The Lebanese General Security MA BIO2TA3!

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Lebanese director and actor Lucien Bou Rjeily was denied his right as a Lebanese citizen to get his passport. According to Bou Rjeily (repost from Stop Cultural Terrorism page on FB):  “The Lebanese General Security today (May 21, 2014) confiscated my passport and refused to renew it, which means I’m no longer allowed to leave Lebanon to perform in the festival: the reason? - They categorically refused to give me a reason... I pleaded for an answer but they kept refusing to give the reason... they said that we will revert back to you in the coming month or month and a half and they hinted "you should know why... something that happened in 2013". 

So it seems it is payback time for fighting against censorship and corruption in his banned play “Bto2ta3 aw ma bto2ta3”.

The Lebanese law is very clear about the rights of all citizens but it seems that the General Security forces have their own way of following and respecting them.

I am not going to start cursing the country. We did it to ourselves. We allowed such wrong behaviors to occur, again and again, gave on our basic rights since ever. Didn’t we shut up after Lebanese deputes extended their own mandate illegally (except for an uprising from courageous young people who got beaten up for demanding to abide by the law)? Don’t we act as if it’s none of our business when we see their corruption since “b3ide 3n dahre bassita” and “what can we do, Hol henne?” Don’t we get carried away by the Zaim or the religious figure’s demands instead of seeing clearly what is rightful and correct?

An uprising against corruption, censorship and dictatorship is a must. The current system with all its elements ma bio2ta3!

Pascale Asmar