Dear Dalai Lama... You obviously haven't been to Lebanon!
I woke up today to find the country torn to shreds and social media platforms buzzing with reactions following the vicious attack on Charlie Hebdo.
I was personally outraged and had something to say about it, so did many journalists, artists and media outlets.
I do not necessarily support attacking or bashing other people's beliefs, but whatever the cause, the savage attack cannot be justified.
The majority of the Lebanese online community seemed to be deeply affected by the incident as well, although I cannot help but wonder if most had ever heard of the newspaper before.
Other users, who were not as outraged, decided to show contempt. Some joked about it, others made fun of those using the #JeSuisCharlie hashtag, and so came to light the cyber "hungers games". Such is the behavior of the classic cyber bully, but with a dash of Lebanese, cyber bullying stoops down to a whole new level. What would the interwebz be without them? Awesome i guess.
And then, the mother of all oddities happened: The #JeSuisBeyrouth campaign. A sudden unexplained sense of patriotism raided the souls of the people who raced to post and tweet the highly irrelevant hashtag. In response, all i have to say is : What were you thinking?!
Can we be any more hypocritical? We are people who anxiously await the smallest opportunity to leave the country. We are mindless when it comes to children, Lebanese or not, freezing to death on our land. We forget the deaths and sacrifices of our army the moment the news of a Lebanese pornstar comes to light. Where were we when "Beyrouth" needed us?! Probably enjoying its nightlife... So no! We are definitely not Beirut.
Now #JeSuisMia is definitely something we can use around here since everyone still seems overexcited about the subject for some odd reason.
Not that I personally support the porn industry in any way, but Mia Khalifa was crucified by the same women who go to parties looking like playboy bunnies. By parents whose daughters have given up the chastity belt a while ago, husbands who watch porn and wives who go under the knife mutilating themselves in a bid to become their spouse’s pornographic fantasies.
And yes, she is being praised more than any Lebanese soldier will ever be just because we have this deep rooted disorder called "Attention Seeking" on social media.
Bottom line is, we are losing all sense of compassion. It is our duty as inhabitants of the same world to sympathize with those struck by tragedy, yet hypocrisy has taken over the authenticity we once held dear. No hashtag, no campaign can ever set that right.
Elise Bou Malham