LEBANON (Enmaeya News) - November 28, 2025
Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar has launched a new initiative named “The Untaught History,” marking Independence Day with a project designed to document key chapters of Lebanon’s modern past that have long been absent from formal school curricula.
The initiative, unveiled on November 22, takes the form of a special edition that compiles a chronological narrative of major national events beginning in 1943.
According to the newspaper, these events, although central to Lebanon’s recent history, have never been introduced in unified form to students in the country’s schools.
“It may seem strange, but Lebanese students have never been taught a unified history of the period following independence,” An-Nahar said in its announcement.
The paper described the publication as a “documented presentation of pivotal events in modern Lebanese history, chapters that never made it into school textbooks.”
The edition draws on An-Nahar’s archive, spanning more than 9 decades. Reporters and editors reviewed and verified archive material to compile a consistent record of developments across political, social, and national spheres.
The project is presented as an effort to provide readers, including students, with a factual, accessible historical reference.
As part of the campaign’s launch, Editor-in-Chief Nayla Tueni and members of the An-Nahar team presented the publication to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, several Cabinet ministers, MPs, mayors, and other public figures.
Officials welcomed the initiative, describing it as a constructive national contribution and emphasizing the importance of developing a unified approach to teaching history.
The project also includes school outreach. An-Nahar journalists visited educational institutions in Beirut to discuss the significance of Independence Day and the role of historical knowledge in strengthening civic understanding among students.
“We have always said that Lebanon cannot move forward without confronting its past. Today, we are putting that past in print for all to see. If history books fail to teach our children, An-Nahar will do so,” Tueni said during the launch.
To preserve the new historical project for future generations, the newspaper announced that “The Untaught History” will be secured on the blockchain.
According to An-Nahar, this approach ensures long-term accessibility and safeguards the material from alteration.
“Political divisions may silence curricula, but they cannot silence the truth of events preserved in the pages of the free press,” the newspaper said.
