Zaatar w Zeit is quite serious about making #WorldMankoushehDay an annual event dedicated to celebrate what’s arguably our favorite breakfast here in Lebanon. In its second year running, ZwZ’s convoy is touring different parts of Lebanon, making stops and giving out free mankoushes to NGOs, food banks, businesses and some beloved tourist and historical hot spots.
There’s even an online petition demanding that today be officially recognized as World Mankousheh Day, which you can go and sign here with our friends from Live Love Beirut!
In the run up to today’s tour from Khaldeh all the way up to Batroun, ZwZ released two heartwarming examples of bakers that have made the mankousheh their trade for decades now, and they’re absolutely adorable and I wanna track them down and go eat a mankousheh they’ve worked on preparing as early as 1AM, way before the rest of us even wake up and start craving one.
To leave their mark on Beirut, ZwZ commissioned T.Durden Studio to create a beautiful mural in Beirut on Mar Mitr Street.
More Than Just Hype
As early as Thusday November 1, ZwZ’s mankousheh truck was making sure that most of the 9000 mankoushehs they plan to distribute go to support amazing Lebanese NGOs fighting hunger and helping those in need every day of every year. Sesobel, The Lebanese Food Bank and FoodBlessed were all visited, as well as an orphanage in Ouzai and a children’s hospital.
I was lucky enough to be invited to join in the Mankousheh convoy from Kesserwen to Jbeil, where we passed by the brave Lebanese Red Cross team in the city and then made our way to the gorgeous Old Souk in Byblos. Here are some photos I took:
When the horrendous Lebanese government decided to hike up all our taxes before they eventually slightly raised a part of Lebanese people’s salaries, many upstanding citizens went down to protest. They were protesting the proposed 5000LBP increase on fuel to pay to export our unsorted garbage, in one of the saddest chapters in the humiliating, still ongoing trash crisis.
That was in 2016, if you can believe it. A brave group of activists spray painted those cement blocks they put in Beirut to force us to pay for valets and expensive parking, with phrases like the ones below:
They were arrested for doing that, and it’s been in the courts since then.
Those indicted were two lawyers: Marwan Maalouf and Fouad Debes, two activists: Mathieu Torbey and Cynthia Sleimam, and journalist Mary Jose Azzi.
This week, Judge Abir Safa proved once again that judges are often our only salvation in Lebanon, especially in the face of such a ruling political class that is against any meaningful legislative reform unless it makes them get richer off our backs.
The judge exonerated all those indicted on all three counts they were charged with.
The first were 3 articles of slander and libel. The judge decided that it didn’t constitute slander and libel, given no one specific was mentioned or defamed, but instead the general performance and policies of Lebanon’s government. Activists 1, corrupt government 0.
The second charge against the activists was vandalism and destruction of public property. The judge saw the stencils being sprayed as a form of peaceful expression and did not see intent to vandalize or destroy in this legal form of speech.
The most absurd charge was “placing ads on historical monuments”. Now, I don’t know who exactly chose that charge, but if Solidere cement blocks designed to make you pay Valets is a historical monument, then I’m a bikini super model. Luckily, the judge disagreed with this charge, and did not see this form of peaceful protest as an “advertisement”.
Judges Can Make or Break Lebanon
Just as we got wind of this beautiful decision, a day later, another judge set free a wife beater and murderer, in a blow to women’s rights and the country’s fight against wide-spread and unchecked domestic violence.
This is why judges like Joyce Akiki, and the judge in this case, Judge Abir Safa, are progressive examples who embody the ideals that make Lebanon special: freedom, tolerance and the respect of free speech and the press. It’s why we need to celebrate these judges and support their decisions in the face of our corrupt politial establishment. It’s also why we need to condemn judges who bring Lebanon down, and let the killers of Lebanese women off the hook because of pressure from bad people in high positions.
It seems Lebanon’s oppressive religious authorities are double-teaming it against any form of progress and freedom in Lebanon. I read a Facebook status today that summed it up better than I ever could.
It basically said that Sunni authorities and groups have made it their life’s mission to attack and threaten any LGBTQ+ related event, conference or party. The Interior Ministry currently held by a sunni politician condones this, or releases absurd and shameful statements like “we can’t guarantee the safety” of whatever event their religious leaders are attacking that week.
The Christian authorities, usually represented by the regressive and ironically named Catholic “Information” Center, handle movies, theater and books. They are the number one banners of arts and culture.
Together, the Sunni and Christian religious powers are aggressively becoming more and more ISIS-like with every year. That’s not to say that other religious sects like Shiia and Druze don’t do the same as well, but it is eclipsed by the over-zealousness of Dar El Fatwa and the Catholic Information Center
What Happened Now
The Gender and Sexuality Club at AUB was organizing a Halloween-themed mixer for Beirut’s queer community. It was supposed to be a fundraiser that would help the club in its mission to make their campus, as well as the country, more inclusive, raise awareness about sexuality and gender and other activities they work at diligently for the greater good and a Lebanon that is more similar to us, not the pseudo state that ISIS tried and failed to create just a couple hours’ drive from Beirut.
I will not share what the ex-Mufti said, or even mention his name. I prefer to keep this blog free of hate speech and ignorant hatred. But, just so you get an idea of how horrific it was, he thought “Gender and Sexuality” can be translated to “Sex Club”.
This is the statement the AUB club posted on their page:
To our members, allies, and supporters,
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuous help and encouragement with our events and activities through the years. We would also like to thank the Office of Student Affairs and the American University of Beirut for their support and endorsement. We are humbled by the ways in which we come together in solidarity, echoing the club’s mission to provide a safe and educational space that mobilizes around fundamental bodily rights for people of all genders and sexualities on and off campus.
Tonight, a Halloween themed queer speed dating/mixer night was meant to take place. The event, a Halloween costume party, was misrepresented as being hosted by “AUB Sex Club,” by people who are clearly unfamiliar with our club’s ethos, activity, or even name. It was accused of promoting immorality, when all its true purpose was the provision of a safe space for a marginalized community on the account of its bodily autonomy, gender expression, and non-normativity. The event held no expectations of the participants and had no sexual implications of any nature.
As we value safety first and foremost, we canceled the event. We understand the disparities among people of different backgrounds and the inability to afford the luxury of public visibility. We are aware of the structural difficulties that make some people more vulnerable than others, and we decided not to go through with the event as long as safety is not guaranteed, as we will not compromise the well-being of our members and friends. The event was meant to be a safe space for conversation, therefore, we could not but cancel under the current circumstances.
The LGBTQ+ community and the religious community are not mutually exclusive. We, at the Gender and Sexuality Club, work on the intersections and the freedom to be heard, understood, and have access to basic rights such as freedom of consciousness and autonomy over one’s body. We are inclusive of migrants, refugees, stateless people; our existence is broader than a single realm of struggles, and we aim to add our point of view, support, and experiences to the mix.
We will remain strong in our stance. This will not deter us from future events or struggles, we use the experience from this and many others to build ourselves up as we fight for justice
The AUB Student Affairs dean was wholeheartedly in support of the club, and I remember Dr. Talal Nizameddine from my AUB days, and he’s always been progressive in his stances and fitting for the ideals and values AUB holds and has always held dear.
What Should Have Happened
It was understandable that the club canceled the event in light of the threats and hate speech by a religious leader whose salary is paid by your taxes. After all, who knows which of his followers might get inspired and seek to harm a community already persecuted in this painfully patriarchal society.
However, I think the event should have been kept going, and many friends and allies of the community in Lebanon would have joined in to support. We can’t let religious fundamentalists decide what kind of events Lebanese taxpayers can organize and go to, just like no one tells them what they can and cannot do and organize on their own time (but with our money for some reason).
Given that our Interior Ministry refuses to protect and serve a part of Lebanese society, then maybe a safe space like AUB could have been a possible alternative that the religious fundamentalist can’t attack, and the Interior Ministry is forced to defend from hate groups and attacks. I hope the club does do something in AUB to make up for the canceled event, and I hope all of you will go down and support it, not just to stand up and say enough to oppressive religious extremists, but also to support the great work the Gender and Sexuality Club at AUB does.
Government Should Be Ashamed
It’s 2018, and an ex-religious leader has the power to shut down an event. Not in ISIS-occupied Raqqa, but in Beirut, the supposed “Paris” and “Swtizerland” of the Middle East.
I think after all this time, the only way to get the Lebanese government to do the job we pay it for, and work for us, not religious and political leaders, is to figure out how funding from abroad should depend on whether or not the government decides to be less corrupt, and the religious powers stripped of any jurisdiction on actual law and order, and instead focus on cleansing themselves from this toxic philosophy of fear, ignorance and blind hatred.
Full disclosure: I wasn’t aware that Young 3arous was a campaign till last night right before the reveal on Hawa El Horriyeh.
The Shock Campaign
The idea was fairly simple: set up a Facebook page and Instagram account with a bunch of stock photos of underage girls, a number and an offer to wed these underage girls for whoever wants a “young bride”.
It was launched last Wednesday, and for the few hours it was live, the Lebanese online community went apeshit about it. Condemnations, harsh words and promises to take it down flooded my newsfeed and timeline.
The real shock for me was the people that actually called the hotline that was set up. To be fair, lots of amazing men and women called to shame the operator, and demand he stop, whether by appealing to his humanity, or threatening him with legal action.
What was scary, is how many men called to inquire about this, and giving the operator a sort of “CV” that they had a house, enough money and come from a “good family” to try and convince the operator to set them up with an underage girl to marry.
You can watch and hear some of the recordings the hotline got here.
The Sad Reality
Not a single thing in that stunt was actually illegal. Given no one was charging a fee, setting up old men with young girls isn’t just legal in every single sect and religion in Lebanon’s law, but there is no civil law that bars marrying off minors to older spouses.
Everything was 100% legal, and that’s just fucking enraging.
The Woke Parade
I saw many friends and close colleagues lambaste what some of them predicted correctly was a campaign, and got into a race and competition of who could be outraged faster and greater. That is their right, and I applaud them for their heightened wokeness. However, I disagree with them on this particular campaign, and I think it was a much needed shock to get people to fucking care about this horrendous issue.
I recall 3 or 4 different campaigns demanding the legal age for marriage be set at 18 over the past couple of years. Apart from a couple of billboards, none of them seemed to make a dent in Lebanese voters’ conscience, and were far outdone by the vicious religious conservatives that plague this country and hinder its progress into the 21st Century.
This campaign shocked many of us awake, we were passive, we were in denial. The calls and statuses and tweets restored my faith that people in Lebanon still cared, unlike the leaders they keep electing.
Channeling the Anger
It’s easy to attack a dummy page and a heavy-handed operator on the phone. Some people even had fun with it, asking for “labneh 3arous” (3arous can mean both a sandwich, or a wife in colloquial Lebanese).
However, the anger on that page and campaign is misguided, and we should all be angry at our politicians and parliamentarians, who lie down on their belly and surrender to religious leaders’ disgusting desires.
And follow RDFL Women on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the fight to make our sad bunch of politicians listen to the Lebanese people, 84% of which are AGAINST child marriage.
UPDATE 2: It was a stunt by RDFL, read up about it here.
UPDATE: the pages are gone. Looks like all your reports did the trick!
A page sprang up this week called “Young 3arous”, the word for “bride” in colloquial Lebanese. It already has over 50 followers sadly. However, pictures of young girls have been removed, and the comments under the single photo left are mostly people tagging each other to report the page, thankfully.
As horrifying as this page is, I can’t help but think that several political parties and religious sect leaderships believe it’s fine to marry off underage girls. I don’t even think the underage marriage thing is technically illegal, which makes this page all the more problematic.
Even if we are in the dark ages and marrying off children is still not illegal for absurd religious reasons, it’s illegal to traffic in human being, especially kids, this way.
I hope this page shuts down soon, and the people behind this scheme are brought to justice.
This week, we were alerted to a 12 second video of hardcore sex tape that allegedly showed Lebanese media personality Michel Bou Sleiman and what some rumors said was a female colleague from another local TV station.
A few “news reports” later, no one seemed to check the very few last frames of the short clip. There’s a title in the top part of the mobile phone video taken off what seems to be a computer monitor. It’s in Turkish, and I could make out the words “Mehmet Ali Erbil’in”.
A quick search later, and we discover that he’s a prominent Turkish comedian and media personality. A little more digging and we find out that Erbil was hospitalized last week, which means his name was back in the spotlight.
After dismissing the possibility of the video being a “deepfake” one, where a face actor can control a digital “skin” of a public figure’s face and make it seem almost indistinguishable from the original. The next step was finding the source video of what seems to be a homemade sext tape by Erbil.
We noticed that the woman in the video looks like his ex-wife, and after finding a Turkish speaker to help us, we found plenty of dodgy-looking sites and forums that link back to it. We also found a link to the video on Twitter posted on 5 September 2018, and on the popular porn site “xnxx” that has been technically banned in Lebanon for the past few years.
I will not link back to the 4 other sites we found the video on, because I don’t want to be linking to porn sites on this blog and get the Lebanese government angry with me again, but here are some screenshots.
There’s also some less R-rated videos where you can see him play with dildos and dry hump people on stage. You can see it here.
For everyone who tuned in to the fifth episode of Hawa El 7orriyeh on Monday night, you might have seen the fiery debate moderated by Joe Maalouf, between the founder of Swiss Services, Omar Allaf, and the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon’s fundraising manager Nisrine Tannous.
How It Started
In September 2018, many of us started spotting individuals or teams of two dressed in a white lab coat, emblazoned with the Swiss coat of arms. These sales representatives also carried a duffel bag with the same coat of arms.
The bag contained toothbrushes allegedly made in Switzerland, and they were being sold for 5000 LBP.
Soon, the stories didn’t seem to hold up, and that’s when someone finally broke their silence and confronted one of the sales reps at a popular bar on Badaro Street in Beirut. Yorgui Teyrouz then went on Facebook to share his concerns and skepticism about Swiss Services.
The sales rep wasn’t able to hold up to the line of questions directed to her, questions such as are you a volunteer an employee, is Swiss Services a company or an NGO, is the money really going to the CCCL and do you actually have a partnership with them.
Soon after a status was published, dozens of comments started to pop up stating that the sales reps said different things to them, from children’s cancer, to breast cancer and lesser known NGOs.
CCCL Refuted Partnership Claims
After the show contacted CCCL, their spokesperson indicated that they were aware of Swiss Services’ activities, and that no partnership existed between them and Swiss Services (SS). SS had hoped to do a collaboration, but CCCL rejected because it was not in line with the center’s fundraising strategy: they never go around selling products or gathering donations from on the street, to pubbers and restaurant goers, and even reports from people visiting to Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.
These concerns were raised live on air last night by CCCL fundraising manager Nisrine Tannous, that stated that a personal donation in the name of the founder was made, 1000 USD in cash. (Allaf had falsely stated on air that it was paid in check)
Swiss Embassy Statement
Given that the company was using the word “Swiss” and the official coat of arms of the Government of Switzerland, we reached out to the Swiss Embassy in Beirut, and they provided the following statement by Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Switzerland in Lebanon, Ms. Elisabeth Gilgen.
“The Embassy of Switzerland has been informed about the activities of a group operating under the name “Swiss Services” and using the shield-shaped Swiss coat of arms, a symbol strictly reserved for the Swiss State. “Swiss Services” has no connection whatsoever to the Government of Switzerland and does not fulfill the strict legal criteria for using the name “Swiss”. The Embassy has informed the relevant Lebanese authorities and will continue to monitor the situation.”
— Elisabeth Gilgen, Deputy Head of Mission, Swiss Embassy in Beirut
This confirmed that Swiss Services has no relation whatsoever to Switzerland, or operates outside of Lebanon. The Facebook “About” page of Swiss Services stated that since Lebanon is sometimes referred to as “the switzerland of the middle east” they decided to call the company Swiss Services.
Why This Is Wrong
The sheer amount of complaints and comments given, the large scope of operation and frankly, very little evidence or details about what Swiss Services does with the money they make, claiming it’s to support a multitude of charitable causes, such as CCCL and others.
The CCCL emails dating back to September 2018 also confirm that the company had no right to use their name while their sales reps were pitching the toothbrush. The Swiss Embassy statement also proves that this is not a Swiss initiative or company, but a local one using the Swiss State’s name and symbol without permission and illegally.
This is wrong because the misleading was obviously intentional and systematic across a period of months and all across Beirut and surrounding areas. Approaching someone on a date that’s had a couple of drinks with a 5000 LBP toothbrush to help children with cancer is a dishonest way of making quick cash, and it abuses people’s humanitarian impulse by unjustly abusing the CCCL’s name after they were expressly not given permission to.
That’s just unacceptable, and I hope the Lebanese authorities move to further investigate this and put a stop to such practices.
Allaf claims that this was a mistake, and that his company is doing a lot of good work in rural parts of Lebanon. I will investigate these claims if they ever materialize, and I will keep you all posted. However, their work so far has been extremely flawed, unethical and outright illegal in many respects.
I was invited to the launch of the Honor 8X in Dubai earlier this month along with a handful of fellow Lebanese who work in traditional and online publications and platforms. Right after the event, we were each given a brand new Honor 8X. Today, after a couple of weeks using this beautiful device, here’s my first impression and review.
It’s Gorgeous
Even though I’m not a fan of mostly-glass bodies, I like what Honor did with the 8X. I chose the all-black variant, but most of my colleagues chose either the blue or the red versions. I especially liked the darker strip that houses the two rear-facing AI cameras and the Honor logo.
The display is definitely the most interesting feature of the phone. With barely any bezels, the screen covers a whopping 91% of the front of the device. Even though I’m not a big fan of the “notch” on the top of the screen, the notification tab squeezed into that extra bit of screen did grow on me after a couple of days.
The screen is a 6.5-inch LTPS LCD display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution (397 pixels per inch). The Full HD+ resolution is pretty sharp, and I was surprised a phone this size, and in that price range, had such a great display.
Under the Hood
The model I’m carrying boasts a whopping 128GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM with a Kirin 710 SoC processor. The phone has been quite smooth and didn’t so much as hiccup when mutli-tasking, but when put side by side with my Huawei Mate 10 Pro, you kind of begin to understand why the latter is more than twice the price.
One thing I was upset with is that it’s a microUSB port, when my other Androids and most other portable devices I use have been USB-C for a few years now. Seemed like a blast from the past, given that even other Honor devices from a year or two ago also featured Type C ports, and not micro USB data and charging ports.
However, it made up for this weird choice by sticking with the trusty, beloved 3.5mm audio jack. That’s the thing I hate most about my Huawei Mate Pro: no audio jack…
If you’re like me, and can’t stand how much Alfa and Touch rip us off, you probably have a foreign SIM card as well, that you use to roam here sometimes for cheaper than local rates, or when you are traveling around. The Honor 8X comes with a dual sim card, so that’s something to be happy about.
If you feel that the 128GB of storage isn’t enough, you can add a microSD card and the device can handle up to 400GB of storage. NFC is also available and so is Bluetooth 4.2.
The fingerprint scanner works like a charm and is extremely fast, and the face recognition option is quite quick and reliable, even with a bearded face like mine, although it’s definitely faster on my Mate 10 or the P20.
The Camera
Given most of us use our smartphones as Instagram machines, the camera is an extremely important factor when choosing which phone is right for you. The Honor 8X camera definitely felt better than what a 300USD pricetag phone should be like, but still fell short compared to flagship offerings.
The 20MP AI camera shone best in calm, static, low-light conditions, which for an avid clubber like me, is absolutely necessary but was a bit tricky with all the lighting’s moving heads, fog machines and lasers at a club.
Photos were crisp, non-grainy and quite beautiful. Nocturnal cityscapes were quite impressive, but a club with a lot of commotion wasn’t as crisp as I would have liked. It also didn’t perform great with very loud music, making the stories I posted a bit distorted. I’ve embedded a few examples below (AI camera at night, AI camera portrait mode in the day).
The Garten
The Ballroom Blitz
Portrait mode for morning coffee from Yala Stop
One thing I did notice, is it’s somewhat slower which means capturing that spontaneous moment might not always land 100%, but, for what it lacks in speed, it definitely made up for in quality, especially when you activated the AI option that boosted the colors wonderfully.
I’ll be honest though, I don’t think I’ll be letting go of my fantastic Mate 10 Pro camera anytime soon, but if landscapes and selfies are your main concern, not heavy-duty concert and club coverage, then the camera should do just fine.
Verdict
The 8X’s pros outweigh the cons many times over. For device in that price range, it’s safe to say it’s the absolute best right now. Many of the features reserved for devices twice and three times its price, appear in this phone, especially when it comes to the superb build and design.
I dropped it twice already, and the gradient glass and metal finish has so far remained unscathed. Honor were kind enough to include a clear rubber cover with the device as well, for clumsy users such as myself.
If you want a reliable device, with a massive screen and beautiful build and decent camera, then you should definitely consider getting the Honor 8X. The 8X goes to show that owning a flagship level device doesn’t have to cost you a month or two’s salary. I noticed after a week that even though I was still doing my heavy lifting like video editing and gaming on the Mate 10, watching videos, flipping through my Instagram feed and playing Pokemon Go have become a lot more enjoyable on the crisp, 6.5″ Fullview display of my new Honor 8X.
Earlier today, Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces announced a hotline dedicated to reporting domestic abuse in Lebanon. The hotline has been active since October 1st upon the request of ISF chief Imad Osman, and so far, 4 cases have been reported to the special number.
This is fantastic news, given that a big hurdle in combating domestic violence in Lebanon, is citizens, especially victims, are sometimes worried about unprofessional and insincere treatment when they report domestic violence to the authorities. Many police officers didn’t have the proper training to deal with victims of domestic abuse, and some would be reported to say cringe-worthy things like “it’s ok, go back to your husband and don’t make a scene for the family” or something along that line.
The creation of a hotline staffed by trained officers and operators, is a much needed step towards reporting domestic abuse and properly dealing with the perpetrators. Feeling trust and being treated with dignity and respect is key to encourage victims and their concerned loved ones to seek help from the police.
It’s also great to know that the hotline is directly linked to the operations room of the ISF, ensuring swift and decisive action.
CALL 1745
The problem I see every day is that we don’t even give our governmental institutions the chance to do the right thing. Despite a lot of problems, many police officers and judges are upstanding people who will do the right thing when they can and feel that the public has their back. So, if you know of or are a victim of domestic abuse, report it. Let the ISF do their job and protect those that need it the most.
Lebanon’s current political stalemate is so bad, that Annahar just gave up on trying to write anything and just published a blank few pages today. The country’s not just bankrupt, it’s hopelessly indebted. What are our sad, incompetent, thin-skinned politicians doing? Fighting over which cabinets their minister get to suck dry out of every last penny and hire their unqualified, corrupt goons making our country bankrupt.
Earlier this week, on Hawa El Horriyeh on LBCI, Joe Maalouf teamed up with Salem Zahran to bring forward documents and evidence of a massive corruption scandal between a Lebanese Customs Supreme Council member (Gracia Azzi) and a Customs trustee (George Akoury).
Endless phone calls and unprecedented pressure came from almost every side, which is a first, cause usually political parties and “influential” figures never unite over anything, except for covering their tracks it seems…
The team pushed through and the evidence was presented to the public on TV on Monday night, then delivered on Tuesday morning to the General Prosecutor of Mount Lebanon, Judge Ghada Aoun, who has begun her in-depth investigation.
As expected, Gracia Azzi tried to shut the show down by filing an urgent request to Judge Joyce Akiki for an injunction, and to remove the case from the show and to never talk about it again.
Today, we were extremely delighted to see that Judge Joyce Akiki refused the injunction request by Azzi, citing “freedom of the press” and “right to access to information” in a much welcome change to the position many other judges sadly take in favor of the powers that be, instead of the media and taxpayers.
Here’s the beautifully worded decision by Judge Joyce Akiki
The amazing thing was that the judge used the Lebanese Constitution articles and preamble to defend the right to free speech, and insisted that that is the main mission of the press: to unearth law breaking and let the public know, so that the government and judiciary acts.
I wish more judges follow the lead of Judge Akiki, who used our laws and constitution to defend freedom of expression, instead of twist it and ignore important parts of it to do the bidding of corrupt, influential people in this country.
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