Forgotten Sons !

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??????

Hands off MY country !

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.

My reply to Fadlallah's latest "fatwa"

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!

A musical interlude; or a state of mind?