A Separate State of Mind - A Blog by Elie Fares

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A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to survive. It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I thank everyone for reading. You'll find a lot of THE ELLA TANNOUS CASE: WHEN EVERY LEBANESE SUDDENLY I just wasted 7 years of my life in medical school. Naturally, when you live in the country with the likes of professor Marcel Ghanem, Dr. Joe Maalouf, Tony Khalifeh and their friends, is there a point for you to remotely try to get an education? They will tell you what you need

to know,

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in 13 REASONS TO LOVE HARRY POTTER With less than six days to the release of the last Harry Potter movie, I figured it'd be nice to write a list of reasons of why millions and millions around the globe love the books that made J.K. Rowling a billionaire and the Harry Potter movies the most successful movie series in history, as TZIPI LIVNI’S SEX SCANDAL: TRUE OR FALSE? After news regarding Tzipi Livni’s sexual escapades became the talk of the town, a reader let me know that the story which was originally reported in an Egyptian newspaper is flawed and incorrent. The link, which that reader shared with me, points back to an Israeli website.However, I find the arguments presented to be reasonable even though I’d still take it with a grain of salt only LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) JOHN SAAD: THE LEBANESE FILTH WHOSE FAVORITE HOBBY IS TO John Saad and people like him should be punished. He should not get away with what he’s doing in the slightest. He should be the example to those who think what he did was funny or who support what he did in order for them not to ever think of doing anything of the sort to a helpless creature ever in their lives. A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to survive. It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I thank everyone for reading. You'll find a lot of THE ELLA TANNOUS CASE: WHEN EVERY LEBANESE SUDDENLY I just wasted 7 years of my life in medical school. Naturally, when you live in the country with the likes of professor Marcel Ghanem, Dr. Joe Maalouf, Tony Khalifeh and their friends, is there a point for you to remotely try to get an education? They will tell you what you need

to know,

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in 13 REASONS TO LOVE HARRY POTTER With less than six days to the release of the last Harry Potter movie, I figured it'd be nice to write a list of reasons of why millions and millions around the globe love the books that made J.K. Rowling a billionaire and the Harry Potter movies the most successful movie series in history, as TZIPI LIVNI’S SEX SCANDAL: TRUE OR FALSE? After news regarding Tzipi Livni’s sexual escapades became the talk of the town, a reader let me know that the story which was originally reported in an Egyptian newspaper is flawed and incorrent. The link, which that reader shared with me, points back to an Israeli website.However, I find the arguments presented to be reasonable even though I’d still take it with a grain of salt only LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) JOHN SAAD: THE LEBANESE FILTH WHOSE FAVORITE HOBBY IS TO John Saad and people like him should be punished. He should not get away with what he’s doing in the slightest. He should be the example to those who think what he did was funny or who support what he did in order for them not to ever think of doing anything of the sort to a helpless creature ever in their lives. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I THE DAY I IMMIGRATED: THERE ARE HOMES BETTER THAN A HOME Today is the day I become a Lebanese expat and my country of residence, in all those forms that we have to fill, becomes something else than the home I've known for all of the 27 years I've existed so far. On my possibly last drive to the airport as a Lebanese citizen

permanently living

MISS LEBANON

Step 9: Learn French to sound more sophisticated: You may use English in your daily life, but the Miss Lebanon stage is the place to dig up those rustic French skills you last used in your high school bacc exam. Unless you’re a USJ student. It makes you sound more sophisticated, refined. It makes them want to elect you so you’d

give the

13 REASONS TO LOVE HARRY POTTER With less than six days to the release of the last Harry Potter movie, I figured it'd be nice to write a list of reasons of why millions and millions around the globe love the books that made J.K. Rowling a billionaire and the Harry Potter movies the most successful movie series in history, as

STAR ACADEMY

As blogger Anis Tabet wisely put it, “the year is 2050, and Star Academy is still on TV.”. Yes, it’s become increasingly redundant and unwatchable as it faces competition from more “appealing” shows as The Voice, but here we are and the Lebanese contestant Marwan Youssef just became the second Lebanese to win the show after Joseph Attieh, arguably the show’s most accomplished CHRISTIANS ARE DISAPPEARING FROM LEBANON In 1910, prior to the founding of the state of Greater Lebanon (catch up on your history book), Christians constituted about 77.5% of the population of what was the Mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon.Before the Lebanese civil war, the portion of Lebanese Christians relative to the general population was approximated to 62.5%. Following the end of the civil war and in estimated numbers MIKA | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES Is it me or are Lebanese women on a roll these couple of days? Rima Karaki is now making headlines around the world for shutting up an Islamist (), and Hiba Tawaji just presented another side of Lebanese women and artists during her battle on France’s The Voice.On Françoise Hardy’s classic “Mon Ami La Rose” (YouTube link), Hiba battled 41 year old year Nög in an oriental remix of the 5 MAJOR PROJECTS TO TAKE PLACE IN BEIRUT: THE CITY LOSING 5 – Renzo Piano’s “Pinwheel”: Sama Beirut, which is nearing completion, won’t be the country’s tallest structure for long. “Pinwheel” is the name of the glass tower to be built at Wafiq Sinno avenue, near Biel, effectively blocking the view for most of the buildings behind it. MALEK MAKTABI’S STORY OF ZAINAB & HER SRI LANKAN MOTHER I am angry. Nay, angry is an understatement, I am livid. Anger wasn’t the only thing I felt yesterday. I was also deeply ashamed to be a citizen of a country where the story that Malek Maktabi’s show, in a rare instance of journalistic integrity, portrayed not only could happen, but is probably part of a bigger array of stories just waiting

to be told.

BEIRUT HOTEL

mate, i really hate getting into this argument, but having sex will not lead to demise. the famous orgies of the roman empire had nothing to do with the fall of rome. it is the lunacy of its emperors, the plagues, the revolts and the mercneary armies that labelled the roman army in the last couple of decade. most of the roman army was made of goths and germanic tribes, the same tribes A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to survive. It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARESA STATE OF MIND BOOKA STATE OF MIND 2005A STATE OF MIND MOVIEIT S A STATE OF MINDA PERSON S STATE OF MINDEXAMPLES OF STATE OF MIND My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I thank everyone for reading. You'll find a lot of THE ELLA TANNOUS CASE: WHEN EVERY LEBANESE SUDDENLY I just wasted 7 years of my life in medical school. Naturally, when you live in the country with the likes of professor Marcel Ghanem, Dr. Joe Maalouf, Tony Khalifeh and their friends, is there a point for you to remotely try to get an education? They will tell you what you need

to know,

THE DAY I IMMIGRATED: THERE ARE HOMES BETTER THAN A HOME Today is the day I become a Lebanese expat and my country of residence, in all those forms that we have to fill, becomes something else than the home I've known for all of the 27 years I've existed so far. On my possibly last drive to the airport as a Lebanese citizen

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in COMPARING BEIRUT TO DUBAI 5) The governing bodies behind Beirut and Dubai are highly different. On one hand, you have an iron-first ruling with a twist of enough liberalism not to step on bigger political toes. On the other hand, you have a state barely keeping it politically together as everyone fights for a piece of the Lebanese cake. Beirut is a city with woes. LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) A FIRST FOR LEBANON: CREPAWAY FEATURES SAME-SEX COUPLE IN Earlier today, Crepaway released a new ad to celebrate them turning 33 years, along with their famous tagline: #ComeAsYouAre. The ad is exactly what you’d expect from the phrase “Come As You Are,” except it’s taken to a whole other level with some Lebanese taboo-breaking as Crepaway features a same-sex couple for the first time ever in an ad made for a Lebanese company. LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to survive. It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARESA STATE OF MIND BOOKA STATE OF MIND 2005A STATE OF MIND MOVIEIT S A STATE OF MINDA PERSON S STATE OF MINDEXAMPLES OF STATE OF MIND My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I thank everyone for reading. You'll find a lot of THE ELLA TANNOUS CASE: WHEN EVERY LEBANESE SUDDENLY I just wasted 7 years of my life in medical school. Naturally, when you live in the country with the likes of professor Marcel Ghanem, Dr. Joe Maalouf, Tony Khalifeh and their friends, is there a point for you to remotely try to get an education? They will tell you what you need

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in COMPARING BEIRUT TO DUBAI 5) The governing bodies behind Beirut and Dubai are highly different. On one hand, you have an iron-first ruling with a twist of enough liberalism not to step on bigger political toes. On the other hand, you have a state barely keeping it politically together as everyone fights for a piece of the Lebanese cake. Beirut is a city with woes. LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) A FIRST FOR LEBANON: CREPAWAY FEATURES SAME-SEX COUPLE IN Earlier today, Crepaway released a new ad to celebrate them turning 33 years, along with their famous tagline: #ComeAsYouAre. The ad is exactly what you’d expect from the phrase “Come As You Are,” except it’s taken to a whole other level with some Lebanese taboo-breaking as Crepaway features a same-sex couple for the first time ever in an ad made for a Lebanese company. LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I POLITICS | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES As Lebanon’s 2018 elections go on in full swing, a total of 976 candidates have presented to the Ministry of Interior affairs as of the deadline at midnight on March 6th. Of those, 111 candidates are women. There are two ways to look at this. 111 candidates being women is essentially only 11.37% of the total number of candidates. THE DAY I IMMIGRATED: THERE ARE HOMES BETTER THAN A HOME Today is the day I become a Lebanese expat and my country of residence, in all those forms that we have to fill, becomes something else than the home I've known for all of the 27 years I've existed so far. On my possibly last drive to the airport as a Lebanese citizen

permanently living

MISS LEBANON

give the

STAR ACADEMY

Posts about Star Academy written by eliefares. I stumbled upon a very interesting article online yesterday, written by Robert Fisk, that discussed mainly how the “Arab Awakening” did not start with Tunisia in December 2010 but with Lebanon in March 2005.. So I shared this article via my twitter page with my friend Ali, whom I knew believed in the idea the article discussed. STORIES OF LEBANESE ON THE TITANIC For part 1, click here. For part 2, click here. Out of all the Lebanese villages that sent its sons and daughters to America on the Titanic, Kfarmishki has the highest death toll at 13, out of the 14 people that wanted to reach Ontario, Canada where most of the town's expats reside. Out of A FIRST FOR LEBANON: CREPAWAY FEATURES SAME-SEX COUPLE IN Earlier today, Crepaway released a new ad to celebrate them turning 33 years, along with their famous tagline: #ComeAsYouAre. The ad is exactly what you’d expect from the phrase “Come As You Are,” except it’s taken to a whole other level with some Lebanese taboo-breaking as Crepaway features a same-sex couple for the first time ever in an ad made for a Lebanese company. MENTAL HEALTH: THE SILENCED KILLER OF LEBANESE YOUTH Nourhan Hammoud was Lebanese girl in her twenties, from the South, full of life, her friends had never known her to be fragile, non-smiling or weak. She dreamt of the days when she would leave this country that brought her down, but the afterthought of her mother kept her here. On August 29th, 2016 - MIKA | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES Is it me or are Lebanese women on a roll these couple of days? Rima Karaki is now making headlines around the world for shutting up an Islamist (), and Hiba Tawaji just presented another side of Lebanese women and artists during her battle on France’s The Voice.On Françoise Hardy’s classic “Mon Ami La Rose” (YouTube link), Hiba battled 41 year old year Nög in an oriental remix of the 0.3% OF LEBANESE OWN 50% OF LEBANON At an estimated population of 4.37 million, Lebanon’s wealth is estimated at $91 billion. That actually constitutes 0% of global wealth. How anticlimactic. When it comes to the Middle East, and despite the reputation we get of being oil-rich, things are similar: Saudi Arabia has an estimated wealth of $653 billion, which ends up as roughly 0.2% of global wealth. A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to survive. It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARESA STATE OF MIND BOOKA STATE OF MIND 2005A STATE OF MIND MOVIEIT S A STATE OF MINDA PERSON S STATE OF MINDEXAMPLES OF STATE OF MIND My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I thank everyone for reading. You'll find a lot of THE ELLA TANNOUS CASE: WHEN EVERY LEBANESE SUDDENLY I just wasted 7 years of my life in medical school. Naturally, when you live in the country with the likes of professor Marcel Ghanem, Dr. Joe Maalouf, Tony Khalifeh and their friends, is there a point for you to remotely try to get an education? They will tell you what you need

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in COMPARING BEIRUT TO DUBAI 5) The governing bodies behind Beirut and Dubai are highly different. On one hand, you have an iron-first ruling with a twist of enough liberalism not to step on bigger political toes. On the other hand, you have a state barely keeping it politically together as everyone fights for a piece of the Lebanese cake. Beirut is a city with woes. LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) A FIRST FOR LEBANON: CREPAWAY FEATURES SAME-SEX COUPLE IN Earlier today, Crepaway released a new ad to celebrate them turning 33 years, along with their famous tagline: #ComeAsYouAre. The ad is exactly what you’d expect from the phrase “Come As You Are,” except it’s taken to a whole other level with some Lebanese taboo-breaking as Crepaway features a same-sex couple for the first time ever in an ad made for a Lebanese company. LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to survive. It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARESA STATE OF MIND BOOKA STATE OF MIND 2005A STATE OF MIND MOVIEIT S A STATE OF MINDA PERSON S STATE OF MINDEXAMPLES OF STATE OF MIND My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I thank everyone for reading. You'll find a lot of THE ELLA TANNOUS CASE: WHEN EVERY LEBANESE SUDDENLY I just wasted 7 years of my life in medical school. Naturally, when you live in the country with the likes of professor Marcel Ghanem, Dr. Joe Maalouf, Tony Khalifeh and their friends, is there a point for you to remotely try to get an education? They will tell you what you need

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in COMPARING BEIRUT TO DUBAI 5) The governing bodies behind Beirut and Dubai are highly different. On one hand, you have an iron-first ruling with a twist of enough liberalism not to step on bigger political toes. On the other hand, you have a state barely keeping it politically together as everyone fights for a piece of the Lebanese cake. Beirut is a city with woes. LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) A FIRST FOR LEBANON: CREPAWAY FEATURES SAME-SEX COUPLE IN Earlier today, Crepaway released a new ad to celebrate them turning 33 years, along with their famous tagline: #ComeAsYouAre. The ad is exactly what you’d expect from the phrase “Come As You Are,” except it’s taken to a whole other level with some Lebanese taboo-breaking as Crepaway features a same-sex couple for the first time ever in an ad made for a Lebanese company. LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I POLITICS | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES As Lebanon’s 2018 elections go on in full swing, a total of 976 candidates have presented to the Ministry of Interior affairs as of the deadline at midnight on March 6th. Of those, 111 candidates are women. There are two ways to look at this. 111 candidates being women is essentially only 11.37% of the total number of candidates. THE DAY I IMMIGRATED: THERE ARE HOMES BETTER THAN A HOME Today is the day I become a Lebanese expat and my country of residence, in all those forms that we have to fill, becomes something else than the home I've known for all of the 27 years I've existed so far. On my possibly last drive to the airport as a Lebanese citizen

permanently living

MISS LEBANON

give the

STAR ACADEMY

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in COMPARING BEIRUT TO DUBAI 5) The governing bodies behind Beirut and Dubai are highly different. On one hand, you have an iron-first ruling with a twist of enough liberalism not to step on bigger political toes. On the other hand, you have a state barely keeping it politically together as everyone fights for a piece of the Lebanese cake. Beirut is a city with woes. LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) A FIRST FOR LEBANON: CREPAWAY FEATURES SAME-SEX COUPLE IN Earlier today, Crepaway released a new ad to celebrate them turning 33 years, along with their famous tagline: #ComeAsYouAre. The ad is exactly what you’d expect from the phrase “Come As You Are,” except it’s taken to a whole other level with some Lebanese taboo-breaking as Crepaway features a same-sex couple for the first time ever in an ad made for a Lebanese company. LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to survive. It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARESA STATE OF MIND BOOKA STATE OF MIND 2005A STATE OF MIND MOVIEIT S A STATE OF MINDA PERSON S STATE OF MINDEXAMPLES OF STATE OF MIND My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I thank everyone for reading. You'll find a lot of THE ELLA TANNOUS CASE: WHEN EVERY LEBANESE SUDDENLY I just wasted 7 years of my life in medical school. Naturally, when you live in the country with the likes of professor Marcel Ghanem, Dr. Joe Maalouf, Tony Khalifeh and their friends, is there a point for you to remotely try to get an education? They will tell you what you need

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

Joumana Haddad’s win for the minorities seat also makes her the first openly atheist member of Lebanese parliament, and possibly the entire Middle East, where atheism is still considered a crime in many countries. The win of Kollouna Watani in Beirut – 1 comes at the heel of very poor turn out almost uniformly throughout the country. LEBANON IN THE 1960’S Lebanon in the 1960’s – The Golden Age. Almost all our parents tell us about the days when Lebanon was the golden country of the region. They tell us about the days when Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East. They tell us about “Sahet Al Burj” (now Martyr’s Square in COMPARING BEIRUT TO DUBAI 5) The governing bodies behind Beirut and Dubai are highly different. On one hand, you have an iron-first ruling with a twist of enough liberalism not to step on bigger political toes. On the other hand, you have a state barely keeping it politically together as everyone fights for a piece of the Lebanese cake. Beirut is a city with woes. LEBANESE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAM ALLOWING ANYONE WITH Make sure you download this blog's iOS app to stay up to date! (Link). Over the past few days, and in their attempt to reconnect the massive diaspora which has any relation to Lebanon back to their great-great-great grandfather's home country, Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants launched a new website (and an app) A FIRST FOR LEBANON: CREPAWAY FEATURES SAME-SEX COUPLE IN Earlier today, Crepaway released a new ad to celebrate them turning 33 years, along with their famous tagline: #ComeAsYouAre. The ad is exactly what you’d expect from the phrase “Come As You Are,” except it’s taken to a whole other level with some Lebanese taboo-breaking as Crepaway features a same-sex couple for the first time ever in an ad made for a Lebanese company. LEBANON’S ALFA INTRODUCES U-CHAT Lebanon’s Alfa Introduces U-Chat. I was driving yesterday when I heard an ad on the radio announcing a new type of prepaid plan from Alfa called U-chat. When I got home, I researched about it further and found the offer to be very interesting and unLebanese-like. U-chat is a new recharge system, next to regular prepaid and Waffer, that’s ABOUT | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES My name is Elie Fares, recently graduated with a medical degree, and I happen to like writing. This blog is the space where I vent. You'll find pieces on Lebanese issues, international issues and some less serious things occasionally. This blog has been around since 2011. I POLITICS | A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES As Lebanon’s 2018 elections go on in full swing, a total of 976 candidates have presented to the Ministry of Interior affairs as of the deadline at midnight on March 6th. Of those, 111 candidates are women. There are two ways to look at this. 111 candidates being women is essentially only 11.37% of the total number of candidates. THE DAY I IMMIGRATED: THERE ARE HOMES BETTER THAN A HOME Today is the day I become a Lebanese expat and my country of residence, in all those forms that we have to fill, becomes something else than the home I've known for all of the 27 years I've existed so far. On my possibly last drive to the airport as a Lebanese citizen

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A SEPARATE STATE OF MIND | A BLOG BY ELIE FARES

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Posted on October 29, 2019 by eliefares Tagged

Beirut Lebanon

Lebanon protests

Revolution

Saad Hariri

Comments4 Comments on Lebanon Protests: The Need For Change Doesn’t End With

Hariri Resigning

LEBANON PROTESTS: THE NEED FOR CHANGE DOESN’T END WITH

HARIRI RESIGNING

Via Art Of Thawra

It took 13 days of the entire country being paralyzed for Lebanon’s politician to budge. In a statement in which he decried that “no one is above their country,” Saad Hariri – our now (former?) prime minister issued his resignation. His resignation comes today to the background of plenty of Hezbollah and Amal thugs storming the downtown Beirut area, beating up protesters, women, reports, breaking down equipment, and the tents those protesters were using to demand basic human rights. If anything, Hariri’s resignation can’t be more timely: he is resigning from leading a country he was not able to govern, as exemplified by our own security forces standing helpless as those goons came down on peaceful protests, bolstered by their impenetrable

political shield.

But let’s not forget that this isn’t just about Hariri, or Bassil, or Aoun, or Berri, or any other politician who hasn’t been at the forefront of the protest chants. Kellon ye3ne Kellon means that Hariri’s resignation should be one of many, and it should be a wake up call for us that building the country we deserve doesn’t stop when someone resigns. In 2005, the massive protests after the assassination of Rafic Hariri led to the resignation of the prime minister. A lot of people were satisfied with that development, and it was surely triumphant. But as the subsequent decade has shown us, it was not enough. Hariri resigning is not enough. Our politicians are symptoms of a syndrome. This syndrome is the sectarian rule of law that has enabled them to persist as parasites, leeching off the people from whom they’ve sucked all the will to

survive.

It is not a surprise that, nowadays, criticizing Hariri – to many – feels as if you’re criticizing Sunnis. It is not a surprise that many think criticizing Hezbollah and Amal is akin to criticizing the foundation of Lebanese Shiism. It not a surprise that criticizing Aoun or Bassil or Geagea feels to a lot of people as if you’re attacking Lebanese Christianity. This is because those politicians have been able to use our sectarian divides as walls that they’ve erected around their halos, in order to perpetuate the illusion of their sanctity, in order to let us think they are untouchable. The mere notion of some politicians being red lines that should not be crossed in this country, or in any democracy, is a no-go. They should all be open for criticism, impeachment and – most importantly – removal from office. But that will never happen if we continue to prioritize sect over country. If me, a Lebanese Maronite, will forever be clinging to my Maronitism as the scope with which I view my citizenry, then Lebanon will never be able to become a country that can inhabit all of its people. The same thing applies for people of other sects. This means that moving forward, Hariri’s resignation is not enough to instill the change we need. Gebran Bassil becoming a “former” minister is not enough, despite how catchy his chants can be. Moving forward, cute chants of “mabsoutaaa3” are not enough to move this

country forward.

What we need is a drastic overhaul of the Lebanese system that enables its citizens to be equal in the eye of a common law, not by the law of their respective sects. What we need is a for an electoral law that is not tailored to our current politicians or people who are like them, to enable different faces with the same bullshit to be brought back to

office.

What we need is to start concrete steps towards the de-sectarianization of this country so that – in 10, 20 or 30 years from now – we can get to a place where a Lebanese citizen would not introduce themselves by how they pray. Until then, I congratulate all of the protestors on this first much-needed ounce of change, and hopefully it is the bellwether of more change to come.

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Like Loading... Posted on October 21, 2019 by eliefares Tagged

Beirut Lebanon

politics

Protest

Saad Hariri

Comments1 Comment on Lebanon Protests: It’s Too Late To Believe Any of These Politicians’ Promises LEBANON PROTESTS: IT’S TOO LATE TO BELIEVE ANY OF THESE POLITICIANS’ PROMISES (Picture via Anis Tabet). Nata2 badri, as my mom would say. 72 hours have come and gone. Aoun, Berri and Hariri have finally come out of their weekend long slumber to unveil their country saving plan… and they think we’re actually going to believe them this

time.

The plan that Hariri unveiled today is offensive to every single Lebanese who had to suffer through their corruption for years. This so-called plan is an insult to the intelligence of the millions who have been starved over the years, and who were protesting in the streets over the last 4 days. It’s ridiculous that it took millions of us protesting across the world for them to *finally* succumb and cut down on their salaries, on their benefits, on long standing black holes that siphoned public funds into their pockets. What Hariri and the rest of Lebanon’s ruling class believe is that they can continue to fool people with the same empty promises they’ve given for years. If it was *this* easy for them to enact these changes, why hadn’t they enacted them months ago when they were scrambling to come up with a budget for a country that functioned without one for decades? It’s because they’ve taken our silence for granted. It’s because they assumed they can do whatever they wanted to this people and get away with it. But that stops now. No Mr. Hariri, your empty promises don’t fly here. Just look at workers at Future TV and Saudi Ogeh were promised for years, none of which was ever fulfilled. No, these empty reforms don’t address the root of the problem which is that these same politicians who have failed to reform anything for decades cannot suddenly see the light and decide to enact much needed

change.

No, switching one way for these politicians to steal money to programs called Elinor and Elissar is not reform. This is just another name for

theft.

It’s too little too late for empty statements masquerading under the guise of change to be effective. We should be better than to believe

such empty words.

I really hope that years of lies are enough to have us believe that more lies can never be truths. Stay tuned, Lebanon. The revolution continues.

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Like Loading... Posted on October 20, 2019 by eliefares Tagged

Lebanon politics

Protest

Tripoli

Comments6 Comments on The Weekend When Tripoli Was The Icon of Lebanon’s Protests THE WEEKEND WHEN TRIPOLI WAS THE ICON OF LEBANON’S PROTESTS I’ve been writing about Tripoli so frequently on this blog, not only because I loved that city, but because the preconceptions that many Lebanese had of it – mostly out of biased media whose job was to alienate fellow Lebanese from the Northern capital. Those preconceptions varied from “tripoli is where ISIS is” to “there’s nothing to do there anyway.” Many Lebanese that I know have started their third decade of life without having visited the

city.

As Lebanon ends its third consecutive day of massive protests, the like of which the country has never seen, one thing is abundantly clear, regardless of what amounts from the revolution: Tripoli has finally gotten its chance to show its true color to everyone, and it did so out of the sheer will of its own people. From its world famous Fayha Choir singing a cappella, to Marcel Khalifeh going to this city to sing at a protest, to them turning the infamous “se7et l nour” to not one, but TWO full blown raves, to thousands of them singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs, to their world famous sweets maker Hallab giving away 10,000 knefes, to its people baking manakeesh for the protesters for free. Tripoli was the highlight of Lebanon’s protests as it tore down stereotype after stereotype that was thrown at it for years. Each of those moments was so fantastic to behold there isn’t a person I know who wasn’t taken aback by them. But I was not surprised, nor were the people who knew what this city was capable of. Think about how gigantic a step it is for a DJ to be blasting techno music from a rooftop into a square that has been associated with Islamists for years, as thousands of people bopped their heads and threw their hands up for life. Think about how enormous of a step it is for this city who has been taken for granted by the countless politicians that have claimed it to tell every single one of them to fuck off. This northern city is representative of the Lebanese spirit like nothing else. It’s been brought down so many times. It hasn’t even been a decade since it had a war that few outside of the North cared about. It suffered through years and years of harmful propaganda – sometime by the same media of current ruling parties… and still it

rises.

From the middle of New York, to all those in Tripoli who showed the city in the best light possible, you’re all amazing. Thank you.

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Like Loading... Posted on October 18, 2019 by eliefares Tagged

Beirut Lebanon

politics

Protest

Comments10 Comments on Lebanon Burned. And Now It May Rise LEBANON BURNED. AND NOW IT MAY RISE My heart broke two days ago when I saw my home country burn, quite literally, in front of our eyes. As firefighters and regular people alike risked their lives to save our forests and homes from turning to ashes, it seemed fitting that a country whose course was scorching earth culminated that way. The fire was literal and figurative. The trees burned, but so did people’s savings. The shrubs erupted, but so did people’s patience. Homes burned, and so did the fragile foundation on which the semblance of the Lebanese state remained. As the government botched yet another aspect of its job towards its citizens, as people died trying to save each other from the fire while our politicians watched, it felt like we were turning into the ashes from which the Phoenix that this country has been likened to can

finally be reborn.

They raised taxes. We took it in. They didn’t collect garbage. We took it in. They didn’t provide security and didn’t protect our currency. We

took it in.

They didn’t provide for our children and elderly. They broke our social fabric. We took it in. They cultivated divide and hatred. We swallowed it in. They turned us into expats. They killed us. We took it in.

And then we rise.

You can call it the WhatsApp revolution. You can call it what you want to. But whatever the name may be, what is happening across Lebanon today is exactly why a part of me will love that country. It’s that moment where enough became enough. When the raised taxes, the higher fuel prices, the lack of electricity and water and decent internet, the lack of security, the depreciation of citizenry all culminated in what may be lebanon – finally – rising. It’s that split second in which thousands of my people can gather on the streets to cry for their rights. It’s that kick that that feisty Lebanese woman can deliver to an armed officer threatening her. It’s that middle finger that a protester gives to a politician who has taken his support for granted. It’s that anger at years during which those very politicians have turned living in Lebanon into an actual hell. It’s the years in which they failed to provide what constitutes the essentials of basic human decency. It’s that Sunni in tripoli who is finally tired of Hariri. It’s that Shia in Nabatieh who tore down the picture of Nabih Berri. It’s that Christian in Mount Lebanon who finally told Gebran Bassil

to shove it.

Those chants in the streets, the party flags torn up, the politician pictures burned down could all point to a new dawn for a country who has been needing daylight for so long. Yes I am wary. I had hope when I still lived in Lebanon and we protested the garbage crisis. I had hope even before then when I was a teenager and part of the millions who took it to martyr’s square on March 14th. But my Lebanese experience has trained me not to get my hopes up sometimes. Yet this time seems different. There’s another air to how the protests are. This is the first time we’ve seen this level of anger and angst, perpetuating across the political and sectarian spectrum, uniting people I’d never thought

could be united.

This is the first time their attempts at attacking the validity of the protests has completely failed, and conversely fueled their

legitimacy.

Today, I have hope for my country. I’ve never had this much hope since I was 15 years old, on March 14th. I have hope that finally Lebanon may rise, and become the country we deserve to have. To all of those in the streets fighting for everyone’s rights, you are heroes. Thank you for the good fight, we are humbled by your

bravery.

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Like Loading... Posted on July 30, 2019 by eliefares Comments8 Comments on Byblos Festival Cancels Mashrou3 Leila’s Concert BYBLOS FESTIVAL CANCELS MASHROU3 LEILA’S CONCERT There you have it folks, the Byblos Festival has succumbed to the pressure from Christian extremist bigots and canceled the concert of Lebanon’s top band Mashrou3 Leila, in a statement issued today. I have no words for how terrible this is for Lebanese freedoms, for Lebanese youth, music and our well being as a nation. As the lines of sensibilities of these different groups keep getting drawn around what makes them comfortable, we are all forced into a tighter and tighter space that is slowly becoming suffocating. Shame on the Maronite Church for not being confident enough in its teaching to withstand a song. Shame on those who call themselves Christian, who never turn the left cheek and who think that Jesus would want them to go full Crusader

mode in 2019.

Shame on the faith of those who call themselves Christian that is so shaken by a lyric, by a band, by music. Shame on those who are more mad about a lyric than about living in a country that is crumbling apart around them, with dying economies, absence of the rule of law, weapons and thugs roaming freely. Shame on our judicial system that did not stand up for its own values, that still applies Ottoman era censorship laws, and that cares more about the emotions of a bunch of religious airheads than about civil

liberties.

Shame on artists and media personalities in this country who proved, once and once again, that they are as backward minded as we always thought they are. I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised, but there you go. From Fares Karam, to Zein El Omr (a very proud Christian who changed his name from Tony so the Arabs would like him), to Carla Haddad. Shame on all of you. Every single Lebanese with an ounce of nationalism should be angry at this today. We should all be mad at how they keep walking all over our liberties in the name of their religions, their gods, their politics, and we have no other way but to blog about it, tweet about it or just

be vocally mad.

With each passing day, we are shown that this country is not for us. It’s for those who really love living in the dark ages, at a time where every single freedom they’ve earned can be taken away from them, maybe they can be happy then. With every passing day, Lebanon is no longer a beacon of freedom for the Middle East, but just another one of those countries we once thought were not as good as us. We are now a beacon of ignorance, repression and oppression. Mabrouk. Jesus must be very proud.

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Like Loading... Posted on July 27, 2019 by eliefares Tagged

conversion therapy

gay rights

Lebanon

LGBT

LEBANON SLIPPING TO THE DARK AGES: CHARBEL KHALIL WANTS TO START A GAY CONVERSION THERAPY GROUP IN THE NAME OF ST. CHARBEL With each passing day, news transpiring out of Lebanon get more and more disheartening as the latest seems to be a wannabe “comedian” deciding it’s time for him to start a “conversion therapy group” for gay people in the country. The comedian in question is Charbel Khalil. I forget when the last time this man dabbled with relevance, but he wants to be in the spotlight again as he launches hocus pocus, unethical and unscientific torture methods under the guise of his namesake saint. In a series of tweets, Khalil announced his intention to quick start the “St. Charbel Project” to “help” gay men and women to get rid of their gayness. As he got criticized, he then amplified his homophobia by blocking anyone who opposed his message, calling them pejorative words and doubling down on his message. You can find his

tweets here:

Charbel Khalil’s feeble attempt at relevance is something that has been deemed by scientists as inhumane, barbaric and obviously useless. The mere fact that, in 2019, something like this could be allowed or even started when any respectable scientific body has stopped recognizing homosexuality as a disease for around a lifetime, is

horrifying.

It’s another step in that downward spiral of a country that is fast circling the drain in all the ways that matter. You see, what Charbel Khalil is proposing is a violation of basic human rights. People will applaud him, because at a time when a lyric can upset millions, basic decency does not even register. What Charbel Khalil wants to do is an affront to anything that is scientific and logical. But that’s not the kind of thinking people like him and those who like him dabble in. They’re probably the same kind of people who think global warming is a myth as their face melts off in the July heat. And let’s not even forget that what Charbel Khalil wants to do is an insult to the saint whose name he’s plastering on his crime. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a laughing matter. I pity the LGBT people who will fall victim to this man’s actions because they live in a country that has permeated the notion that their sexuality and their being cannot coexist. Live and let live does not run in Lebanon circa 2019, looking more like 1472. How could they when they want to police how you pray, what you watch and listen to, and now how they think they can control your body’s urge to love? I pity the children of these many figures who may one day end up gay, only to face the insurmountable rejection that is their own family denying them a safe space, in a Country that is anything but. Today, what those tweets constitute is another nail in the coffin of the hopes of a modern Lebanese state. From attempts to ban Mashrou

Leila

,

to now kick-starting a practice being banned everywhere in the modern world, how low do we want to sink? From a failed economy, to a failed state, to failed freedoms and now to failed basic human decency, I wonder where Lebanon’s rock bottom

will be?

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Like Loading... Posted on July 25, 2019 by eliefares Tagged

censorship Lebanon

Mashrou3 Leila

music

Religion

Comments16 Comments on From Mashrou3 Leila To Our Freedoms: Religious Censorship in Lebanon Is Killing The Country FROM MASHROU3 LEILA TO OUR FREEDOMS: RELIGIOUS CENSORSHIP IN LEBANON IS KILLING THE COUNTRY Picture this, a song released over 3 years ago is suddenly noticed by the collective praying masses, and crucifixes are drawn. Picture this, a meme posted on a Facebook page lands you in court. It’s not a meme

you even did.

This is what is happening with Mashrou3 Leila, the top Lebanese band that has been the prime representation of Lebanese indie music all around the world. They’ve been on world tours, selling out arenas across the world. Their latest highlight was a show at the prestigious Olympia in Paris, where people like Fairuz have performed before. Except now, ahead of their August 9th concert, Mashrou3 Leila are not welcome in their own home country, on the very same stage of the Byblos Festival that helped propel their career forward around a

decade ago.

I know I haven’t blogged in a while. But this is something that I felt is important enough for me to resurrect this space in order to shout, to whoever would listen or read, that this persecution of Mashrou3 Leila, in the overall bigger picture of our freedoms in this country being killed off on the daily, is a precedence we should not

stay silent to.

The song in question, Djin, from their last-released LP, Ibn El Leil, references a baptism with gin in the name of the father and the son. That’s it. The meme in question was posted on Hamed Sinno’s personal facebook page was that of an icon in which the face of the Virgin Mary was replaced with singer Madonna. Hamed Sinno did not make that meme. He is not the first human on the face of this planet to make memes out of religious iconography, but for the Maronite archdioceses as well as Christian political parties, he might as well have been the first ever visionary. It is to the background of a song and that meme that calls for bans of the band started up, and like an avalanche they kept rolling, with support from certain media figures and politicians. Even the Maronite Archdiocese of Jbeil had to weigh in with a statement of condemnation. I believe the Christians’ problem with Mashrou3 Leila is not just about a song or a meme, which they want you to believe. It is inherently about the values that that band and its members represent. Hamed Sinno is the first openly gay artist of the entire Middle East. The band has been a forefront in LBGTQ representation in the region, and a view into the lives of Arab queer artists to the world. Their songs have been a representation of a Lebanese current that is not beholden to Christian or Muslim establishments. They represent a youth that is atheist, loud, proud, and trying to change a status quo that religious authorities are not comfortable with. There, herein, lies the main problem. It is the threat that a band like Mashrou3 Leila poses to religious hegemony in the country that is so frightening to them, so they call to ban it. It’s in the same vein of a show being banned because a Muslim clerk decided it mis-represented the prophet. It’s in the same vein of the calls for bans that rise up every now and then for political reasons in the country. Haven’t you ever wondered why they keep happening often, and why we are hearing about these bans more and more these days? I wonder, if Lebanese Christians are SO offended by a song or a meme, what would they do, for instance, if they are exposed collectively to a show like The Handmaid’s Tale, a post-apocalyptic Christian theocracy, where those same beliefs they hold so dear are challenged in the form of gross misinterpretation that turns anyone who is not male and white into a third class subordinate, where women are raped in the name of God and procreation, and where their fingers are cut off if they even read? The even more baffling entity among all this is the sheer silliness and hypocrisy. I remember during the 2009 elections, one of the FPM’s main politicians posted a picture to Facebook with an icon of the Virgin Mary and in her heart, instead of Jesus, was Michel Aoun. Both iconographied-memes are in the same vein. Except one of the two will never face repercussions for his actions. The amount of silliness does not stop here. The following is an actual post, by a priest, who decides that Leila in Mashrou3 Leila, in reference for night, is a satanic reference. He even uses a book he wrote as a reference. Of course, homosexuality is also ridiculed in the priest’s post, further reinforcing the point that the band’s queerness is under prosecution here too: Even Carla Haddad, your favorite weather girl, decided to weigh in: And – because this is the go-to insult for everyone these days – the band was even accused of being a Zionist propaganda machine, even though their latest song and video are clear condemnation of Israeli occupation of Palestine: All of this is happening to the background of actual physical threats facing the band, and those who decide to attend the concert. I think the culmination of it all was when Mashrou3 Leila were dragged to court because of a lawsuit filed against them for “offending religions.” While the judge dismissed the suit, she did not do so because it is Mashrou3 Leila’s right to sing whatever they want, or because the lawsuit itself was so silly. She did it under the condition of the band members meeting with priests, sheikhs, political officials from the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement, for them to issue an apology and to stop performing their “offensive” songs. Today, the song Djin is no longer on Mashrou3 Leila’s official YouTube station. Of course, you can still find it online if you need to. After all, it is still 2019 even if some Lebanese mindsets are

stuck in 1345.

But it is the precedence of this judge deciding that a band better be trialed in the court of public opinion that is harrowing. Our laws are not even made to protect us, our freedoms, and our voices. Instead, the judge allowed four young men whose talents have shone across continents, to be scrutinized by religious bearded men of the cloak whose boundaries have not extended beyond the 09 region, and by political figures whose names are not even relevant. Why? For the sake of sensibilities that are all too sensitive. You see, at the end of the day, it’s all quite simple. If your religion and belief cannot withstand something as trivial as a song, a meme, or a pop culture moment, then that says more about your beliefs and faith than about what you’re offended of. I salute those very few priests who know that, once upon a time, Jesus said to turn the left cheek to that who hits your right. I salute those religious people who know that their Christianity is not offended by a lyric or a meme. I salute those who know that the true act of freedom is to voice a counter opinion, not to silence those you

disagree with.

Irreverence is a sign of modernity. With every ban, every example of the Lebanese state failing us, every call for censorship just because someone is upset, I am convinced day in and day out that the country I left years ago is in full blown reverse gear and heading backwards, as far from modernity, as possible. Our country is being killed every single day by these religious men who are offended at everything. How long will it be before our breathing space is further extinguished, I

wonder?

It is 2019. راح غطس كبدي بالجن بأسـم الاب والابن has caused a national crisis in Lebanon. Oh how far we

have come.

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to know,

JOUMANA HADDAD

to know,

JOUMANA HADDAD

permanently living

MISS LEBANON

give the

STAR ACADEMY

to be told.

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to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

permanently living

MISS LEBANON

give the

STAR ACADEMY

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

to know,

permanently living

JOUMANA HADDAD

permanently living

MISS LEBANON

give the