Impact of Beirut blast still felt
Fellow Canadians, don't take safety for granted, says Cleopatra Abi Khalil.
And if Lebanon had its `political ammonium nitrate,' America has today its powder keg in the current administration.
Elie Mikhael
Nasrallah
Recently, I came across an article comparing the Beirut explosion to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. I remember thinking to myself how insane it is that we routinely talk about these two tragic events from 1945, but have forgotten so easily about the chemical explosion that happened just over two months ago in Lebanon.
The Beirut “blast” was among the most powerful explosions in the world, and yet no one seems to talk about it. We're all so busy with COVID-19 and the U.S. presidential elections that we have forgotten about the “misfits” of countries who suffer in silence.
So if you haven't read the reports, the Beirut “bomb” was caused by ammonium nitrate that had been stocked in the port warehouses for more than six years. The Lebanese government was aware of the situation, but neglected to act. In fact, the president himself actually said after that he immediately ordered military and security agencies to do “what was needed,” but suggested his responsibility ended there. He also added that he had “no authority” over the port and that previous governments had been told about the explosive chemicals.
Throughout the history of Lebanon, there has always been chaos and turbulence, but since 2005 when prime minister Rafic Hariri was killed along with 21 others in an explosion, and 2006 when the Israel war happened, there hadn't been any sort of “war-type” activities in the capital. Instead, there has been a so-called government that kept feeding people the lie that it would fix this country when in fact it's stealing money and transferring it to offshore banks accounts.
Canadians pay more in taxes than do Lebanese, but you do get your basic necessities covered: health care, safe and clean public transportation, infrastructure, clean, drinkable tap water, 24-hour electricity, and the list goes on. In Lebanon, we pay between two and 25 per cent of income in taxes, and we don't even get free water. Food is often scarce and power cuts are a norm.
This is the sad reality that the people of Lebanon have lived, year after year, hoping for a change. That is why in October 2019, a year ago, we had a “thawra” — loosely translated to a revolution — in order to demonstrate for our rights and demand change. After that, there was a dollar shortage, an economic crisis, COVID-19, a migrant worker crisis, insane unemployment rates, power cuts and growing suicide rates (mostly of fathers unable to provide for their families). Then the explosion happened.
These are repercussions of what a deeply corrupt, greed-driven, careless and ignorant and (dare I say) criminally negligent governance of a country can do to its people. These greed-driven criminals stole the future of youth and took everything away from them, both figuratively and literally.
I'm half-Canadian, half-Lebanese. I've been in Lebanon for quite some time and I've lived in Ottawa for a short time, as well as visited multiple times in the summers. I've realized that no matter where you are in the world, there are always going to be pros and cons to a country. But the one thing that really focused me was the matter of safety: No one should fear for their life on a daily basis, and that's where I drew the line.
Lebanon has so many “pros.” Some can live luxuriously with a housekeeper, a mansion and fancy cars, but when you step out of your little bubble, you fall right into the real Lebanon, where constant fear reigns and anarchy is a lifestyle. There is no safety, protection or even trust offered by Lebanon's government. It's like a war zone, and if you don't watch your step you're likely to step onto a landmine.
So my dear fellow Canadians, take it from me: Do not take your life for granted. Appreciate what you have every single day. There are people — not only in Lebanon — who would give anything to have your “basic” life.