{"id":12049,"date":"2021-08-10T11:28:28","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T14:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=12049"},"modified":"2021-08-10T12:14:10","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T15:14:10","slug":"the-power-of-words-and-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2021\/08\/10\/the-power-of-words-and-music\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of words and music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Beirut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053\" width=\"354\" height=\"235\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Beirut.jpg 930w, https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Beirut-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Beirut-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Beirut-720x480.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 85vw, 354px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. George Orwell&#8217;s words are thoughtful in all languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, Bambi just read a French translation of one of his quotes, shared by Beirut-based journalist Roula Douglas. Thanks to her:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"598\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/RoulaDouglas_Aug10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/RoulaDouglas_Aug10.jpg 598w, https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/RoulaDouglas_Aug10-300x79.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 85vw, 598px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, here are Mr. Orwell&#8217;s original words in English:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cPolitical language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity  to pure wind. \u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bambi is not interested in pointing to any political discourse in particular, although it is not hard to guess if we read the latest international and Lebanese headlines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping Mr. Orwell&#8217;s words in mind, impunity is still prevailing in Lebanon, despite national and international investigations or tribunals and regardless of the crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Talking about crimes or criminal negligence, guess what comes to Bambi&#8217;s mind again? The surrealistic Beirut port explosion. Among its 219 victims, you may recall &#8220;Lexou&#8221; (or Alexandra), the daughter of  Mr. Paul Naggear and Ms. Tracy Awad-Naggear from Canada who, &#8220;<em>rather than return to Canada, they stayed for a better Lebanon<\/em>&#8220;, according to the <em>Globe and Mail<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/world\/article-beiruts-port-explosion-killed-their-daughter-but-rather-than-return-to\/\">https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/world\/article-beiruts-port-explosion-killed-their-daughter-but-rather-than-return-to\/<\/a>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Lexou.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058\" width=\"272\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Lexou.jpg 540w, https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Lexou-254x300.jpg 254w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 272px) 85vw, 272px\" \/><figcaption>Alexandra (&#8220;Lexou&#8221;) Naggear. A picture taken from the <em>Irish<\/em> <em>Sun<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, Lexou&#8217;s grand-father, Mr. Michel Awad (Tracey&#8217;s dad) and her best friend, Ms. Mayssa Jallad, wrote a song after the blast:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"598\" height=\"301\" src=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Paul-N.-Lexous-dad-tweet-song.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12060\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Paul-N.-Lexous-dad-tweet-song.jpg 598w, https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Paul-N.-Lexous-dad-tweet-song-300x151.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 85vw, 598px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Bambi can only imagine one drop of the ocean of sorrow of Mr. Awad who lost his granddaughter. What can she say about Lexou&#8217;s parents?! And Isaac Ohlers&#8217; mother and father? Bissan&#8217;s and Elias&#8217; parents and all the relatives and friends of the other 200+ victims, younger and older? And what about the 6000+ injured people (some still undergoing surgeries!) and their fellow residents who survived&#8230; even if a piece of them died on that doomed August 4, 2020? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, to use the words of Lexou&#8217;s dad tweeted in Arabic: &#8220;<em>A year ago, your heart stopped beating and ours stopped with it&#8230;<\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While waiting for justice, as we (endlessly) wait for Godot, may the music of these two artists help many hearts heal, starting with theirs. Bambi thanks them for sharing their moving English song called &#8220;<em>Shout<\/em>&#8220;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"SHOUT  - Michel Awad &amp; Mayssa Jallad 4 August 2021\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ajpmPyN-2uQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/heart-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063\" width=\"156\" height=\"156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/heart-8.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/heart-8-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 156px) 85vw, 156px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mr. George Orwell&#8217;s words are thoughtful in all languages. First, Bambi just read a French translation of one of his quotes, shared by Beirut-based journalist Roula Douglas. Thanks to her: Second, here are Mr. Orwell&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12049"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12049"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12071,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12049\/revisions\/12071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}