Georges al-Rif, By Failing You, We Failed Ourselves

The only thing worse than watching the video depicting the hideous murder of Georges al-Rif at the hands of Tarek Yateem is seeing how time and time again, men, fully grown men, who may have been able to stop this tragedy, chose to turn a blind eye to the agony of a stranger begging for his life –a father of four. 

They say you have to be there to know, and while I cannot guarantee that I would have been the hero of the day, I sure as hell would not have just stood there watching. 

As for those donned in blue, who appear to be of a security agency of some sort, they may as well have lit a cigarette as they strolled by the dying man.  

Lebanon…. There are just no words to describe this. We have failed as a society and as human beings. Not only are we passive with our murderous, cunning government (or lack thereof) but we have also allowed apathy to seep into our innermost fabric, the fabric that once screamed empathy in the face of adversity, the glue that had kept our values alive throughout 30 years of war and the treacherous years that followed. 

I won’t go on to lay out the contents of my heart in terms of the current state of affairs of the country, for they will surely stop you from enjoying your long weekend. After all, we are the people who have traded empathy for a state of inebriation atop fancy sky high rooftops, lest they compensate for our downfall as a nation.

As for you, the scum of the earth –also known as the country’s politicians (pronounced: TFEH)- here’s what the people REALLY think of you. 

Have a great day.

لقد اخرسني مشهد قتل جورج الريف اذا كل واحد محسوب على شئ زعيم او رجل اعمال بيعمل لي بدو ياه وكأن باقي الشعب اغنام تافهة يا ايها دولة التافهه

— Wael (@waelhnehme) July 17, 2015