The Fear Factor
Something strange is happening to people in Beirut.
Let's put anger, frustration and helplessness aside for a while. I'm not talking about that right now.
It's fear.
I've never felt that much fear in their eyes before.
It's fear when you're walking down a street, and spotting a person, any person, carrying a bag (again, any bag).
It's fear when you notice someone getting into his car and starting the engine.
It's fear when you decide to stop at some corner and tie your shoelaces… when you start questioning yourself whether it would be wise to go out tonight or not… when a family member tells you before shutting the door: "It won't take long, I'll be back in one hour"… it's just fear, wherever you look, wherever you go.
And what was Beirut mostly talking about today?
Michel Hayek, whose "prophecies" (?) about the deaths of Hariri and Tueni have come true, is sending out a warning: "Don't even think of going out of your homes on December, 17th. Something big, huge, seriously dangerous will occur, probably in Downtown!"
I swear I've heard this sentence a dozen times today. It has been even circulated by email & sms as well.
You know what's worse? The amount of fear is tremendous to such an extent that this mere sentence will paralyze life in Beirut this Saturday.
Let's put anger, frustration and helplessness aside for a while. I'm not talking about that right now.
It's fear.
I've never felt that much fear in their eyes before.
It's fear when you're walking down a street, and spotting a person, any person, carrying a bag (again, any bag).
It's fear when you notice someone getting into his car and starting the engine.
It's fear when you decide to stop at some corner and tie your shoelaces… when you start questioning yourself whether it would be wise to go out tonight or not… when a family member tells you before shutting the door: "It won't take long, I'll be back in one hour"… it's just fear, wherever you look, wherever you go.
And what was Beirut mostly talking about today?
Michel Hayek, whose "prophecies" (?) about the deaths of Hariri and Tueni have come true, is sending out a warning: "Don't even think of going out of your homes on December, 17th. Something big, huge, seriously dangerous will occur, probably in Downtown!"
I swear I've heard this sentence a dozen times today. It has been even circulated by email & sms as well.
You know what's worse? The amount of fear is tremendous to such an extent that this mere sentence will paralyze life in Beirut this Saturday.
posted by Eve @ 11:57 PM
12 Comments:
same here
i also heard that we should avoid crowed places , commercial places , cinema etc...
they have killed till now targeted people, let hope they wont switch to mass massacres as those the lebanese knew during the civil war:
everytimes a bomb was explosing that time, it wasnt few people getting killed but sometimes more then 100 people.
they failed with the targeted assassination to switch the lebanese road toward independance to the slavery one, let s hope they wont try now the blind terror against civilians
May to July? one or two months ya3neh?
we're in December.. nobody even cared from May to July.
I'm not posting this to give the impression that the "great Lebanese people is not showing enough bravery in the face of the terror campaign". They are doing the best they can. but people here live in different circumstances than those who live abroad. You'll notice it if you were in Lebanon.. now.
It's a psychologic war and economic war they are waging. it has always been declared Freedom or Security. During the early 90s the presidents chose security... Now our choice is Freedom, and they're not gonna let us have it easily!
It's True, people are afraid and avoiding places, only a fool would not care. But let us be brave and cautious, we have been through 30 years of war...Life goes on! Just Stay Alive.
We should learn to let loose.
Plus the stuff about Michel Hayek new predictions are only rumors; he says that he only predicts once a year...
Eve,
You're right. Every time I see a car idling outside a building at night, I worry.
Restaurants are empty. The only people downtown last night were khaliji. It's actually possible to find seats in restaurants and pubs in Gemayze.
So khalijis are immune to bombs? ;)
You know there will be more blasts. No one has been caught, and no "goals" have been reached, so these criminals will continue doing their thing.
It is nerve wrecking. Just pray they don't hit a crowded area.
AH, although I do understand what you're talking about, bass kteer b3asseb when I know someone has changed his mind about coming here because of what is happening. I mean foreigners fhemna, byin2azo min tartousheh (although they are more safe than us in this country) (too bad kamein, because they choose other nearby countries, although our touristic potential is great!), bass Lebanese abroad? la2, ma heik ettafa2na :) You have a duty of encouraging them to come here..
To some extent, yes, I can. I believe the media is making our daily lives look more like hell here..
Eve- as a blogger you should know better than to listen to the media.
Now as someone who lived in the great U.S. of A. and chose to move to Beirut (some people question my sanity), I have to say Lebanon is an acquired taste, definitely not for everyone.
Jamal, in case you read my answer carefully, you would have noticed that I said inno I can invite all the Lebanese here, with a clear conscience, because one shouldn't trust or listen to the exaggerations of the media.
I feel sorry to hear that. I hope things will get better in this upcoming new year.
I believe time heals everything, including fear!
- Bon Courage -
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