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I offer my condolences to myself, the Lebanese, the whole world and to the victims and injured of the explosion in the port of Beirut.
I thank all the brothers and friends in Bahrain and around the world who called to check on me, my family, and my people in Beirut; we are fine.
My son, Kareem’s house, located 15km away from the port, was severely damaged. The 20 McDonald’s branches that we own in Beirut were damaged to varying degrees, as were the Promoseven offices.
God be with my family and my brothers in Lebanon.
The country already has enough misery, troubles and difficulties in providing livelihood for its people, in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, and now this explosion comes and destroys what remains of our food, our dignity, and our dreams.
I am not interested in knowing the details of what led to this unprecedented disaster, and I do not care about the results of the investigation committee that has been formed for this purpose.
I know in advance, that the problems of Lebanon will not be solved by punishing those involved in accidents here or there.
Lebanon’s problems lie in its political and sectarian composition and in its administrative, judicial and justice system. The issue of Lebanon is that it has transformed into a failed state.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to believe the state that this country has reached.
It is difficult to imagine the scale of the disaster we are in, but who can guarantee that the future will not be worse?
A Lebanese friend told me that a warehouse, where unsecured explosive materials were stored, caused this huge explosion in the port.
Who can ensure that there are no more such warehouses distributed here and there to create more disasters?
I was in Beirut when the martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in February of 2005, and that explosion still echoes in my ears.
It was a tragic event that undoubtedly shook the conscience of all the free people in the world, but its political impact was far greater than its impact on the ground and the damages that were caused.
Today we are in front of a city almost destroyed, almost a ghost town, and it is estimated that the losses of the port explosion could reach five billion dollars, in a country already mired in debt.
May God have mercy on Hariri, he chose the path of prosperity for Lebanon, but this approach didn’t appeal to some criminals who want to live in the past, so they assassinated him.
These people are now pleased with the Beirut explosion, no doubt. You know why? Because they feed on destruction, they can only control the poor, who struggle for their daily living, and that makes it easier for them to brainwash and recruit them in exchange for a few hundred dollars and then thrust them into futile battles inside and outside Lebanon.
This dark force will not be satisfied with the decision of the International Court to punish the assassins of Prime Minister Hariri.
The biggest problem in Lebanon now is impunity; unfortunately, it has become a sustainable approach, as the killers of Gebran Tueni, Samir al-Qusayr, and others have until now, neither been caught nor brought to justice.
The sound of the explosion in the port was very loud and powerful; I pray to God Almighty that the sound succeeds in awakening the consciences of the politicians this time.
I know that Beirut does not die; Beirut rises every time from under the rubble.
Our mission today is to work with all Lebanese and honourable people around the world to alleviate the effects of destruction, and we can do so. We will never let despair overcome our hearts.
akram@fp7.com
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