Maya 的个人资料About Lebanon照片日志列表更多  |  工具 帮助 |
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11月30日 Sad sad situationThe country is in trouble again. We haven't had any peace since Hariri's assasination. There's always gotta be something: The Syrians, the Israelis, or lately ourselves.
Just to recap (very briefly and broadly) for those of you who don't follow Lebanese news. Lebanon is currently divided into two camps: pro-government and anti-government. At this point, the 2 camps are not able to come to any agreement through negotiations. The anti-government group is therefore coming to the streets tomorrow in what promises to be a massive protest.
All I can hope for is that this protest remains calm, civilized, and doesn't end up in any brutality amongst members of the pro-goverment groups.
The problem is that nobody is flinching. Each group is standing their ground and is unwiling to compromise in any way. I am so sad and terrified at what is happening to our country. We are so bitterly divided at this point and so utterly stubborn, that I am not sure if there is any way out of this situation. We can't afford another civil war.
It is so frustrating to see a country like Lebanon, with so much potential, just autodestructing itself. That is what we are doing. Autodestroying ourselves.
Why can't anybody make concessions, negotiate, come clean? I am very concerned about my country's future. 7月31日 Smart strategy?Bombing for peace
is like raping for love.
(as read on a sign in a demonstration in Bern) 7月13日 Violence escalates. Civilians pay the price.The violence continues to escalate. The latest developments include 2 more attacks on Beirut International Airport, setting fuel tanks on fire. The Israeli army dropped leaflets warning residents to avoid "Hezbollah" areas and then proceeded to attacking Dahyé. Hezbollah continues to launch rockets into Israel. In a nutshell, it is a big big mess that may take years to recuperate from.
What gets to me is that both the Israelis and hezbollah are delighted at this opportunity to fire at each other, with no consideration for the impact it can have on civilian life, civilian infrastructure, the political stability of the country, and the country's economy.
Hezbollah's kidnapping is a great excuse for Israel to flex its muscles and destabilize Lebanon. Obviously, this is not only about Hezbollah. If it were only about Hezbollah, there would be no need to attack the airport. Hezbollah gets its arms from Syria and Iran, most probably by land, not by air. The sole attack on the airport has officially paralyzed the country, preventing Lebanese diaspora to visit Lebanon, making toursists flee, thus crashing our economy which almost exclusively relies on summer touristic traffic.
On the other hand, all these attacks on Lebanon are a great excuse for Hezbollah to regain its "raison d'être" or reason for existence. The resistance is back! Oh yes! Look what it's come down to.
At the end of the day, all of this is our fault. We had the opportunity to unite, following the March 14th movement, but we ruined our chances and bitterly divided - thus creating a gap between Hezbollah and the rest of the government. Through unity would've come discussions, resolution, and a much better situiation than the one we are in currently. God bless you all. I hope your families are safe and sound. 6月20日 We're in troubleIt's no secret that Lebanon is not an environmentally friendly place. The pollution, whether it be air pollution from factories, and cars; noise pollution from traffic jams and honking; visual pollution from all the concrete and billboards all over the place... but the biggest problem yet is solid waste. A mountain of trash has already "leaked" into the Mediterranean a couple times, and today I read this article in the Daily Star in which the Environment Minister Yacoub Sarraf warned that the country was facing an environmental crisis of exceptional urgency. "Lebanon will drown in solid waste if we don't implement an adequate treatment plan within six months," But this isn’t the worse part – what’s really distressing is that the Cabinet (just like everything else in this country) can’t seem to agree on a solution to this problem… This is really depressing! Lebanon remains a gorgeous country despite of all the problems, but the last thing we need is mountains of waste lying around! Let’s hope they can get it together for once. BE GREEN! 2月8日 The story behind the violence.Tired of hearing about the cartoons yet? Well, I just can't seem to get over the escalation of violence that has been spreading around the world. It sort of reminds me of the spread of violence that France experienced at the end of last year amongst its urban communities. So what does this mean? Should we throw all "Muslims" into one sack and label them "violent terrorists" and say things such as "well the cartoon is right". I don't think so. There's more to it than the cartoon. Just as in France there was more to it than the kid who died.
Some people and media suggest that we are in a war of two worlds, two cultures, two religeons that continuously clash. Others suggest that it is a "war on terrorism". I don't know about all that. All I know is that your average Muslim is frustrated, angry, and a lot of them are poor.
Look at your angry Muslims in France. They are poor. They are discriminated against. They lack opportunities. You could compare them to the African-American community in the USA.
Now let's look at your average Muslim in Palestine. Talk about frustration and lack of opportunity! With over 50% unemployment, insecurity, the threat of bombs over their heads any moment. Not to mention the lack of a state.
How about Muslims in Syria living in an opressive regime. Civiliam Muslims in Iraq who are suffering the consequences of this "war on terrorism". Muslims in Afgnahistan are extremely poor and suffered their share of violence.
How about the rest of the Muslims in the world? There are 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide, they make up 21% of the world population (versus 33% Christianity and 0.22% Judaism). Well, if you look closely you will realize that terrorists remain largely a minute minority next to the number of Muslims worldwide, yet everyone is suffering from the stereotype. Even Christian Arabs are suffering from this stereotype aboard: being denied a visa, being turned down to rent an apartment, bein illegaly detained... the list goes on and on. However other ethnicities do not suffer the stereotypes of terrorism in their region in the same way that Arabs and Muslims do (just to name a few: the IRA (Irish Republican Army) in Ulster, the ETA Basque separatists in Spain, the Shining Path guerrillas of Peru, and the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka the IRA (Irish Republican Army) in Ulster, the ETA Basque separatists in Spain, the Shining Path guerrillas of Peru, and the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka). The anger has been building up. This anger is exasperated amongst the poor especially, who are most vulnerable to fanaticism. This cartoon... what a great way to set free of one's anger without being arrested by your opressive regime. Syrians are not allowed to demonstrate yet they were allowed to when it came to this.
So, is the anger fueled by this cartoon only a symptom of a deeper underlying issue? Maybe. Or maybe not. Maybe we simply are "savage" or violent . Just look at our history.... (then again look at the history of other cultures such as British, Roman, Chinese, Russian etc.)
I'll leave you with these thoughts and am looking forward to your reactions.
2月6日 Please note...Please note that the riots in Lebanon were not caused by Lebanese nationals but rather by a majority of Syrians: "Seventy-seven out of the 192 rioters detained on Sunday are Syrian nationals, An Nahar reported on Monday. The others are 42 Palestinians, 48 Lebanese and 25 Bedouins".
Quoted from Naharnet:
Ministers Request Protest Against Syria at Security Council Over Riots "Several ministers have called on the government to file a complaint against Syria before the U.N. Security Council for its alleged involvement in Sunday's riots in the Christian neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh. Syria is widely blamed for the riots especially that the majority of those arrested for the violent actions that caused damage to properties and heightened sectarian tensions are Syrian nationals or belong to pro-Syrian groups." Full story 2月5日 The "cartoon" issue. Here's what I think.I saw these cartoons. I find them unbelievably offensive. Furthermore it is DOUBLY offensive because not only it is blasphemy to represent the prophet Mohamed in an image but on top of it all, he was represented as a terrorist! This is outrageous!
I AM NOT AGAINST FREE SPEECH! However, consider if this Danish paper or other portrayed a Jewish-oriented caricature. The world would yell: "ANTI-SEMITISM!!!" and the paper would have to make public apologies. Imagine the riots in the USA and other countries if Jesus was portrayed in a caricature doing something that would offend Christians (for example having sex maybe?) - I guarantee there would've been worldwide indignation.
Yes, the journalists have the RIGHT to publish whatever they want BUT - there is something called minimum decency and respect which they wouldn't imagine to violate against Jews or Christians (nor Muslims until now for that matter).
THIS IS NOT TO JUSTIFY THE VIOLENT DEMONSTRATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON! These demonstrations are warranted but they should be peaceful. Such violent riots only reinforce the Western stereotype of the "Muslim terrorist". I am so disappointed. I wish for once we could've proved "them" wrong. I wish we could've proved to them that we are upset and offended but we are going to be civilized about it (ie peaceful demonstrations, boycotting products is fine, writing articles about it and making speeches about it, requesting public apologies etc.).
Just for the record, it appears that the violent riots in Lebanon were caused by NON-LEBANESE citizens.
In fact I condemn the Lebanese government for not better containing these riots. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the riots have been spreading around the world and it was only a matter of time until they would reach Lebanon.
To sum up, I would just like to share a story about the prophet Mohamed. There was a lady who would throw garbage at him every day when he would go by her house. But Mohamed would just keep on walking. One day, she didn't throw garbage at him so he knocked on her door as he was concerned that she may be ill since she hadn't thrown garbage at him... Mohamed would've never approved of such violent measures.
Below are some pics. What a disaster... who would've thought, in Beirut? What a shame....
1月9日 Violence in NaameI have said it before and I will say it again. "NO to arms in the hands of any group except the Lebanese army!" This goes twice as much for non-Lebanese groups in Lebanon. I was outraged when my family told me they could see the smoke from their balcony of this afternoon's violence. The situation is getting ridiculous. Nowhere would this kind of behavior be acceptable in anywhere else. Foreigners dictating their law outside of their land. I want to scream. And it seems that nobody is doing anything about it because if they do, they become "traitors", "pro-Americans" and "pro-Israel". How about the safety of our citizens??? This situation can easily get out of control... I am extremely worried.
I have posted some pics of the violence. 12月12日 Breaking news: Gebran Tueni killedGebran Tueni has been added to the long list of Lebanese martyrs, who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Lebanon.
There are no words... except I pray this is the last one. From BBC:
"Prominent Lebanese anti-Syrian MP and journalist Gibran Tueni has been killed in a massive car bomb attack in Beirut.
This comes hours before UN Security Council members get the latest report on the death of a former Lebanese PM, in which Syria has been implicated. Veteran Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt accused Syria of being behind the latest bombing in Beirut. Syria denied any involvement and said the attack was timed to damage its reputation ahead of a UN meeting. BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy says the attack raises the political temperature in Lebanon at a highly sensitive moment. Mr Tueni's car was travelling through the Christian-dominated Mekallis area of eastern Beirut during the morning rush hour when the attack happened. The blast was so powerful it blew his armoured car off the small mountain road and sent it rolling down the hill, the BBC's Kim Ghattas reports from Beirut. The body of Mr Tueni and three others were recovered several hundred metres away from the blast site. At least 10 people were wounded."
I just woke up to the news, horrified. I posted some pics so you can understand the impact of this huge explosion. At least 3 other people were killed along with Tueni, and many other wounded. RIP...
12月6日 Mass graves discovered in AnjarIt is with horror that I have been following the stories of one mass grave after another being discovered in Lebanon. Five have been uncovered so far, totalling AT LEAST 40 bodies (possiby more).
The area in which these mass graves are being discovered also happens to be the location of Syria's past "interrogation centers" (the politically correct word for "torture chambers", I guess).
Do the corpses belong to those who perished during their "interrogations"? Some say these bodies belong to casualties of the civil war.
Families of loved ones that have been missing were on the scenes.
DNA testing will take place, some are already calling for an international investigation.
Hopefully, the perpetrators will be held accountable. I don't know what the implications are for Syria, but some are already pointing fingers. Who knows maybe America and Israel planted the bodies there 10 or 20 years ago to "harm" Syria decades later!?!
Let's keep the 17,000 people missing from the war and the 176 prisoners in Syria, as well as their families in our thoughts and prayers at this time. Let's hope their families can find out the truth and be in peace.
11月7日 Tough timesThese are tough times for Lebanon since former prime minister, Rafic Hariri was assassinated. It is a time of tension and incertitude. We are facing a number of concerns:
- The Mehlis report and our relationship with Syria: Will Syria collaborate with the UN investigation? How will Syria react? What will be the impact for Lebanon and its relationship with Syria? Will the perpetrators be brought to justice?
- We need a leader. Hariri has left a void behind and our country lacks leadership. President Lahoud has lost all respect and credibility, yet he continues to receive support from some. Will Lahoud leave before the end of his “mandate”? If so when? And who will take over?
- We are facing serious troubles with weapons that are left in the hands of Palestinian militia and Hezbollah. It is time to disarm both and let the Army take over the protection of our country. But when will this happen? Will it happen smoothly? Enough tiptoeing around the issue!
- Our economy is disastrous. It isn’t a surprise when considering the above. How long will the people hang on? When will things start picking up?
- What about Israel? Is it premature to consider normalizing relationships with them, or is now the appropriate time considering all the changes in the air? Of course, there are too many opponents at this time to this, but can we at least start talking about this “taboo” issue?
I am optimistic and hope that if we resolve one issue (namely the Mehlis report, the first concern on this list), there will be a domino effect and things will fall into place naturally. Things must change, we have no other option. 9月28日 We are getting used to the violence?I was in Lebanon for the past 10 days. During that time, there were 2 explosions: one in Ashrafieh, one in Jounieh.
The explosion in Ashrafieh didn't target anyone in particular, although it did make a victim. The blast in Jounieh, however, targeted a prominent anti-Syrian journalist: May Chidiac. May presents the 8:00PM news on LBC, a leading Lebanese channel. May lost her left arm and left leg as a result of this attack.
What shocked me during all this, was the fact that people do not appear frightened. People go on with "business as usual". Restaurants and clubs remain busy and people roam the streets and malls as if nothing will happen to them.
While this is the way it should be (our economy is suffering enough as it is), I still find it disconcerting. I was very close to the place of the attack on May Chidiac but I did not rush home to safety when I heard about it. I conituned doing what I had to do. And everybody did the same. Yes, there was an uproar and a demonstration in support of May Chidiac, people are not insensitive. But they do appear used to it. They are no longer frightened.
Are we getting used to this violence and these attacks? Or are we showing signs of courage and resistance? This is the 14th attack in 7 months! When will the insanity end???
 May Chidiac - you are in our thoughts and prayers. May you keep the faith and courage through these difficult times. 7月24日 What kind of world are we living in???It's a scary world we live in today. It is a world in which wars are fought without battles. It is a world in which innocent civilians aure purposely targeted by a minority guerrilla group. And the superpowers of the world seem unable to stop them.
Whether you are going to work in Manhattan, Madrid or London.
Whether you are clubbing in Tel Aviv, Bali or Beirut.
Whether you are a tourist in Cairo or Sharm el Sheikh.
Whether you are trying to go about your daily life in Baghdad, Belfast, Caracas or Riyad.
You may be next.
They may strike from wherever, whenever, in whatever ways.
Nobody is safe.
While the above attacks have different perpetrators and diferent "causes", they all have a disregard and disrespect for human life.
It's sickening. It's sad. It's disturbing.
7月21日 Another attack in LondonYes, you heard right. There were another 4 bomb attacks in London today. Fortunately, they were small bombs and there was only one injury. When is this insanity ever going to end??? 7月7日 We are all in London.What frightening news to wake up to. As I am sure you all know, London was the victim of a series of terrorist attacks in its subways and on a bus. About 40 people were killed and hundreds were injured. It's scary to witness how vulnerable we all are. Wherever we are in the world, we could be the next victim of such an attack. It could be in the Middle East, just as it could be in the West. You could be on your way to work and... GONE. Or one of your loved ones gone. My husband was in one of those subway stations just 2 weeks ago... One of our fellow Lebanese bloggers also had a close call...
God bless the people of London and give them the strength to surmount these difficult times and to grieve for their loved ones.
Let us all take a moment out of our busy days to think about the victims and pray for peace. Salam.
.  6月30日 Why did Hezbollah attack?An Israeli soldier was killed as a result of attacks from Hizbullah. It isn't a coincidence that these attacks were launched the day after Berri's reelection and his statement about defending the resistance "as long as we are occupied". Whether Shebaa belongs to Lebanon or Syria, we cannot afford such actions. Israel could easily retaliate in a manner that would be extremely harmful to us. They have the capacity, one that far exceeds that of Hizbullah. So why did they risk it? There are a few hypotheses. They want to remind everybody that they exist. A conflict between Israel and Lebanon would justify Hizbullah's existence and lead to more popular support for them to keep their arms, thus their funding. This attack also sends a message that Hizbullah remains involved in Palestinian affairs. Enough meddling. While we can be supportive and sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, we cannot compromise our own safety and independence to defend the Palestinian cause. This is a dangerous game that Hizbullah is playing. It is jeopardizing Lebanon's security, stability, tourism, economy, international support, credibillity... It is time for peace and prosperity. Not for war and crises.
6月24日 Is Jumblatt next? and more questions left unanswered.Jumblatt publicly requested that the Druze communhity remain "sensible" in the event of his assasination. Why did he make such a statement? Did he receive credible threats? Does he simply fear that he is next? Does he know too many things that "they" don't want him to know? A few days before he was killed, George Hawi gave Al-Jazeera an interview in which he reported the name of Kamal Jumblatt's (Walid Jumblatt's father) murderer. Is this why Goerge Hawi was killed? Is this why Walid Jumblatt is feeling the heat? Who's next? A rumor has been circulating about a "hit list" of 20 people. Three are gone: Rafik Hariri, Samir Kassir and George Hawi. It is whispered that there are 17 assasinations left to be executed and the next victims include: Walid Jumblatt, Saad Hariri, Samir Geagea, Elias Attallah, Fares Sueid. Some prominent people have taking precautions already: moving abroad or purchasing anti-bomb technology. 6月10日 Adieu March 14thWhat is happenning in Lebanon is very troubling. Where did March 14th go? It's like it never happenned! Where are the 1.5 million people, united for a better country? Gone. Sectarian tensions are on the rise. Elections are a joke: politicians are allying with one another left and right with no ethical concerns. These same alliances will be void as soon as the necessary seats are won. There have also been reports that Syrian intelligence remains... So what's next? Please don't tell me "same old, same old" coz that's what it looks like. I don't mean to be pessimistic. But I am concerned.
"Same old, same old" 6月4日 Freedom of speech
Freedom of press. Freedom of blogging. Freedom of speech. Without fear for one's life. Also check out Ramzi's animation "Broken pen" (June 3rd entry). It really captures the feelings stirred by Kassir's murder. |
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