October 17th: 365 Days of Hope, Strength, and Loss
Opinion Analysis by Joelle El Sheikh, Staff Writer
October 17th, 2020
Across decades, the Lebanese population have lived their fair share of injustice rule. From the French Mandate to the Syrian Presence, the Lebanese people proved that they cannot, and will not, watch from the side-lines as their country is completely controlled by foreign powers.
The Lebanese people have suffered under extreme circumstances, ranging from famine to civil war. They have survived much more than other countries have ever seen, and with determination and perseverance, they have powered through the harshest conditions. After all, there’s a saying: “Beirut has been destroyed a thousand times only to be reborn a thousand times”. Now, what is this people’s response to injustice and oppression coming from within the very independence they have shed blood earning?
The October 17th Uprisings.
What started off as a frustrated cry against corruption by small groups of people, triggered by the bill to implement a tax on the free mobile communication application WhatsApp, quickly turned into a much bigger and impactful display of anger and a sense of despair spreading through all Lebanon, creating a sense of solidarity that broke sectarian boundaries. From filling every square in Lebanon to forming a record-breaking human chain, the Lebanese people spared no effort to exhibit their thoughts on the political system which has failed its people.
“The revolution was a wake-up call to every single Lebanese person around the globe: we always knew that suffering was there, but now we know to what extent and it is no longer acceptable.” Maria Wehbe, a student at the American University of Beirut, told the Phoenix Daily.
Evidently, the uprisings have been successful in doing so whether directly or unintentionally, as the resignation of then Prime Minister Saad el Hariri, on the 29th of October, less than two weeks after the demonstrations demanded so. However, the demands of the uprisings and their revolutionaries were not limited to the resignation of the government, but the consequent creation of a technocratic government capable of pulling Lebanon out of its free-fall economic and political situation.
“I can say that about a week after Hariri stepped down, I realized things were never going to improve. Before that I would've never thought things would get worse.” Albert Geokgeuzian, an undergraduate student, told The Phoenix Daily.
A successful, peaceful revolution seemed just within hand’s reach- ill omen for the ruling political class. And thus, it spared absolutely no effort in disfiguring the revolution and everything it stood for. Every revolutionary became a traitor. Every philanthropist became financed by foreign embassies to further its agenda. And every desperate Lebanese citizen? Crowded out.
The spiral to the bottomless pit began as soon as the political elite felt genuinely threatened by the uprisings. The economic conditions worsened as their fear translated to the transfer of whatever investments had kept Lebanon afloat, and political turmoil followed suit. As unemployment surged, followed by devaluation paired with inflation, living conditions took a major dip. With no safety nets to catch the free-falling Lebanese economy, nor a helping hand to aid in the recovery, all hope seemed to have been lost.
Just as the Lebanese people had thought that they hit rock bottom, COVID-19 reached the nation, and with it, widespread panic paired with surges in demand for pharmaceuticals which the Central Bank had already raised an alarm on. What little had remained of the economy, from tourism to services such as restaurants and pubs, had been struck the final blow as the initial lockdowns came into effect. The Lira plummeted. The pandemic had then nested in the minds of the Lebanese people much more than it had in their bodies. But perhaps, the paranoia it had instilled saved many more lives than it took…
On August 4th, the Beirut Blast rocked every square meter of Lebanon, consumed everything within a 3km radius, and destroyed people’s houses and spirits.
No mother should ever go through the pain of finding her child in pieces. Lebanese mothers did.
No father should ever go through the humiliation of not being able to provide for his family. Lebanese fathers did.
No child should ever fear for his life. Lebanese children do. Every day.
No teenager should ever bury his friend. Elias Khoury’s friends did.
The Beirut Blast is, and will remain, a turning point in Lebanese history. Not only is it record-breaking, but its aftermath revealed the unfiltered truth about what our “leaders” think of their own city, and their own people: they don’t.
Perhaps the most iterated question today is, “looking back one year, what did this revolution really achieve? Did it bring down the system? Did it abolish corruption? Did it bring justice to those who stole our money and destroyed our houses?” The answer is quite simple: No. It did not do any of these things, not because it failed, but because it wasn’t, and still isn’t, enough. Alone, the uprisings are not enough to bring down a ruthless and power-hungry regime that has done everything to preserve its survival, and nothing to protect its people - including its infiltrations into the uprisings.
“I believe that the revolution just sped up an inevitable outcome. The government does not care about its people enough to plan ahead, to take care of them in both the short and long term. They'd rather watch us burn and take our money than strengthen our society and create room for growth, prosperity, and innovation.” Anabelle Ghanem, a political science and education major at the American University of Beirut, told the Phoenix Daily.
While it is a strength to acknowledge the unfortunate reality of the uprisings today, we must also be mindful of its achievements. Culturally and socially, the uprisings were strong enough to influence, and in many cases, change, a sectarian, divisive mentality that has been engraved in our society for far too long. It was able to remind most of the Lebanese people that their loyalty belongs to Lebanon and Lebanon only. The uprisings birthed a whole next generation associating themselves to a revolution and to change - bringing hope to Lebanon. It pushed them to break the shackles of traditional and sectarian behavior, and adopt a more secular ideology that is aimed at a collective sense of solidarity.
If nothing at all, the Lebanese uprisings has unified many desperate Lebanese people and given them a voice they thought they'd lost. It gave them a mental shelter from all the despair around them. It gave the youth purpose and determination to translate the Lebanon they'd like to see to the Lebanon that will be. And most of all, it gave everyone a sense of hope- that evil can silently go on for so long without retaliation. Revolutions do work. Peaceful and violent, history has proven that revolutions have a way of eventually becoming strong enough to topple the regime, leader, or system, but they require time, stamina, and in some cases, foreign intervention.
“The revolution was my gleam of hope. It gave me something to look forward to, a light at the end of the tunnel. I grew up thinking that there is absolutely no way would I ever come back and live in Lebanon, raise my future kids here. But the revolution gave me hope that one day Lebanon will rise from the ashes and become that sanctuary we all need.” Anabelle Ghanem stated.
They say history is written by the victor. To that end, every revolutionary to have shed his blood, sweat, or tears, will be sure to hold the pen.