The Nameless Target
By Yasmine Nsouli, Staff Writer

Beirut, Lebanon - Not long ago, the country encountered a loss which not only embodied that of freedom of speech, but also that of hope. Many were well aware of the dangers which lingered around, but few acknowledged the reality of its peril.

On June 2, 2005 an explosion took place in a neighborhood within the residential area of Ashrafiyeh, and not long afterwards the target was pronounced dead. Not many could comprehend the greater implications of this person’s demise, but only the selfish loss which personified their daily routines.

As you get up in the morning, a newspaper is found resting in front of your entrance door, waiting to be read. Turning the pages, only to find his name printed in front of the controversially perceptive article. As you slowly sip your warm coffee, stains gradually accumulate onto your white shirt, but you don’t realize it until after the paper is put down. In a bewildered tone, the voice within you says “I can’t believe he just wrote that!”   Then,  it takes you some time to digest the material.

For many, newspapers are the only form of literature read on a daily basis, becoming a necessity to ignite thought, and a reference to most conversations. Therefore when the reader chooses to pick up the newspaper on the morning of June 3rd, only to find the journalist’s name making the news instead of creating it, feelings of true sorrow will be infuriated.

On the morning of September 26, 2005, these feelings of sorrow quickly transformed to that of pure anger and fury. Another journalist was targeted in the string of terror crimes within Lebanon.  Similar to that of the newspaper journalist, this anchorwoman became well entrenched inside the daily routines of most Lebanese news watchers. Not only did her presence on the news and talk shows represent the accomplishments and failures of the past generations, but also the many expectations the younger generations hold.

As already noted, both journalists’ names are not motioned above. Not because of the connotation which follows their names, but the irrelevance in embodying their work through its printing. These two individuals could be any of us, directly or indirectly, since we are all valuable assets to this society, and when he died and she was maimed, so was a part of us.

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