Every Lebanese individual I met last week asked me what is going to happen. I don't know the answer to that but I do know that Lebanon is suffocating. Whether two hands are grabbing Lebanon's neck or whether someone has placed a pillow over its face, there seems to be no difference since the country's enemy is from within. I know what I see. Lebanon is a beautiful country and has been dubbed the Switzerland of the East. However, there are things in Lebanon that are not pretty at all. For every open store in the city, there is a closed one. The stores that are open seem deserted: there are no clients and no commerce. Tradesmen are thus unable to pay their debts; and bank interests keep piling up until they are bankrupt. I hear there are daily bankruptcies but no specific figures or statistics exist to support that claim. In light of the deteriorating – or rather collapsing – economy, the Lebanese people who are able to leave the country have already left, along with their families. Only a few educated and successful individuals remain to shield their Lebanon-based interests, while a majority of uneducated and poor people wait for some divine solution. I saw buildings under construction where the construction works have been halted. I also saw beautiful, completed buildings with no occupants. I saw holes dug for building foundations, which were filled with water. I went with my brother to a famous hotel and we sat in the hotel's café around the pool. We were the only customers there and there were six waiters waiting on us. Even the shoe shiners won't come anymore since there are no more shoes for them to shine. When I was a child, Kuwaitis used to come to Bhamdoun while Saudis used to come to Aley. They returned following the fifteen years of civil war and so did all the people of the Gulf, the Egyptians, and some Europeans. We started seeing people from the Gulf coming over just to spend their weekends in Lebanon and we used to feel happy to see them. Currently, the Gulf States have banned their citizens from flying to Lebanon. No one wants to go on a tourism trip with the threat of being kidnapped for ransom. I spent three days in Beirut last week during which I saw one Kuwaiti lady with her mother. She greeted me and asked me what will happen. I asked her how come she came to Lebanon. She smiled and said she has "connections." Some of us are simply kidding themselves and the others. This is not just a passing situation. It will not end with the mere conclusion of the causes; and its consequences will remain with us for generations to come. Some of our Arab brothers bought an apartment or a house in Lebanon but are no longer coming to visit. Some wanted to buy property but didn't. Some others wish they didn't buy and now want to sell even if they stand to lose some money. More importantly on the long run, the Arabs who are no longer able to visit Lebanon are now going to other countries to spend their weekends or their summer vacation. Once again, I know what I am talking about. The wealthy Arabs are now purchasing apartments in London and Paris and the less wealthy Arabs are purchasing apartments in Istanbul and the southern Turkish coast in towns like Fethiye, Marmaris, and Bodrum. The prices of property in Western Europe are high and only the rich ones can afford them. However, the prices in Turkey are much lower than Lebanon. The Arab nationals who bought property to spend their vacations there will not be returning to Lebanon when they hear that they won't be kidnapped or abused. There is something about the ongoing Lebanese crisis that I cannot understand, perhaps because I have lived abroad for so long. Maybe one of the readers can explain this. Lebanon has not been under the MB rule and it has not suffered any destruction under them. There are some wise rulers in Lebanon, including President Michel Suleiman, who reminds me of Col. Fouad Shehab. PM Najib Mikati is also one such ruler since he is smart and cautious and always avoids mistakes. As for the Prime Minister Designate, Tammam Salam, I have known him since college. I won't be writing about the fact that he was born into a family with a long history of political action. I will just say that he who cannot deal with Tammam cannot deal with anyone. There is also Speaker Nabih Birri, one of most experienced and intelligent Lebanese politicians and a man with a clear ability to deal with everybody. So who is to blame? I have no proof. All what I can personally say is that Lebanon is suffocating and needs a quick way out from its current crisis. Otherwise, we will be suffering from the consequences for years to come. [email protected]
