For a better Lebanon

As far as I am concerned !

2011-09-25T22:20:00.001+02:00

Patriarch Rai can grow his beard, wear a turban and lead us to another (devastating) divine victory.

Walid Jumblat can get on his Harley and ride unto the sunset never to be heard of again.

Nabih Berri can turn parliament to a big Roman orgy.

Samir Geagea can decide become a monk in the hope to be canonized after his passing.

Saad Hariri can turn downtown Beirut into a red light district and become its higher paid customer.

Michel Aoun can direct and star in a new version of Mel brook’s history of the world.

Amine Gemayel can create his own line of hair care products.

Talal Arslan can open up a free psychiatric ward for all those who have an inferiority complex.

Hassan Nasrallah can get on his white horse waiving his sword (like Mar Elias) protecting all Arab widows and orphans.

As far as I am concerned, they, and all our political class, past and current might not even have a place reserved for them in hell, for the devil might be afraid that they will oust him.

Hassan Nasrallah, ou l’oiseau de mauvais augure!

2011-05-25T23:29:00.002+02:00

Sad is the day when an entire (so called) nation awaited with bated breath the speech of a self proclaimed divine protector in order to have a hint, or even an inclination as to whether this long awaited summer will be calm and prosperous, ... or not.

Hassouna (our self declared divine protector) a finalement mit les points sur les "I ".

According to him; we have to be grateful for the role the Syrian “despotic” regime has played throughout; not only the 15 years of war, but also the next 15 years of hegemony we Lebanese had to endure (at a price of many martyrs numbering in the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands), for according to “our dear Divine protector” Lebanon would have ceased to exist if it wasn't for the goodness of the Syrian heart's regime with regards to its "sisterly state" (and still we have no border demarcation).

The only “true” (and legal, according to him) resistance is that of Hizbullah, and all the rest is nothing but puppets in the hand of the greater evil that is Netenyahu (thank God his family name does not end in a double OO and not a U; than Yahoo would also be a Zionist entity), Obama, KSA, Bahrain, France, England…and the rest of the world; save Pakistan, the Taliban, Iran ….. Bashar.

Even Mikati and Suleiman had their fare share of criticism.

Get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, he shouted whilst his hand was whipping the sweat off his forehead and trying to put back the few strains of rebellious hair which kept on creeping outside his turban. Syria (or to put it in his own words SOUYiYA) is a red line, do not attempt to stab it in the back .

According to our self proclaimed divine protector, the entire universe is wrong. Bashar is nothing short of St Rita, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Mar Charbel, The prophet Mohammad, Hare Krishna, Tao, Winnie the poo…etc (all put together in order to create the most magnanimous entity ) and we should all rally behind him; for according to Hassouna what is taking place in SOUYIYA is all the doing of one Obama and one Netenyahu.

According to him the majority of the Syrian people are all for a living under oppression and those who died in their quest for freedom and dignity are nothing but a small percentage misguided by foreign "ill seeking" powers with their own devilish agendas (Lebanese devil worshipers included).

Hassouna, our Divine protector after having sweat profusely, promised us yet another more spectacular victory.
The only question that springs to my mind is : “at what cost?”

Wlek tfeh ya Hassan, go back to that same rock you crawled out of.

The only people who are still applauding your speeches are not Lebanese. And when Bashar will fall flat on his face (within time I admit) and gets shafted (with no Vaseline), the only recourse you and your "sheeple"will have, is to seek refuge in the land of “Wilayat Al Faqih”, but only if (and a big IF that is) then such a land and outdated notion still exists. Remember Neda, she is nothing but the beginning!

Syrian Karma

2011-05-24T00:10:00.000+02:00

For over 30 years we have endured what you are JUST beginning to endure.
For over 30 years the world stood silent towards the blatant abuse your regime is now inflicting upon you (after many years of practice).
For over 30 years my country was run to the ground so that the same murderous family could keeps its power and insures its survival.
For over 30 years fear prevailed violently silencing the strongest of opposition voices.
For over 30 years mothers wept (and many are still weeping) awaiting closure on the fate of their long lost sons.
For over 30 years many have waited for this day in silence !
There is (and there should be) a part of every Lebanese rejoicing in the saying :“what goes around comes around”; but somehow this “festive” feeling is dampened by the savagery the Syrian regime is inflicting upon its own people. Such criminal acts (in some twisted feeble minds) could have been justified when done by an “occupying” power against even a “sisterly” state; but harder to digest when such cruelty is inflicted against your own people (not to use the words “your own kind”).
Today (and yesterday) I feel with my (hopefully repenting brothers and sisters) who remained silent to our plight for over 30 years. To those very same Syrian brothers and sisters I call for “Tawhid al massareyn”; in the fight for DIGNITY and freedom.
To my brothers and sisters in Syria I say :
“I forgive your silence over 30 years; better late than never. Keep up the fight and maybe one day (hopefully soon) we can both regain our dignity; DEMARCATE borders and LIVE AND LET LIVE. Keep up the struggle and once you achieve your freedom, no need to apologize for your silence and your past complacency; it’s all in the past!
For the time being, as a Lebanese who witnessed firsthand the power of the Syrian regime’s “boot”, I am rooting for you; don’t let me down. I have no aspirations whatsoever to be “invited” to your country as "KOWAT AL RADE3" and spend 30 years pillaging, murdering, and making you feel that your security and stability depends solely on the whimsy of our local dictatorial (which is not the case) president ELECTED FOR LIFE !

L’amertume maternelle.

2011-05-01T21:39:00.000+02:00

No matter how hard I try to phrase it and paint a nearly perfect picture; my words will always fall short. The fact is, and still remains that Joseph’s mother passed away for her heart could no longer take the incertitude and the false promises. And by saying Joseph’s mother, I am referring to Joseph Sader who’s many of you chose to forget, including Ziad Baroud. Fayez Karam still makes the headlines on a regular basis, but the simple “Joe” I guess is not news worthy.
We are too busy trying to predict the outcome of the Syrian uprising and the effect it might have on the land of the Cedars. Some are even rejoicing in advance hoping that the change in our sisterly neighboring state will bring along change for the better; but no one has even considered, taken into account, or even thought about “the devil within”.
Local political analysts, bloggers, journalists; spew texts and articles on how this “newly” found trend of freedom is going to affect this Biblical land of ours, the establishment of “Wilayet al faqih” or even the Salafist (pipe)dream; comparing Egypt, Tunis, Bahrain,Syria, Yemen…Timbuktu; they all fail
Yes the tide is changing and all around us people are rebelling; and locally we are still drowning in our own cesspool of corruption and deceit. Lebanese raise their angry voices in protest for haphazardly arrests in Syria, but all fail to even mention or even hint to the fate of the thousands Lebanese still rotting in Syrian jails.
Even if I could understand such an omission, I cannot begin to understand how many fellow Lebanese are asking for the immediate release of “opinion” prisoners in our sisterly state whilst, locally, the whereabouts of Joseph Sader is still unknown.
Shame on a “nation” (and yes it is in between brackets) that cares more for the safety of the sons of our INVADERS, and turns a deaf ear to the fact that a Lebanese mother’s heart stopped beating because of her worry as to the status of her own LEBANESE son, which until this day remains unknown.
You wannabe protectors of freedom and truth, before you take on the plight of the people of Daraa start by cleaning house; maybe then your “freedom speech” might be taken seriously.
Enough empty talk and analysis from both sides of our political divide; many of MY people are still missing both locally and in Syria. It is about time that we retake our pioneering stand, and demand clear answers from our government (or lack of) first before some of us can paint themselves as THE protectors of freedom and human rights. Vindicate Joseph’s mother!
Wlek Tfeh!

Weep silently.

2011-04-20T23:09:00.002+02:00

I weep silently, just like a hungry new born who has it in him not make his selfish mother feel guilty for not feeding him.

I weep silently, just like a toddler who fell down the stairs and his silent cries were ignored.

I weep silently, just like a teenager who had his heart crushed for the very first time and no one noticed your pain.

I weep silently, just like the first time you left your parental cocoon and felt lonely.

I weep silently, just like when you finally realize that “for better or for worst” is not a lifetime warranty.

I weep silently, just like when you see the one person you love the most on his death bed, and you are the only one present.

But shed rivers of tears my Lebanese son; for soon you will find yourself without the 10452km2 your ancestors shed their blood in order to call this land a permanent home.

When push comes to shove you will have to decide, either to put your life at risk for the “cause” , or to convince yourself (like I did) that now is not the right time; use your trump card (your other inherited citizenship)and take the easy way out.

In both cases, I can assure you my son that you will shed oceans of tears; and this is the curse of being born Lebanese.

N.B: You know where my stash of weapons is.

Al ma7abis youridoun al 3afou al 3am !

2011-04-07T22:57:00.001+02:00

The entire Middle East is witnessing popular revolts against despots, regimes and long standing oppression; and we Lebanese (the chosen people amongst our Arab neighbours) are witnessing a new kind of revolution.
In keeping with the (misplaced) idea of being “avangardistes”, and having missed the train of true rebellion against the regime; we Lebanese have concocted a new “righteous cause”, in order to regain the FIRST ranking amongst our neighbouring “sheeple”.
The best ,and the only available alternative is that of the prisoner’s conditions within our ill managed Lebanese state (or currently, lack of). Yes the local penal system is flawed, and has been since our so called independence; but does this FACT justify the latest popular upsurge in the call of descent against “the machine” (and yes this is a direct reference to Pink Floyd)?
No matter how harsh an inhumane the conditions are within our local prison system; this should have been a buffer against crime, even petty crime; but I guess we in Lebanon have a different notion of what is right and what is wrong.
Yes you have the right to demonstrate “peacefully” for better conditions within our jails for your relatives and loved ones; but you also have to admit, with SHAME that they have done wrong, and dues have to be paid. Screaming, burning tires, blocking road, justifying dealing drugs for the lack of job opportunities, murder...etc; whilst your next of kin (“guests” at the hotel Roumieh) have the liberty to communicate with the media via cell phones, slashing their bodies (or other prisoner’s) with blade knives whilst setting fuel tanks on fire endangering other people’s lives is a clear signal that the 3afou 3am is something that the government (if only we had one), should not even consider.
Many had the audacity to voice their opinion, claiming that the crimes perpetrated by those they represent were because of lack of opportunities; and those very same “leaches on society” were arrogant enough to claim that drug dealing (even rape) is not like murder. WLEK TFEH ! And still some listen and promise better conditions once the necessary monies are passed through parliament. Don’t we have more pressing issues like 24h electricity, water, social security, retirement fund ....etc towards those “law abiding” citizens; before we start thinking of the rehabilitation of those who are a burden on the already depleted government coffers?
I just wish that the next time I pass by Roumieh (and it might be tomorrow), and a stone is thrown at my car I could brandish my gun and shoot at those so called mothers who are foreign to “the rule of law”, and not only to maim the lot of them, but piss on their bleeding bodies. Let them go and witness firsthand how our neighbouring countries deal with their own (and ours, SYRIA) prisoners and I dare them to demonstrate there.
THIS IS NOT LEBANON. THIS IS NOT AN INNOCENT CRY FOR BETTER CONDITIONS; THIS IS NOTHING BUT A VAIN ATTEMPT TO COMPROMISE ZIAD BAROUD AND MICHEL SULEIMAN
I say: “Let them burn, along with Roumieh”, one of the bastion of a failed state.

Half a century…… almost!

2011-03-31T23:35:00.000+02:00

Half a century almost; and STILL I am in search of answers.
Half a century almost; and I am STILL being forced to deal with forced changes.
Half a century almost; and my future STILL seems insecure.
Half a century almost; and my disdain is STILL ever growing.
Half a century almost; And STILL I can’t claim to be part of ONE nation and ONE people.
Half a century almost; and I STILL have my gun close by in my night stand.

The above is nothing but a mere ‘lucarne’ to the soul of those Lebanese born into the early 60’s, and still believe in the land of the Cedars (and for those less romantic you can call it LEBANON).
From Bechara Al Khoury, Majid Arslan, Kamal Junblat, Camille Chamoun, Fouad Chehab, Antoun Saadeh, to Maarouf Saad, Etienne Sakr, , Saad Haddad, Ibrahim Kulaylat..etc ending with the likes of Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, Mouammar Al Kaddafi, Yasser Arafat… and many more; we should have realized a long time ago that we are (according to the “then and now” prevailing powers) “disposable”, not even as a nation or people; just plain DISPOSABLE. And we still are.
Over 180,000 shed blood for their different vision of the motherland; and here we are today standing (gun in hand) at square one. Two generations (and the third is in the making) since our so called independence and the divide is growing deeper. The fear of one (OK only a couple) of the 18 different religious sects trying to take over and change the face of Lebanon, is a notion I never would have even entertained, but has now became ‘food for thought’. On one hand we have a Divine protector who pledges allegiance to Wilayat al Fakih backed by a demented general, and on the other hand we have a new born Christian allied to the very religious sect, who not long ago wanted to push him to the sea and create a Palestinian state within our borders.
And this new generation of ours (the second generation, our hope for a better future) has jumped on the “revolution” bandwagon, and demonstrates almost every Sunday for a secular state. “iskat al nizam” they shout out proudly; but what “nizam” I ask? The same “nizam” which allows you to ride your moped and wreak havoc within safe neighborhood? Or the very same “nizam” which allows you to have darkened windshields on your car, a license to carry arms, to fire RPG rocket in jubilation, to have your dad on the government payroll whilst holding another more lucrative job?
Lebanon is not Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya… or even Sierra Leon. Lebanon is the only country within the Middle East whereby a Christian can have a say and not be persecuted for his beliefs, and his places of worship not burned to the ground (like Egypt even after the January revolution). Lebanon is a Biblical land, and Lebanon is the only safe haven for Christians.
Having said that; yes I am for a secular state. A STRONG state which will provide for ALL its people equally.
The state of Lebanon, where any citizen will not have to notice the difference between any millimeters of the 10452km2.
The State of Lebanon where one can take his camera and take pictures of mountains, valleys, churches, mosques, synagogues, …etc without being told that he couldn’t.
The state of Lebanon, where a mother has the right to pass on the Lebanese nationality to her children.
The state of Lebanon, where “ahwal al shakhsiya” are the same for all its citizens regardless of religion.
The state of Lebanon, where religious figures take care of their flock and do not dwell in politics.
The state of Lebanon, where one religious sect is NO LONGER ALLOWED to impose its way of life within its area of influence.
The state of Lebanon, held accountable towards its people regardless.
The state of Lebanon, capable of providing basic necessities and security to all its citizens.
The state of Lebanon……. The list is long.
But mainly, THE STATE OF LEBANON SHOULD BE WILLING TO INVEST INTO EDUCATING THIS 3RD GENERATION IMPREGNATED WITH FANATICISM AND HATE PASSED DOWN, IF EVER THERE IS TO BE HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE.
Are you going to demonstrate next Sunday? And if you are, for what? 24 hours electricity, decent public transport, health care, clean environment, impartial judicial system, unified history book dealing with the period stretching from 1975 to 1990, spousal abuse law, child labor, demarcation of land and sea frontiers, armed militias, counterfeit food products, civil liberties…etc? Or the more pressing issue, according to you, a SECULAR state????

Michel Aoun, Hotel Dieu?

2011-03-29T21:52:00.000+02:00

A few minutes ago, whilst I was flicking through TV channels, the news broke out that General Michel Aoun was admitted to Hotel Dieu hospital with no details whatsoever. In order to quench my thirst for details I spent time checking different local channels in search of more details, but with no avail. OTV’s banner said that Aoun went for a simple check up and that he is doing well (sigh of relief). Ok, fine Hotel Dieu’s lab can open for VIP’s. This little piece of (worthless) news reminded me of the time when champagne bottles were opened on Beit Mery’s roundabout when rumors of Hafez Al Assad’s passing took over the “sharkieh”. Yes I am about to go and buy a few cases myself, but I would rather wait. And while I am waiting, I can’t help but wonder if Hotel Dieu has enough adjacent rooms to cater for the rest of our political class; and what an irony it would be if all (our political class that is) will spend their last days in what should then be called the “seventh gate of hell” hospital.

TFEH!

Apology !

2011-03-06T01:18:00.000+02:00

Those (few) who know me will tell you that I am not a devout practicing Christian. And those (even fewer) who read me, will remember how many times (sorry Zoon) I was critical of Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir.
Today, Bkerke witnessed a ceremony, a “solemn” farewell to a man on who inherited the heavy responsibility of safekeeping the sheer survival of a (religious) community fragmented by (then) 11 years of war. His foes were many and varied, from foreign to local, and even from within his own flock. But the man stood his grounds. From “Kornet Shehwan” passing through “harb al ilgha and harb al tah7rir, to “the Cedar Revolution” and the 7th of May; I was still critical. A man of the “clothe”, I always believed should never dwell (and soil) his hands in politics.
Yes I held him responsible for not letting the people march onto Baabda and dethrone the “Lebanese Olympic swimming” despot we had for president then, and I also blamed him for succumbing to the pressures of having to come up with a list of hopeful presidential candidates when I thought (and I still think) that he should have remained silent; but now I less question his motives (not to say his wisdom and admit that I totally misread him). Today Moutran Abi Joudeh’s apology to the patriarch I related to.
This might be the time of “revolutions”, “freedom” and “power to the people” (although I doubt it). For me this is a time to extend my apology to a Lebanese figure (and not to a religious man) who sought to protect me as a LEBANESE against change from oppression to utter chaos. When today a church was burned down to the ground in Egypt; I can only wonder about some of the slogans that were shouted in “Tahrir Square” which it reminded me of Gibran’s Tweini’s famous “naksimouh bil allah al 3azim…”. Who’s going to protect, not me, but my son now?
Gebran Bassil got his knickers in a twist today and did not attend the celebration in Bkerke, for he did not have a front row seat (being THE representative for Michel Aoun). My answer is to he is the following video clip, and to the Marada movement whom representative decided to leave in the middle of the ceremony I can only say:
“Remember when Slimmy said that “the patriarch is having a “bonner” being amongst his female friends, and when his retarded followers shouted out loud “inta batrakna ya Sleiman”?
Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir is a dignified man, and I apologize for some of the words I wrote about him.

N.B: In the enclosed clip, I wonder if the kid being held during the storming of Bkerkeh is not Gebran Bassil. Can someone shed a light?

Violence begets violence.

2011-01-25T23:56:00.002+02:00

I can understand the anger and the frustration, but I cannot accept the similarities (save the detail of armed thugs) with what I condemned vehemently in 2008; the similarities were there for me to condemn. Yes “sticks and stones will not break my bones” as the saying goes, but this does not in any way justify stooping to their level and falling into their well laid trap. All that was missing was the herd of mopeds, AK47’s, RPG’s, and militia uniforms. This does not make the impact any less gruesome and worrying.
On the other hand, the so called peaceful demo in downtown Beirut did not attract the (expected or even hoped for) crowd. And you wonder why?
Once you took it upon yourself (Ya Tayyar Al Mustakbal) to portray this fight as typical Sunni betrayal, forgetting the very essence of the Cedar Revolution, you forgo your allies who ensured you the majority in parliament. This was supposed to be the ultimate fight for justice and freedom, and you have chosen to derail it.
Goatee Saad has amassed one mistake after another, and when his last chance of redemption was offered; his “tayyar” passed kilometers next to it. This is not a fight between the two predominant Muslim sects. This is a fight for the survival of this BIBLICAL LAND OF THE CEDARS, Hassan Nasrallah’s speech today proves this point.
Downtown Beirut showed a very shy gathering tonight and not to my surprise. For tonight Saad and Hassan made it all about a struggle of influence between 2 out of the 18 sects, that are nothing but couple of parts of the Lebanese canvas.
Fellow Lebanese at the risk of sounding like a broken record : “wake up and smell the cyanide” , say NO to all of them!
My fellow Lebanese, I leave you with the following:

And to those of you who have inspirations way beyond our borders:

Walid beyk: “Eat my dirty knickers” !

2011-01-22T00:17:00.001+02:00

I still recall the evening with Marcel Ghanem (a persona non grata in my humble opinion) where more than a couple of folders where laid on the table by Walid beyk’s side (another persona non grata) in the course of an interview. A promise was made by the so called leader of the Druze community, to one day unseal those folders, and prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the Syrian regime killed his father. Where are those files now, I wonder? Did Walid beyk decide to use them to feed the fire in his chimney in Moukhtara in order to keep warm knowing that the ton of “mazout” is about to reach the 900$ mark and times are tough? Or is it nothing more than a true reflection of the leech he really is?
To those of you who had the misfortune to witness the Lebanese “civil” war”, I would like to remind you of the times when Walid Jr and Chamoun Jr (R.I.P) use to race cars in Hamra st and were clueless with regards of hereditary leadership.
After his father’s assassination, this once rebellious son HAD to take over his father’s legacy and insure the continuous burning of the Arabic flame. Faisal (from the Arslan “rival” clan) was pushed aside thanks to the great efforts of Khawla for he was not a direct fruit of her womb, and Talal was too young (and in many ways, still is). Hence, Walid beyk became the most prominent representative of one the 18 Lebanese sects.
Times came and went, people were displaced, Deir Al Kammar was besieged (his childhood friend’s fiefdom), reconciliation took place, and repentance was never said (especially not today). My fellow Lebanese and Druze I might add; how can you still rally behind such a fickle leader. Granted your other options are not so bright (Wahab and Arslan), but always remember you are Lebanese; and if your memory should fail you in that respect, then don’t label me a fanatic. Walid beyk is claiming to play a game of survival, your (the Druze) survival. But can you actually believe than when the other side reaches its long term goal (Wilayet Al Faqih), you would fit in?
Take lessons my fellow Druze from Lebanon’s history, and know damn well that you are being used, and none of you will live to tell the tail. Just remember the 7th of May.
Walid beyk : “Eat my dirty knickers”, and I am not a Druze; but I am LEBANESE.

N.B: By the way, where is Joseph Sader?

Pity my nation (or lack of)

2011-01-13T01:00:00.001+02:00

"Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero,
and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.
Pity a nation that despises a passion in its dream,
yet submits in its awakening.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
save when it walks in a funeral,
boasts not except among its ruins,
and will rebel not save when its neck is laid
between the sword and the block."

Although I am not dead yet (to the dismay of many) in am turning in my “future grave”, for nothing will never change. A deep feeling of resentment has taken over my soul; and I am convinced that once again I have taken the wrong turn in the crossroads that I thought were presented to me.
At a very young age I thought, and for a very short lapse of time, that my cause was right and that it was a cause for survival; but I was wrong then.
Then came a time in the hay days of the WMLL (world movement for the liberation of Lebanon)when I held my hopes high , foolishly thinking that it will remedy my past sins and make way for a brighter future.
And not so long ago (after a very long period of non-belonging and living in limbo ) I wrongly thought that the time was ripe for a “Cedar Revolution” that will bring back a long lost dignity, which I (then) thought was craved by many of my countrymen.
Once again I was wrong.

Just like every decision I have ever made regarding this once Biblical (and no fanaticism intended) land of mine (and to some, maybe yours) has proven not only to be the wrong one, but the one that brought me closer to disbelief in the goodness of man. This motherland of mine has proven to be nothing but a cesspool for all that is evil. No I am not cursing, nor dissing Lebanon; but I am actually cursing and dissing the Lebanese. This unique creed of pretentious sheeple who put themselves even above their 18 (legally recognized) different notions of God.
Today another nail in the coffin of what could have been (in order not to say “what was”) a great nation was hammered to the applause of many. But to those (like me) who had one last iota of hope left; it was another sad chapter in our quest for true independence, justice and the right to live free.
Today I disassociate myself from all those who still believe in any form of dialogue with all, and anyone who disregarded the results of the past elections. And furthermore I dissociate myself from those who won (because of my vote and that of hopeful Lebanese) and bent over (just to get fucked) more than once in the past two years, to the extent that it became a habit.
Your country needs you (the few remaining Lebanese) to get off your lazy arses and react. Say no to the current situation and do not wait for tents to be erected once again in downtown Beirut or for the airport road to be closed by mopeds and burning tires. Face the cold and stage a sit in in Dahieh, 3ein il tineh, Parliament square, Baabda palace; heck ABC and City Mall AND DEMAND YOUR RIGHT OF REPRESENTATION.
Say no to ALL our political class, voice your disdain in public (for once) and DEMAND a radical change.
Bidna n3ish you say? ASSUME !
Wlek Tfeh !

The MOTHERland.

2010-12-18T02:02:00.003+02:00

Not such a simple word, but a word nevertheless; which many used and still uses, coupled with a feeling of warmth and belonging. A word that pops out in conversations between friends and strangers alike over tea, drinks, diner, or even multi million business deals; in referral to a place of birth. A word strong enough, that if squeezed properly into any conversation could open the door to many opportunities.
And what if your MOTHERland was Lebanon? How would you fare within a casual conversation, in comparison to those born in Armenia, Yugoslavia, Kurdistan,…etc, or even the “Jews”?
You might ague your way that your ancestors invented the 7arf, ourjouan,Gebran Khalil Gebran… and even the fact that your cedars were mentioned in the bible; but where do you stand today?
Your glory days have long gone and are almost forgotten; for your recent history has been forever tarnished.
Yet those ingrate siblings (to the MOTHERland) still feel superior to their fellow man; arguing achievements hardly remembered (if not only by a few remaining academics). I ask of you my fellow Lebanese: When did you last contribute to this world, and moreover what was your contribution? Was it your arrogance, you superiority complex, your hatred for one another, your recent lack of culture, your down town Beirut (more like an Arab brothel), your example of democracy, your respect for women’s rights, your educational system, or even the only true “resistance” movement?
This MOTHERland of ours (the few Lebanese remaining) has suffered the worst kind of labor giving birth to all her children; and through the years witnessed two thirds of them abandon her, seeking the warmth of some other surrogate mother.
And those who stayed, just like any teenager, rebelled.
As the years went by the MOTHERland was used and abused, in a way never documented before (once again we are pioneers). And there she stood lovingly silent waiting for the “recognition” phase. A simple “Mea culpa” would have sufficed, for all to be forgotten, and harmony (amongst her children) to reign again
But those words were never uttered!
Abuse led to more abuse. And some even took it further to call the MOTHERland a whore, citing the previous rapes she suffered in order to justify the venom they were throwing at her face. Little do they know that they are the fruit of such a barbaric rape, and that the MOTHERland nurtured them and gave them a safe haven against all those who thought it was best to opt for an abortion.
This MOTHERland I am writing about today is nothing short of every single mother who had to bite her lip (until it bled) in silence when one (if not all) of her children thought he knew best. This is the same mother who stayed awake waiting for her last child to come home in order to make sure that all her children were safe, and was the first one to awake and make breakfast. This is the same mother who never expected anything in return, but was “hoping” for some appreciation and a little (just a little) respect. But moreover this is the mother who loved all her children the same unequivocally.

I am writing about the mother who faced all the dangers that came her way and had just one worry, that no harm will fall upon her children, regardless of her own life. I am writing about a mother, OUR mother, OUR MOTHERland who is now dying at the hands of those she gave birth to and are now digging her grave.
So if your regard LEBANON as your MOTHERland (and even if it so happens that your mother is called Loubnan) just bow in respect , for you will never ever find a love as true and everlasting.

The Lebanese Jester

Independence day !

2010-11-22T18:46:00.000+02:00

When a picture "paints" a thousand words.

Tfeh!

Not even close !

2010-11-15T00:21:00.001+02:00

Definitions:

Nation: A politically unified people occupying a definite territory

Nation: A large group of people of the same race who share the same language, traditions and history, but who might not all live in one area.

And since, we Lebanese are convinced that God has given us the gift to surpass all other nations with our intellect and wit; I will leave it up to you, my fellow "chosen people" to pick which quote you deem is most suitable:

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on”. J.F.K

"Nations do not think, they only feel. They get their feelings at second hand through their temperaments, not their brains. A nation can be brought -- by force of circumstances, not argument -- to reconcile itself to any kind of government or religion that can be devised; in time it will fit itself to the required conditions; later it will prefer them and will fiercely fight for them." Mark Twain

"There was never a nation that became great until it came to the knowledge that it had nowhere in the world to go for help." Charles Dudley Warner

"Nations! What are nations? Tartars! and Huns! and Chinamen! Like insects they swarm. The historian strives in vain to make them memorable. It is for want of a man that there are so many men. It is individuals that populate the world." Henry David Thoreau

"If there be no nobility of descent in a nation, all the more indispensable is it that there should be nobility of ascent -- a character in them that bear rule, so fine and high and pure, that as men come within the circle of its influence, they involuntarily pay homage to that which is the one pre-eminent distinction, the Royalty of Virtue." Henry Codman Potter

"The history of any nation follows an undulatory course. In the trough of the wave we find more or less complete anarchy; but the crest is not more or less complete Utopia, but only, at best, a tolerably humane, partially free and fairly just society that invariably carries within itself the seeds of its own decadence." Aldous Huxley

"The soil of their native land is dear to all the hearts of mankind." Marcus Tullius Cicero

"A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity." Jimmy Carter

"The country has charms only for those not obliged to stay there." Edouard Manes

"As long as I have any choice, I will stay only in a country where political liberty, toleration, and equality of all citizens before the law are the rule." Albert Einstein

"The nations morals are like its teeth, the more decayed they are the more it hurts to touch them." George Bernard Shaw

And now that you have taken the time (and if you actually did) to read all of the above, do make your pick as to what you think reflects the current situation.

Somehow for me, nothing applies for we as Lebanese have yet to indintefy with our motherland first before we can claim identity.

Tfeh!

Hassan and the honor of the divine vagina !

2010-10-28T20:33:00.002+02:00

A sigh of relief I had when I caught the last part of our divine protector speech tonight.
Finally someone had the balls to stand up for Lebanese honor which (as he claims) is being trampled upon by the Western evil that is the STL.
How dare those foreign, loosed morals, Zionist tainted investigators question the state of local vagina's?

Shame and damnation on all of us, who do not see the disgrace in such a blatant invitation to debauchery!
Thank you, oh great one for I will now run to my wife gynecologist and ask for her file, just in case she might have implanted (and you know where) some weird communication device enabling the enemy to track my ins and outs.
Wlek tfeh !

You are not welcome Mr Ahmadinejad !

2010-10-13T08:48:00.001+02:00

Today we will witness a warm welcome to the devil incarnate (Ahmadinejad) and another black page will be added to Lebanon’s history.
To all of you who are still in the dark as to why many of us oppose such a visit, one reason could be the support it brings to our local devil, and why devil you might ask ?

Just a reminder:

Fuck me gently part II.

2010-10-04T23:27:00.001+02:00

Fuck me gently; for I fail to understand (once again) why, as a TRUE LEBANESE (a dying breed) I still cannot comprehend:
1) Why during today’s parliament session, no clear condemnation was made with regards to the latest Syrian blunder against Lebanon’s sovereignty.
2) Why the warrant against Jamil al Sayyed (the instigator of the latest Syrian blunder) remains unexecuted.
3) Why once again the subject of financing the STL was postponed.
4) And moreover, why a firm stand was not made (by our so called elected government) with regards to “our” commitment to know “the truth”.
5) Why have we never logged a complaint within the UN or even the (dysfunctional) Arab League for compensation against our sisterly state for damages (and theft) throughout 30 years of hegemony.
6) Why have we not logged a complaint within the UN (and this is not for the sake of keeping the Hizbollahi’s happy) against damages incurred on the hands of the state (and yes I am saying “state”) of Israel.
7) Why is it that as, a state we still haven’t defined our maritime borders (internationally); and yet we go up in arms with regards to shared sea gaz pockets.
8:) Why is it that we (recently) established diplomatic exchange with our sisterly neighbor, but we still do not have defined borders.
9) Why is it that after having dismantled so many spy networks we still don’t know the whereabouts of Joseph Sader.
Many more questions can spring to mind, and not only on a political basis; so brace yourselves for more episodes of “fuck me gently”, which will encompass more aspects of TRUE LEBANESE daily life.
N.B: Fuck me gently, for I fail to understand why Goatee Saad is prime minister!

Fuck me gently!

2010-09-17T00:54:00.001+03:00

Fuck me gently; for I fail to understand why, as a TRUE LEBANESE (a dying breed) still cannot comprehend:
1) Why the STL is a Zionist entity (according to SOME) without any concrete proof.
2) Why Wi’am Wahab is still allowed to profess publicly the return of Syrian tanks (and being proud of it) into Lebanese territory in order (according to him) prevent civil strife.3) Why a few days before the commemoration of Sabra and Chatilla did Sami Gemayel deemed it fit to recall the collaboration with Israel.
4) Why did Goatee Saad El Dine “vainly” attempted to exonerate the Syrian regime from all the political assassinations which took place, at least since 2005.
5) Why this sudden urge on the behalf of Americans and Israeli diplomats to include Syria (and maybe Lebanon) in the peace talks with Israel.
6) Why the hint of the willingness to withdraw from the Golan Heights in return for peace talks.
7) Why the local threat (from the representatives of our “divine” protector’s spokes people) of uprising by the end of September, if the STL was not abandoned by the government.
8) Why was Jamil Al Sayyed is allowed to dish out so much “unfounded” accusations on many local TV stations.
9) Why Michel Aoun (who is part of the government) can go on TV and call for civil disobedience.
The above is nothing but a few questions any TRUE LEBANESE should ask himself; but it doesn’t stop there.
A) Nadim Gemayel went on to assert his conviction that all the killings which took place during the Syrian hegemony are directly related to the Syrian Baathist regime. Some might argue that his speech emanated from a deep rooted feeling that it was about time he reclaimed his father’s (Sheikh Bashir) legacy that might have been shadowed by the fiery speeches of his cousin Sami, maybe, rightly so. For any Lebanese (and not only Christian) who believed in Bashir’s ideology, they were (to say the least) disappointed by the way Amin (his brother) pretended to keep his ideology alive. Never forget that Amin at the end of his presidential term created the vacuum, whereby appointing Michel Aoun head of the transitional government. Once Amin sat on the “cursed” presidential chair, the Kataeb began its downward spiral. From Hajj to Pakradouni to Amin’s exile to France (not that he was suffering), to the Kataeb we know today. Pierre the founder is long dead, and so is Pierre the grandson (May God rest his soul, and not because I adhere to the Kataeb); but the kataeb we know today is far from Bashir’s Kataeb. Sami can never rekindle the light of his uncle, he does not have the charisma, nor does he have the deep rooted convictions. Nadim on the other (after his last speech) hand might be on the right track.
B) Jamil El Sayyed rantings about the STL, Said Mirza, False witnesses…etc; even if they were all true allegations; can any Lebanese forget the crimes this Syrian puppet perpetrated against fellow Lebanese? Did we forget how the ISF (under his directorate and the cover of Adnan Addoum) use to dismantle demonstrations calling for freedom, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity (and this is a reminder to Michel Aoun)?
C) Who the Fuck is Wi’am Wahab and how many Druze does he represent? Where does he come from to be able to go on every single local TV station dishing out his threats against the government and politicians and getting away with it? Why is it, NOW allowed to air such detrimental speeches to “al wifak al watani”, and not long ago MTV was shut down?
D) Why is it that Syria (our sister state) never lifted a finger when we were under attack and still claims that it has our best interest at heart (tawhid al massareyn). Not one single rocket was ever fired into Israel (our “only” enemy) from Syrian territories; but Syria does have pawns in Lebanon (such as Ahmad Gebril) to do its dirty work.
E) Why is America so eager to send envoys to Lebanon and Syria (and especially Syria) at the “re-start” of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks? Who do you think will be higher on the US priority table (as an ally against an eventual Iranian strike) Lebanon or Syria?
F) This letter should stand for FUCK you Lebanese Christians (especially those who follow Michel Aoun), if you think the next “CIVIL” war (and I think it is on our doorsteps) will be Sunni against Shiaa; you are right in the middle.
Have you noticed that for once I did not mention nor bash Hizbollah? I don’t need to; Michel Aoun (Hizbollah’s proxy) has made sure to alienate all hope of a free and independent Lebanon.

N.B: No, I will not let you fuck me gently. For, like the Palestinians thought in the mid 70’s that they could take over MY land; Syria will never return and we (TRUE LEBANESE) will never be part of Walayat Al Fakih. And this is the true meaning of “MOUKAWAMEH”.

Burn, baby burn !

2010-09-12T03:59:00.002+03:00

I am a “Moukawem”.

2010-08-24T22:45:00.007+02:00

Thank you Hassouna, for yet another enlightened/divine speech. Tonight your moderate tone finally convinced me of your righteousness. Yes you are our supreme leader; nazih and charif.
Mea culpa for having doubted your patriotic drive and the selfishness, no other local politician ever showed me (including those who lost their lives).
Your magnanimous words with regards to the families of those newly found spies, and how they should not be labeled and singled out (especially the “daughters”); made me not pay much attention to the fact that you called for their quick execution (if only I could post on youtube a British documentary that was made by NTV entertainment in 1995 about the savagery of executions and the death penalty which shows in its last couple of minutes how your party executed (without a trial) an alleged 3amil in front of his mother). Apart from your “relatively” calm tone of voice (and with no finger waving for a change) your female audience was showing hair. Could this be the dawn of a new “infitah” era? I must say I was impressed. More so (and not dwell in the pile of empty rhetoric and non founded justification to your divine message) when you suggested that the government should seek (after having agreed to the extensive shopping list for the LAF) during Dr. Ahmadinejad’s (the protector of all human rights) upcoming visit to Lebanon to extend its begging hand, and seek (the more than willing) Iranian’s help (of course with no strings attached, but only for the love it has for their brother Lebanese) in order to provide the LAF with the needed weapons, ie: missiles, armor piercing rockets…etc
Ya sayyed Hassan, why not at the same time, since the Iranians are so eager to help us (for free, and no strings attached) not ask for submarines, fighter planes and any other “offensive” weaponry they have in their arsenal.
In all fairness you did start, ya Hassouna, this segment of your speech by including all Arab countries and asking them to relinquish part of their military arsenal which is being stockpiled, and about to become obsolete; for better use in Lebanon (the only country who is on the frontline with our only and arch enemy Israel). I guess the answer to that is “Beggars can be choosers”.
But what really swayed me to your side, and made me wish I was a “moukawem”; was when you suggested that we should start investing in NUCLEAR power in order to resolve our electricity crisis (for peaceful purposes), just like Iran is doing. I especially appreciated the fact that you did say that you did not have exact figures, but… that it would be much cheaper than trying to resolve the crisis whilst relying on fossil fuel. Yes Hassouna, now is the time to tell the international community that this tiny country of ours (maybe yours) is about to follow on the footsteps of the country of your sponsors/masters, plagued by international sanctions. Yalla, why not. Ask Ahmedinajad to provide us with enriched uranium (for peaceful purposes that is) and the North Korean to help us build (for free) power plants. Why not, let us all together witness the effect of internationally imposed sanctions on 4.5 million people of whom the majority can hardly make ends meet (mainly those who are not sponsored by Iranian money).
Hassouna, you are a great man; for throughout your televised speech there was no mention of the deadly clashes that were taking place tonight in Beirut involving your men. Yes your cause is greater than to reflect on a few rockets that were fired amongst your people and your foes which caused people to reminisce about civil strife. It’s all good, and the “moukawameh” is greater than any individual.
Just like you said the rumors of indictments of unruly members of Hizbullah makes you laugh, for according to you those are only part of the followers and not “cadre” of you divine party. And to that I say: “How far will your jaw drop if Mughnieh is even mentioned in the STL probe”?. I guess Moughnieh was nothing more than a blind follower.

Hassouna, after your latest speech (and I don’t think I will bother with any future ones) I have decided to join the “Moukawameh”; not yours, but the true “moukawameh”; that with a sole purpose to kick your arse (and those who believe in you) out of my home. And my home is LEBANON.

The age of innocence (not yet lost).

2010-07-26T17:37:00.001+03:00

No comments, sadly !

My take on Palestinians civil rights in Lebanon.

2010-06-24T12:42:00.000+03:00

Before you go any further in your reading, allow me in all modesty to point out to you once again my (few) readers the fact that I do not adhere to any political party; and moreover I am for the harsh prosecution of all our (past and present) political leaders.
Having said that, and keeping in mind that the bloggosphere has been busing lately (after a long period of silence) with two main topics which somehow are related; One that of breaking the Israeli embargo on Gaza, and second, that of Walid Beyk (imminent) proposal for Palestinian (refuges in Lebanon) human and civil rights.
I have read many articles about the later subject and participated (shyly, in order not to offend) in some “web” debates, and still (as a human) I could not be swayed.
So here is my view on this particular “hot” topic, regardless of what I think of Walid Beyk.

Yes every single human being has the right to a decent life, to have his basic rights protected, access to basic medical care, schooling, a roof over his head, to live with dignity, to be able to work and be a “constructive” part of society..etc.
BUT:
In order to enjoy and be given such rights a person should abide by certain rules, especially when he is a host in a foreign land (to say the least and not use the term “refugee”).
The Palestinian problem was not caused by Lebanon, and it was not the Lebanese who deprived the Palestinians from their homeland; on the contrary, Lebanon (albeit forcibly) not only accepted a big influx of refugees, but (wrongly) signed the Cairo treaty giving Yasser Arafat and his group of thugs a free hand not only to cause mayhem, but also (at a certain point in time) try to establish the state of Palestine within the Lebanese borders.

No I won’t join; nor would I root for any flotilla trying to break the siege of Gaza, for according to me those who voted for a (so called) terrorist governance knew what they were getting themselves into. Why should I help people who are not only divided amongst themselves, but people who tried to take over my country and contributed greatly to the 180,000 dead during our 15 years of war?
Before you get on your high horses and burn me to the stake, allow me to remind you of a sample of what took place in Lebanon between 1975 and 1982 (in order to keep this post relatively readable) at the hands of those refugees which some of our leaders are now claiming to be oppressed by their host country.

1)May 20, 1975
Five people were killed and 24 were wounded in Dekwaneh
Violent confrontations opposed Palestinians from the Tell El Zaatar camp and Phalange Party members. Businesses were closed in protest against the lack of security.

2)January 20, 1976
Damour massacre
Avenging the massacre of Karantina by Christian forces 2 days before, Palestinians and leftist Muslims attacked the Christian city of Damour, located about 20 kilometers south of Beirut, and murdered 350 civilians.

3)August 17, 1976
The Upper-Metn battle started. Over 600 shells fell on Faraya-Oyoune El Simane while Palestinians and Progressive forces continued their insane bombing of the capital.

January 6, 1978
The Begin Plan concerning the settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon made some noise.
The Lebanese reacted with firmness and indignation to the conspiracy initiated by foreign countries. According to Salim El Hoss, 'Every project expecting the settlement of Palestinians outside of their land is rejected.' The President of the Republic also rejected any project stipulating the permanent settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon. 'Our country should determine itself what it is able to offer. It is unfair to solve the Palestinian question by creating a Lebanese problem. We will make every effort to let our right prevail, he said.

4)May 2, 1978
A fight opposed the UNIFL and the Palestinians. The French barrack in Tyr was bombed and the commander of the French contingent was seriously injured.

5)April 14, 1982
A general war was raging between Amal and the Palestinians. Meanwhile, the fights continued in the South and reached Beirut and its suburbs where 15 deaths were reported.

6)July 19, 1982
While Beirut was still under blockade, sporadic confrontations opposed the Israelis and the Palestinians, and innocent victims continued to fall. The President of the AUB, David Dodge, was kidnapped in the middle of the campus.

The above mentioned facts, are whether we like or not, part of our bloody history; and more recent are the rockets fired from our homeland (after the 2006 war) into our arch enemy Israel from Palestinian factions such as Ahmad Jebril. What if Israel retaliated then? What rights can you give to people who have no respect towards the well being of the people of their host country? Would you give, let alone accept, into your own home someone who raises his children on hate (and teach him at a young age how to use weapons) towards “some” of your fellow citizens? Please do not even attempt to reply with Sabra and Chatila, for I have seen firsthand what the PLO, Fath and Al Sa3ika did to fellow Lebanese (before Sabra and Chatila), including to those who now are the “prince valiant” to the Palestinian cause (Iztaz included).

Walid Beyk, sorry! Go suck on an egg. “Atfal Al hijara” go free Palestine, but not from my country!

N.B: For a comprehensive list of events from 1974 to 1990 visit: 111101

My keyboard and I fell into a disagreement.

2010-06-18T00:24:00.000+03:00

Too hungry for cell power, or getting too old and begging to retire; lately my keyboard has been acting erratically, skipping characters and making me look like a worst speller than I actually am. It got me thinking to the days when the written word was actually written and not typed via the use of the “dactylo” (typewriter). Then every time a mistake was done, the entire paper had to be retyped again; requiring even more time and effort (and definitely not environmentally friendly). In the eighties I worked in an Arabic publishing house where we use to receive numerous manuscripts (exceeding a hundred pages) from hopeful writers, hand written. The process was for a team to read all those stories and pick up the few that the company judged worth publishing, and those few went on to proof reading and editing ending up being transcribed onto the linotype machine before going to print (skipping a few stages).
The “written” word then held more value than most of the written words we read today. Then the process of putting your thoughts onto paper was a long and tedious process which every writer struggled before he was sure that his was true to his message. They did not rely on “wordperfect” or even “word” to spell check (wrongly at times) or even correct their grammar; they just spilled their guts on “pen and paper”.
Some claim to be able to depict ones character by analyzing one’s calligraphy, the way they loop their L’s and O’s. the tail on their J’s up or down..etc. I tend to agree, a “hand” written note can tell much more about the author’s state of mind than any “typed” text filled with beautiful words.
So, here I go : “ I love you”.
What do you make of it?

Pull String Human

2010-06-06T14:40:00.001+03:00

A fellow blogger Rami e-mailed me the following link to a locally made short video. Enjoy!

Before you teach your children, be true to yourself!

2010-05-31T13:45:00.004+03:00

I've got the blues.

2010-05-06T23:14:00.000+03:00

Q & A

2010-05-06T23:12:00.002+03:00

Forgotten Sons !

2010-05-04T17:59:00.000+03:00

Although born to the land of the Cedars, I embarked in the mid eighties on my quest for greener pastures and ended up in England. Too cold and disconnected I felt in the beginning; so I travelled back and forth to the next best thing (France notre mère patrie), only to find that we did share a common evil.

My travels took me to different places where I encountered many different cultures. But what I found (in retrospect) disturbing was that, we Lebanese have not yet moved forward. Most of the countries I have visited and lived in have had their fare share of strife documented in their history books, and such a page was turned. But we, Lebanese, still live reminiscent of our bloody past, refusing to turn the page; and moreover anxiously awaiting for the next (bloody) chapter.
My curiosity took me to Belfast Ireland in order not to better comprehend, but to compare. Maybe it was the evil part of me who felt the need to get a whiff of freshly spilled blood or maybe it was just my own twisted way to fit in.

I was somehow disappointed, for I was touched by the goodness of every single soul I encountered.
16 years later I thought I had tamed the devil in me, and I came back home with open arms and an open mind. This Euphoria did not last long. The animal instinct in me started resurfacing and finding a breeding ground within the smallest memory I could recall from my stolen childhood even at the expense of the few good days I had before the war. Before all hell broke loose my grandmother use to sing us to sleep to Moustaki, Grecco, Reggiani, Aznavour…etc; and what springs to my mind these days (when I think of such artists) is (could not find Moustaki's version on youtube):

Endless nights whilst I was listening to Cohen (before I left into myself inflicted exile) have I been moved by his words and how I could relate to them; today by admitting to that I am a traitor. A traitor to those who decided to have a selective memory, to those who forgot that at a certain point in time they were convinced that me, and the likes of me would be better off dead; and so they tried.

This is supposed to be my golden years, and I came to spend them “bi trab baladi”, but “baladi” has changed to the extent that I feel it is no longer mine. No, I won’t give up, I will reclaim it. I will shed my blood again if need be. I want the “cocody”, “spinneys” by the airport road, the Latin Church at the beginning of Hamra street, “Toyland”, Aysar 3amer” …etc; I want my son to witness all that and never to have to feel the need to carry a weapon against his fellow brother and fend for his life. One major hurdle to my aspirations is Hizbullah. And in order to spare my son's blood, I am willing to shed mine so that he will not have to go through what I had to in order to preserve "his" freedom and this land that is his home.

N.B: Where is Joseph Sader??????

Snap: I have !

2010-05-02T01:36:00.003+03:00

This title has nothing to do with what took place in Ketermaya, but still it had an effect on me. It did add to my conviction that we are no longer worthy, not just as Lebanese; but as human beings. In comparison it made me realize how fragile we all are. This incident made me realize that I still have an iota of humanity still brewing within my tormented soul. Even my twisted faith which would have dictated to me some righteous act of preservation is no longer valid. I am filled with anger, much more than any human can take. I have in the past vented such anger in despicable ways; but tonight, I saw tears in your eyes. And all my ailments suddenly faded away, and YOU know they are too heavy to handle. Still I feel that I am misunderstood by many, but “many” do not count; for I never entered a popularity contest. What you have failed to realize is that, according to me, I have paid my dues ten times fold and long for some reprieve. I now just want to retire and live peacefully. And peacefully for me is with you.
So take me for what I am, my job, my addictions, my ever changing mood, my faults (which I admit to); the same way I take you for what you are and all your shortcomings. Yes too hard to handle, but bear in mind that you can never enter my psyche; I don’t even dare to go there anymore. Too many memories and way too many feelings suppressed waiting to surface that it even scares me.
Damaged goods, yes according to many, but in comparison I mended my ways, and here I am years later still paying the price. When will it all end I say, I am only looking for piece of mind; but my past is still biting me up the arse.

Tiered and weary I have become in all aspects of life. I have been run dry, and the fighter in me is now ready to let it all go for the “eternal sleep” that for awhile I have been longing for. But tonight, your tears made me realize that my time has not come yet.
My love for you has given me the strength to live even if it was for just another day, to make sure that you were OK.
And then, and only then, I could lay my had to sleep !

Addressed not to one exclusively (maybe extensively), but to too many.

2010-04-28T08:38:00.000+02:00

Even if I lately wish that the end was near and anxiously await the final curtain, I do hope for a sneak preview. Just a simple glimpse, so that I can rest in peace; and rest I am in lack of.
What if when I am drawing my last breath God gave me the luxury to be my own judge, it is a notion I have been toying with lately. This ludicrous idea did not come about out of schizophrenia nor did it emanate from a deep sense of guilt; on the contrary, this twisted state of mind stems from a complete feeling that I have tried my best to accommodate all those I HELD dear and so far never compromised. Endless efforts were made on my behalf trying to accommodate and accept, but rarely did I feel that I was met even half way. And still, regardless of this deep urge to throw everything out the window, regardless of consequences to those involved; I find myself waiting for some more.
Completely drained and disappointed. Even more, disillusioned and disgusted, to the extent that I just wish for all to let me lay down and rest. But you know damn well that this could not happen, for the final score has not been settled yet. So to some I say: let your “hired” spies feed you with the recurrent poison blinding your way. To others: let the lies you told so often become “the ultimate truth” for you have repeated them one time too many. And to some: "my giving well" has run dry, seek another.

If tonight in my sleep I draw my last breath, I know that my creator will meet me with his arms wide open. And if tomorrow I wake up and face yet another day, I solemnly promise to drastically change my ways.

Enough of this fake camaraderie and fake loyalties; no more efforts on my behalf.

Tonight I challenge the devil and reclaim back my life!

A bon entendeur, SALUT !

Commemorating a lesson NOT learned !

2010-04-13T08:37:00.001+02:00

No matter how hard you try (especially my generation) to move forward and turn the page, the (bloody) past has a knack to come back and bite you in the arse.
On the 13th of April, and for a few years now, this holier than thaw attitude has been the subject of competition between the “competing” local TV stations ,which are the bullhorn of most militias whom I hold responsible for the death of 150000- 200000 fellow Lebanese. Amazingly enough they all seem to agree (wrongly) on the image of Ain El Roumaneh bus as the start of all evil that cursed this Biblical land of ours. In order to keep this latest rambling of mine short, I might grant all those who believe in this fallacy the pleasure in dwelling in this false pretext for the (according to me) war started with the Imposed signature of the Cairo treaty and the “flint” was the Kissinger plan. Call me a conspiracy theorist or even a moron, but this was, and still is my conviction.

On the eve of the 13th of April, I do not want (or at least I try not to) lay the blame on anyone anymore.
On the eve of the 13th of April I wish for this new generation to finally draw lessons from our bloody past.
But how could they???
This same generation I am referring to, is being brought up in an environment more entrenched in sectarianism and fanaticism then I ever witnessed in the late 70’s when I was still a teenager. Before the war broke out (because of the bus incident or not is now irrelevant, but not to me) teenagers did not (in general) pay much attention to religious following according to family names. My generation, intentionally or not, made the divide even greater. Rebellious teens found a new slogan to use against their parents, such as “la lil ta2fiah” which they proudly put as bumper stickers on their cars; but when push came to shove they were more than happy to use derogative terms towards their fellow citizens.
Friends of mine published a humorous blog on their page, which prompted me to write tonight. It is not the contents as such, but the mere picture of the Holiday Inn hotel, and the vivid memory of a man plunging to his death trying to evade an even worst fate. What followed I will spare you, for it is too painful for me to recall, although many have lived even worst.
And you think that we have learned our lesson.
How can we; when we are still harboring all sorts of banned fanatic clerics, mullahs, terrorists, Schizophrenics child murderer (Samir Kuntar), convicted murderers (Ahmad Gibril), strive towards peace, prosperity and most of all security for our children. All those who died during the 15 years of “civil” war are turning in their graves.
Why you might ask?
One example will suffice, and that of the man who threw himself from the Holliday Inn and is now rotten in his grave watching goatee Saad shake hands with Geagea. And this is only one example. 15 years of war and 150000- 200000 martyrs never would they have shed (in their majority) their blood if they knew that Hassouna will be the ultimate dictator treading the same grounds they are buried under. Even the Imam Moussa Al Sadr is turning in his grave.
I sure hope that the day will not come when we will commemorate the 7th of May as the day when HIzbollahistan was born.

LBC 1, MTV 0

2010-04-02T02:58:00.001+02:00

Ever since MTV was allowed to grace us once again with its “supposedly” non biased opinion, I found myself steering away from the LBC news segment. Being a fervent disciple of a free Lebanon (free of Syrian hegemony), I found hope in this TV station that was once silenced because of its ballsy attempt to just state facts. Well this “Cinderella” notion of mine did not last long.
For those who know me on a personal level, are aware that I have invested (after many years of self exile) myself in what I thought was the “rise of the phoenix”. I came back home against all odds in order to repay (or even contribute towards) my dues to this motherland. Upon my return I had my fair share of disappointments and cultural shock. But I never gave up. The struggle to justify my decision to come back is still ongoing. I was graced with a son (born in England) but from Lebanese decent. I have tried to instill within his very young soul the love of the motherland. I have showed him the scares that were inflicted upon me during the 15 years of civil war; and tried to inculcate within his virgin soul the morals that were ripped from me when I was his age.
Yes I am blabbering and trying to find a way or a “preanbule” to the text that will follow. I am man who decided to uproot a child from the safety of civil society which could have provided him with all the basic necessities and the respect owned, and “dumped” him amongst people who would sell their own mothers for a fistful of dollars. Mea culpa.
I, like many others in this Biblical land came to acknowledge that in order to secure a (relatively) bright future to our sons, could not rely on a simple white collar job. So I invested my hard earned savings in the ONLY segment in the motherland that seemed to be striving, and could yield a high rate of return. I invested in Gemmayzeh. One building over two floors, and I (and my partners alike) decided to make do with “wasta” and be the first to engage in business the “proper” way. Well needless to say we were FUCKED left right and center by Lebanese bureaucracy. Still we bite our lip and make do with the situation at hand. The project went over budget while waiting for the proper licenses even after greasing the “paws” of one too many politicians and government officials.
Then we thought we had it made, not because of monies paid and free dinners, but for we thought we had finally fulfilled all the perquisite regulations which would entitle us to engage in business legally.
So I thought (wrongly it seems) that I was working towards leaving some sort of legacy to my son (and so did those I have convinced to invest in my project) knowing that after graduating from college (if ever he could find a job locally) his salary will not suffice to rent him a room in a half decent place within this 10452Km2.
My plans (and my far-fetched worries) did not include (even in my wildest dreams) what is taking place today. Today I have came to the bitter conclusion that my fellow Lebanese deserve to rot in hell. I, as a non practicing, but raised Christian could not believe nor comprehend the amount of selfishness and hatred that was blurted by some of the people who participated in the “Kalam al nass” program.
Before I go any further I have to pay tribute to Marcel Ghanem for having shown (to my utter surprise) a true journalistic integrity in comparison to that constipated MTV presenter Abou Nader Al Hindi who thinks that the sun only shines out of her own wrinkled arse (maybe for carrying somehow in a shy way her husband's name). During his program Mr. Ghanem tried his best to show both sides of the story, and yes I am representative of one of one those sides having invested (along with my partners) over a million dollars. Needless to say that we have met with the residents of Gemmayzeh(on many occasions); the same people who rented us spaces then not fit to be used for stables, not for horses, but for donkeys at exorbitant prices, knowing damn well what our intentions were; and then they had no reservations upon contract signature. Miss, Ms, or Mrs Fadia Kiwan found it fit to organize a few sit ins, along with Pilipino maids (ill treated or not, I will leave it up to you), in their pajamas claiming that we are depriving her (and other “landlords") from a goodnight sleep. Another anal retentive dickhead (I think his name was Nabil) in the midst of screaming through the microphone, pulled out a box of “Lexo” in a vain attempt to draw attention (while it was obvious that he was high on God knows what) to his alleged lack of sleep.

But most shocking of all, was our dear minister of tourism (who comes from an industrial background) and kept on claiming that in Gemmayzeh “night clubs” and “super night clubs” are the main cause of the problem. Get a grip Mr Abboud, if your inquisition is aimed at “Night Clubs” and “Super Night Clubs” maybe you should target Solidere and Maameltein, but not Gemmayezeh. Yes you said it, and I agree with you; you haven’t signed any new licenses in Gemmayazeh, but why may I ask? The answer is very simple; there are no more vacancies or places to rent and you are what I call a "pied tendre"in your newly found office. Those FUCKS you are supposedly protecting are the one and the same landlords who signed over their leases to us in the knowledge that the premises will be used not for a bookshop, a pharmacy, a corner shop..etc but for pubs, and what they are now calling “mahchachat”. If it were not for investors like me, and many others, Gemmayzeh would be like Badaro at night; a ghost town.
Minister of tourism my Arse Mr. Abboud, you are nothing by a reflection of the demented General you follow and whom is driving us into Hizbollahstan at a pace faster than the speed of light. I dare you to go to Hamra and some of the “residential perpendicular” streets and issue warrants of closing. Wlek TFEH 3alek wa 3ala m3almak!.

Close down Gemmayzeh you “moronic” minister of tourism. I just wish that all those concerned will reopen in Rabieh and let your demented general enjoy a goodnight sleep. Maybe then he will move to another location and actually have to pay rent!!!

Like I have said it before “do not bite the hand that feed you”, but this time I will add FUCK YOU you ingrate penny chasing, low life, social parasites (residents of Gemmayzeh). If I was to shove a charcoal up your arses, within less than a month I would have had diamond field.
TFEH !!!

A script for a jester's tear !

2010-03-06T01:15:00.002+02:00

The drums of war are beating loud.

2010-02-25T12:19:00.002+02:00

The drums of war are once again beating loud on all sides of the fence waiting for one side to cross the red line. All sides agree that if there is to be war, this time it has to be decisive. Casualties of war are no longer considered, for the only aim (according to rhetoric, from both sides) is to obliterate the enemy. Although the feuding families in this tragedy are not only the Capulet and the Montague, but also their cousins (thrice removed) the Assad, Ahmadinajad, Nasrallah, Obama, Sarkozy,Brown…etc. I will only dwell on the impact this coming war will have on a little chapter better known as Lebanon.
I figured, after monitoring local and foreign press that the day of reckoning is fast approaching. I figured this out from various speeches (threats) from both south and north of the border neighbors, and from our local “divine” protector. A simple call (past Thursday) to readiness from the supreme leader of the masked epitome of evil (Ahmadinajad) to our enlightened “divine” protector; assured me that very soon the “divine” himself will test our faith (according to the seven pillars) and lead us straight to heaven.
But I am still convinced that my time to meet my creator (who might not be recognized by our “divine” protector) has not come yet, not by miles. “To Jerusalem and beyond” is my embedded crest for I have fought (along with Richard the lion heart) the heathen before you could even claim an inch of this BIBLICAL land.
When the next war will come; and I pray for the sake of my son (and not yours), that I will not, I will close my door to you and your people who will be seeking refuge. Provoked or not, for you and your bravado, have brought it, not only onto yourselves, but onto this entire nation. I will go even further and say that I will hold you and those who (blindly) follow you responsible for every single drop of bloodshed, no matter how disproportionate the response might be.
Hassan, you hold no respect, nor value for the living. The only way you can justify your (and your militia) existence is through your outdated notion of jihad even stretching outside local borders. From once “downtrodden” to now the example of what defaces this country, I not only claim that you are a traitor to Lebanon, but also to what IS a religion of the book which is supposed to professes love and tolerance.
When the next war breaks out, let arse lickers like Saad, Walid, Nabih, Suleiman, Karameh..etc open their doors to your followers (you will be, like expected, hiding in you bunker) welcome them; giving them the front row seats to watch Lebanon and its majority of peace loving people being burned to ashes.
But then again you might think why not, wads of cash (and only “halal” cash) will come from your sponsors to rebuild on an even better standard. So I guess you are only contributing to making Lebanon a better, nicer place.
No thank you very much. Keep your Samir Kuntar, Imad Moughnieh, Bilal, Abou salam, Abou Turab, Abu Ali…etc, to yourselves. I can cite hundreds, if not thousands of: Joseph, Antoine, Georges, Samir, Ziad, Mohamed, Constantine, Mitri, Walid, on different sides of the (local) fence who gave their life for Lebanon, but not for “wilayat al faqih”.
Ya Hassan, do not give me a lesson in patriotism.
The Lebanese courts passed the death sentence less than a couple of weeks ago on 3 traitors working for our arch enemy Israel. They should at least convict you, if lenient, for involuntary manslaughter for what you did in 2006.

Wake up you orange flag branding morons, your leader’s stupidity has given our “divine” protector legitimacy to push us further into the abyss. No Micho is not the second coming of the Christ, he is more like David Koresh and Wako II is Rabieh !

That day is coming fast !

St Valentine, or M14’s fallacy ?

2010-02-15T11:00:00.002+02:00

Not only have we invented the “ourjouwan” color or the alphabet; but we Lebanese are pioneers in many fields. No wonder we are proud people (and so rightly so), Lebanon was mentioned 71 times in the Bible; and if Belinda Carlisle knew Lebanon, her song “heaven is a place on earth” would not have been written as a love song, but as a tribute to our country.
We (Lebanese) are direct descendants of God (ou meme la cuisse de Jupiter, depending on your religious beliefs). Lebanon is the true Garden of Eden, where it all began, and where it will all end. The notion some have that the Jews are the chosen people is nothing but a fallacy, a few millimeters on a geographical map, shy from the truth. We are the chosen ones!
Today we Lebanese have once again demonstrated to the entire world (and maybe the universe) that we are true pioneers; pioneers in having taken the art of absurdity, no worthiness, sold out bunch of ingrate selfish bastards, mindless “sheeple”, brainwashed pretentious narguilleh smoking selfish lazy wannabees arses.
The sight of goatee Saudi Saad waving his hand in salute as if he was the queen of England (and a queen he might as well be) grabbing Walid beik by the waist (obviously against his will) made sick to my stomach. The songs playing in the background and the festive mood on what should have been a grim reminder of our bloody (recent past) made my blood boil.
And they (M14) have the audacity to talk about their achievements in the past 5 years. The Cedar Revolution is dead! It officially died after the June elections when promises were broken one after the other. The Cedar Revolution was never the sole proprietorship of any political party, it was a movement from the people and TO the people, entrusted then (wrongly) to the current leadership. Today another nail (if not the final one) was put on its coffin.
Today, I and the entire world, witnessed the shrinking of your (M14) power base; and in a couple of days from now the entire world will witness the ever constant (if not growing) power of Hizbullah (the commemoration of their martyrs). And yet THE supreme leader of M14 (goatee Saad) deemed it fit to announce to the world (not very long ago) that the government will stand by Hizbollah in case of a new “aggression” (even if provoked) against Israel.
If only I was allowed to (safely) attend the Hizbullah commemoration, for I have more respect towards those who even if they have an agenda that I totally refute, are true to their promises and their following.
Sad to say, I hold MUCH more respect to those I am willing to dedicate my life to fight against their vision, than to the lot of you (M14).
Come next elections, not only I will not vote for you; I will vote against you.
Long live Imad Moughnieh and may God protect Samir Kuntar !

Where is Joseph Sader?

2010-01-12T13:09:00.003+02:00

Le Kidnaping de Joseph sader
Uploaded by mnmlynda2000. - News videos hot off the press.

Tfeh !

The ultimate failure of the “prodigal” son!

2009-12-21T00:52:00.001+02:00

This past Saturday, amidst media frenzy; goatee stuttering spineless Saad took his “courage” into his own hands (or shall I say executed a Saudi command) and ventured onto a trip to the land of bloodily love. This lost child (with a new found selective memory, just like every Lebanese he and M14’s represent) chose to forget about Syrian arrest warrants issued against his closets of allies, by those he publicly claimed had a hand in the killing of his father.
So he went alone, not by choice.

No it was not an official visit, for there was no official invitation. So what was it then? A similar visit to the one Walid Jumblat did after the killing of his father (and by whom, one might wonder)? Has it become a part of Lebanese culture to pay respect and homage to our slayer?
Humor me if you will, for I am a part of the “sheeple” that constitute this “great” nation of ours. I have tried (unlike many others) to find a hint of logic or a half cooked excuse for Saad “lonely” walk along the presidential corridor, and the obvious (long lasting) grin on Bashar’s face, before the (what has become) famous kisses on the “killer’s” cheeks. I still came out empty. My little, abused brain by so many empty slogans, cannot still comprehend nor accept such a blatant “you fucked me, thank you sir may I have another”.
Yes many of you (even those who have warrants issued against them) may argue that this visit stems from the fact that our dear stuttering idiot of a prime minister is acting as a representative of the people (my foot, for h forgot why the people voted for him), and has grown beyond personal feelings and vendetta. But a few of you harbor this bitter feeling that he (and his allies) were unworthy of our votes in the past elections; for he has capitulated.
A devil’s (Saad that is) advocate might argue that in view of:
French policy of “rapprochement”(with Syria that is), headed by some “arriviste” gigolo who would have been better off pleasuring his sexually edible wife (which I guess he is doing).
A first “African American” president with arms extended, having inherited failed foreign policies from his “new born Christian” predecessor with a “Divine” (failed) mission.
A local Mullah armed to the teeth threatening to wage a holly Jihad against fellow Muslims “first” in order to establish his long “pipe” dream of Wilayet al Faqih.
An orange demented “Iznogood” to whom he made the most concessions.
A major player in the region who still stands defiant; and is still building its nuclear capabilities, and sponsoring local foes.

Stuttering Saad went to Syria, embraced Bashar, kissed him on the cheek, and had the reception of kings.
For me, that is a problem. That is a true description of why we need “new blood”; but what pisses me off the most is when someone like our dear ex President (monsieur 20%) Amine Gemayel has the audacity to say, and I quote “I was amongst the fist supporters of Hariri’s visit to Syria”, but WAIT FOR IT…………..”the wounds run deep”.
Wlek ألله يرهح أمواتنا for you have sold them short

An even greater divide !

2009-12-01T09:33:00.001+02:00

The final curtain has been drawn. In the past 48 hours, bored out of my skull, I have indulged in the art of “zapping” being the insomniac that I am. “Fesse book” could no longer cut it; so I reverted back to monitoring garbage on local airwaves. Out of boredom and my stubborn refusal to chemically induce sleep, I had, in the past 48 hours willingly subjected myself to the crème de la crème of Lebanese “New found culture”. First stop was MTV with a resemblance of “Video Gag” where people were asked the following question: “What is the name of the French president Nicolas Sarkozy”, is it George, Tony or Abraham? And most of my countrymen answered Abraham. A few minutes later, while my thumb was still exercising his routine; OTV came shining. A bunch of vulgar idiots (a doctor Carrot included) were indulging in the telling of vulgar, but well known jokes to the applause of an orange well indoctrinated audience. The jokes (and the words) used in this utterly useless program, should not even have passed the most lenient of censorship standards, my dear “so called” democratic country allows (according to its archaic laws). A breath of fresh air some might say, but I disagree. In order to be fair (and I am mostly not) the saga continued. Today I had the misfortune to watch yet another pollutant “dick head” called Zaven on Future TV (along with his 3 stooges/guests) attempting to deal with the subject of child molestation. The program was supposed to shed new evidence as to the death of a mother and her 3 children in Bhersaf, but far from it showed how lacking we are in investigative journalism.
On amore serious note, and in order to revert back to the original title of this post, Hassouna graced us with the new Hizbollah’s doctrine.
OH PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE ! I wasn’t born yesterday.
The gloves are off, and you can burn me to the stake. I have made my choice (and it has been a long time coming), you and I cannot coexist!

My culture:

And yours that I refuse:

No you are not a part of whom I am and NEVER will be !

Mabrook ???

2009-11-09T22:18:00.002+02:00

Mabrook the ill fated, long awaited government of ours. Yalla fellow citizens stock up on “Ganja” (better than Lexo) and dust off your old reggae LP’s

And if ever you wake up from your deep slumber (in time for 2013) and let loose of your willies to piss down the throat of our decrepit and corrupt political class; do it while singing :

A Tarek. Sous l'oeil de l'ange

2009-10-12T21:58:00.005+02:00

Without any comment !

When idiots are in charge of my country !

2009-10-08T11:08:00.002+02:00

After the MURDER of George Abou Madi yesterday in Ain El Roumaneh most of our dear politicians rushed to give their opinion as to what took place much more than to actually condemn such barbaric acts of violence. In one instance a spokesman for our "opposition" went as far as to say that the boys that were attacked were gambling and drunk which according to him made them "Za3ran" and hence deserve what they got (the latter is how I perceived his words of wisdom).

Most shocking is Minister Najjar and how within seconds found the best way to avoid such criminal acts from ever happening again. Guess what he is suggesting that enlightened moron :

The banning of scooters !

Ya Najjar, I suggest that for once you actually apprehend the culprits and hang them in a public place by their testicles. I don't know maybe that will give those who were planning more trouble something to think about.

N.B: Where is Joseph Sader ?

TFEH !!!!!!

When I will become a Roumieh resident.

2009-10-05T22:53:00.007+02:00

Goatee Saad met with the demented general. Rumor has it that the meeting was so friendly that now there is talk of an MOU between the Future movement and the FPM, similar to the MOU with Hizbollah.
Oh joyful day!
I do not pay much attention to what is written in local papers, for the fate of my country is in no way a local affair. But I know that the worst is yet to come, and I know that I will not be kept silent. So just in case I find my freedom being taking away from me (once again), this is part of the concert I would like to enjoy in the prison I will be at (not Nancy and Haifa).

Broumana, if not Lebanon.....then !

2009-10-04T01:22:00.001+02:00

At the time of 8tracks, Julio was a relatively unknown singer performing in Spanish, Diverio was lighting up the local scene with his warm voice, Di Capri filled the house, and Tozzi was being hummed. LEBANESE went out to places like "the Troubadour", cracked open a bottle of "white Horse" and spent an entire evening being serenaded by artists that came from all around the Mediterranean. No one ever thought of banning any performance under any false pretenses; because then religious figures had hardly any clout. People just went out to have fun and enjoy the diversity Lebanon had to offer. Be it Aznavour, Feyrouz, Um Koulthoum, Sardou, Dalida, Farid Al Atrach... etc; it was all part f the cultural hub we once were. Sad to say that this is no longer the case, and even sadder; no one seems to give a damn. Before I leave you to put on more nail into Lebanon's coffin, a selection of Italian artist that my father enjoyed, and later I in the hardest of time (and they were in some aspects better than the ones we are living today) in Broumana.

And still you anxiously await the birth of a new government. Pray to whatever God you believe in that by 2013 Lebanon will not have become LEBANONSTAN. Long gone are the days when Feyrouz use to sing B7eback ya Loubnan.

Hands off MY country !

2009-10-01T21:42:00.006+02:00

Source Now Lebanon :

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=117205

Lebanese Muslim scholars: Samba troupe should be banned from performing in Tyre
"This is a pornographic dance group that goes against our ethics," Sheikh Ali Yassine, one of 50 religious leaders who are calling for the cancellation, told AFP.

"We fear that once they start dancing nude in the streets, there will be trouble," Yassine added. "Our society will not accept such a parade.”
"The city of Tyre is a city of resistance and its history is that of a conservative Muslim city."

The Brazilian troupe has been performing throughout Lebanon since September 23 as part of a festival and planned a final performance in Tyre on Thursday evening.

Roberto Medeiros, ministerial adviser and cultural attaché at the Brazilian Embassy in Beirut, told AFP that measures had been taken to respect the sensitivities of the mainly Muslim population in Tyre, including having the dancers cover their bodies rather than perform in skimpy clothes.

"We met with the local authorities and informed them that the dancers would dress respectfully with all their bodies covered," Medeiros said.
Yassin, however, said he had been shown photographs of the costumes and still deemed them inappropriate."

Please, please, and pretty please; spare me the hypocrisy. Gad Elmaleh is an Israeli foot soldier, Frank Sinatra donated money to the Jewish lobby, Leonard Cohen is banned…etc; and still you claim to be for “al ta3ayoch al watani”, and the respect of your fellow citizen . MY country is trying to reclaim it’s place as a cradle of culture and diversity, and here you are once again showing to the world how deep we have regressed into the dark ages. Regressed, not out of belief or conviction; but by the force of arms. The arms you ONLY hold as a Damocles’ sword above every true Lebanese throat. Your way is the only way, and your culture (according to you) is the true culture, and the only salvation for our ailing society. “Repent” you shout out loud. Repent against the greater evil that is the West; for Sodom and Gomorrah are on your own doorsteps. Nevertheless when a local or a foreign visitor, on his trip to Baalbeck attending any festival (many of whom you approve of) is faced with huge pictures of Moughnieh, it is OK. It is OK, for you have decided that we are a nation of “moukawimeen”. Ya Sheikh Ali Yassine you claim that the people of Tyre will be outraged by the troop’s dancers parading in the streets in their (what you regard as) skimpy outfits, and that it will cause outrage and mayhem. For Tyre is a conservative Muslim city. Well let me remind you ya Sheikh Ali Yassine, that as I far as know Lebanon (the entire 10452 Km2) has not yet been declared a Muslim country. And that all regions fall under the same category. When you can allow Moughnieh’s portraits to be plastered on the doors of historical sites; I have the same rights to parade what is known to be an old recognized folkloric dance. Moreover Lebanon (as far as I am concerned) is not yet an Islamic country, nor is Tyre a purely Islamic city. So please spare me the rhetoric. Your words will not demean the respect I have for the Shia who see through your ill founded hatred; we are Lebanese first and foremost regardless of religion. So you can take your Moughnieh, Kuntar, …etc and shove them up your constipated arse; maybe in a few years (or even much less) you would shit a diamond.

Fingers crossed

2009-09-25T23:26:00.002+02:00

Nothing more than a small peep hole into my soul. The difference, no matter how great it is, should not weigh it’s toll. So here I am once again expressing myself the only way I know how to in the hope that you might relate to. A smile will suffice!

And just in case you are still confused.

So for now, I wish you sweet dreams !

Can any Lebanese relate to this?

2009-09-25T20:37:00.002+02:00

In 1979 an English artist got to number 2 in the charts with this following song. Dig up the lyrics and tell me if any of you can, today, relate to this.

And for you lazy arses:

"Don't start me talking
I could talk all night
My mind goes sleepwalking
While I'm putting the world to right
Called careers information
Have you got yourself an occupation

CHORUS:
Oliver's army is here to stay
Oliver's army are on their way
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today

There was a checkpoint charlie
He didn't crack a smile
But it's no laughing party
When you've been on the murder mile
Only takes one itchy trigger
One more widow, one less white nigger

CHORUS

Hong Kong is up for grabs
London is full of arabas
We could be in palestine
Overrun by a chinese line
With the boys from the mersey and the thames and the tyne
But there's no danger
It's a professional career
Though it could be arranged
With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
If you're out of luck you're out of work
We could send you to johannesburg

CHORUS

And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today."

Just for laughs !

2009-09-23T15:43:00.001+02:00

Musical Interlude, or is it?

2009-09-17T22:23:00.001+02:00

When the shit hits the fan, it really hits the fan!

What better way when nothing seems to be going right, than to take a small leave of absence from it all. As I was doing just that, sifting through my music collection; I went back in time. A time when politics did not rule the day, when work was something to look forward to every morning, when friends were always there for you, when on Sundays the entire family gathered for lunch.

The crackling sound of the LP's I was playing brought me back to a happier place. What follows is a small sample, hoping that it bring to some of you the serenity it brought me (for different reasons maybe).

My reply to Fadlallah's latest "fatwa"

2009-09-13T23:05:00.001+02:00

Prominent Shia Cleric Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah issued a fatwa on Sunday prohibiting any kind of normalization with Israel, regardless of the results of Arab-Israeli negotiations, adding that the Fatwa applies to all Muslim because “Palestine is an Arab Islamic country, and no one has the legitimacy to compromise over it.”

Fadlallah called for the nation to take an Islamic position on the issue and stop any “attempt to legitimize Jewish occupation of Palestine.” (source: Now Lebanon)

I especially like the last sentence when the call is to "take an Islamic position". I am first and foremost a LEBANESE, and second a Christian (by birth); and as far as I can recollect Lebanon is not (yet) an Islamic country (with respect to all religions).

Mr Fadlallah you are barkimg up the wrong tree !

For once I will control myself and not use derogative words in my reply, but I will speak my mind in music; in the words of Leonard Cohen (which I am sure you will never understand, and you are not familiar with for he is banned in MY country).

There isn't much I could do or say about your fatwa that would not pass censorship in most civilized countries (definitely not any you believe in), but I could sure try in the following dedication, you twisted hate filled bigot. I can actually picture you with a karaoke machine singing and dancing to this song in front of your mirror.

I am for a just and equitable peace with ALL. I am a believer in mankind (and obviously you are not), in résumé go bark at another door!

The winds of change.

2009-09-09T22:52:00.000+02:00

Chavez and Ahmadi Najad are in cahoots even with regards to exchanging nuclear technology know how.

Russian vessel (Arctic Sea) kidnapped, allegedly carrying weapons to Iran. Talk about the Mossad being involved, and a secret visit by Israeli high officials to Russia in order to contain the story.

Turkey FM cancels visit to Israel.

Iraq blames Syria for Iraq terror.

4000 new settlements given the go ahead to be built in Israel/the occupied territory.

And in my country the only talk on the news is about how constitutional the new cabinet proposal was.

Fuck me gently for I worry about those changes and I ask. Since when:

Was the constitution ever respected.

Was, any past present and even future government truly representative of the will and aspiration of the people.

Was Lebanon a master of its own destiny.

Democracy gives way to those who lost elections, and still DEMAND the lion's share.

When the people sit idle (for it is the tourist season) and accept a 70 day stalemate.

Ya Elias, where are the Migs that you so proudly procured as a gift from the Russians? If I recall correctly we were supposed to have them by no later than August (I guess the Syrians will get theirs first). No you are not the only one who fell short of your (public) promises, and you are not the only one who let down those million + who took the streets in 2005. Goatee Saad has stepped over his Christian allies in his government proposal. Walid Beik has lost his credibility amongst many of his partners and Druze followers. Aoun has dug himself deeper into the grave of shame (thanks to Gebran Imbecile). And my fellow Lebanese lost the most.

An election took place, and results were cast. An election took place under the flag of a democracy that is second to none in our corner of the woods, so why not act accordingly. Why not? the answer is simple. Hizbullah's arsenal.

So my fellow Lebanese, I would advise you to reminisce, and long for the time when you lived under the Syrian boot; for then you could still fight. The excuse in those days was, I was fighting against an outsider, an occupying force.

But for the very few of you, who still have LEBANON flowing in your blood; those hindering bastards are not Lebanese by heart, soul, conviction or even allegiance. To all of you who took to the streets in 2005 and then onwards, for once speak out your mind. Pluck every single hair out of Saad's goatee and Hassouna's beard, demand that the Iztaz gives back the keys to parliament, that the so called doctor plants cedar trees in Becharre and leaves us alone, that Walid Beik rides his Harley into some far away sunset, that Micho finds an asylum that can accommodate his many psychological illnesses.But most of all my fellow Lebanese; REPENT. Repent, for what ails this country of ours is from your own doing!

My 5 seconds of fame

2009-09-07T19:09:00.002+02:00

I guess my constant winning about Lebanese politics caught the eye of someone at Time Out magazine.I will leave it up to you my loyal readers to see the irony.

My pride and joy !

2009-08-30T23:47:00.002+02:00

No it is not a song by Stevie Ray Vaughan (although it is one of his favorites), but a sens of pride, and here is why, so go check it out !

http://thejesterson.wordpress.com/

Aoun latest outburst.

2009-08-17T22:33:00.004+03:00

Below is the main reason (I got from a "very reliable source") why Aoun refused Hariri's lunch invitation.

R. I. P. Charles

2009-08-05T10:40:00.001+03:00

A year and a couple of weeks ago, you lost your youngest son.
A year and a couple of weeks ago you gave up on life.
A week and a couple days ago you took your last breath and I was there.

Tonight I was graced with the (unexpected) presence of your remaining son.
Tonight I have listened in patience to the rumblings of a lost soul .
Tonight I have tried to accommodate he who thought he was enlightened.
Tonight I have lost my temper and was about to shove my foot up his arse.
Tonight I realized that false messiahs are part of the family.
Tonight I am conscious that you surely died in vain.
For tonight I have realized that the legacy you wanted to leave was never meant to be.

71 years of age and an eager sense to repent did not alleviate the failure you took to your grave.
As for the rest, Oh well...... life goes on. R.I.P dear uncle Charles, for you are better off dead than living amongst those arses, HIM included.

Hooray, hooray; summer is here !

2009-07-21T00:16:00.002+03:00

Hooray, hooray; summer is here, tourists are flocking and Lebanese are benefiting. Cabinet or not; who gives a damn. My country is once again attracting tourists spending their oily green dollars in local institutions. This summer Lebanon has regained it's place in tourist guides, not as "the Paris of the Middle East"; but more as the cheap brothel for low class (a better word would be NO CLASS) Middle Eastern carnal pleasure seeking half humans. As long as M14 and M8 keep (relatively) calm until early October, our dear one finger sandal wearing brothers will feel safe spending their money (and I will not dwell into how) in exchange of services we render. Youpppppppie, all is well!
So for the time being no one seems to care about, Saad, the Iztaz, the Doctor, the general (his son in law),the divine protector, the crazy guy from Moukhtara...etc, and especially no one seems to care about LEBANON.
My recollection of one of the countries I visited is depicted below, I wonder how would any "khaliji" describe his summer in Lebanon.

A place to lay me down to sleep: 55th & 5th

One of the best pizzas I ever had : 1295 3rd Avenue west Houston St

Dinner & a drink: 29E 65th St

Late night: 47W 20th st

Innocence found: 767 5th Avenue

Christmas lunch: West 67th st, central park west

And this is only one memory.

To those tourist who came with a "high" respect for the Lebanese (especially their women), and to those Lebanese who have lost all signs of respect; I dedicate (after my regular TFEH!) this song.

Whoring political style!

2009-07-05T01:05:00.001+03:00

To go, or not to go; that is the question. Will goatee Saad meet with Bashar, will Saudi/Syrian summit (rapprochement) pave the way in the forming of our new government? Those are the two questions on the minds of many fellow Lebanese.
As for me, I regret casting my vote (in a vain attempt to make a difference and to somehow revive the spirit of the cedar evolution); for deep down inside I knew that I was voting for “eunuchs”. I thought that voting for “eunuchs” was less painful (for they cannot fuck you up the arse) than for those who have proven (7th of May) to have long reaching dicks and a strong belief of fucking you over “au naturel” with no “Vaseline”.
Hands are now once again being extended (after long years of self masturbation, which only led to selfish pleasures), and free “blow jobs” are being offered in the name of the formation of a cabinet (“kabbineh” is a better word) of national unity.
WLEK TFEH!
Since Lebanon has become such a cheap whore (at the hands of the “majority” elected) I nominate for the presidency, the PM and the speaker of parliament …

Evenings by the “telly”, a long, long time ago.

2009-07-04T00:34:00.004+03:00

Those (for a short while) were happy days, and like the "Fonz" so eloquently said, I say to all the politicians (some more loudly than others) " SIT ON IT""; but I would also add the words “AND SWIVLE”.
WLEK TFEH!

Black or White

2009-07-02T00:26:00.001+03:00

No this is not a tribute to Michael Jackson. As an artist, I bow to his talent, but as a decent human being I still have many doubts. This is a call to end the stalemate that has cursed our country since its institution in 1943. BLACK OR WHITE is a choice between freedom, liberty, territorial integrity, honor, freedom of choice, advancement, prosperity; and the dark ages. I do not give a flying fuck about Gad El Maleh’s comedy prowess, but I refuse the Hizb’s influence which led to his tour cancellation. BLACK OR WHITE is the choice we are faced with today; no shades of gray. The only salvation (if ever) I see, is for one color to completely win over the other; even if this means WAR . Sad to say that I am convinced that BLACK has already won. R.I.P Lebanon.
Wlek TFEH!

And when my days are over, how will you remember me?

2009-06-28T01:24:00.001+03:00

Nothing is quite as it seems, at least not for me. I’ve been so many years inside this prison, in this shell I call myself, too many years for one little fight. My bones are aching and my will has dissipated. My life only hangs on the last thread of hope I have left. And all the words of wisdom never seem to ease the pain,’ cause the gateway from the land of my dreams has been shut.
So I surrender and admit to my shortcomings. I accept the fact that it makes no difference where I turn, for I will not make any impact, nor will I change my destiny. Sir Lancelot will never find the Grail, and even if he did, it will probably be too late. I have chosen to live my life in the wrong era and was forced to live it in the wrong place. Although I never believed in martyrdom, I believed (at a certain time) in a noble cause; but now I know that there are no noble men.
47 years wasted, so I lay me down to sleep.
If only I could !
TFEH !

A special dedication to all those who voted for the Iztaz today!

2009-06-26T02:03:00.000+03:00

In the hope that the bananas will be shoved up your arses in bunches without "Vaseline", you sold out "monkeys".

Swing from chair to chair in parliament (especially you, Walid beik), for in my eyes I hold more respect for "monkeys" than I have for the lot of you.
Wlek TFEH !

I support the green revolution!

2009-06-24T01:12:00.003+03:00

Oppression is not everlasting, even within the most oppressive of regimes.

The green revolution emanated from a deep sentiment of discontent with the result of the Iranian elections; just like the Cedar revolution started with the assassination of Rafik al Hariri. In both cases, and without prior notice; people took to the streets and voiced their discontent. In March of 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini changed the face of Iran. Today, 30 years later, the people of Iran are attempting to say “enough is enough, now is the time for change”. Just like in Lebanon, after 30 years of Syrian hegemony, the people took to the streets and said: “enough is enough, now is the time for change”.
They have Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, and we have Hassan Nasrallah. They have NEDA SULTANI, and we have RAMZI IRANI. Their struggle is a couple of weeks old, and ours has been going on for over 4 years.
This is a call for all Lebanese, and especially those whose voice and opinions (and yes, this also concern you, you ORANGE pricks) muffled (under torture) for years; to support in any way you can, the cause of our brothers and sisters in Iran. Representatives of the (so called Cedar Revolution) have won the majority in the elections. Now is a golden opportunity for you (bunch of nitwits)to show Lebanese, Iranians, the world, and the independent Shia your refusal to “Dawlit Al Fakih”. Organize a PEACEFUL march in condemnation of Hizbullah’s masters who are UNLAWFULLY killing those who can make a change in Iran, hence maybe reducing some of your local evil’s influence and might.
Wlek, people of Lebanon react, embrace this newly born cry for freedom that is coming from one of the most defiant regimes we know today; for you are not alone in your corner of the world.

A grim reminder, to be watched with caution.

A musical interlude; or a state of mind?

2009-06-22T01:25:00.002+03:00

In memory of Salim Moussa Achi, better known as Dr. Dahesh

2009-06-20T00:54:00.002+03:00

1. HINDU PRAYER FOR PEACE:

Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real. Oh God, lead us from darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to immortality. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all. Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings bring peace to us. May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace itself, bestow peace on all, and may that peace come to me also.

2. BUDDHIST PRAYER FOR PEACE:
May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another. May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses - the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

3. JAIN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all the Enlightened Ones. The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma. Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me. Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity. Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world. Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage. "Do not injure any living being." This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life. A weapon howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior one; but no weapon can, however, be superior to nonviolence and love.

4. MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE:
In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE."

5. SIKH PRAYER FOR PEACE:
"God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear: that Truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living. "Know that we attaineth God when we loveth, and only that victory endures in consequence of which no one is defeated."

6. BAHA'I PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

7. SHINTO PRAYER FOR PEACE:
"Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe, are all our brothers and sisters, why are there constant troubles in this world? Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us? I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains."

8. NATIVE AFRICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot; the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees: the all-seeing Lord up on high who sees even the footprints of an antelope on a rockmass here on Earth. You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of peace.

9. NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all the good things that you provide for us on this Earth.

10. ZOROASTRIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world: that understanding triumph over ignorance, that generosity triumph over indifference, that trust triumph over contempt, and that truth triumph over falsehood.

11. JEWISH PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the Most High. And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation - neither shall they learn war any more. And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.

12. CHRISTIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be known as the Children of God. But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Surtout, ne dormez pas sur vos lauriers !

2009-06-17T23:20:00.004+03:00

Not even ten days have passed since the majority won (regardless of what others still claim) the “democratic” elections; that the dark clouds above the Lebanese skies started forming.
.Samer Hanna’s killer was freed (yes on bail).
.The “Iztaz” is most likely, if not definitely going to be reelected.
.Back to “Tawlet Al HIMAR” in order to discuss, and unanimously agree upon key issues (such as Hizbullah’s arms).
'Israel (after Netanyahu’s speech) is still our number one (and only) enemy.
.National unity government … etc.

BEWARE my newly elected and reelected M14 rs, for you have won with the votes of those I always called “the silent majority”; and they will not sit idle this time. You have been given a second chance (faute de mieux) and you should use it wisely. Gone are the days of compromise and pussy footing. The time has come for all of you to realize that this is your VERY last chance, and decisive action is needed (if not expected).
• The Iztaz had his 17 years of monopoly in parliament, I think it’s enough.
• ‘Les bras ouverts’ to those who lost, is a sign of weakness. Theirs were always (and still are) closed.
• The Doha agreement served its purpose and should only be remembered as a sad chapter in Lebanon’s history.
• Mustapha Hassan Moukaddem should be made accountable for the KILLING of Samer Hanna if only to preserve the dignity of the Lebanese army, and this should not be the case nor the excuse.
• All Palestinian camps should be free of arms in order not to have to deal with another Nahr Al Bared.
• Getting FINALLY rid of the notion of “tawhid al massareyn”.
• Border demarcation between our “sisterly” nation in the north.
• “Bayan al kassam” of the new government should clearly state that decision to go to war lies solely within the Lebanese government, and not in the hands of our local divine turban wearing Iranian puppet and his follower.
• Reviewing all the past treaties signed under Syrian hegemony.
• The return of all Lebanese (dead or alive) in Syrian territories.
• Having the balls to ask Syria for financial compensation (like they did) for the all the money and resources they siphoned during 30 years of OCCUPATION.
• Giving “rightful” status to Lebanese Jews (no longer labeling them “Israelite s”), and moreover representation in parliament.
Mark my words, if you fail this time, there won’t be a rock left in Lebanon for you (M14rs) to crawl under. And if you do fail, the “silent majority” which tipped the scale this time; should demonstrate, burn tires, block roads, erect tents and demand not only your removal, but your public hanging.
The above is nothing but a small sample of what is expected of those we have entrusted (half heartedly) with our notions of what the Cedar Revolution was all about. Samir and Jibran have moved on to greener pastures, I wish that time will never come when they will turn in their graves.

Now that I voted, I can gloat !

2009-06-10T23:07:00.000+03:00

Although as a Christian (by birth) the “Massih7 al dajjal” won in my little corner of this Biblical land of MINE. No matter how marginal his victory is; it does pain me to see my quaint little village swooped away by ignorance. Just like Steve Miller said : “the road is long with many a winding turn…, but I am strong…” . I am Strong enough in my beliefs that in 4 years my battle, I will FULLY win; for today’s victory is nothing but the start.

Today, I bask in the luxury of “gloating”, for I had my fears. A fear which was shared by all the true patriots (which I proudly call the knights of the 10452 Km2 round table). Mordred (the demented general) was inflicted his first blow. Even Morgan Le Fay (Hassouna) , Mordred’s divine protector admitted defeat, and is now concocting some yet unknown devilish potion.

But “Excalibur” was taken out of the stone, and Sir Galahad started his quest for the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail which in 4 years from now will cleanse this land of “milk and honey”, and Mordred and Morgan Le Fay will be cast down to hell. The battle has just begun, in the hope that the majority elected will finally show some balls.
No to armed militias.
No to Hizbullah.
No Tawheed al massareyn.
No to armed Palestinians (within and outside the camps).
No to the “tawtin”.
And, No to the false messiah with demeaning slogans.

The Knights will prevail !

To vote or not to vote

2009-06-02T00:36:00.002+03:00

A “pivotal moment” seems to be the label put by all upon the upcoming elections. Every single Tom, Dick & Harry is trying his hardest to sway electoral votes his way with half baked promises and distorted images of their respective gruesome past. Mentions of a “powerful”, “independent”, “free of any foreign influence”, “corruption free”, “debt free”, “prosperous” …etc ; are being flogged by the dozen on local TV stations.
“Vote for me” they all say “for I am your ONLY salvation”.
The streets are cluttered with cars branding different colored flags on their way to political rallies, which span all over the 10452Km2 we once called home. And for the few of us who still actually work, once we get home, we are faced with local TV stations reminding us once again, that THEY ARE THE RIGHT CHOICE.
Before going any further in my ramblings tonight, let me reiterate that I do not adhere to any political party, I am Lebanese (and this is the cross I bear). I have spent numerous hours lately watching (so called) political debates and reading articles pertaining to the upcoming elections with a very critical eye, in the hope of finding a “divine” (and no I am not referring to Hassouna) sign which will point me towards voting for the “lesser of two evil” (yes this is what the upcoming elections come down to). Suddenly, EUREKA! A name came to my mind, that of Joseph Sader. His story (disappearance) is only 4 months old, but not many care to remember. Our dear (soon to be RE-ELECTED) warlords recall and use all the missing citizens in the past 30 years, but none mentions Joseph.
In February 2009 an MEA employee was kidnapped on his way home and hasn’t been heard of ever since. Kidnapped in an area that is indisputably known to be controlled by this crazed, turban wearing, Iranian allegiance pledging, divine local protector of all downtrodden Arabs in the universe (and beyond).

Within 24 hours of his disappearance, rumors came out that he was passing information to the enemy (No not Syria, but our ONLY enemy Israel); then another story that he was handed over to the Lebanese army (which later was denied).
Recently the Lebanese authorities have successfully dismantled a couple of Israeli spy networks, but as far as we the people are concerned, the name of Joseph did not figure in any of the affidavits given by those arrested. So where is Joseph?
I could put past me (but no I can’t) 7harb al ta7hrir, 7harb al ilgha, Holiday Inn, Terry Wait, Morabitoun, Fath, Ahmad Jibril, Sabra & Chatila, Damour…etc; I thought we had moved forward. But calling the 7th of May a glorious day; still rings in my ear. The ONE major artery is controlled by a crazed lunatic, and Joseph faith is known only to him. My decision has been made,on Sunday, I will vote (in the south)AGAINST HIM and those who associated with him (M.O.U).
WLEK TFEH!

Wlek fri2ouna bi ri7a taybeh !

2009-05-27T00:01:00.002+03:00

Sick and tired of half backed local election speeches vulgarly delivered by erected dicks from all sides, pretending to have my country’s best interest at heart.
Like every father, I had dreams and hopes for my son. Such dreams included a happy childhood away from struggle and strife (civil unrest, let alone civil war), and a deep rooted sense of pride in the fact that he was Lebanese. I am fully aware that the “cocodi” has long been gone, the family trips to “Spinneys” by the airport road can no longer be undertaken, “Saint Simon” and “Accapulco” have now been replaced by “Tasli7 ashikmon”, that Christmas does no longer officially begin with the lights on Hamra street, and “Toyland” is no longer there. Many memories I would have liked to relive through Tarek (my son). Granted people evolve and things change, but a great part of local history has been wiped out and no one seems to care. None of those erected dicks (running for election) seem to give a damn about keeping this “life line” going. What we are left with today in this cursed country of mine are landmarks reflecting the hatred that has been brewing for years and suddenly exploded.
Today I took my son for a haircut and for a split second I was transported back in time, back to the days when my dad took me to the local barber shop (now we have “salon de coiffure”). It made me realize (although a normal evolution) that even the simplest of experiences I would have liked to share with Tarek is no longer possible; for the times have changed. If only they have changed for the best, I wouldn’t have minded. I came to realize that many of my childhood’s cherished memories I will never relive or share with him. He will never ride the bumper cars at the “Cocodi”, swim in the “Saint Simon”, go to Toyland or 2aisar 3amer, cinema Saroulla…. Etc.
At the “salon de coiffure” today I could smell talcum powder and Old Spice, but it was only in my head.
So to my dear leaders (all, with no exception) Wlek fri2ouna bi ri7ha taybeh, but be kind enough to pick any of the following, for it reminds me of days long gone but never forgotten.

Wlek Tfeh !

2009-05-19T00:47:00.001+03:00

“3rd republic”, “Ô glorious day (7th of May)”, “Syrian interference in the Bekaa”, “your father is a liar and so is your mother”, “it was just a slip of the tongue”, “we won’t forget as long as the sky is blue” ….etc.
A defective cellular network, traffic jams due to (supposedly) uncoordinated efforts, tension running high in the streets once again, and a faulty keyboard; are more than I can bear!
C’est quoi ce bordel (sorry Ekios)! I came back home in the hope of retiring and resting my weary bones. And all of you, who once deprived me of my childhood and innocence, are now making sure that my last days will not be any different.
1) Hassouna: 7th of May is nothing short in comparison to the 20th of January 1976 (Damour), or (another event that you might better relate to, for the time being) September 18th 1982 (Sabra & Chatila), or even (and this is just to ruffle your feathers, or shall I say turban) 2nd of October 1983 (attack on the American barracks), or any other bloody day within our history.
2) Micho: Kelloun kezzabin wa oukhwat charmouta; but on October 13th 1990, who was the one who fled in his pajamas to the French embassy leaving his soldiers behind? Granted it is the dream of every single “true Lebanese” to live freely in a country that is independent, sovereign, and enjoys territorial integrity, and moreover you talk (not so calmly) of “fassad”. I ask of you: Where is our sovereignty when our faith you have tied (via your MOU with the Hizb) to that of Palestine and the Israeli problem? Where is this independence and sovereignty, when one of your sponsors (again via your MOU with the Hezb) has yet to demarcate the borders? Where does the “fasad” lays , when you can afford to deface the endless kilometers of Lebanese soil with your demeaning slogans?
3) Doc Geagea: I guess that the years spent in solitary in a basement at the “wizaret al difa3” were not enough to wash away the misdeeds of your past (and yours might need at least three generations of semi amnesiacs in order to ensure some kind of redemption). I do not give a crap if you have spent your time reading the Bible or any other religious book; your past (bloody and painful) is still vividly engraved in my soul that (to quote yet another idiot) “ma binsa wil sama zarka”.
4) Walid Beik: “A slip of the tongue”????? why ? was your head shoved up Hassouna’s arse so far that you took a liking to it? Or is it the “survival of the fittest”? How many more changes of allegiances will it take you to finally make a firm stand? Kamal is rolling in his grave, for he had the courage to stand for his beliefs (and that is why he was silenced). Go back to riding motorbikes, for you have shamed (and no I am not sectarian) your fellow Lebanese.
5) Goatee Saad : As a new comer in this cesspool, you should have stuck to taking care of your father’s “international” business. This new found Sunni alliance with the LF (and other Christian fractions) will not hold for long, in their (Christians that is) minds it is nothing but the lesser of two evils.
The list of grievances is long and encompasses the entire political class, wlek TFEH AND KISS EKHTKOUN KELLKOUN. I do not care if Brahim Kenaan’s convoy was attacked a couple of days ago, nor do I care about the exchange of gun fire in Becharre within the Touk family; but I am worried about the two last speeches of Hassouna (our divine leader) who started by (whilst pointing and shaking his finger in anger) telling us that the vents of the 7th f May are not only glorious but could also be extended to cover the 10452 Km2 that is Lebanon (excluding for the time being the Shebaa farms and the Ghajar village), and his explanation with regards to the Israeli maneuvers (as if it was the first time Israel undertakes such maneuvers) and how he reserves the rights (as a resistance of course) to take counter measures. Wlek ya Hassouna ma3leich, I wasn’t born yesterday.
From those “progeniture” of old prominent figures, outspoken, power crazed, megalomaniacs, new born Christians, newly released prisoners, blood stained militia leaders; to those barely riding on their family train (the likes of Arslan, Karame,…etc) WLEK FIKKO 3ANNA. Retire and enjoy all the money that you have accumulated (illegally) throughout our (doomed) first republic, and still do today; and let us be.
The more we approach the “jour J”, the more I am convinced that my country is doomed.
Fuck it I say, screw them all!
BUT HOW? I am open to suggestions.

Thank you MTV

2009-04-27T01:12:00.003+03:00

And more over “thank you Claude Abou Nader Hindi”, for having once more proved that there is no objectivity in local reporting.
Please crucify me for having believed that the only breath of fresh air and free voice was once again allowed to air. Astonished I was, when on the 7th of April, MTV took to the air, voicing what I thought was the only free and independent medium that was lacking amongst all those “sold out, political belonging, warlords promoting thugs. Tonight, and after having watched Ms Hindi’s program I can’t help but wonder about the zeal of such journalistic integrity.
The topic at hand is one that holds close to, not only my heart, but my financial well being; that of Gemayzeh.
I, like many others before me, believed in the entrepreneurial ship spirit of the Lebanese; whom after 30 years of living under Syrian hegemony (and their local stooges) took a stand towards reestablishing the Lebanon we (and you, Gemayzeh citizens) knew. The Lebanon that used to strive on culture; the city that never sleeps (Beirut), and love of life.
We came to Gemayzeh and rented premises (at exorbitant prices) that were not even fit to be used as stables to mules and donkeys, from those of you whom are now complaining.
Ms Abou Nader Hindi, made a point tonight of showing the plight and suffering of the residents of one sector of Beirut that would have been lost in the history books if it wasn’t for the few people (like me, and others) who decided to revive it. Throughout her program, there was talk about parking spaces, lack of running water, smell of sewage, lack of civic duties, power failures, noise pollution at noon (not only in the evening), a plot to get Christians out of Gemayzeh…etc.
The entire blame fell on those of us who spent huge amounts of money trying to revive what was nothing more than a ghost town (and still would have been). Not a single mentioned was aired, blaming the neighboring ISF watching female punters passing, by whilst ignoring teenagers drinking on the sidewalk.
The “propos” of Ms Nour (Monique) and Mme Kiwan are nothing less than the sayings of two bitter women (typical of old school “femmes aigries”) on whom the following saying applies:
“Never bite that hand that feeds you”.
How is it that I (an owner of an establishment in Gemayzeh) can be held responsible for the noise that a “citerne” makes when it is delivering me water? Is in it the duty of my government to provide me with running water ?!!!!!!
Ms Nour goes on saying that our youth lacks civic education. So is that my fault as well, and should I be penalized for it?
The only parking in Gemayzeh is soon to be turned into 144 apartment’s blocks, a couple of high rise towers and a few condos I the middle of a small garden; and I am to blame for it?
The smell of sewage is also our responsibility or is it that of the “baladiyeh”?
The war that is now being shunned by those uptight, ingrate, “usuriers”; should not pass. They want their pound of flesh, let them get it from those in power who made us pay through our noses for our licenses. Let the residents of Gemayzeh shut us down and witness their properties plummet to $10.0 a square meter; then they will come back crawling licking our arses.
Ms Hindi and MTV, sorry but I have to say it; you haven’t done your homework properly, what a shame !

WLEK TFEH !

Tu as vote, tais toi !

2009-04-26T13:54:00.001+03:00

Soyez beaux et fikko 3an ........ !!!

2009-04-20T11:44:00.001+02:00

How stupid and demeaning can one get !

Wlek Tfeh !

From one moron to another.

2009-04-05T01:36:00.002+02:00

With the upcoming “crucial” elections rapidly approaching our local airwaves have recently been cluttered with different (opposing is a better word) views of what our future might hold. M14, M8, the demented general, the not so doctor, the Iztaz, the goatee wearing Leb/Saudi daddy’s boy, the chouf warlord (with his ever changing loyalty)… to the sweaty turban wearing sole protector of our territory(having omitted more than a few in order to keep it brief); they all have been promising swift and conclusive victory.
Oh well YOUPPPPPPPIE!
In a perfect world, I might have been drawn to the idea that the day has finally come when the ballot boxes would actually revive my country from the deep slumber it has been afflicted with for over 30 years. I will still go on Election Day and cast my vote, not for “someone” but out of spite for some other; convinced that it will not fully protect my rights to live and prosper in this land of ours. The road to recovery is very long and tedious, and as far as I am concerned none of 401 nominees have the forward thinking, nor the BALLS to see true democracy implemented.
I am one of the lucky few (and that is debatable) who enjoys a steady job (for the time being) and strived to better himself (and by that I mean his income) by investing his very hard earned cash in what he thought was THE striving sector (food and beverage). So I invested in a pub on one floor and a restaurant on another in a building in Gemayzeh. I will spare you the hassles and the delays my partners and I encountered on the hands of the “Mohafez” and other local agencies (9 months). After having paid our dues (3 times fold) we finally opened.
Silly me, I thought that this was the end of our troubles. We had to readjust our figures, embrace losses, and move forward. March of 2008 our doors were open, people came in, spirits and hopes were high; then came May the 7th.
So we ride the wave (just like everybody else), and when the storm passes us by, our then minister of tourism (yes Joe Sarkiss)

decides to put another nail in the coffin. In order to truly portray what was then going on, I would ask of you to imagine the following :
On a Wednesday evening, in a restaurant, on the second floor of a building, having to tell your customers that they have to vacate the premises at 11.30 because of a law being enforced by the ISF. Knowing damn well; that no disturbance whatsoever was coming out of your place.
Those people who were responsible for such harsh actions (demonstrating in the street wearing their pajamas) are the same people who granted us the leases to premises that were unfit to even store cattle, charging us rent at inflated prices. If it wasn’t for pubs and restaurants, Gemayzeh would still be a ghost town with a price tag by the square meter similar to that of Zabougha. So kindly excuse my French when I say to the residents of Gemayzeh “you fucks do not bite the hand that feed you”.
Once again we had to pay “our dues” (free double glazing, A/C…etc), but I guess that wasn’t enough.
The cabinet of ministers changed, and we now have a new minister of tourism. A minister; who in his early days settled for having his picture taken inaugurating shopping malls in Dubai next to Miss Lebanon, while drooling over her (disputed) beauty. We all thought that the witch hunt was over, especially since genuine efforts were made in order to resolve issues pending (such as Valet Parking, Charles Helou station…etc). I guess we all underestimated the savvy of our new minister whose last name should have been shortened to moron (and sure looks like one in my humble opinion).
I fail to see the logic, when the ministry of tourism spends obscene amounts of money attracting tourists (especially Arabs, and we all know that they are not the type to go to bed at 1.30), and when we pride ourselves to have been mentioned in foreign magazines as the ideal vacation spot; and yet we let a moronic minister recall an outdated law that is impossible to apply, on a whimsy.

That half witted minister had the guts to go on TV two days ago and actually admit that the licensing law is not only old, but could not be applied. Nevertheless this same (lame) law is applied creating gridlock and mayhem in Gemayzeh.

And the coalition which gave him his seat has for a slogan “We want to live”.
Wlek TFEH !

Entre l’amour et la haine

2009-03-28T02:02:00.002+02:00

Et on a le culot de se demander pourquoi !
Pire encore. Croire en une cause commune et une certaine réciprocité que nos aïeuls ont professé sans conviction.
Tant bien que mal cet héritage de tolérance et d’amour envers son prochain n’a jamais était partagé par ceux qui aujourd’hui prétendent être (tout en détenant le pouvoir par la force des armes) la partie démunis du peuple.
Mais je ne me demande plus pourquoi !
Je ne me demande plus pourquoi, car des mon jeune âge la haine et la politique m'étaient bannies ; bien au contraire, les programmes télévisés que nos parents jugeaient inappropriés étaient quasiment interdits. Mais bon, ce n’est pas le cas chez tout le monde.
Et puis on se demande pourquoi !
Pourquoi il y’a tant de haine et si peu d’amour.
A comparer, je ne peux plus avoir tant d’amour envers ceux qui on tant de haine.

Mon éducation.

Et la leur

Et on se damande toujours pourquoi !

Blessed I am

2009-03-25T19:40:00.004+02:00

Blessed I am for I still enjoy the love of those who are dear to me. Those people who have put up with my mood swings, my very short and bad temper over the years; reminded me today how blessed I was.
below is the testimony of the one that counts the most.

Just in case you ask why he counts the most, here is one of many reasons.

Confessions of an ex-Aounist

2009-03-18T17:16:00.001+02:00

Lately I have been unable to freely write, and with rigor, about my visions and aspirations with regards to MY Lebanon. Disillusioned by M14 and their lack of balls; my hatred (as a Lebanese and as a Christian) towards Micho grew stronger ( I wonder why).

I still remember "Beit al cha3b" and promises made; even "la France notre mere patrie" was moved by the words and promises of what turned out to be nothing but a demented general.

More death and destruction followed, and when push came to shove; a pajama wearing general fled, leaving ALL his men behind.
Lebanese passports were given to French dignitaries and citizens in what they thought was a sign of solidarity with the plight of the Lebanese against Syrian savagery; only to find later on that they were illegal.

I wonder if any of those 1500 applicants (or the few who actually were given the travel documents) bothered to apply for the red passport which came in vigor after Micho was ousted. And if they did, can they vote in the upcoming elections? Years have passed since, and I tried to forget. I've laid down my gun before you sat on that cursed chair in Baabda and went to self exile; but I kept my sharp tongue.

A tongue I used in exile to promote your cause in the hope of a dignified return; but you have robbed me of my hope. Then again one can say "no big deal" for I have lived years of struggle and strife and come out relatively intact (the emphasis on relatively). The days of a lesser evil have long been gone, and are now utterly unacceptable. The return of Lebanon's prodigal son turned out to be (especially to Christian Lebanese) the coming of the false messiah. Your MOU with Hizbullah did more damage than the Taef accord which you bark constantly about, claiming to be the protector of all of Christianity within the Middle East. No thank you, your so called vision not only stands against INDEPENDENCE, SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY (which may I remind you was YOUR slogan), but against the very essence of what once was a glorious and Biblical land; an oasis amongst arid land filled with bigotry and hatred. History will one day depict all of your shortcomings for generations to come. And me in my grave, I will be rolling over with laughter !

Only in LIBANONE bart 2

2009-03-11T18:30:00.001+02:00

Only in LIBANONE bart 1

2009-03-11T18:28:00.000+02:00

2009-03-09T01:01:00.004+02:00

Copy of an e-mail I received today

Le principal clivage libanais semble être aujourd'hui celui qui sépare les aounophobes des aounolâtres.
Finnies les vieilles querelles entre arabistes et phénicianistes, entre huitmarsistes et quatorzemarsistes, entre Bushistes et Basharistes.....
Toutes ces lignes de fracture sont aountédiluviennes.
Aujourd'hui, pas moyen de finir un dîner sans qu'aounophobes et aounolâtres n'en viennent à s'aounengueuler. Ce qui pourrit la soirée des rares aouneutres et des nombreux aounenarienafoutre, qui ne peuvent plus s'aountendre parler. yaounamarre !
Les querelles sont d'autant plus vives que les aounophobes les plus aounragés sont souvent d'aounciens aounolâtres qui ne se remettent pas de l'aounterrement de leurs idéaux d'aountan.
Les aounolâtres ne sont pas tous aountipathiques. Beaucoup sont aounnêtes et aountègres. Aountièrement dévoués à l'aounterêt superieur du Libaoun. Ils ne sont toutefois pas aoundignés lorsque le général aountonne ses aountiennes aounticonstitutionnelles. Les aounolâtres sont complètement aounvoûtés et religieusement convaincus de l'infaillibilité paountificale. De vrais aounconditiuonnels !

Les aounophobes sont parallèlement tous des psychaounalystes. Leur diagnaounstic est sans appel : l'aountéchrist souffre de mégalomaounie, d'aounarcissisme, de paraounoïa et de shizophraounie. Les aounophobes préconisent un aounternement immédiat du général et sa mise sous aounxiolytiques pour éviter de nouvelles guerres d'aounnihilations.
Aounophobes et aounolâtres ont fréquemment en commun d'être sous aountidépresseurs du fait de l'aounkylose aouncestrale de leur pays, haounté par des voisins aouncombrants.
Mieux vaut aoun rire que de s'aountre-tuer.

Citoyen aoungoissé
Préférant rester aounonyme

Come what may in the upcoming elections (and this is not in reference to May the 7th) the excuse of "Oh shit I was drunk on Oranjeboom" does not hold water (or barley), they might as well claim that "Black Leb" still rules !

Maybe years of "I love life" were interpreted the wrong way. Soon we will find out.

Last days of snow !

2009-03-08T17:28:00.001+02:00

A butcher’s knife

2009-03-03T12:16:00.000+02:00

In reply to my friend’s request, and with regards to the “butcher’s knife” comment I have posted on his page; I will recall a sad chapter which will never be written in our history books (nor will it be taught to our children in our schools).
In order to make this story seem more plausible to the foreign (non Lebanese) eye, one has to understand the animosity that is ingrained not only amongst Lebanese, but within those who were envious of such prosperity.

Another consideration is that when the war first broke out, the means to fight were somewhat archaic and not widely available. The power (fighting power that is) balance was far from equal; on one hand we had “so called refugee’s” armed to the teeth (thanks to the Cairo treaty), and on the other side a bunch of what some might call a bunch of fascists armed men with (mainly) hunting weapons .This was the case in the VERY early stages. Soon enough a wide array of combat arms was flooding the streets of the capital. Demarcation lines were (artificially) drawn, and the capital was split in two. Each warring faction started building its arsenal, spreading terror and committing heinous crimes against not only its fellow man, but also against it fellow citizen.
And now I come to my story about my first encounter with the “butcher’s knife”; trust me it will not take long.
On one faithful journey in the seventies trying to cross towards what was then labeled as the west side of Beirut, and on the crossing between Chiyah and Ain El Roumaneh was a check point for “fatah” (a Palestinian faction). We stopped two cars shy of oblivion, for the three passengers in the car that was stopped at the check point, were all taken out, and had their throats cut from ear to ear on the side of the road (with a butcher’s knife). Luck was on our side, for the check point was dismantled and we went our way.
Those people who used such a primitive way had within their arsenal SAM6 missiles, but they chose the most painful and degrading way to kill a person who’s only sin was to have “Christian” written on their ID card.
This is nothing but one story amongst many. I have entered Tal Al Zaatar after it fell and caught a glimpse of the horrors that were planned against my people, yes MY people. Granted I knew a guy in my Christian neighborhood that had above his bed rest human parts in pickle jars, but those parts were not of Lebanese, but of those who tried to take over.

What ever happened to the Arabic dream?

2009-02-20T00:29:00.002+02:00

Yes the video is long and so are the lyrics, but so is the way towards an equitable solution to the Palestinian problem. Keep in mind that the clip was made before the rise of Hamas, and when many Arab nations still "relatively" cared about the plight of the Palestinian people.
After this last war on Gaza, I wonder how many representatives of those Arab nations would have participated in this clip, and what the lyrics would have read.
If you have time (and only time) to kill, watch and read; and draw your own conclusions.
N.B: Enclosed are the only translation of the lyrics I could find in English, since I am not capable (nor do I have the time) to translate them myself.

Our dream will live in the hearts of generations after generations.
And what we say today will be our life-long commitment.

Chorus:
Perhaps the darkness of the night will distance us,
But the light's rays can reach the furthest sky.
This is our dream, for all our lives, an embrace to enfold us, all of us.

The dream is not impossible, so long as its fulfillment is conceivable.
And if the night becomes long, definitely afterwards there will be dawn.

Live up to all that you are, even when the truth is the difficult path.
Try, and you shall arrive; the dignity of the attempt will suffice.

Prove yourself to your own Time; believe in your ambitions, you will succeed.
Let your eyes see the truth, and the truth will be seen by others.

Challenge the world and revolt, and learn to remain courageous.
The journey of a thousand miles, starts with a single step.

Justice needs strength, so that you can protect it.
Never, by rhetoric and complaints, will the rightful land return.

Love has fire and spark, and eyes filled with hope.
Children, with stones in their hands, will reinvent the world.

From anywhere in the world, we speak the Arabic language.
And in the loudest voice and heartbeat, we call unity a rebirth.

Our children everywhere, are the light of the nations' eyes.
Fairness, Love, Goodness ... , are our message for all Time.

Sing and say with us: Art is aspiration and success.
From sadness, we create joy, from our thoughts, a path and a life.

A word of truth in a song, is spoken and passes in a second;
Perhaps after years, it may change the world with it.

Let the songs be true, and plan your time for action.
Love will find a door for all the closed paths.

The song cancels borders, and the heart is its nation;
As long as we live, we'll sing; as long as we can, we'll love.

Love is not by words, but by actions and feelings.
Be a light, a smile, a song, and a guide for the paths of others.

Our dream, for all Times, is the unity of all nations.
All the disagreements will disappear; it is enough that you are human.

Your art is your homeland in the exile; you'll find the proof wherever you go.
Sing of people and friendship, you'll find the world to be beautiful.

Love, in all the world's languages, and condense the years into seconds.
The bird's destiny is to fly, and our destiny is to sing these songs.

We hope the dream will become real, and break all hardened silences.
It is not too much for the truth to be bright, even while they call it foolishness.

The tree was a seed, and the story was an idea.
And since we love and dream, we'll reach the path of tomorrow.

[words printed in the video...]
The seed began with a vision ...
and the vision was a dream ...
A dream ... ended with a touchable reality
Operetta ... The Arab Dream
23 Arab dreamers participated in the singing ...
They came together from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf.
95 performers, in love with the dream, fulfilled the dream
... and the dream continues

Waiting on the world to change

2009-02-19T18:03:00.001+02:00

Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could

Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it

So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change

Now if we had the power
To bring our neighbors home from war
They would have never missed a Christmas
No more ribbons on their door
And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want

That's why we're waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

It's not that we don't care,
We just know that the fight ain't fair
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

And we're still waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

IF, you are LEBANESE

2009-02-16T23:53:00.003+02:00

When open mindedness takes precedence.
When you acknowledge (and accept) the fundamental difference with your fellow citizens.
When political correctness is no longer the only priority.
When your past becomes a lesson to be learned.
When true patriotism is the way forward.
When over used slogans no longer move you.
When you accept that the enemy does lie within.
When your are convinced that your current leaders no longer represent your aspirations.
When you truly feel that your well being is being threatened and change is needed.
When you accept the fact that you have a say in your future.
When you stop taking the easy way out.
When you take a firm stand, a stand that reflects your own aspirations; and the Lebanon you would like to see your children live in.
When fear of obliteration is a consideration if you remain silent.

And yes you shouldn’t turn a blind eye or a deaf ear (IF you are Lebanese), when a turban wearing war crazed lunatic says out loud that he reserves the right to use ground to air missiles (which he might, and might not have) against whom he pleases, and anytime he pleases.

That was then and this is now !

2009-02-13T17:24:00.002+02:00

Call it what you want: my own twisted way to justify what “you” might call fanaticism, a way of masking the truth, or even a proof that I am nothing but an atheist son of the devil sprung from a sordid affair. A drunken arse who spits incoherent words filled with hatred whilst pretending that tolerance is his forte, I DO NOT GIVE A FLYING FUCK!
To those who’s paths I have crossed, and made the effort to try and comprehend what makes me tick, tickle my fancy, and gets me tangled up in knots; I dedicate the following.
I dedicate the following for I know you, an only you will understand what I truly mean.

To those who knew me I say: I was not born and bred a fanatic; but I am not alien to facts nor am I blinded by religion. I am a citizen of this world aware of its people’s past and admitting it shortfalls. For those of you who don’t know me I say: “label me as you wish and call me names”, for you are still blinded by preconceived ideas deeply engraved in your psyche and evolution has passed you by. Yes I deem myself better (at the risk of being crude), but at least I call it as I see it; and moreover I am open for debate.
So give me your best shot !

NO, I d not pretend to be King Arthur, but I relate to Sir Lancelot and I long for the days of the Knights of the round table; days when honor still prevailed.

Why we should all vote against Michel Aoun

2009-02-10T22:02:00.007+02:00

(Letter to the editor, Times newspaper UK)

As a disgruntled ex “Aounist” and a “true Lebanese”, I can’t help but feel not only disappointment but hatred towards what I consider (especially after his latest “propos”) as the biggest traitor Lebanon ever witnessed. Whatever happened to “The World Movement for the Liberation of Lebanon “and your slogan of “Independence, Sovereignty and Freedom”? I guess “Beit Al sha3b” who drew thousands risking their lives, you have now rented (cheap) to those who ousted you wearing only pajamas. Came a time when you had the support of many from all creeds and religions (Druze, Sunnies, Shia, Christians, rich and poor) provided you with a human shield against those whom once you considered as being the foes of what Lebanon stood for. Even the Lebanese Diaspora voluntarily mobilized itself and became a patron to your cause; the cause (of what they thought was) the way towards a free and truly independent Lebanon.

London Marathon

Said Akl (that half crazy has been local poet) recited poetry praising your accomplishments (although at the time they were none), people danced on the road to Baabda, restaurants delivered free food to all those who protected (risking their own lives) you by staging a sit in anxiously waiting for you to grace them with a few (unfounded) promises.
And (along with many others) me in my country of exile, I demonstrated in front of embassies in harsh weather conditions, convinced that this was my patriotic duty. We collected money when you could no longer afford to pay the wages to those Lebanese army soldiers (who whole heartedly) believed that they could finally protect their fellow citizens from the Syrian sword that had caused so many martyrs, and transferred them to your bank account. Many of those very same soldiers who believed in you and your cause were slaughtered, and those who survived were stripped naked and made to walk and spit on posters depicting your “moronic” profile in your military suit by the hands of those you now swear allegiance to, and I quote my dear “traitor”: “The Syrians and the Iranians helped Lebanon, and I do not care if these words anger anyone”.
Well these words anger me and the families of those soldiers who died when you decided to flee to the French embassy. These words anger every single Lebanese (and there still aren’t enough of them) whom for one second believed that you could have been the protector and liberator of this holly land. You pissed on all that was sacred to this once great nation of ours.

Now you claim to be the epitome of the true “wifak watani” with your alliance with those outlaws that don’t even recognize the rule of law; which not long ago was part of the war you fought against fellow citizens (LF to be precise).
I won’t spend any more time detailing your failures and showing your true face (of the traitor and demented general that you are) for I know that many share my views, and the few followers you have are moved by the (false) need to have a so called Christian representation to follow, lacking another alternative (that of the LF).
Dear General, you have recently given us enough material enabling us to write volumes on the subject of traitor, deceit, megalomania, dictatorship…etc. You remind me of one of my favorite “bande dessinee” character, that of IZNOGOOD : “je veux etre califee a la place du calife”.
Well to you my dear general I say : “not in your wildest dreams”, just like Iznogood we will all laugh at all your failed attempts; the only difference be it that in comic books no one gets hurts. I guess that you never understood the difference!
A disgruntled ex Aounist.

Our Phoenix and their Eagles.

2009-02-09T00:37:00.002+02:00

We all remember the days (end of the seventies) when every single local band in order to prove it prowess felt obliged to play “sultans of swing” and “hotel California” the best they knew how. We all sat applauding and enjoying those minutes passed regardless of how out of tune the band was. It was nothing more than (at that time) an escape route from the path of “self” destruction that still prevails today. From Samy Clark, Guss Farah, Dany Labaki, Julia Sadaka singing Grace Slick … to the Electric Warriors; such was our only “défoulement “. After a day of dodging sniper bullets, mortar fire, and a night of heavy drinking and celebrating being still alive; another morning dawns. Another morning creeps upon you with much less promises than the day before, which you tried your best to drown in alcohol. I remember crossing the “ring” (in 1981) while listening to “the last resort”. I did manage to get to my destination with 3 bullet holes in my car.
This song is forever engraved in my mind; engraved with a sweet/bitter memory.

She came from Providence,
the one in Rhode Island
Where the old world shadows hang
heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams
like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place people were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's way,
and how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere
to the Great Divide
Seeking a place to stand
or a place to hide

Down in the crowded bars,
out for a good time,
Can't wait to tell you all,
what it's like up there
And they called it paradise
I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low
while the town got high

Then the chilly winds blew down
Across the desert
through the canyons of the coast, to
the Malibu
Where the pretty people play,
hungry for power
to light their neon way
and give them things to do

Some rich men came and raped the land,
Nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus,
people bought 'em
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun, sinking in the sea

You can leave it all behind
and sail to Lahaina
just like the missionaries did, so many years ago
They even brought a neon sign: "Jesus is coming"
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign

Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here

We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and the name of God

And you can see them there,
On Sunday morning
They stand up and sing about
what it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise,
kiss it goodbye

A voice from our bloody past !

2009-02-06T00:33:00.000+02:00

Not long ago this following statement was painted all over the walls of what was once known as the Christian sector of Beirut "it is the duty of every Lebanese to kill a Palestinian". Such words were deemed extreem by many on both sides of the divide, to the extent that the political party who had such "propos" documented in ink within its dogma, never gained too much ground. Almost no one in the mid seventies paid much attention to the rest of this party's political agenda and philosophy (this politcal party in question is the Guardian Of the Cedars). What follows is a recent interview conducted with its founder Etienne Sakr AKA Abou Arz.

"1 – What is the status of the Guardians of the Cedars Party?
The question is indeed more painful than it is embarrassing. It is painful because of the feeling by party members that the generous sacrifices they made for Lebanon during the war, without anything in return, particularly the dead martyrs and the handicapped, have all been in vain. The dream that we promised them has also faded, namely to build a new and modern state that is worthy of those sacrifices and the aspirations of the Lebanese people. Underlying this feeling is that the state which came to being after the war is much worse than the state that existed before the war, and this is what really hurts me, my comrades, and the Lebanese in general.
The party’s supporters and partisans who are in Lebanon and in the Lebanese Diaspora worldwide feel alienation and estrangement, as well as disgust and frustration, not to say despair, at this situation. The feelings of alienation and estrangement stem from the absence of the party’s president from the headquarters in Beirut (19 years to date) and the inability of the presidential board which we formed in 2005 to substitute for the president, which is due to three reasons. First is the fact that the president is also the founder of the party, which makes filling the vacuum difficult and complicated. Second, the wrongful judicial pursuits against members of that board as a result of the press conference they held in September 2005 and from which they were exonerated. And third, the decaying political environment in which the country finds itself, and the control exerted by parties with non-Lebanese allegiance over every facet of public life, prevent the Guardians of the Cedars Party – which holds Lebanese nationalism as its sole ideology – from maneuvering in an environment that is 100% hostile to its own.
As for the feelings of disgust and frustration, they are shared by the majority of Lebanese, having reached this point after losing any hope in change, particularly through the existing political establishment which is corrupt in its vast majority and by any measure of corruption, and whose sole concern is to renew its grip on the country every 4 years. People are despondent and disheartened. Young people’s ambitions have become limited to securing emigration visas that get them out of the hell in which the political establishment keeps them. Life without hope is a true hell, let alone the stifling living conditions that continue to humiliate people and that have eradicated the middle class. The wealthy have become wealthier and the poor have become poorer.
2 – Has your cause won?
The answer is no, at least for now. If our cause had won, Lebanon would be in great shape. But right now, unfortunately, the anti-Lebanon side has won, which is the side whose allegiance is to outsiders before its allegiance to Lebanon. The sectarian, religious and fundamentalist mini-states have won over the one Lebanese state; the private armies have won over the one Lebanese army; the security zones have won over broader national security; and the political merchants and traitors to their nation who have generated this sick, impotent, corrupt and dismembered state have won over the capable, clean and healthy state for which we have always called in our conferences, statements and party literature. All of this reinforces in us the idea that the state of clinical death in which Lebanon finds itself, rather to which they have brought Lebanon, is no longer responsive to ordinary medicine; it requires another kind of treatment, or divine intervention maybe. Who knows?
Hence, in short, the Lebanese Resistance which we launched in 1975 has failed. The so-called Islamic Resistance has instead succeeded, even though the chances for success were stronger for the former than they were for the latter, and this is due to the stupidity of political Maronitism, at both its spiritual and temporal levels, which became adept at missing all opportunities. In addition, the struggle between Maronite leaders for power and money has been ongoing since the early 1940s and to this day. This is the bitter truth that ought to be said, and incidentally, “The Bitter Truth” is the title of the new book which I will publish upon my return to Lebanon.
3 – Are you with March 14 or March 8?
A question that many ask us every day. The March 14 group believes in an Arab Lebanon allied with the Saudi-Egyptian axis, and we all know the negative role played by that axis at the time of the Palestinian-Syrian war against Lebanon and during the infamous Syrian custody over Lebanon. The March 8 group also believes in an Arab Lebanon allied with the Syrian-Iranian axis, and no one is oblivious to the danger posed by this axis to Lebanon, in the past, at present and in the future. We, on the other hand, believe in Lebanon’s Lebanese identity, in a constant and absolute faith, and we believe in a complete and final Lebanese nation that belongs to no other nation. We declared this belief from the first day we took up weapons, i.e. on April 13, 1975, we continued tirelessly to reiterate this position, and we will never abandon it, regardless of the cost, the pursuits and persecution campaigns to which we are subjected. Speaking of pursuits, we draw the attention of the “honorable” regime that it has to hunt down the intellectuals of Lebanese nationalism, the likes of Charles Corm, Michel Chiha, Youssef al-Sawda, Said Akel, May Murr and others, and ban their books from the schools before it thinks of hunting down the Guardians of the Cedars. Let us not forget Fakhreddine, the founder of modern Lebanon on the basis of Lebanese nationalism.
Going back to the struggle of the axes between March 14 and March 8, the axis to which the Guardians of the Cedars Party belongs is the one extending from the Orontes River in the north to Naqura in the south and not one inch farther. The two axes of March 14 and March 8 belong to the same political school that is responsible for converting Lebanon into this crippled and disfigured state. Without false modesty, I say that the honorable Lebanese, deep down in their hearts and even though they don’t express it, belong to the school of the Guardians of the Cedars.
4 – What is your position vis-à-vis General Aoun and his visit to Syria?
No doubt that General Aoun today is not the General we knew during the battle of liberation of Tal Zaatar as chief of operations in Mar Shaya Monastery. He is not the General leading Battalion 13 which defended the frontlines after the two-year war. He is not the General who led the 8th Brigade in waging the glorious battles of Souk al-Gharb. He is not the General who led the War of Liberation against the Syrian occupation, militarily and politically, from inside and outside Lebanon. As for the arguments he gives to justify his new positions – such as: the problem with Syria is over after it evacuated Lebanon; or we must turn the page of the past and look to the future; or his defense of the weapons of the so-called Hezbollah and his choice of the Syrian-Iranian axis, or his demands to release the four officers.... etc. – they are groundless and unconvincing arguments.
We say that Syria has not left Lebanon. It remains very effectively involved in Lebanese security and politics. Its ambitions of hegemony over Lebanon remain where they are, albeit in a different approach. Also, looking forward to the future should not make us forget the past. We must benefit from the lessons of the past in order to handle the future in a sound manner, especially since this past is full of tragedies that have afflicted every Lebanese home and family. How can we seek reconciliation with Syria when it continues to hold our young men in its prisons? How can we forgive Syria when we have yet to hear one word of apology for all the individual crimes and the collective massacres it perpetrated against us like the hordes of Tatars and Mongols once did? How can we defend an axis that brought us nothing but destruction? How can we demand the release of officers whom the international investigator ordered to be held? Is it reasonable that international investigators are biased to one political side against another?
Making pretexts and arguments with the goal of justifying or covering for one’s actions is one thing. But to actually believe them is another. As for the visit to Syria, we commented on it at the time, and we said that we reject it in substance and in form. Attached is the text of our statement.
5 – Why doesn’t Abu Arz return to Lebanon?
When I went to Jezzine in 1990, after the fall of the Eastern regions to the Syrian occupation, judicial warrants were issued against me in absentia on charges of dealing with Israel. Everyone knows that when dictatorial regimes occupy a country, they resort to eliminating their opponents, either by military liquidation or by way of the judiciary. We thought that these warrants will be dropped with the fall of the Syrian occupation, but these warrants remain standing, which goes to show that nothing has really changed in the Lebanese regime. The regime in power today is one way or another an extension of the regime that existed before the liberation, and this is truly unfortunate.
It is incumbent on me to clarify here this ambiguous aspect that has become the hallmark of our political history:
1-We dealt with Israel in the same way that all the parties of the Lebanese Front dealt with it: Phalangists, National Liberals, Tanzim, Lebanese Forces, and others. No more, no less.
2-We say that we dealt with Israel and our relation with it remained one of peers, in contrast to those parties which dealt with Syria and were tools, let’s say “cheap tools”, in the hands of Syria.
3-We dealt with Israel for the purpose of defending Lebanon and to serve Lebanon’s highest interests. Others dealt with Syria against Lebanon and in order to achieve personal goals at the expense of Lebanon’s highest interests.
4-Syria’s agents occupied the highest positions in the state. They pilfered the country’s resources together and in collusion with the Syrian occupation, while we went into exile enduring the anguish of separation and the harshness of life.

Consequently, we leave it to the people to decide who is the agent and who is the patriot. We accept the people’s judgment because, as a matter of principle, all authority comes from the people.
6 – What is your position on the weapons of the Resistance?
We don not consider Hezbollah a “resistance” in defense of Lebanon. It is an Iranian detachment holding a fundamentalist ideology that is alien to Lebanon. Its weapons, therefore, are a danger to the country, today, tomorrow and forever. Those weapons must be removed in application of resolution of 1559. Otherwise, there will never be a State in Lebanon, and all the talk about coexistence between the State and [Hezbollah’s] mini-state is nonsense and merely delays the solution. As for the “defense strategy”, it is a ridiculous contrivance whose objective is to throw a smokescreen; pursuing it is like pursuing a mirage.
Lebanon, at your service"
Abu Arz

In the name of Palestine

2009-01-29T23:07:00.003+02:00

If some of you still wonder why I was not able to shed any tear while watching the news early this year; here is a glimpse of some of the reasons why. From the PLO, Fatah, Al Saika, ..etc, all the way to Hamas, even omitting what took place outside my comfort zone (Achille Lauro, Brussels, Athens...etc)

This is where it began

This is when "sisterly" relations became incestuous

And these are a few samples why I lost all tolerance and hope.

Yes I know from the start what many of you will say, and once again I do not give a flying fuck (not to be mistaken by a kassam or a katyusha rocket); but I have raised my son differently.
To those child murderers (who wont understand, or seek to understand) I leave you with the following (and may you rot in hell).

GAZA Halte à l'hypocrisie arabe ambiante

2009-01-28T11:18:00.005+02:00

Thanks to Del and M for passing on this interesting article.

"L'information : une poignée de blessés est évacuée de la bande de Gaza afin de recevoir des soins en Libye. Moi, je me souviens des milliers de Palestiniens qui croupissent dans le Sahara, à la frontière égyptienne, depuis que le colonel Muammar Kadhafi les a expulsés [en 1995].

La scène : le président soudanais en uniforme parle à ses généraux pour dire que la mort de centaines de Palestiniens constitue "un génocide". Moi, je me souviens d'un génocide qui a lieu au Darfour.

La nouvelle : en Irak, le mouvement de Moqtada Al-Sadr [radical chiite] organise des manifestations de soutien à Gaza. Moi, je me souviens du sang que les milices sadristes ont fait couler et des milliers de réfugiés palestiniens qui ont dû quitter Bagdad et qui campent dans le désert à la frontière syrienne ou jordanienne en attendant que quelqu'un veuille bien les accueillir.

La surprise : Ayman Al-Zawahiri [le numéro deux d'Al-Qaida] dénonce le bombardement de civils. Moi, je me souviens de la "résistance" irakienne qui, le même jour, envoie une kamikaze se faire exploser au milieu d'une manifestation de soutien aux Palestiniens à Mossoul, faisant des dizaines de victimes.

L'annonce : des groupes gauchistes et islamistes de l'opposition égyptienne manifestent contre l'offensive israélienne. Moi, je me souviens de leur silence face aux crimes commis au Soudan et de leurs cris de soutien à Saddam Hussein, l'ancien président irakien pour qui le chemin de Jérusalem passait par le massacre de centaines de milliers de ses propres citoyens.

La publicité : la chaîne satellitaire du Qatar Al-Jazira diffuse une campagne contre l'impuissance des régimes arabes. Moi, je me souviens des bombes qui transitaient par le Qatar avant d'être acheminées vers Israël au moment de la guerre contre le Liban en 2006. Qu'à cela ne tienne, le Qatar a été le seul pays arabe qui a eu droit à des affiches placardées par le Hezbollah en remerciement pour ses généreux dons d'argent. Je me souviens que le Qatar abrite la principale base militaire américaine du Golfe et héberge un représentant des intérêts économiques israéliens [cette représentation vient d'être gelée].

La surprise : le régime syrien autorise des manifestations… contre la passivité des autres régimes arabes. Moi, je me souviens du calme qui règne aux frontières de ce pays "du front du refus" et au sort de tous ceux qui s'aventureraient à les traverser afin de s'infiltrer en Israël. Je me souviens de la chasse que Damas faisait dans les années 1970 et 1980 pour combattre l'Organisation de libération de la Palestine (OLP).

L'image : Khaled Mechaal, le chef extérieur du Hamas – installé à Damas et non pas sous les bombes à Gaza – déclare : "Nous avons limité nos pertes." Il ne parle que des pertes dans les rangs du Hamas, réduisant les centaines de morts et les milliers de blessés à une variable d'ajustement.

Israël promet à ses citoyens la tranquillité, fût-ce au prix de rayer Gaza de la carte. Quant au Hamas, il promet à ses citoyens la mort prochaine, fût-ce au prix du tir d'une misérable roquette. Quelle belle stratégie, grisante et prometteuse ! Elle permet au Hamas d'annoncer la "victoire" quels que soient les résultats de la guerre et quel que soit le nombre de victimes. Une victoire incontestable. Car comment ne pas être désarmé face à celui qui défend l'idée selon laquelle on détruit Israël en lançant des roquettes alors qu'on sait que les représailles provoqueront la mort de centaines d'enfants palestiniens ?

Ce que nous avons appris encore et encore, c'est que chaque fois qu'on a encensé la résistance, on a récolté une guerre civile. Les Arabes en général et les Palestiniens en particulier sont fatigués par soixante années de conflit. Il en va de même pour les Israéliens. Pour les adeptes de la résistance, la fatigue relève de la "défection" du côté arabe, et de la "faiblesse" du côté israélien. Ils veulent relancer le conflit et lui insuffler une nouvelle vigueur. Mais dans quel but ? La seule chose qui nous semble acquise, ce sont ces "victoires divines" qui se traduisent par des guerres civiles, des invasions américaines, des raids israéliens."

Youssef Bazzi
Al Mustaqbal

Don't you ever wonder why most of the Arabs states tried at one point in time to get rid of the Palestinians?
Any comments??????????

Wafa Sultan on Gaza

2009-01-14T23:03:00.006+02:00

A must read, with no comments on my behalf.
Just spare the time and read carefully.

Le point de vue de Wafa Sultan :
La célèbre sociologue d’origine syrienne, Wafa Sultan, vient de publier l’un des points de vue le plus cinglants concernant la situation à Gaza. Elle plonge aux origines de l’islam pour expliquer le conflit entre deux conceptions diamétralement opposées : la culture de la vie contre la culture de la mort et du martyre. Elle s’appuie sur des exemples de l’histoire récente pour dénoncer une religion, une culture et une idéologie barbares... En voici les extraits les plus significatifs, traduits par Chawki Freïha.

(…) Puisqu’il m’importe peu de satisfaire les uns, de défendre les autres ou d’éviter la colère des troisièmes, je peux dire que le Hamas n’est qu’une sécrétion islamique terroriste dont le comportement irresponsable à l’égard de sa population l’empêche de se hisser au niveau du gouvernement. Mais ceci est conforme à l’habitude, puisque, à travers l’histoire de l’islam, jamais une bande de criminels islamistes n’a respecté ses administrés. (...) Je ne prétends pas défendre Israël, puisque les Juifs ne m’ont pas demandé mon avis quant à leur terre promise. S’ils me demandent mon avis, je leur conseille de brûler leurs livres sacrés et de quitter la région et de sauver leur peau. Car les musulmans constituent une nation rigide exempte de cerveau. Et c’est contagieux. Tous ceux qui les fréquentent perdent la cervelle…

Avant la création de l’Etat d’Israël, l’histoire n’a jamais mentionné une guerre impliquant les Juifs, ni qu’un Juif ait commandé une armée ou mené une conquête. Mais les musulmans sont des combattants, des conquérants et leur histoire ne manque pas d’exemples et de récits de conquêtes, de morts, de tueries, de razzias… Pour les musulmans, tuer est un loisir. Et s’ils ne trouvent pas un ennemi à tuer, ils s’entretuent entre eux.

Il est impossible pour une nation qui éduque ses enfants sur la mort et le martyre, pour plaire à son créateur, d’enseigner en même temps l’amour de la vie. La vie a-t-elle une valeur pour une société qui inculque à ses enfants qu’ils doivent tuer ou être tués pour aller au Paradis ?

(…) Depuis le début de l’opération israélienne contre Gaza, je suis bombardée de courriers électroniques venant de lecteurs musulmans qui me demandent mon avis sur ce qui se déroule à Gaza. Je ne suis pas concernée par ce qui s’y passe, mais je suis intéressée par les motivations qui animent ceux qui m’écrivent. Je suis convaincue que ce qui les motive n’est pas la condamnation de l’horreur, ni la condamnation de la mort qui sévit à Gaza. Car, si la motivation était réellement la condamnation de la mort, ces mêmes lecteurs se seraient manifestés à d’autres occasions où la vie était menacée.

Ceux qui condamnent le massacre de Gaza, par défense de la vie en tant de valeur, doivent m’interroger sur mon avis à chaque fois que cette vie-valeur était menacée. Plus de 200.000 musulmans Algériens ont été massacrés par d’autres musulmans Algériens ces quinze dernières années, sans qu’aucun musulman ne s’en émeuve. Des femmes Algériennes violées par les islamistes ont témoigné et raconté que leurs violeurs priaient Allah et imploraient son Prophète avant qu’ils ne violent leurs victimes. Mais personne ne m’a demandé mon avis. Plus de 20.000 citoyens syriens musulmans avaient été massacrés par les autorités (Hamas en 1983) sans qu’aucun musulman ne réagisse et sans qu’aucun ne me demande mon avis sur ces massacres étatiques. Des musulmans se sont fait exploser dans des hôtels jordaniens tuant des musulmans innocents qui célébraient des mariages, symboles de la vie-valeur, sans qu’aucune manifestation ne soit organisée à travers le monde, et sans qu’on ne me demande mon avis. En Egypte, des islamistes ont récemment attaqué un village copte et ont massacré 21 paysans, sans qu’un seul musulman ne dénonce ce crime. Saddam Hussein a enterré vivant plus de 300.000 chiites et kurdes, et en a gazé beaucoup plus, sans qu’un seul musulman n’ose réagir et dénoncer ces crimes.

Au plus fort des bombardements de Gaza, une femme musulmane, fidèle et pieuse, s’est fait exploser en Irak dans une mosquée chiite, tuant une trentaine d’innocents, sans que les médias ou les musulmans ne s’en émeuvent. Il y a quelques mois, le Hamas avait aussi tué onze personnes d’une même famille palestinienne, accusés d’appartenir au Fatah, sans que des manifestations ne soient organisées en Europe ou dans le monde arabe, et sans qu’aucun lecteur ne m’écrive et ne m’envoie ses protestations.

Ainsi, la vie n’a pas de valeur pour le musulman. Sinon, il aurait dénoncé toute atteinte à la vie, quelle qu’en soit la victime. Les Palestiniens et leurs soutiens dénoncent les massacres de Gaza, non pas par amour de la vie, mais pour dénoncer l’identité dues tueurs. Si le tueur était musulman, appartenant au Hamas ou au Fatah, aucune manifestation n’aurait eu lieu.

(…) CNN a diffusé un documentaire sur Gaza montrant une femme palestinienne qui se lamente et crie : mais qu’on fait nos enfants pour être tués comme ça ? Mais qui sait. Peut-être qu’il s’agit de la même palestinienne qui se réjouissait il y a deux ans quand l’un de ses fils s’était fait exploser dans un restaurant de Tel-Aviv et qui disait souhaiter que ses autres enfants suivent le même exemple et devenir martyrs.

Mais quand l’idéologie et l’endoctrinement sont d’une telle bassesse, il devient normal que cette palestinienne perde toute valeur à la vie. Sinon, elle pleurerait ses enfants de la même façon qu’ils se tuent dans un attentat suicide à Tel-Aviv ou sous les bombes israéliennes. Car, la mort est la même qu’elle qu’en soient les circonstances, et elle demeure rejetée, et au contraire, la vie mérite d’être vécue et pleurée.

Dans ce cas, comment puis-je me solidariser avec une femme qui lance les youyous de jouissance quand l’un de ses enfants se fait exploser contre les juifs, et elle pleure quand les juifs tuent ses autres enfants ? Mais l’idéologie enseigne aux musulmans que tuer ou être tué permet au fidèle de gagner le paradis. Dans ce cas, pourquoi pleurer les Gazaouis alors qu’ils n’ont pas bougé le petit doigt pour les Irakiens, les Algériens, les Egyptiens ou les Syriens pourtant musulmans ?

(…) Après ce qui précède, je suis certaine que ceux qui m’écrivent et me demandent mon avis sur ce qui se passe à Gaza cherchent à me faire dire ce qu’ils peuvent utiliser pour m’incriminer et me condamner, ou pour me faire dire ce qu’ils ne peuvent exprimer eux-mêmes.

(…) Borhane, un jeune palestinien de 14 ans, a perdu il y a une dizaine d’années ses bras, ses jambes et la vue dans l’explosion d’une mine en Cisjordanie. La communauté palestinienne aux Etats-Unis s’est mobilisée pour lui venir en aide et financer son hospitalisation dans l’espoir de sauver ce qui pouvait l’être. Lors d’un dîner de bienfaisance organisé à son profit en Californie, la plus riche palestinienne des Etats-Unis s’est présenté en grande fourrure, et a qualifié Borhane de héros. Elle s’est adressée à ce bout de chair immobile et inerte: Borhane, tu es notre héros. Le pays a besoin de toi. Tu dois retourner dans le pays pour empêcher les Sionistes de le confisquer… Mais l’hypocrisie de la palestinienne la plus riche des Etats-Unis l’empêche d’envoyer ses propres enfants défendre la Palestine contre les Sionistes. Exactement à l’image des chefs du Hamas qui demandent les sacrifices à Gaza, mais restent à l’abri à Damas et à Beyrouth.

(…) La guerre contre Gaza est certes une horreur. Mais elle a le mérite de dévoiler une hypocrisie inégalé dans l’histoire récente de l’humanité. Une hypocrisie qui distingue les Frères Musulmans syriens qui annoncent abandonner leurs activités d’opposition, pour resserrer les rangs contre les sionistes. Mais ces Frères musulmans ont-ils le droit d’oublier les crimes du régime commis contre les leurs à Hama, Homs et Alep ? Avant de se réconcilier avec le régime pour lutter contre les sionistes, ces Frères musulmans ont-ils dénoncé les crimes commis par leurs alliés et partenaires (dans la confrérie) en Algérie et en Irak ? Ont-ils dénoncé la mort de centaines de milliers de chiites en Irak sur le pont des oulémas à Bagdad, pulvérisé par l’un des vôtres conformément aux enseignements de votre religion de la paix et de la miséricorde ? Avez-vous une seule fois dénoncé les exactions contre les chrétiens en Irak ? Ou contre les coptes en Egypte ? Votre hypocrisie nous empêche de croire vos sentiments à l’égard des enfants de Gaza, puisque vous êtes responsables du pire.

(…) Essayons d’imaginer ce que le Hamas aurait fait du Fatah, et des autres, s’il possédait la technologie et les armes d’Israël ? Essayons d’imaginer ce que l’Iran aurait fait des sunnites de la région, s’il détenait les armes modernes que possède Israël ? Ce serait sans doute le massacre garanti.

(…) J’ai récemment rencontré un religieux hindou en marge d’une conférence consacrée à la guerre contre le terrorisme. Il m’a dit : « toutes les guerres se sont déroulées entre le bien et le mal. Sauf la prochaine, elle doit se dérouler entre le mal et le mal ». N’ayant pas compris ses propos, je lui ai demandé des explications. Il m’a dit : « Je suis contre la présence américaine en Irak et en Afghanistan. Si les Etats-Unis veulent gagner la guerre contre les islamistes, ils doivent se retirer et laisser les deux pôles du mal s’entretuer. Les sunnites et les chiites étant nourris sur la haine, vont se battre et se neutraliser ».

Tirant la conclusion de ces mots remplis de sagesse, on peut dire qu’Israël contribue aujourd’hui, inconsciemment, au succès de l’islam. En s’attaquant à Gaza, Israël pousse les musulmans à se solidariser et à surpasser leurs divergences. Et septembre noir en Jordanie est encore dans tous les esprits (…). Les exactions dont sont capables les arabes et les musulmans dépassent toute imagination. Un char jordanien avait écrasé un palestinien, puis le conducteur du char est descendu de son blindé et a bourré la bouche de sa victime avec un journal… Un comportement qu’aucun militaire israélien n’a eu à Gaza. Aussi, pendant les massacres de Hama en Syrie, des militants des Frères musulmans trempaient leurs mains dans le sang des victimes pour écrire sur les murs : Allah Akbar, gloire à l’islam. Je n’ai jamais entendu qu’un juif ait écrit avec le sang d’un autre juif des slogans à la gloire du judaïsme. Je le dis avec un pincement au cœur : pour sauver l’humanité du terrorisme, il faut que le monde libre se retire et qu’il laisse les musulmans s’entretuer.

(…) Je me souviens quand j’étais étudiante à l’université d’Alep, et quand l’ancien ministre syrien de la Défense Mustapha Tlass était venu nous rencontrer. Dans un élan d’hypocrisie, Tlass nous avait dit qu’« Israël craint la mort et la perte d’un de ses soldats lui fait peur et mal. Mais nous, nous avons beaucoup d’hommes et nos hommes ne craignent pas la mort ». Là réside la différence entre les deux conceptions et les deux camps, et le témoignage de Tlass semble avoir inspiré les dirigeants du Hamas aujourd’hui.

Ainsi, l’extermination de tous les enfants de Gaza importe peu aux dirigeants islamistes et du Hamas, la vie n’ayant aucune valeur pour eux. Ils se réjouissent simplement de la mort de quelques soldats israéliens. Pour les islamistes, l’objectif de la vie est de tuer ou de se faire tuer pour gagner le paradis. La vie n’a donc aucune valeur.

(…) Si le Prophète Mohammed savait que le Juif allait voler un jour à bord des F-16, il n’aurait pas commandé à ses disciples de tuer les juifs jusqu’au jour dernier. Mais ses disciples doivent modifier cette idéologie par pitié pour les générations futures, et pour sauver leur descendance et lui préparer une vie meilleure, loin de l’idéologisation de la mort.

Les musulmans doivent commencer par se changer, pour prétendre changer la vie. Ils doivent rejeter la culture de la mort enseignée et véhiculée par leurs livres. C’est seulement quand ils y parviendront qu’ils n’auront plus d’ennemis. Car, celui qui apprend à aimer son fils plus qu’à haïr son ennemi appréciera mieux la vie. Aussi, jamais la terre ne vaut la vie des personnes, et les Arabes sont le peuple qui a le moins besoin de la terre. Mais paradoxalement, c’est le peuple qui déteste le plus la vie. Quand est-ce que les Arabes comprendront-ils cette équation et commenceront-ils à aimer la vie ?

Traduction de Chawki Freïha

O Fortuna !

2009-01-13T01:18:00.003+02:00

"Cet affront ne se lave que par le sang". Those where the days when wars were waged with honor. I still remember blasting Carmina Burana out loud from my car stereo in an attempt to vent my anger during the civil war. I became Sir Lancelot in my own quest for the holy grail. It was a battle for survival, good against evil I believed. Little did I know that the battle was purely evil, and I laid my "Maxwell" cassette to rest after a short period of time.

Little did I know, that years later; the CD copy of that very same partition would have another (bitter) meaning.

I guess that mankind will never learn.

I long for the days of Merlin, King Arthur, Sir lancelot, Sir Galahad, Queen Guinevere, The Lady of the lake, and even Morgan Lefay; for they were noble foes. What we are witnessing today is nothing shot than pure evil.

My Shinning

2009-01-11T01:50:00.006+02:00

Turmoil wreaking havoc in my half rotten soul. A deluge of pictures on my TV screen rekindling sad chapters of my past. One sentence comes to mind (“all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”) with a vivid memory of the elevator door opening to a pool of blood.
And I wonder why!

I wonder why such choking pictures do not move me anymore. I can easily sit in my own comfort, watch gruesome pictures while giggling, when other spectators (watching the same movie) puked their guts out (and I am referring to the SHINING).
And I wonder why!

Is it because I have witnessed (and still am) such atrocities first hand, that I can dismiss the redness of blood on my TV screen and still have ketchup with my fries? Or is it a masked acknowledgment of the helplessness I feel?
15 years of war, over 150,000 dead, 480,000 refugees spread over 12 camps (harboring terror), a state within a (so called) state, failed attempts to take over, AND here I am watching. Watching and still shedding tears. When on my TV screen the ketchup turns into blood. The blood of children.
30 odd years ago (not to revert back even further) YOU drew first blood with disregard to the only (Arab) nation that stood by you and was FORCED to take on your “cause”. What did you do then? Attempt to take over is what you did. You bit the hand that was feeding you.
I am not running for elections on any level, nor do I have to appease business partners; but I have a duty towards myself and towards my child whose innocence is still untouched (for the time being).
The difference is that I would not raise my child within a culture that idolizes the cult of martyrdom, engraving within their mind that their sole duty is to die for the cause (and a false one); but to live and love.

All those who daily point their fingers in aggression pretending to have your best interest at heart (the likes of Mechaal and Hassouna), all those who refuses international mediation to end this useless bloodshed should pay with their own blood. Yes there is savagery in the war against Gazza, but there are also savage and criminal leaders who get their kicks from the massacres of their own people.
Enough with this culture of hatred (on all sides), we have “created” a new generation that has been impregnated with the seed of hatred and self destruction. What will the future hold for such nation?

And I still wonder why !
Why is it that I hold little if no sympathy towards what has become of the Palestinian cause, from oppressed, destitute, refugee, abused…etc to blind murderess rhetoric which holds no more sway. This feeling I started having in the mid seventies, and now it is growing stronger.
Yes once again you will see me as a typical son of Zion, devil incarnate, deprived of a human soul; but I do not give a toss. I am only saying out loud what many (including Palestinians) don’t even dare murmur amongst themselves.
The MAIN responsibility of this current slaughter lies with Hamas. Having said that Israel is no angel.
Maybe my sentiments are still tainted by personal experience with the PLO, Fatah, Saika, Jibhat al Tahrir…etc; they won’t make my words more acceptable to many; but once again I DO NOT GIVE A TOSS. I am sick and tired of all this violence, although now relatively far, but who is to say that Lebanon will not once again be dragged into yet another war that started with Palestinian hands.

Hey there Nasrallah (don't go there again).

2009-01-02T02:02:00.002+02:00

In view of the current situation and the local political speeches; I do not want to relate to the enclosed video again. Although the newer version might differ a bit (and I do hope that it will no see the day) I still shiver at the thought that some demented half witted fanatic might drag us (once again) into ye another "divine" battle.

Yes I am for right of EVERY child to live his childhood and formative years away from struggle and strife. The right to live in a secure environment, and be given a PROPER education. To have the basic necessities of food and shelter, without having to beg for them. No one has the right to raise an entire generation in the spirit of war and false dogma. NO one has the right to look upon an entire generation as foot soldiers. No one has the right to dispense with the blood of the young for political gains. No one has the right to put a rifle or even a stone in a hand of a child.

Instead of being protectors of our children, we have become the butchers; and in the name of what? Resistance, pride, honour, freedom, patriotism...etc. All foreign notions to the entire Arab “umma”.

Ya 3arab, your policies of hatred and division have put your very existence in peril throughout your cursed history. Fanaticism is spreading and tolerance is wearing thin and your children are paying the price. Reach deep within your souls for you might unite and might find ANOTHER more effective and PEACEFUL way to live free and away of hatred.

You can call me by any demeaning name you might see fit; from Zionist to Hitler I do not care. I believe in mankind and the INNOCENCE of children. But I do believe in the highest crime of all, that of indoctrinating young minds.

This above video is not only intended to the IDF, but to all those who raise their kids in HATRED be it in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan...etc. KHALAS !!! just let our children play in peace !

TFEH !

Migration

2008-12-02T22:29:00.006+02:00

In view of the many problems I have been facing accessing "blogger", and my lack of technical know how (in order to avoid conspiracy theories), I have moved my pages to wordpress which so far I can access freely.
To those of you still willing to share my ramblings, enclosed are the links.

http://forabetterlebanon.wordpress.com/

http://mywarthroughmusic.wordpress.com/

http://riplebanon.wordpress.com/

Until I find a solution to whatever it is that is forbidding my access to blogger, and in order to keep on rambling; I seek your indulgence and ask you to follow the links above.

Thanking you in advance for your understsanding.
Marillionlb

Beyond comprehension

2008-12-02T19:48:00.002+02:00

For the past couple of weeks I have had great difficulty accessing any page hosted by “blogger.com”, especially mine. I have tried with no avail to comprehend why, but came up with nothing. I never claimed to be technically inclined, far from it; still I am in the dark as to why when all the pages I read daily (including mine) are accessible from any other computer but my own.
After having formatted the two PC’s I use (in fear of some unknown virus) and having checked with my ISP provider and came out blank, I have come to the conclusion (maybe wrongfully) that some higher power decided that it would be better if I was denied such a privilege.
I was even advised to use software to mask my IP address and randomly change it via relays or something that is way beyond my comprehension and limited brain, with no success. One alternative I thought I had was to import my three “blogger”s pages onto “wordpress”, even then I hit a brick wall. After many attempts I was left with a “wordpress” page clutter with ramblings from all three “blogger” pages.
So if any of you (few) readers I have, can suggest a course of action to take in order to resolve such a problem; your feedback is welcome.
N.B: This post took over 4 hours to publish.
Thanking you in advance,
A very frustrated Marllionlb.

Running on empty

2008-11-15T01:20:00.003+02:00

The Lebanese blogosphere I frequent has been lately stingy in its posts in comparison to a few months back when feelings were still running high. May 7th brought back to many fears of yet another civil war. Yes we were allowed to have a peaceful summer, the tents were dismantled, a new government was formed, elections are a few months away; BUT here we are (by WE I mean our politicians) licking Syrian arses again, and this time with tongues well lubricated and very far reaching. Yes some of the players might have changed, but (yes another butt) the sectarian divide is more pronounced than it ever was. During the July war which brought (on to some “so called” Lebanese) a Divine victory, the finger of criticism was pointed towards those how kept on clubbing and partying, ignoring the plight of their fellow citizens. Some did say “they brought it onto themselves so why should we all suffer the consequences”, some had to flee (like they did more than once), and some were just “riding the wave” in the hope that it was nothing but a swift reprisal strike.
The current local situation (and by that I mean the Syrian arse licking by our rotten political class) has revived within my soul memories of the civil war and the refuge I use to seek within the walls of the Key Club whilst listening to Julia singing Grace Slick, trying to digest the best way I could the crimes I had witnessed the very same day. My entire generation went out, ate, and drank when others were being shelled. No one stayed 15 years confined at home or in a shelter.
In retrospect I do feel a bit guilty for having indulged in selfish acts of debauchery while others were confined to the walls of their neighbor's bathroom (because he lived on a lower floor) in order to survive. That very same table was turned more than once, and many times I was seeking shelter while others were out eating and drinking.
My guilt is of the type that lasts only for a few minutes, for this is the way it was, and we all lived through it. My worry now is that my son might have to go through it, just like I did.
The Key Club is no more, and Julia is no longer singing; could this somehow put my mind at ease and let me think that those days are past us?

L'autre Regard

2008-11-10T18:50:00.000+02:00

Open Invitation !

2008-11-07T14:10:00.002+02:00

Just for fun .

2008-11-06T17:06:00.005+02:00

For a better Lebanon

As far as I am concerned !

Hassan Nasrallah, ou l’oiseau de mauvais augure!

Syrian Karma

L’amertume maternelle.

Weep silently.

Al ma7abis youridoun al 3afou al 3am !

Half a century…… almost!

Michel Aoun, Hotel Dieu?

Apology !

Violence begets violence.

Walid beyk: “Eat my dirty knickers” !

Pity my nation (or lack of)

The MOTHERland.

Independence day !

Not even close !

Hassan and the honor of the divine vagina !

You are not welcome Mr Ahmadinejad !

Fuck me gently part II.

Fuck me gently!

Burn, baby burn !

I am a “Moukawem”.

The age of innocence (not yet lost).

My take on Palestinians civil rights in Lebanon.

My keyboard and I fell into a disagreement.

Pull String Human

Before you teach your children, be true to yourself!

I've got the blues.

Q & A

Forgotten Sons !

Snap: I have !

Addressed not to one exclusively (maybe extensively), but to too many.

Commemorating a lesson NOT learned !

LBC 1, MTV 0

A script for a jester's tear !

The drums of war are beating loud.

St Valentine, or M14’s fallacy ?

Where is Joseph Sader?

The ultimate failure of the “prodigal” son!

An even greater divide !

Mabrook ???

A Tarek. Sous l'oeil de l'ange

When idiots are in charge of my country !

When I will become a Roumieh resident.

Broumana, if not Lebanon.....then !

Hands off MY country !

Fingers crossed

Can any Lebanese relate to this?

Just for laughs !

Musical Interlude, or is it?

My reply to Fadlallah's latest "fatwa"

The winds of change.

My 5 seconds of fame

My pride and joy !

Aoun latest outburst.

R. I. P. Charles

Hooray, hooray; summer is here !

Whoring political style!

Evenings by the “telly”, a long, long time ago.

Black or White

And when my days are over, how will you remember me?

A special dedication to all those who voted for the Iztaz today!

I support the green revolution!

A musical interlude; or a state of mind?

In memory of Salim Moussa Achi, better known as Dr. Dahesh

Surtout, ne dormez pas sur vos lauriers !

Now that I voted, I can gloat !

To vote or not to vote

Wlek fri2ouna bi ri7a taybeh !

Wlek Tfeh !

Thank you MTV

Tu as vote, tais toi !

Soyez beaux et fikko 3an ........ !!!

From one moron to another.

Entre l’amour et la haine

Blessed I am

Confessions of an ex-Aounist

Only in LIBANONE bart 2

Only in LIBANONE bart 1

© Citoyen aoungoissé