Lebanon

 I only knew you, Lebanon, through what was written about you in the Torah, in poetry, and in the voices of singers.

In books and art, I met you as the Lebanon of love and beauty. But in my reality, I only came to know you through calamities, tribulations, and endless struggles.

In my Lebanon, there is no room for self-realization or the courage to dream.

We live here waiting for the hour of our death or bracing for the next catastrophe.

Lebanon feels like an unending cesarean birth, a nation caught between external ambitions exploiting it and internal battles over power and spoils, with no regard for the country or its people.

And the people, sadly, are not innocent. They share the blame.

It’s 2024, yet I still see hands throwing cigarette butts and garbage onto the streets from car windows.

The people are guilty because they re-elect those who serve foreign interests and their personal agendas.

Lebanese employers exploit their workers, chasing profit at the expense of dignity, never asking themselves if the wages they offer would be enough for their own children.

In Lebanon, the innocent is guilty, and we all pay the price.

I long for the Lebanon I read about in books but never met in reality.

I yearn for a country I love with all my heart and hope to one day feel that it loves me back.

Lebanon is my family, my friends, and every inch of its 10,452 square kilometers.

Lebanon is art, culture, life, beauty, love, and brilliance.

Lebanon is faith, values, and unity in diversity.

Lebanon is enriched by its contradictions.

Lebanon is Fayrouz, Wadih Al-Safi, Sabah, the Rahbanis, Nasri Shamseddine, Zaki Nassif, Halim El Roumi, Melhem Barakat, Salwa Al-Katrib, Romeo Lahoud.

Lebanon is Majida El Roumi, Ghada Shbeir, Carla Ramia, Lubnan Baalbaki.

Lebanon is Wael Kfoury, Melhem Zein, Marwan Khoury, Abir Nehme, Charbel Rouhana, and Marana Saad.

Lebanon is a legacy of names that shaped its past and present.

Wherever you go, you hear people speak of the resilience behind every successful Lebanese.

Resilience born from adversity and pride forged in the crucible of pain.

Lebanon, on Independence Day, how desperately we need the real you.

No to war. No to death. No to destruction. No to sectarian strife.

Yes to the homeland. Yes to love. Yes to true independence.

May you remain safe.

– M.M.

#Lebanon #IndependenceDay #MyLebanon #LoveAndStruggle #Resilience #HopeForLebanon #LebaneseCulture #UnityInDiversity #PrideAndPain #TrueIndependence