions and religious cooking together.

geneva lebanon is also well known for its excellent food. yeah. i'm going to rely on you felicity. that's a good idea. off of that, so are of your city besides, you can count on me johnny mckee of baja, been we're really hungry. so we're going to order a lot, willis. w almost almost double autumn brimmed cauliflower and stuck zucchini and 2 glasses, a fresh pomegranate juice, adelman o that color looks incredible. yes. other one at salus. grades immer. okay. we say bas ha ha ha too. oh wow. something in common, but there's no alcohol in it, so it's okay. so that's what you say. this is phenomenal. not so and not sweets. exactly. right. and i'm sitting in the shade. what market? i went well. good. here we go. ah man, i kish. yeah. monica? yes. on occasion is you know that already in a clear. yes. and that looks like her mess with sooner. yeah. yes. and spring being

longer born and that's typical to fish. i know that from home any off on. so how's your mother always made it? yes. this was always made on the days where we said there is no meet to day like mine. that's what i like about lebanese cuisine in particular. i've been a vegetarian for many years and i can get delicious food everywhere without meat. and it's really tasty. dr. young is also gonna be missing. the program in germany is that there aren't that many good moroccan restaurants, simply because there aren't that many moroccans in germany. the places i've been say when that great, because we often think mom's cooking always tastes best. davosto much as i, i always have an immediate sense of being at home when i'm with my parents, the little morocco between our 4 walls near hanover. oh, when ever i've spent some vacations in morocco. oh, the whole family just gets together around the table won't be able to tie all it creates a warm atmosphere. it was half thresher than uh huh. yeah. give me a semi,

i see myself as a citizen of the war. he has a field event and constantly flying to new places and back off whenever i arrive in frankfort and find a bakery. i get some whole meal bread with cheese. that's like coming home for me to germany. oh, i love that as well, nisa, i favorite weather with family, with friends, et cetera, et cetera. if the food tastes good, it tastes good regardless of where it comes from. cushman and health yanna, as we leave. another surprise awaits us. ha ha to the ones that are inside. exactly. so the brand is a master kid. okay. where we're having a several events in the room, but the actual production is happening in the carriage in if you want to, to meet the people behind the project. ah, yes, really wrote him the next day i meet utterly on your 2 i and joseph solo,

from masterpiece. together we travel to the call valley, where clothing is produced by syrian refugee women for the fair trade project masterpiece. so they can earn at least a bit of income. lebanon has accepted more syrian refugees than any other country in the world, in relation to its own population. it's thought around 1500000 people living here come from the neighboring nation. lebanese laws only allow syrian refugees to work in agriculture, cleaning, or construction work for masterpiece founders of the project were able to obtain an exception. so this is one of the we've been talking by law. most of the women who work here come from syria. they fled to escape the islamic state and the war there whom pharmacy manages the masterpiece sewing workshop c and know that to syrian type a fabric with any student where you get it from, survive on their mission moment jewel i'm,

we try and get it from syria or from bay route, but it's difficult to be home but sure. what's that? that to shut made of pure so natural. so from the cocoon had i then did you so it as well? actually. no. my grandmother did that. my mother's mother then swags. 40 minutes when you have a piece of syria with you. yeah. need in was thoughtful. it means we still have a connection with syria is allied with ah, java. if you have good other am. good. nice. no. yeah, i do it to ha. what does masterpiece mean to you? unique masterpiece. hey, it's ken masterpieces my whole life. it's not just a job or it's also a way to survive. to get back to things we love to return to normal. them all. i've

got tears in your eyes with my only been by you now. yes. now new tis joy with high yet that that i also cry because of the difficulties we always face and hailey elijah maitland, mekena dental. below us had the mekena after meeting these remarkable women, i traveled back to beirut. the lebanese capital feels like one of the most contemporary cities in the mediterranean region. and an emotional day draws to a close. it's appropriately rounded off by the melancholic evening ambiance on the cornish, the beach promenade. almost certainly miss when i leave a route before

our 1st mediterranean journey ends. i've got another surprise for xena. i knew something i absolutely must buy when i'm in beirut, and falling a watermelon. i was to melanie. i'm going to eat that by yourself. i didn't know we're going to eat it here together. did this one that was out? you know, if the melons good. so from the sounds or it's linda, i know can if i hear the right sound than it's good. yeah. yeah. so this one you decide how much was after the and i did, but $4500.00. the read about in a, from speed that amanda says that so we doing this the traditional way, how an arab couple, which if all the women has the money and he pays it, but i'm not going to the man is rel, i'm not so traditional. you can pay to go, okay, with breaking tradition. nothing very good ah,

with, i'm also really enjoying the chance to experience the april here. and the spirit that exists here. because i only really know baby, tim lebanon, from the news. it's usually about war and conflicts. when at least to some extent on and the people are friendly, they go to positive mindset and they appreciate what they have. and of course you've got the advantage of having the mediterranean here, unlike us in germany. but there's so much to discover. and i really loved sharing the experience with best buy. i'm glad to hear it before me, but i'm looking forward to taking our trip as well. yes, i wonder what you'll think of panacea after world tangier and the surrounding region have had a huge influence on me. with

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