{"id":30512,"date":"2024-10-09T00:13:08","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T03:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=30512"},"modified":"2024-10-09T08:37:39","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T11:37:39","slug":"sarajevo-city-with-a-broken-destiny-a-moving-article-by-firas-serge-merhi-bambis-late-friend-who-inspired-this-blog-written-in-1994","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2024\/10\/09\/sarajevo-city-with-a-broken-destiny-a-moving-article-by-firas-serge-merhi-bambis-late-friend-who-inspired-this-blog-written-in-1994\/","title":{"rendered":"“Sarajevo\u2026 city with a broken destiny”: a moving article by Firas (Serge Merhi), Bambi’s late friend who inspired this blog, written in 1994"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bambi was deeply moved when she received an email from Jihane, Firas’ sister. The war in Lebanon made her think even more about her brother in heaven, wondering what his thoughts would have been about what is happening. As well, she thought about how upset her brother would have been to see their\/our beloved birth country destroyed once again. Bambi thanked her and shared that the latter also crossed her mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This being said, below she will share with you one of Firas’ articles that his sister pulled out. It is one of her favourite pieces. You will see why below. First, and in bold, you can read the original French text. Second, you can read its English translation by Bambi with the assistance of the faithful Mr. Google translate<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May Jihane and her family members be all safe and sound. Bambi sends her (broken) heart to them. May Firas’ memory be eternal, today more than ever. May he watches over them and over his beloved Lebanon from heaven. Most importantly, may he keep uniting and inspiring us postmortem, just as he did during his short life among us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSarajevo\u2026 ville au destin bris\u00e9<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarajevo, une ville au destin bris\u00e9. Encore un rendez-vous manqu\u00e9 de convivialit\u00e9 et de pluralisme entre diff\u00e9rentes ethnies. Toi qui ne voyais qu\u2019un avenir plein de Lumi\u00e8re, ton ciel est aujourd\u2019hui illumin\u00e9 par celles de la haine. Tes toits aux tuiles rouges sont massacr\u00e9s par les puissants souffles d\u2019explosions. Tes enfants ont oubli\u00e9 \u00e0 quoi ressemble une nuit de sommeil.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Et comme si la douleur ne te suffisait point, ils t\u2019ont aussi humili\u00e9e: tu as \u00e9t\u00e9 train\u00e9e sans vergogne sur tous les \u00e9crans du monde et \u00e0 la une des journaux. Ton \u00e2me malmen\u00e9e et ton corps couvert de sang sont exhib\u00e9s partout. Le message est clair, ils veulent montrer \u00e0 des t\u00e9l\u00e9spectateurs et lecteurs qui ignorent le go\u00fbt d\u2019une nuit pass\u00e9e dans une cave humide \u00e0 se demander si viendra un lendemain, que la folie peut frapper n\u2019importe o\u00f9, n\u2019importe quand m\u00eame au Coeur de l\u2019Europe. Que la guerre n\u2019est pas seulement le lot d\u2019une Afrique affam\u00e9e, d\u2019une Asie pliant sous le poids d\u2019une d\u00e9mographie galoppante ou d\u2019une Amerique latine d\u00e9chir\u00e9e par les tiraillements id\u00e9ologiques. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ils d\u00e9ploient au premier coup de feu \u2013 pourtant pr\u00e9vu \u2013 des caravanes d\u2019aide humanitaire et des soldats de la paix baillonn\u00e9s, qui finissent par \u00eatre les otages muets de la violence. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ils envoient leurs repr\u00e9sentants dans d\u2019interminables ballets diplomatiques, font pression sur un tel, essaient de faire taire tel autre et font semblant de vouloir satisfaire tout le monde. Malheureusement, personne ne l\u2019est et la violence reprend de plus belle, pour aboutir de nouveau sur une solution fa\u00e7onn\u00e9e dans les grands salons des capitales de la d\u00e9cision. Au fond de toi, tu sais que le rem\u00e8de ne peut absolument pas venir des mains de ceux qui n\u2019ont m\u00eame pas le courage de d\u00e9noncer les coupables par leurs noms. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

De ceux qui par hypocrisie, ou de peur de froisser une ex-puissance pourtant agonisante, refusent de te prendre entre leurs puissants bras protecteurs. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seuls tes enfants qui, eux, ont go\u00fbt\u00e9 r\u00e9ellement aux malheurs qui se sont succ\u00e9d\u00e9 \u00e0 la porte, peuvent te sauver. Quand le moment viendra, ils le feront sans hesitation aucune, d\u2019une main s\u00fbre et d\u2019un pas rassurant. Sarajevo, s\u00e8che tes pleurs, demain tes mosqu\u00e9es et tes \u00e9glises revivront, et le printemps sera au rendez-vous, celui que tes propres enfants t\u2019offriront!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un enfant de Beyrouth.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serge F. Merhi<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montreal, 15 Fevrier 1994<\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSarajevo\u2026 city with a broken destiny<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarajevo, a city with a broken destiny. Another meeting lacking conviviality and pluralism between different ethnic groups. You who only saw a future full of Light, your sky is today illuminated by those of hatred. Your red-tiled roofs are massacred by the powerful blasts of explosions. Your kids have forgotten what a night’s sleep feels like.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as if the pain was not enough for you, they also humiliated you: you were shamelessly dragged on all the screens in the world and on the front pages of newspapers. Your battered soul and your blood-covered body are on display everywhere. The message is clear, they want to show viewers and readers who are unaware of the taste of a night spent in a damp cellar wondering if there will be tomorrow, that madness can strike anywhere, anytime, even in the heart of Europe. That war is not only the lot of a starving Africa, of an Asia bending under the weight of a galloping population or of a Latin America torn apart by ideological tensions.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the first shot \u2013 although expected \u2013 they deploy humanitarian aid caravans and gagged peacekeepers, who end up being the mute hostages of violence.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They send their representatives into endless diplomatic ballets, put pressure on one person, try to silence another person and pretend to want to please everyone. Unfortunately, no one is and the violence resumes with a vengeance, leading once again to a solution shaped in the great salons of the decision-making capitals. Deep down, you know that the cure absolutely cannot come from the hands of those who do not even have the courage to denounce the culprits by name.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of those who, out of hypocrisy, or for fear of offending a dying former power, refuse to take you in their powerful protective arms.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only your children, who have truly tasted the misfortunes that followed one another at the door, can save you. When the time comes, they will do it without hesitation, with a sure hand and a reassuring step. Sarajevo, dry your tears, tomorrow your mosques and your churches will come back to life, and spring will be there, the one that your own children will offer you!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A child from Beirut.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serge F. Merhi<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montreal, February 15, 1994\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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