songs

We're Lebanese not Arabs or as we say it in Lebanon:

العرب جرب ونحا فينيقيّي

That's what many Lebanese tell themselves. But our undeniable arabism is clearly obvious with our love for stupid songs about stupid subjects. I mean I have heared very inspiring patriotic songs, and even though I don't exactly agree with there ideas I do respect there depth and beauty. But most of the songs that were made about the Israeli Lebanese conflict since the start were pretty LAME. All they do is to put pictures of explosions, dismembered children, old people crying and religious men from all religions. If you can watch Al Manar then you really should, it doesn't get worse than this, all they do is to film a Jihady idiots running in green plains and to regurgitate scenes of the time when Israel occupied the South... Oh oh don't forget the many pictures of Nasrallah and that Khoomayni guy, a lot of Hezbollah flags and children dressed in Jihady cloth.

Before the 2000 withdrawal and from time to time, the Lebanese TVs used to put some of those stupid songs. It was pretty boring and being raised in an anti Hezbollah family I couldn't help hating those songs. But back then and unlike my parents I believed that Israel is just as wrong as Arabs, it was just the only answer I had found to the dilemma, all I saw was civilians dying and politicians that killed them to cry over there bodies.

On July the 12th I kind of expected to see some of those stupid songs again. Surprisingly enough, that didn't happen! The only songs that were being played were Magida El Roomy's patriotic songs. Now I admit that my judgment is biaised on Magida's songs, I just love her a lot, but let's face it she's the best. And even her patriotic songs are special, the LF even adopted one of her songs as its pseudo anthem, at the same time her concert in Beirut last year made a huge success especially her songs about liberty and Lebanon, it was mainly the 14th of March audience and now that the South is under attack, it's her songs that are being put especially on LBC.

This success indicates two simple facts:

• She's the best (why do I feel that I am repeating myself?), and her songs are about what all Lebanese basically need


• Things are changing in Lebanon, the Lebanese stations are no longer forced to put those stupid racist songs, and they don't want to do so.

I like the changes that are taking place, but I fear the price is much bigger than what it should be.