another explosion

Another explosion.

This time – the explosion was in a coastal cafe in Ras Beirut, in the early evening, before sunrise. This time – 8 people were killed and 15 wounded.

This time – a politician was targeted and killed – MP Michel Eido, leading member of the Future Movement (the Hariri/Pro-US/Anti-Syria majority political party).  7 others were killed. 10 others were wounded.

Another explosion.

The phone lines went dead – perhaps due to the rush of attempted calls from loved ones. (When my mother, calling from the U.S., was finally able to connect to me, almost an hour after the explosion, the worry in her voice was heartbreaking.  She was too exhausted to say anything other than, are you okay.  She knows that the cafe near the explosion is one of my favorites.)

In Ras Beirut, within one hour, the streets emptied. The shops closed. Even the parking lots closed.

A dark column of smoke in the sky. Someone burning a tire.  Young supporters of the ‘Future Movement’ driving in groups on motorcycles.

What will happen? What will be the consequences of this latest bout of violence?

A legal expert – O. N. – expressed worry that the government would respond with an imposition of emergency law and a suspension of constitutional laws. (What difference would that be, I quipped.)  Perhaps. A more likely consequence is an increase in racism targeted against whomever is deemed as ‘the other’ – which, in this case, would be the Palestinians and the Syrians; an increase in knee-jerk, irrational reactions; an increase towards polarization – and thus increased chaos.

MP Saad Hariri said that “the path of freedom shall not be stopped.” What does that mean? ‘The path of freedom’? Of what ‘freedom’ was he referring? His speech was quite reminscent of the “war on terror” talks by the U.S. neo-cons.

Once again, the worry and fear are not only from these random, destructive bombings, but also from the consequences – both governmental and mob-like.

–

Let us not forget, amidst this chaos, that Nahr el Bared Camp continues to be besieged, that the attacks – in and on – the Camp by the Lebanese Army and Fateh el Islam continue to escalate.  Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 Palestinians remain the camp. Why do they remain? Some lack the physical means of leaving – they are elderly, they are disabled, they are ill. Others choose to remain because they do not want to be displaced, yet again! They had already been displaced from their original homes in Haifa, and then displaced several times within Lebanon itself. Others choose to remain so they can protect their homes from Fateh el Islam. And, others, more recently, are scared to leave for fear of detention and harsh physical interogation by the Lebanese Army.

…

I am exhausted. Forgive me.

============================ Update, June 14:

Additional information on the victims of yesterday’s bombing. The victims include the politician’s eldest son and 2 bodyguards, a 2 year-old child and a 7 month-old child, and 2 20-some professional soccer players in the “Nejme” club.

The funeral for Hussein Dakak, a father of two and a professional soccer player, had to be postponed. His body was burned too intensely to be identified without testing.

Stunning how the majority-coalition is so sure about the party responsible for this crime and so ignorant about the party (or parties) responsible for the other bombings.