As Tripoli suffers, an homage to Lebanon’s only true city, for is there any other city in the country so generously blessed with stories and books, each presenting it with a different scent, a different face?
The Caesar Act has caused the cost of life in Syria to skyrocket. People eat bread with tomato puree and pepper spread over two meals a day. With the streets empty, pockets empty and tables empty, how can the Syrians ever rise up again?
As winter has arrived, Syria is facing a second wave. Across the country the number of corona cases is on the rise. Most people, however, have other things to worry about.
The war was over in Mosul, but other battles were still unfolding. The returnees to the old Iraqi city are still dealing with poverty and disease, and with unidentified bodies buried under the rubble of demolished and mined buildings. Their recovery has become a daily occurrence, no longer newsworthy.
“This is the case of the tens of thousands of families in Al-Muthanna, and in adjacent governorates, where ignorance and poverty are widespread. Their people, in crises, represent the protectors of doctrine, the depth of the Shiite presence, and in elections, the reservoir of loyal votes. However, in return, no one cares about them..”
Markets in Syria seem- like the majority of Syrians in Syria- to be dying slowly, since news of the Caesar Act and its consequences has exhausted them psychologically before it has had the chance to take an effect economically.
We can ask ourselves: Could there be a convergence between the state’s interests and the farmer’s interests in this legislation under these exceptional circumstances that we are experiencing now? Unfortunately, the answer given the current circumstances is: absolutely not.
“Before the curfew, my mother used to help me and bring over some items, but I can’t reach her now due to how far she is. We only have some bread crumbs and oil left.” With the ‘Coronavirus’ crisis, the suffering of poor families has increased.
The Lebanese citizen finds his existence threatened due to not being able to fulfill his obligations, while hiding from the ‘Coronavirus’ at home. Will he pay his bills? His bonds? His rent? The installments of his furniture and car? Will they pile up on his shoulders if he fails to pay?
The tribes and groups that participated in constructing the city are Yemeni Arab tribes that believe in Judaism, and their traces are still there. The tales of Bayt Baws and its history and rich heritage are now threatened with extinction, but no one cares.
