Lebanon: So what happens when all securities turned out to be false?

Paintings by Tarek Chemaly

Belief me you don’t want to develop up in a warfare. Surrounded by individuals making an attempt to make it by way of themselves whereas additionally making an attempt to boost you. And a faculty system misplaced between the previous and the surroundings it’s in, and little or not steering to why such and such instructor was reacting this solution to your presence.

Warfare by no means ends. It carries on like a trauma – particularly if unhealed and never talked about and (oddly) glamorized and fetishized within the collective (un)conscience. Actually if I ever hear “rizkallah 3a eyem el 7arb” (loosely translated as “might God convey again the time of warfare”) yet one more time, I’m actually going to explode.

Now if you happen to ever grew up in a time of warfare, the primary you’ll search for is safety.

You need safety in any respect prices by way of no matter outlet, you are able to pay the very best value for it, even when means sacrificing your personal safety within the course of. 

No, no, this isn’t philosophy. 

You’re prepared to provide, love, and care a lot to hold on to something or anybody who offers you safety (or extra particularly, who “in your personal thoughts” offers you safety) so you find yourself ditching your personal psychological and emotional safety within the course of.

Dwelling in Lebanon proper now, particularly that I’m smack from the warfare era, is having all of your safety networks crumble. Bear in mind “that is unbelievable!” TV present? In fact you do not – however they’d these stunts the place trapeze artists would carry out all these beautiful acts (look ahead to it) “with out security internet”.

On a regular basis residing right here feels so. I do know what you’ll say – “Tarek, everybody in the entire world lives this fashion”. No, the distinction is that plenty of different individuals have pensions to stay up for, have Floridas to maneuver to, have agency constructions in place and secure pointers and debatable legal guidelines to abide by.

I do know of individuals (unsurprisingly outdoors Lebanon) getting ready for journeys, and shifting homes, whereas even others engaged on profession strikes or marriages – hey, I even know individuals divorcing.

You actually do not know what it’s to float – each day. 

It’s not a coincidence that “non secular follow/beliefs” are on the rise throughout such occasions. Folks return to what they know – or what makes them really feel secure. Research have confirmed that Obsessive-Compulsive Dysfunction and non secular follow are interlinked (word that repetitive gestures, the shielding one’s self from the unknown) and naturally, the rise within the perception of conspiracy theories.

As an apart, funnily (or sadly?), a number of days in the past Lebanon elected its Miss after 4 years of absence and the winner was a sure Yasmina Zaytoun. Additionally Wael Arakji was named MVP within the FIBA basketball event. Whereas Mr. Arakji was very gracious dedicating the entire workforce’s play to Lebanon at massive (going as far to inform the Prime Minister to close up and that the PM’s congratulations weren’t wanted nor welcome), many voices on Twitter had been adamant that this was “a superb day for the Sunnite sect” (each Arakji and Zaytoun are Sunni Muslims).

Nonetheless, reality be advised, on the bottom, at this level all fictional components resembling stability have been erased from Lebanon. I’m not going to repeat them (the cash, the meals, the gasoline, you title it and it’s a guessing recreation) however daily brings its personal query mark. Recently it was in regards to the lack of bread, which once more, triggers reminiscences of blockade within the Jap area of Beirut in 1989 the place neighbors ended up baking bread on an open-oven and offered me a pack reluctantly as a result of the bread was presupposed to go to the militia controlling the realm.

Paradoxically, when you recognize all the safety that you’ve got been searching for elsewhere is – both you paid too excessive of a value for it, or is just too fleeting, or too meaningless looking back – you return to the drafting board. 

And attempt to discover the safety you want for, inside.