Our Humanity
Just sending out thoughts to prevent myself from losing sight of my humanity.. Joumana Mattar MoukarzelI remember when I was younger, I was always being spirited away to Africa to avoid the war in Lebanon. Back then, I believed it was an adventure.
I had not lived through a war. I had no way of knowing how it changes people.
Now I am here, in my country, that I have grown to call my home.
I am scared. I am scared of what this war is doing to people. We are losing our humanity.
Cues in supermarkets are long, people fighting over a kilo of lemon which has tripled in price.
The highways are alternatively jammed with cars fleeing to the border, or silent and empty as the threat of fuel shortage looms overhead.
And through it all, we are glued to television sets and radios praying we won't be hit next.
It just puts everything into perspective: what's a new job or a new house compared with the destruction and gradual meltdown of our country, where we planned to live out our dreams?
The most dangerous thing to me, is not the destruction of our bridges but the abolition of our hope... our hope...
Without this butterfly of hope, that can fly through the barriers of oppression we would indeed lose our humanity. We would be reduced to selfish animals grabbing on to anything we can get our hands on and not letting go, simply because we're not sure when we'll be able to acquire it again.
I think im writing this to all of you for all of us; let's be here for one another. Let's remind ourselves of what's important, of this bond of friendship that can help us be brave and endure.
I dont know how long we'll have electricity and phone lines, I dont know how long this situation will last, I just know that if I feel there is someone out there who's thinking of me; if there's someone who needs me to send a thought their way; things will be alright.
Take care, hope to see you soon, safe and sound."
posted by hopeful beirut @ 00:52
3 Comments:
Dear Joumana...
You capture so much of what Lebanon is after a week of holocaust... so well, so eloquently and... so hopefully...
With you speaking of hope, you will keep on dispelling the angst of despair...
Writing from Algeria... once a haven of terrorism now emerging hopefully, I can tell you that everyone here is crying at the state terrorism that has hit Lebanon...
The immediate future is bleak... but let me reassure you... I have decided to make Lebanon my home... and I am not wavering from that decision... We shall return to rebuild the most beautiful of lands...
Love... and hope...
Sam
hi joumana,
Thanks for saying in words what i think of about this war.
And lots of hope remains, and lots of plans for when it ends.
Keep up watching and caring for one day you will have to find new words to describe the happy time that is waiting for us when all of this is over.
lots of hope
Aline
Your site is on top of my favourites - Great work I like it.
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