NOW
A word of caution before you continue, this article is not sugarcoated and not in line with the usually accepted reactions to terrorist attacks, especially in Lebanon. We all watched in horror the gruesome, raw, live footage of charred bodies and decimated buildings in the past few weeks in Beirut's al-Roueiss and the twin bombings in front of mosques in Tripoli. We all witnessed the whispers of an impending war turn into cries of rage and despair on local talk shows. But, we also watched the fortitude of the residents, their resilience and their solidarity with other Lebanese also affected by the terrorist bombings.
However, the whispers of war were nothing more than that, and the reactions were limited to gut-wrenching testimonials on live national TV. A stark contrast to the visceral, often violent reactions when a political, security or religious figure is targeted or assassinated in Lebanon. Lebanese people are united on very few things, and one of them is definitely their often violent, knee-jerk reactions in response to security incidents targeting VIPs. Whether it's blocking roads or burning tires, and most recently, kidnapping persons perceived as the enemy, reactions are almost always violent and often rash.
But, the mass murder of dozens of Lebanese, ordinary citizens and the maiming of hundreds of others, got nothing more than a few viral photos on social media apart from the infamous TV appearances. Of course, that might be considered as great news, showing how resistant Lebanese people are to apparent conspiracies to ignite a sectarian war in troubled Syria's tiny neighbor. But, it is also a clear indication of how lightly a Lebanese civilian life weighs in comparison to an MP, or a sheikh, or a "za3im."
The sad reality of Lebanon's inescapable feudal mentality persists, and even though in a perverse way, it averted the greater of two evils, it still shows an unhealthy reality shared by most Arabs: the very little value placed on an average civilian's life. If bombing two mosques and killing almost 50 devout worshipers and bystanders invoked less reactions than any other attempted or actual assassination, of figures from both camps, over the past 9 years, then the Lebanese people have got it all wrong and a reshuffle of priorities is desperately needed.
A country is only as good as how its citizens are doing. Officials hiding behind their tall walls and taller guards, content in their little "security quadrants" are not a sign of security in a country. It is normal people going about their daily errands, picking up groceries, visiting friends or family, going to work or even going to pray. It is these people's lives lost that should shock the public most: innocent civilians who had nothing to do with the greater conflicts. Unlike politicians and security officials, who are fully aware what they are getting into when they decide (or inherit their "right") to go into the public domain.
As everyone gets preoccupied with the alleged upcoming Western strike on Syria, one lesson learned from the recent string of unpleasant events in Lebanon, is the unpleasant truth that your lives mean a lot less than the lives of the people you keep voting into office...
Gino Raidy
However, the whispers of war were nothing more than that, and the reactions were limited to gut-wrenching testimonials on live national TV. A stark contrast to the visceral, often violent reactions when a political, security or religious figure is targeted or assassinated in Lebanon. Lebanese people are united on very few things, and one of them is definitely their often violent, knee-jerk reactions in response to security incidents targeting VIPs. Whether it's blocking roads or burning tires, and most recently, kidnapping persons perceived as the enemy, reactions are almost always violent and often rash.
But, the mass murder of dozens of Lebanese, ordinary citizens and the maiming of hundreds of others, got nothing more than a few viral photos on social media apart from the infamous TV appearances. Of course, that might be considered as great news, showing how resistant Lebanese people are to apparent conspiracies to ignite a sectarian war in troubled Syria's tiny neighbor. But, it is also a clear indication of how lightly a Lebanese civilian life weighs in comparison to an MP, or a sheikh, or a "za3im."
The sad reality of Lebanon's inescapable feudal mentality persists, and even though in a perverse way, it averted the greater of two evils, it still shows an unhealthy reality shared by most Arabs: the very little value placed on an average civilian's life. If bombing two mosques and killing almost 50 devout worshipers and bystanders invoked less reactions than any other attempted or actual assassination, of figures from both camps, over the past 9 years, then the Lebanese people have got it all wrong and a reshuffle of priorities is desperately needed.
A country is only as good as how its citizens are doing. Officials hiding behind their tall walls and taller guards, content in their little "security quadrants" are not a sign of security in a country. It is normal people going about their daily errands, picking up groceries, visiting friends or family, going to work or even going to pray. It is these people's lives lost that should shock the public most: innocent civilians who had nothing to do with the greater conflicts. Unlike politicians and security officials, who are fully aware what they are getting into when they decide (or inherit their "right") to go into the public domain.
As everyone gets preoccupied with the alleged upcoming Western strike on Syria, one lesson learned from the recent string of unpleasant events in Lebanon, is the unpleasant truth that your lives mean a lot less than the lives of the people you keep voting into office...
Gino Raidy
