The Faces of Lebanese who did not receive Twelve Thousand dollars from Iran and Hezbollah

The irony of another war in Lebanon was overwhelming for those of us who lived it so many times before...Objective blogging was not an option anymore. I felt like screaming and blaming not reporting and giving an opinion...Enough lies! Sifting through opinions, analysis and so-called facts does not change the ugly reality on the ground.

I stopped blogging and started working. I will write later about the kind of work we are doing for Lebanon and the region...

But for now, I want to put a face to the innocent Lebanese who's lives were torn apart and no government, Hezbollah or international community to help... In his last appearance on TV, Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah promised $12,000 in assistance to each family that has lost its home. Many Arabs and Lebanese are raving about the efficiency of Hezbollah in its swift response to supporting the affected Shia....

Well, not all affected were Shia or Hezbollah...The others were left behind with an incompetent government and a rotten bureaucracy that takes for ever to respond to their needs. Thankfully charitable and religious organizations as well as fellow Lebanese are helping with whatever resources they have.

Their Faces...

Renee a proud mother of six boys, had a small farm with chickens, cows and goats and owned the village's convenience store and a candle factory that she ran with her husband and children. Renee today was sobbing on TV telling the LBC reporter that her and her family have lost everything...Their house, their animals, their crop, their candle factory, their store and any money they left at home....The family is staying at a monastery in another town, the boys who are 14 and 15 and younger are working at stores in the neighborhood to save some money for food, clothing and hopefully for their return home...

uncle Sameeh, a proud Lebanese in his 80s, was taking care of his stroke ridden wife when the bombs fell in front of their new house in Western Bekaa. He immediately called neighbors who moved him and his wife to the village's church. The church was bombed and his wife fell and broke both her arms. Sameeh has been tending and olive grove for most of his life. Through his hard work in this grove he was able to support his family, educate his children and build a new house for the children to come and visit. Well...the olive tree burned to a crisp, the house was bombed and Sameeh's life savings are no more...

Many more stories of this human tragedy and pain ridden faces are unfolding...

Much more can be said...but the eyes tell the stories of never ending pain....and the words are an invitation to action...Let the thread of compassion, peace and resilience weave together a new fabric of hope for left behind Lebanese and left behind citizens of the world.