Bye Bye Beirut
It is not easy to put my experience during the last two weeks into simple words.
But what I’ve witnessed made me face the naked truth. The truth I’ve been trying to hide from by being hopeful and optimistic.
I am still wondering though, whether I would have seen things differently had I watched it on TV sitting on my comfortable sofa in London.
The Lebanese first reaction after arresting the two Israeli soldiers; was that the timing of Hezbollah is wrong, as it was the tourism season. But their sentiment changed completely after bombing Rafik Al Hariri’s airport the next day.
They realised the real aim yet again of the Israelis well known to them from many previous assaults.
I cannot say I was frightened because I’ve seen much worse in Iraq.
The difference is there was no retaliation from the ground. We only heard Israeli jets roaring overhead and the blasts when they dropped the bombs, which startled us a bit and then silence. While in Baghdad the ground to air missiles and all types of weaponry aimed at the aircrafts used to make terrifying sounds and shock the earth beneath us.
The above is from the hotel window in Beit Meri (the mountains) 5:00am
Leaving Beirut..........
The only time I felt really scared was on the second night of the aerial strikes; when I took a walk with some of the hotel residents early in the evening and saw a whole army lined alongside the sea promenade looking straight into the water probably watching for frogmen human.
One woman raised her head and cried loudly “May God Almighty sink this ugly frigate we were watching from a far and burn whoever on board”. That same night Nasrallah announced bombing it. I sat trembling in my hotel room till early in the morning.
On the third day there was no hope left neither inside the hotel nor outside. Apart from the local bakery and supermarket there was nothing open. On that exact day my mother arrived from Syria and we spent three more days in front of the TV boiling with anger and frustration watching the destruction and the daily massacres.
The Lebanese I met in the hotel and many locals living in the area were very much with Hezbollah criticising Syria for being so silent. They wanted the Syrian to open the Golan front and declare a real open war once and for all.
On the sixth day and after bombing the light house near where we were staying, the whole hotel slept in the shelter apart from us and another Iraqi couple.
Next morning we checked out and went to the mountains. A 20 minute trip cost us $80. On our way up the bombing of the southern part of Beirut intensified as the traffic got busier the minute we hit the mountains.
We stayed in a hotel one night busy arranging a car to cross the borders, and meanwhile I couldn’t help standing in the balcony every now and then looking down at Beirut screaming below.
The journey from the mountains to Damascus took us only 2 hours including the delays in both the Lebanese and Syrian borders. We were not aware that our driver who charged us $800 took the bombed route in order to come back quickly and get more passengers. He bribed his way through as we did not move from our seats until our arrival.
The following day we travelled yet again to Amman arriving completely stressed and sad, still glued to the TV screen watching in disbelief the whole world conspiring, lying and justifying the slaughtering of another city in the Middle East. But who cares…..
The Conclusion:
I’ve never ever felt so humiliated in my life as I did seeing Israeli jets flying freely in the skies of Beirut, not only that but there were small grey balloons hanging in the air taking photographs at aimed areas. I loathed our weakness, I loathed being born as an Arab, I loathed living in London I hated myself so much I couldn’t even look in the mirror or watch my shadow as I walk. I felt so small and envied a tiny ant struggling to find its way through the sand.
I hate peace and I don’t believe in it anymore, it is so clear now that the more we bow and compromise the more we got stepped at and smashed. If there would be peace one day it has to be on our own terms.
Israel is talking about changing the culture of hate; what a joke, those cowards have the cheek to speak about hate.
Israel has the right to defend itself; and talking about us trying to throw them in the sea, so meanwhile they are throwing us in hell.
The US has only one goal, that is to turn the area to a desert and drain it freely; armless, helpless, pacified and who dares to say a word.
It is very hard for me to say that our only salvation is to ally with Iran, the only strong country left, enough is enough we are living in an era where you have to be feared not respected.
And a small message to all the hypocrates; you may kill and slaughter trying to establish a so called "The New Middle East"; rememmber you are fighting an ideology not a group of people.
Nasrallah is not a terrorist; he is probably the last dignified man in the area. Right now he is the only man I can take my hat off for.
But what I’ve witnessed made me face the naked truth. The truth I’ve been trying to hide from by being hopeful and optimistic.
I am still wondering though, whether I would have seen things differently had I watched it on TV sitting on my comfortable sofa in London.
The Lebanese first reaction after arresting the two Israeli soldiers; was that the timing of Hezbollah is wrong, as it was the tourism season. But their sentiment changed completely after bombing Rafik Al Hariri’s airport the next day.
They realised the real aim yet again of the Israelis well known to them from many previous assaults.
I cannot say I was frightened because I’ve seen much worse in Iraq.
The difference is there was no retaliation from the ground. We only heard Israeli jets roaring overhead and the blasts when they dropped the bombs, which startled us a bit and then silence. While in Baghdad the ground to air missiles and all types of weaponry aimed at the aircrafts used to make terrifying sounds and shock the earth beneath us.
The above is from the hotel window in Beit Meri (the mountains) 5:00am
Leaving Beirut..........
The only time I felt really scared was on the second night of the aerial strikes; when I took a walk with some of the hotel residents early in the evening and saw a whole army lined alongside the sea promenade looking straight into the water probably watching for frogmen human.
One woman raised her head and cried loudly “May God Almighty sink this ugly frigate we were watching from a far and burn whoever on board”. That same night Nasrallah announced bombing it. I sat trembling in my hotel room till early in the morning.
On the third day there was no hope left neither inside the hotel nor outside. Apart from the local bakery and supermarket there was nothing open. On that exact day my mother arrived from Syria and we spent three more days in front of the TV boiling with anger and frustration watching the destruction and the daily massacres.
The Lebanese I met in the hotel and many locals living in the area were very much with Hezbollah criticising Syria for being so silent. They wanted the Syrian to open the Golan front and declare a real open war once and for all.
On the sixth day and after bombing the light house near where we were staying, the whole hotel slept in the shelter apart from us and another Iraqi couple.
Next morning we checked out and went to the mountains. A 20 minute trip cost us $80. On our way up the bombing of the southern part of Beirut intensified as the traffic got busier the minute we hit the mountains.
We stayed in a hotel one night busy arranging a car to cross the borders, and meanwhile I couldn’t help standing in the balcony every now and then looking down at Beirut screaming below.
The journey from the mountains to Damascus took us only 2 hours including the delays in both the Lebanese and Syrian borders. We were not aware that our driver who charged us $800 took the bombed route in order to come back quickly and get more passengers. He bribed his way through as we did not move from our seats until our arrival.
The following day we travelled yet again to Amman arriving completely stressed and sad, still glued to the TV screen watching in disbelief the whole world conspiring, lying and justifying the slaughtering of another city in the Middle East. But who cares…..
The Conclusion:
I’ve never ever felt so humiliated in my life as I did seeing Israeli jets flying freely in the skies of Beirut, not only that but there were small grey balloons hanging in the air taking photographs at aimed areas. I loathed our weakness, I loathed being born as an Arab, I loathed living in London I hated myself so much I couldn’t even look in the mirror or watch my shadow as I walk. I felt so small and envied a tiny ant struggling to find its way through the sand.
I hate peace and I don’t believe in it anymore, it is so clear now that the more we bow and compromise the more we got stepped at and smashed. If there would be peace one day it has to be on our own terms.
Israel is talking about changing the culture of hate; what a joke, those cowards have the cheek to speak about hate.
Israel has the right to defend itself; and talking about us trying to throw them in the sea, so meanwhile they are throwing us in hell.
The US has only one goal, that is to turn the area to a desert and drain it freely; armless, helpless, pacified and who dares to say a word.
It is very hard for me to say that our only salvation is to ally with Iran, the only strong country left, enough is enough we are living in an era where you have to be feared not respected.
And a small message to all the hypocrates; you may kill and slaughter trying to establish a so called "The New Middle East"; rememmber you are fighting an ideology not a group of people.
Nasrallah is not a terrorist; he is probably the last dignified man in the area. Right now he is the only man I can take my hat off for.
posted by hala_s at
9:08:00 pm
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54 comments
