As BEIRUTSTATEofMIND heads on a customary visa-trip outside of Lebanon, i thought it was worth posting this rather heady exaltation of Turkey's role in the Middle East, spotted in the vicinity of the Mathaf. In a bit peoples...
The Commander: On the left Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's 25th and current Prime Minister throws up a socially acceptable two fingers. The caption reads: "Turkey - the word/voice of truth in the face of unjust rulers." Mathaf area, March 2013.
BEIRUTSTATEofMIND was once peer-pressured into doing just this, minus the yellow wife-beater, Hawaiian trunks, and terrified child standing in the water below. Never again...
By the by, the pictured leap of faith enjoyed a happy ending. Dude had it on lock.
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon: The traditional
Hezbollah logo.
Whilst the Amal Movement headed by Nabih Berri have to content themselves with playing second fiddle to Hezbollah within the Lebanese "muqawama" (resistance)these days, away from the bland inoffensiveness of their traditional green, red, and white logo, the movement - which developed from within Musa Sadr's Movement of the Dispossessed in the mid 70's and whose origins pre-date those of Hezbollah - have a pretty thugged-out alternative to compete with the Hezb's kalashnikov clutching number.
The traditional, "p.c." Amal logo.
Whilst BEIRUTSTATEofMIND is a fan of the leftist symbolism of the kalashnikov emerging from the top of the "lam" (ل) - ala Hezbollah, it is the Grim Reaper-esque skythe that forms the "lam's" tale that really takes the biscuit: a reminder of those heady civil war days. Taken together, the projected message is quite clear: "Haraket Amal ain't nuthin' to **** wit'."
Flexing a different set of credentials: Amal's "Resistance" emblem. Mar Elias, 12/03/13.
Saida super-Salafist Sheikh Ahmad Assir busting one of his trademark moves.
This rather bizarre time-piece was spotted on offer just outside Saida's Souq recently alongside more traditional fare, such as clocks depicting Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in various cherubic poses and local cult-Salafist Sheikh Ahmad Assir popping a wheelie on a BMX.
Why anyone would want to purchase a clock depicting former President Rafik Hariri alongside the aftermath of the devastating car bomb that killed him and 21 others in Minet el-Hosn, Beirut in February 2005 is truly beyond BEIRUTSTATEofMIND's comprehension.
When asked how popular the Hariri clock was with customers the shop's owner merely responded that it would cost 20,000 Lebanese Lira and that was his final offer.
Super-group in the making: Rumours persist that Sheikh Assir and Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel have been busy in the studio with an album penned for the first quarter of 2014.
Mildly disturbed by the scene in general BEIRUTSTATEofMIND sought solace across the road where Spiderman punch-bags were rumoured to be on sale.
Here BEIRUTSTATEofMIND's accomplice on the trip was informed that they had missed out on their childhood because they did not know who Barney, the child-friendly American dinosaur was.
Harsh but fair.
Super-group in the making (2): Barney and Spiderman.
Some more traditional Hariri imagery from Saida:
A portrait of Rafik Hariri hang above a carpenter's workshop. Saida, January 2013.
The Big Three: (from left) Future MP and Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Rafik Hariri, and son Saad. Saida, January 2013.
Passing the torch: The big three again, this time with Saad occupying pride of place in the middle. Saida, February 2013.
"Allahu Akbar": Rafik Hariri overlooks Saida's bus terminal. Sahet al-Najmeh, Saida, February 2013.
Having enjoyed a nice train ride, threatened to ride a horse and met a dog with an absolutely enormous face everything was going pretty swell during BEIRUTSTATEofMIND’s weekend stroll along Saida’s Corniche. That is until I happened upon a quite upsetting and unexpected scene.
Upon the sandy, rubbish strewn beach lay a massive dead turtle that looked to have been attacked by a larger predator or perhaps a boat propeller.
Having approached to inspect the rather sombre scene I was then interrupted by the arrival of a man calling himself MC BOMBABOMB who after touchingly pointing out similarities between the Arabic and Hebrew languages and the Islamic and Jewish faiths burst into a spontaneous freestyle beside said turtle. Thus turning the occasion into amongst the most surreal BEIRUTSTATEofMIND has experienced in Lebanon.
Quite impressed by BOMBABOMB’s steez I had planned to link some of the Saida MC’s recorded work here pon de blog. However, unfortunately upon further inspection it turned out to be pretty wack…
A ride upon Saida's coastal train/quad-bike is an absolute must. Corniche, Saida, 10/03/13.
Horsies. Corniche, Saida. 10/03/13.
Massive-faced dog. Corniche, Saida. 10/03/13.
Statistics show that Dipsy is the most popular telletubbie in the MENA Region. Sea Castle, Saida. 10/03/13.
Poor old buddy. Beach, Saida. 10/03/13.
Moved by the scene at hand, MC BOMBABOMB began to pen some new lyrics. 10/03/13.
Yalla Bye. Chavez and Nasser, Cola Intersection, 11/03/2013.
Since the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last
week, posters have sprung up around the Cola intersection – the main bus terminal linking Beirut with
the south of the country – depicting “El
Commandante” alongside second Egyptian President and former darling of
pan-arabism Gamal Abdel Nasser .
The posters continue down the Camille Chamoun
highway up to the Hafez Al-Assad roundabout that dissects the neighbourhoods
of Ghobeiry, Jnah, and Ouzai. BeirutStateofMind headed down to take a look...
Chavez and Nasser (2). The caption in the image, a quote from Chavez reads: "I am not a communist, but I am a Nasserist. As Gamal Abdel Nasser believed - each country has its own (special) socialism." The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is depicted in the background. The poster is the work of the Independent Nasserite Movement, aka, the "Al-Murabitoun." Cola intersection, 11/03/13.Wata Msaytbeh, 11/03/13.
Chavez and Nasser (3). Wata Msaytbeh, 11/03/13.
Chavez and Nasser (4). Cola intersection, 11/03/13.
Chavez, Nasser and shabab. A group of bus-driver's take a break and a nargileh. Camille Chamoun Boulevard, 11/03/13. Chavez, Nasser and shabab. Camille Chamoun Boulevard, 11/03/13. Some other Nasserist imagery in the area. The caption on the right of the poster reads: "Beirut will remain immune to the Zionists." Wata Msaytbeh, 11/03/13.
Hammer and sickle. Camille Chamoun Boulevard, 11/03/13.
"No to American politics/policies." Camille Chamoun Boulevard, 11/03/13.
Like father, like son: Images of Hafez and Bashar Al-Assad hang from a column on the Hafez Al-Assad roundabout along the Hafez Al-Assad highway, 11/03/13.
Nabih Berri, leader of the Shia Amal Movement and Speaker of the Lebanese House of Parliament is depicted alongside embattled Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad. The Syrian and Lebanese flags appear merged. Interestingly, the caption below the image reveals that it is the work of the Arab Socialist (Baath) Party, and not Berri's Amal movement - although it is not uncommon to find Berri pictured alongside Assad in Amal imagery. Hafez Al-Assad highway, 11/03/13.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah is pictured alongside Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Once again, although the Hezbollah logo can be seen top right, this poster is the work of the Arab Socialist (Baath) Party. Hafez Al-Assad highway, 11/03/13.
There will never be another Biggie: Christopher Wallace,
aka. The Notorious B.I.G.
(May 21, 1972- March 9, 1997)
On the 16th anniversary of his untimely death at the age of 24 BeirutStateofMind would like to take the opportunity to throw a shout out to Christopher Wallace, aka. The Notorious B.I.G, truly one of the most gifted and charismatic MC's to ever pick up a microphone. In the attached clip, an all time favourite of BeirutStateofMind, a fresh-faced 17 year-old Biggie lets loose on a fool on his way back from the grocer's. As the first comment below the video states: "God Bless the man with the camera."
After a Christmas sojourn outside the country we returned
home to the news that whilst away the drain on the roof of our building had
blocked. In search of alternative routes, a river of water, had taken the liberty
to meander through my bedroom, into the hallway, down the stairs and out the
front door. My bed fell victim to the flash flood.
At about the same time the water pressure went. Then the
washing machine. Then we narrowly escaped an electrical fire when things in the
fuse box went a wee bit awry. Then the water supply went completely ( — we later
found out that the landlord had apparently not paid the bill in four years).
At this point, keeping up appearances was becoming
increasingly difficult. Bodies and dishes could not be washed, laundry could
not be done, and toilets could not be flushed...
Kari Cool: "Be COOL."
[In order to perform such menial tasks gallons of water had
to be bought from the local dekaneh and hauled home. A silver lining during
this ordeal was the discovery of a brand of water, “Kari Cool”, which offers
consumers the opportunity to become cool by drinking the product. It kinda
works but the side effects can be a bitch.]
...in search of a solution we sought out one of the few
figures on the block who you can rely on to get shit done.
Gilbert.
Gilbert calmly
assured us that our problem was very simple and within minutes we were heading
home accompanied by a neighbourhood jack-of-all-trades holding two metre-length
sections of hose. We headed to the roof and were given a quick demonstration of
how to syphon water from the neighbour’s tank.
Our first attempts were fairly pitiful sometimes involving
over 20 minutes of exertion, some wet patches, and a few gulps of Beirut’s
pristine tap water before the water started flowing. But after a while we got
the technique down, Greco-Roman Wrestler in particular demonstrating quite
remarkable aptitude. Frank Rijkaard talks a good talk, but as of yet, no one
has seen his walk.
Shower time: Greco-Roman Wrestler en route to the task at hand.
A decent-sized length of hose is a pre-requisite.
Getting the technique down is by no means straightforward.
Hitler
(third from top), a combination of strawberries, mango, pineapple, vanilla
ice-cream, almonds, and pistachios, displayed on the Barbar desert menu.
Hamra, 05/03/13.
Approaching the counter I leaf through the notes in my
pocket. Yes, I have just enough.
“One Hitler, please.”
“Big or Regular,” responds the zalame (guy) behind the
counter casually.
As I intimate that today it will just be a regular, a fellow
customer turns to me having overheard the order.
“Hitler? I haven’t tried that? Is it good?…”
Up close and personal: Barbar's Hitler. 05/03/13.
At Barbar, the famous Lebanese fast food joint – that has
seemingly taken over an entire street in Hamra – it is indeed possible to taste
the Fuhrer, or at least a fruity approximation. Composed of strawberry, mango,
pineapple, vanilla ice cream, almonds, and pistachios the “Hitler” stands proud
on the Barbar dessert menu flanked by all-together more frivolous sounding
offerings such as the Aloha, Tahiti, and Miami. Although “Napoleon”, “Mandela,” and a misspelled “Noreaga”
are also on offer (BeirutstateofMind highly recommends the “Mandela”) nothing
quite compares to the Hitler.
Initially I believed that the Hitler was a Barbar exclusive
however upon further enquiry it was discovered that a number of juiceries
around Beirut were formerly purveyors of the dessert. These included “Bliss
House”, a local hangout for AUB students located within easy walking distance
of the Hamra branch of Barbar. Having gleaned this information from a Barbar
employee, I hastily devoured Barbar’s Hitler before heading to Bliss House for
round two.
Bliss House's Hitler, available "taht a-tawle" (under the table)
05/03/13.
Upon arrival there was no sign of Hitler on the menu (Churchill
was however on offer). Initial enquiries as to whether such a concoction was
available were met with blank stares by the young men behind the ice-cream
counter. Unsure whether to feel happy or
sad that Hitler was no longer on offer I turned to leave only for my path to be
blocked by an older, more grizzled employee.
“You want a Hitler. Tayeb. No problem. We still make it. We
just don’t put it on the menu anymore. We had some complaints from university students,”
the employee said with a nod to the AUB campus located just across the road.
And just like that I had my second Hitler of the day, albeit “taht a-tawle”
(under the table). Made with the same set of ingredients as that on offer at
Barbar this Hitler proved too much and I was forced to abandon it with a third
remaining. I left feeling very full – of evil. I never thought Hitler could induce a sugar coma.
A Kata'eb (Phalange) party memorial in Rmeil, Ashrafiyeh. February 2013.
BeirutStateofMind does not, per se, object to the existence
of a syrupy sweet dessert called Hitler, although one is quite intrigued as to
how its ingredients were decided upon. In recent years with films such as “Inglorious
Bastards” and “Dead Snow” (— in which a group of vacationing friends are
attacked by Nazi zombies) the Nazis have increasingly been satirized
in popular culture. If one feels so inclined perhaps Barbar’s Hitler can be
seen in the same light…
Perhaps not. However the presence of Nazi symbolism or even
an admiration for Hitler and the Nazi’s seemingly located in other dimensions
of Lebanese society is perhaps more perplexing. But first a bit of historical context...
It is an often referenced fact that Pierre Gemayel, founder
of the Kataeb (Phalange) party, was influenced by the Nazis in addition to the
Italian Phalange, and Spanish Fascists. Speaking of his experience of the 1936
Berlin Olympics in an interview with Robert Fisk Gemayel famously said:
“We went to the Olympic Games of 1936 in Berlin. And I saw then the discipline and order. And I said to myself. Why can't we do the same thing in Lebanon?" So when we came back to Lebanon, we created this youth movement. When I was in Berlin then, Nazism did not have the reputation which it has now...In their system, I saw discipline. And we in the Middle East, we need discipline more than anything else."
Michel Aflaq (left), and Zaki al-Arsuzi (right). Founders of the Syrian Baath party.
As a dominant
ideology at the time Nazism, and Fascism in general, exacted a considerable
influence on Arab nationalist thought in the 1930’s and 40. To pick one
example:
Zaki Al-Arsusi and Sami Al-Jundi, founding
members of the Baath party acknowledged the influence of Nazism on Baath
ideology – a topic covered in some detail by Moshe Maoz in a 2005 paper titled “Arab-Jewish
Relations: From Conflict to Resolution?”. Party members read Nazi literature
such as “The Foundation of the Nineteenth Century” and planned to translate “Mein
Kampf” into Arabic. Whilst Maoz contends that the only copy of “The Myth of the
Twentieth Century” in Damascus was owned by Michel Aflaq.
This influence should be understood within the historical and
geo-political realities of the era ( – the 1930’s and early 40’s). At the time Arab
states were struggling both to release themselves from the shackles of British and
French colonial rule and for self-definition in the aftermath of the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire; whilst the state of Israel was beginning to take shape at an
increasingly alarming pace. Within this context many identified Nazi Germany as a potential ally - as the saying goes, an enemy’s enemy is a friend. For
example, following the Nazi defeat of the French army in 1940 banners were
reportedly displayed in many Syrian towns that read: "In heaven God is your ruler, on earth Hitler."1
Haj Amin Al-Husseini, former Mufti of Jerusalem pictured in a meeting
with Hitler in Germany in 1941.
The Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini (who spent a period of time in Lebanon following his forced flight from Jerusalem in 1937), was once referred to by Hitler himself as the "Fuhrer of the Arab World" and frequently sought Nazi support in his opposition to the burgeoning Jewish population in Palestine. Following his exile al-Husseini played an influential role in the 1941 Pro-Axis coup that saw the rise to power of Rashid Ali al-Gaylani in place of the British backed Hashemite government in Iraq. Husseini's story is really something fit for Hollywood. Following his issuing of a fatwa in 1941 calling on all Muslim's to support the new government in Iraq he became a marked man in the eyes of the British. The Churchill administration itself purportedly sponsored a mission led by David Raziel, leader of the rightwing Irgun party (a predecessor of today's Likud) to assassinate the mufti. The mission failed, and the mufti, aware of the threat to his life, apparently fled to Europe and specifically Germany dressed as a woman. Other notable figures that sought the council of the Third Reich included the Saudi ruler Ibn Saud. Such council took place in spite of the fact that: (a) Within the Nazi schema of history, Arabs, grouped under the racial category of "Semites", were viewed as racially inferior. () Hitler had in fact incited European Jews into exile in Palestine under the 1933 Haavara agreement, bypassing British restrictions on Jewish immigration in order to do so.
A Syrian labourer takes a break from work overshadowed by a Swastika. Geitawi, Ashrafiyeh. February, 2013.
A swastika on display in Saida's souq.
February 2013.
Today in Lebanon swastikas can be found tagged on the walls of Kata'eb dominated areas in Ashrafiyeh, but also in Bsharre (home of the Lebanese Forces), and Saida (a mainly Future Movement area). During previous World and European cups swastikas have even
been photo-shopped into posters expressing support for the German national
football team, for example in Bourj Hamoud. It is perhaps most ironic that the majority of these tags are found in the areas of a party that aligned with Israel during the Lebanese Civil War. Whilst such imagery can be
dismissed as representative of the ideology of a small minority, or even put
down to ignorance, Najwa Karam’s bizarre, seeming display of admiration for
Hitler, on primetime Lebanese TV last summer was a real humdinger.
Karam, a mutli-platinum, award winning recording artist, and
well, until shortly after this episode one of the faces of L’Oreal in the
Middle East, appeared on the MTV show “Talk of the Town”.
A swastika on display in Bsharre, February 2013.
In response to a question in which she was asked to choose characteristics from famous men that would make up her ideal man Karam's first response was that she would choose Hitler for his charisma and speech-making abilities. That no one in the audience seemed particularly bothered by the answer, coupled with the fact that she then proceeded to marry Hitler's charisma with Richard Gere's looks, Al Pacino's "street-smart" and Shakespeare's romanticism merely added to the sheer ludicrousy of the occasion.
ViewingKaram's revelation, coupled with the Hitler cocktail on offer at Barbar as troubling permeations of/or a lack of objection to Nazism in mainstream Lebanese popular culture, that in turn hint at something deeply troubling about Lebanese society is perhaps a little far-fetched.
The swastika tags are perhaps more worrying. What seems clear is that whether combined with Richard Gere and Al Pacino, or in the form of a dessert, the legacy of Hitler and the Nazi's in the Middle East is more complicated than one may first think.
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