Lebanon Has Two-time Zones?

For the first time ever, millions of people in a small country are suddenly going by two different time zones, due to a disagreement between Lebanon's political and religious authorities over daylight saving. Nobody quite knows what time it is in Lebanon. 

The Mediterranean country of roughly 6 million should have re-scheduled its clocks back an hour for daylight saving. It does every year along with much of the wider region and Europe. This time, however, there was a last-minute objection. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

The holy month of Ramadan, practiced by a major proportion of Lebanon's population and falls across March and April in 2023. Daylight saving would mean that sunset falls around 7 p.m. rather than 6 p.m., making practicing Muslims go an additional hour before they can break their fast and eat and drink again. A few days before the clocks were to be set back, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament speaker Nabih Berri decided that daylight saving should be postponed until April 21. This move is widely seen as an act of support for Muslims observing Ramadan. The country's leadership is divided between Sunni and Shia Muslims and Christians.

Lebanon's Maronite church, the largest Christian institution in the country, objected, saying they were not consulted and that such a last-minute change would cause chaos in the country and put it at odds with international standards.

The result? For the first time ever, millions of people in one small country are going by two different time zones.

At Beirut international airport, the scheduling board for departing flights showed two different times for the exact same flight: Flight A3 947 to Athens, for example, was listed twice, shown as departing at both 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. 

Muslim institutions and parties seemed intent to follow Mikati's lead and remain on the winter time zone. Many Christian institutions said they would abide by daylight saving time. Major Lebanese news outlets LBCI and MTV said they would also move their clocks forward. Middle East Airlines, meanwhile — Lebanon's flagship carrier — "said its clocks would stay in winter time but it would adjust its flight times to keep in line with international schedules.”

The confusion presented yet another challenge, a tragic comedy — as the Lebanese people are already dealing with skyrocketing inflation, a nearly-collapsed currency, daily power cuts and general state dysfunction.

All is not lost, Mikati now says Lebanon's cabinet had voted to rectify the issue and move the clocks forward by one hour.  That decision had been taken after a "calm discussion." The clock times are just a symptom of a very divided nation. Once seen as an idyllic paradise, it has become a hotbed of sectarian violence. Pray that we will not come to this!

Reference:

Lebanon wakes up in tow simultaneous time zones as government can’t agree on daylight saving change, Natasha Turak,  CNBC, 27 March 2023