We never visited, but we fell in love with our "Balad" through our Baba. We visited Lebanon through the music of Fairuz, Wadi El Safi, and Majida El Roumi. Their lyrics told the stories we longed to know.
Our minds imagined the cliffs on the sea at Rawsha, where Daddy saw an angel and it saved his life. Through his careful harvest of the olives in our backyard in California, we experienced his joy of his homeland. The American University of Beirut and his loyal best friend from his childhood village, together unlocked the opportunities that catapulted my father into a career as an organic chemist in the U.S.
Many people see Lebanon as just another Middle Eastern country, suffering from war, strife and conflict that every other one suffers. But, Lebanon is different to me. I have spoken my heart about Palestine, but right now, my father's Balad is breaking my heart.
In this moment of their devastation as a people and a country, perhaps you may discover a longing for Beirut, a city you never knew you dreamed to visit - the home of the Phoenicians.
Lebanese people are proud. They have held tightly to the long Christian heritage that dates back to the first churches. They speak "Lebanese", not "Arabic". It IS Arabic, but they want you to know they are proud, because they can boast of having the largest indigenous Christian population in the Middle East.
The earliest Biblical writings elaborate about Lebanon's breathtaking scenery: the famous Cedar of Lebanon, sites of pilgrimage and miracles, the temple of Baal in Baalbek, Tyre and Sidon.
"The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar in Lebanon" (Psalm 92:12) ... "The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted." (Psalm 104:16 NRSV)
In the woods of his village, Baba would spend time alone writing poetry and reading by a natural spring, Zoo' ee. Nature was his preferred place of worship, though he was a very religious Orthodox Christian. As a naturalized citizen of the United States, my dad still dreamed of his beautiful home. He grew up bil dai3ah - "the village". He had 9 siblings, and his mother nursed her own children and some of her grandchildren. During the civil war, their family was known to provide medical aid to the suffering, a tradition that has been renewed as Syrian refugees have been fleeing into Lebanon over these recent years. It was an Orthodox Christian village where his fondest memories were with two goats and his cow, Futna, that lived in their house. Her milk was used to make Shankleesh, strongly pungent fermented yogurt balls which they would roll in Zaatar, a mix of native thyme, sesame seeds and sumac. His village is famous for having the best Shankleesh in Lebanon!
You have your Lebanon and I have mine.
You have your Lebanon with her problems,
and I have my Lebanon with her beauty.
You have your Lebanon with all her prejudices and struggles,
and I have my Lebanon with all her dreams and securities.
Your Lebanon is a political knot, a national dilemma, a place of conflict and deception.
My Lebanon is a place of beauty and dreams of enchanting valleys and splendid mountains.
Your Lebanon is inhabited by functionaries, officers, politicians, committees, and factions.
My Lebanon is for peasants, shepherds, young boys and girls, parents and poets.
Your Lebanon is empty and fleeting, whereas My Lebanon will endure forever.
- Gibran Kahlil Gibran, "The Eye of the Prophet" 1920
Daddy loved Khalil Gibran. Poetry and nature were his heartbeat. One of his best friends encouraged me to read, "The Broken Wings". I wept. Lebanese writing, full of passion, spirit, and heartache moved me deeply. I felt like through Khalil Gibran, perhaps I could better understand my Dad. He was an introvert and held the highest standard for ethics and morality: honest to a fault. Some of the best advice and invented cliches in our family came from my Dad.
Truly, this crisis is a loss to us all. Beirut is the Newport Beach of the Middle East - some say the French Riviera: progressive, beautiful, strong and rich with culture. In the moment of an explosion, culture, families, history, stability, hope have been shattered.
The international community must hold the government accountable. An international investigation must be demanded. We can press our Congress people, the U.N. Yes, send support.
What beautiful heartfelt words. The imagery you have shared make me want to discover more of your Lebanon.
ReplyDeleteYour writing stirs the soul, Rosie....a true gift!
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