If you had any doubt that the FPM is a politically bankrupt party, now’s the time to be certain of it.
If you had any doubt that their website, Tayyar.org, was worse than the garbage filling our streets, today is the day when this becomes clearer than day.
Today, the FPM is in full blown crisis mode.
The Free Patriotic Oxymoron wants us to vote for a president. But they couldn’t even vote for their own one because their boss was too afraid his lovely son in law wouldn’t be their chosen one.
Today, the Free Patriotic Hypocrisy wants to reform and change the country, but they’ve been in power since 2005 and haven’t done any of that. 24/24 electricity in 2015? Wait while I go fix the generator.
Today, the Free Patriotic Whatever wants you to see how they’re secular, but their only rhetoric is about Christian rights, also known as the biggest load of bullshit of the year.
They want you to think they’re against the government, but they just happen to be part of it. They want you to think they’re against parliament’s mandate extension, but they just happen to have the biggest parliamentary bloc today.
*More orange applause here.*
And today, because the FPM is so scared of the #YouStink movement, because they’ve seen how a non-partisan, secular movement managed to get WAY more people than the 500 they got on their streets in their BIG revolt for Christian rights, they are after one of the organizers of the YouStink movement, Assaad Thebian.
For reference, this is Aoun’s latest excursion:
And this is the YouStink protest:
How? By digging up old Facebook statuses of his in which he makes jokes about Christianity.
How? By doing what Aounists do best, look at other people’s “mistakes” while utterly and irrevocably ignoring exactly how demented their ranks have become.
How? By basking in the glories of hypocrisy under the veil of Christianity. Haven’t you heard? Aoun is the next coming of Jesus, y’all!
The following are the Facebook posts that offended the FPM so much:
And because there’s nothing more I’d love to do now than to figuratively bash their rhetoric into oblivion, let’s remind the Lebanese masses exactly how hypocritical, deluded and – forgive them Father for they have sinned – blasphemous they are.
1) #IlsSontCharlieWHeik:
Here is Gebran Bassil pretending that he’s the Foreign Affairs Minister of a First World Country, caring for Freedom of Speech and whatnot at the Charlie Hebdo rally to support the victims of the very horrendous crime that took place in Paris earlier this year:
Except clearly freedom of speech is only allowed when it’s not practiced in Lebanon and where pretending we care about it gives our country a good name. All formalities, as you know, because as it is with the FPM words always speak louder than actions.
These are the covers that Gebran Bassil was defending while in Paris, note that they offend both Christianity and Islam, in a way much MUCH worse than Assaad Thebian ever did, but who cares, right?
2) I kneel in front of you, Oh General:
When Gebran Bassil was made president of the FPM, he started his new promotion with a very enticing speech addressing his father-in-law, mentor Michel Aoun. In it he said, and I translate loosely: “Oh general, you leader and mentor and companion, I kneel in front of you along with my compatriots so you could bless us.”
So let me get this, Aoun was giving up on becoming president so he decided to become Jesus? In the name of the Father, His Son in Law, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Yes, that sounds about right.
This wasn’t the first time Aounists turned their leader into God.
3) Aoun in the Heart of Mary:
A few weeks ago, MP Nabil Nicolas, who was the first to rush down to Martyrs’ Square a few weeks ago and support the #YouStink movement, posted a picture on his Facebook account of his leader, Aoun, in the heart of the Virgin Mary. No further comment needed:
4) They Tried to Hijack #YouStink, But Then Changed Their Mind:
If you also needed more examples on how hypocritical these FPM leaders are, only look at their attempts to hijack the #YouStink movements under the guise that it’s echoing their demands. Yes, right.
First was this tweet by Gebran Bassil:
Then Nabil Nicolas tried to join the protests. Then minister Elias Abi Saab tried to join the protests as well. The nerve that these people have.
Then Gebran tweeted again:
Then they decided the movement was not something they wanted to get involved in. I guess they realized, about a month later, that the movement was against them too.
5) Attacking The Patriarch:
And because we’re digging up stuff from a past long-gone by now, why not dig up something from the FPM’s past? Something like video footage of them attacking the Maronite Patriarch and Bkerki simply because they didn’t agree with Bkerki’s stances?
People in glass houses should not throw stones.
The FPM Doesn’t Just Stink, It Reeks:
Attacking Assaad Thebian is the FPM’s desperate attempt at getting whatever supporters it has left to rally behind the only thing they can use: religion. When your political message fails, when you become so desperate, when you become absolutely dumb-founded by a reality in which you do not matter, you go back to what you know, and the only thing the FPM knows is hate, hypocrisy, and enticing religious tension.
This party’s people saw fitting to scroll down a person’s PERSONAL Facebook page and dig up posts from over a year ago in order to score a few points on a non-partisan and secular movement simply because they felt threatened. Stalkers much?
What’s outrageous here isn’t Assaad Thebian’s personal opinion on religion, which he is 100% entitled to have, on his personal Facebook page, to his friends, but the fact that someone took the effort to make sure and invade his privacy, post these opinions for everyone to see and then have a lawsuit filed against him.
If only I had the financial resources to sue Nabil Nicolas or Gebran Bassil for blasphemy.
Christianity By Name, Never By Action:
This new breed of Christians, as exemplified by those outraged by Assaad Thebian’s Facebook statuses, are exactly what is wrong with Christianity today. They are those people who proclaim to be Christian just for the fun of it, but when it comes to practice, they are as far from it as it can be. Christianity is not only an ID categorization, but a way of life. Don’t tell them I told you this, though.
In between the “bedde nik kess emmo la Assaad Thebian” comments (what did his mother every do to you?), and the various responses that don’t only verge on hate, but fall precariously into the sectarian trash talk that the FPM has long been practicing, this is “Christianity” exemplified:
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- Screenshot by Chafic Atallah.
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- Screenshot by Chafic Atallah.
What would Jesus do? He’d slap them across the face, that’s what he’d do.
The Difference Between Us And You:
And here lies the biggest difference between us, those supporting the #YouStink movement in all our forms and colors and religious affiliation or lack thereof, and you. We do not follow a leader, we follow a cause. We are not protesting for someone. We are protesting because this country needs us to protest, because it is our national duty to stand up to the shit that your leader and his friends have gotten us into over the past 10 years.
Assaad Thebian is not a figure that defines the #YouStink movement, he is a figure of the movement. He is entitled to his opinion, and I will defend his right to that opinion in the face of hypocrites and anyone who thinks he should not have an opinion that trespasses on their belief system.
You? Well, you are people who are called after a person’s last name. You are people who are now wondering if your name should be changed to your new leader’s last name. You are followers not to a cause, but to a figure. You move the way that figure sways. You don’t have an ideology, you have a new god to worship.
Between us an you, the only people committing blasphemy are you.
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
Elie, we’re homies, so you know, I’m gonna blatantly steal the “Free Patriotic Oxymoron” coinage and start using it (that is if I ever talk about Leb politics, because I don’t really).
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©©©© 😛
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lol damn it! I can’t get away with copyright infringement in Canada. You win 😦
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Very well-written, witty and accurate, thanks for sharing ! 🙂
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Thank you for reading!
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what u said is absolutely right about FPM and assaad thebian he’s free to believe (or not to) in whatever he wants that’s his opinion, but that doesnt mean he should make fun of others beliefs, in his case or anyone else, i dont like some stuff but i dont go out bashing in public “yemin w shmel” and making people angry
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People are allowed to do so regardless of whether you would do it or not.
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if i say that ur an ethiest so ur a “kafer” wouldnt that make u angry too ? i dont think u like that
so y do it to others too ?
freedom of speech has its limits, giving ur opinion is something and hurting others is something else
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Someone getting angry is not an excuse to remain silent.
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Assaad Thebian might very well be entitled to his own opinions like any of us but lambasting a religion on facebook is not prudent and very PI (politically incorrect) not to mention lacking some respect. I am a non-believer and i dont care if people know it; but that doesnt mean i have to boast about it or make fun of anyone, we can respect any religion and any belief or orientation while having our “own” thoughts but that doesnt mean the world has to hear about it; especially on such a public platform as Facebook…furthermore i am in no way shape or form associated with the FPM nor do i care about any political affiliation in this country but i can feel your hatred for the FPM from just those few pages…So budddy while you are trying to play the “i am for a cause not a party” game, u still sound very much so like an outdated 14 vs 8 mentality bashing only the FPM for free…you wanna support a cause properly, then talk about all the disgusting things every single politician is a part of, not just one party coz they might or might not be using some FB comments as a particular strategy…its rather a tame thing this whole issue compared to the bigger issues on hand currently in Lebanon but everything has to be blown out of proportion here…
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Belief systems are not above reproach. I’m not supposed to respect someone’s belief system just because they believe in it but I am supposed to respect the person believing in that system if that person deserves my respect.
Assaad Thebian did not tell a joke that hasn’t been told a few hundred times already. He also made fun of Islam but Tayyar was too blind to see that I guess, because it doesn’t serve their Christian-threat agenda. That joke is used every single Ramadan. When religious people crack the jokes, it’s not an issue. But when a non-religious person cracks the jokes, off with his head.
This is not about political correctness or lack thereof, there’s nothing to correct or otherwise in someone having an opinion about a religion or a person.
And yes, I do dislike the FPM. But I do dislike everyone else. And if you actually read this blog beyond this post you’d see that the last few posts have been against all politicians in the country and those bigger causes you seem so knowledgeable of, not just the FPM.
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Your counter arguments are so weak and very far from the subject:
1- nabil nnkoula pic is the Virgin Mary who has instead of the shining red heart originally, which represents her love toward the people, the picture of Michel Aoun that doesn’t mean that Aoun is replacing Jesus as Jesus first is not in the original picture and so it is not offending Christianity.
2- gebran basil walking with the french president is not to support the offending pictures but to deny the crime
How dumb you are!!
3- the people who attacked the pareiarch are not Aounist but LFers however you chose not to go back to the investigations results but to believe what LBC announced back then , as a soft reminder LBC back then was the official TV of LF.
4- You are saying that the FPM is aecterian but in the same you are not providing any solution for the sectarian issue in Lebanon, what is your plan to omit it? What are the steps you will take for that? Isn’t the first to provide each sect the trust that it is in safe and not endangered by providing it the normal rights written in the Taef ? And from here when each sects feels that no one is approaching its rights and only from here we can start omitting that issue. Beside and just to remind you as obviously you have a very short memory Aoun is the only one who has opposed the Taef and all of you agreed on it!! And now when it became our constitution we must followit till the moment trust is regained between all sects from here we can remove the aecterian issues!
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1) LOL! HAHAHA. How deluded are you? If Assaad Thebian had put his picture inside Mary’s heart, you would have brought the pitchfork.
2) Yeah, right. He’s denying the crime? Do you even know basic English? He’s walking in solidarity of freedom of speech. Go catch up with the news. I have some news though about who’s dumb here.
3) Yes, of course they are. Hilarious.
4) This is a blog with a few thousand blog posts, it’s not my problem this is the first post you read here and as such you want me to write everything in it. You want a solution for sectarianism? It’s not by getting Christians to think they are threatened whenever they breathe.
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One more thing go back in time and find out who started to fight occupation and corruption!! Who demanded before you! Who demanded months even years before you with early elections! With electing the president directly from the people who oppesed the illegal self nomination of the parliament? Who went into protesting just to reject the break of constitution by the hariri group?! Who?? Ask yourself you liars!!! And you dare to say that FPM is stealing your slogans?! What a shame bunch of people pretending to be intellectual writing Constant lies and believing it
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You?
Why are you STILL in parliament?
Why are you STILL in government?
Why are you STILL NOT voting for a president?
Why does Gebran Bassil have a private Jet?
Where are they bringing all the money from?
Why didn’t you allow elections inside your own party?
Grow up. Wake up. Get your IQ out of the gutter.
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Second that
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Pingback: Lebanon's anti-stink protests
Seriously Walid, get your IQ out of the gutter. If you disagree with Elie then don’t read his blog. It’s that simple.
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Thanks for sharing !
Have you read the comments and threats on Assaad’s profile before he removed them? I have never read in my life comments that obscene and sick.
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He is a hypocrite and you know you why? Because he’s molding this “movement” into his own ambitions & political endeavors. He wants a change? Everyone does; but no one’s aiming towards a position of some hierarchy other than solely him.
If anything; he’s using the civil community through his fashion to get to what he’s supposedly chanting from claims and dreams birthed, predominantly, by the Lebanese public. He wants a purely fair game? Good, let him start by unfolding what his facade metal shuns away from the personal truth.
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Walid, unfortunately you are one of the few that still did not wake up to this hypocrisy. I still salute you though as you did not start swearing at Elie like all others replies I have read on the web from FPM followers. Elie thank you very much for such a very well written and smart article. You give me hope that the country will march in the right direction. Walid, please re-read his article, look around you, outside of your family circle and FPM friends, read historical books that are not written by your party but by european objective historians and you will see that the solution for Lebanon is if we all unite and stop defending blindly the corrupt warlords and leaders that have brought us in this mess and created this hatred between us. There is a reason we do not have a historical book in Lebanon beyond 1955. They want us to grow up in the hatred of the old generation with each party having its own version so that they can stay in power. If you decide not to wake up, its your loss. Anyway vote still for your party at the next election, I am confident that the FPM will get at max a quarter of the seats he got in 2009 and at the next elections (assume 2020) he will get an eight. Maybe by then you would wake up.
I would ask you then to read again your reply to Elie’s article and you will laugh at yourself.
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Pingback: The Death of Ideology and Beirut’s #YouStink Protests | Qifa Nabki
Pingback: Death of Ideology? Beirut’s #YouStink Protests | Adonis Diaries
Yes Walid go and Fuck yourself with a blunt knife won’t you, or maybe a Fanta bottle as I’m sure that’s your favourite colour… Elie please accept my apologies for using the F word here but that guy reminds me of all these sheep that are still following the many antiquated parties that have done so much harm to our community, economy and the future of this country. And these idiots the FPM are going downtown today to bring down the government so they could oust themselves, as they forgot that are part of the problem as their ministers are still part of this government. What a bunch of hypocrites. Rant over, thank you 🙂
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wow; noting from your long arguments, you must of been waiting to unleash your comments against: whether you-like-it-or-not, the party that represent …most of the christian population who incidentally are interested in what the Zebians say about what they hold dearly. Their faith.
So Zib-yan and his demagogy is Benign eh? I dare you to say in public that a cartoon of the prophet is OK and put your argument. I think the cartoon is way less offensive than what Zib-yan said at every occasion he could do it. No?
Secular my ass. just a false sense of modernity splashed across you lines.
You got so hot on your keyboard that your accusation of “gathering of 500” by the fpm was NOT corrected after “what you saw after”…which makes you take the turn that every self-indulgent blogger took after few press clips that made you believe that you are a writer of the Lebanese condition.
You’re not, your hate went public, loud and clear…. It’s about the fpm now…how he did not elect “internally” to your high standards of democracy. Are you kidding? that’s what keeping lebanon in “al jahiliya” epoch? The FPM. wow.
Zebian comments are really bad…if he want to play the Public Figure;
else we don’t care. there are 100000’s of Zib-ians. but they cant preach us on civil morality on public and international forums. Mich masmou7. ok walla ..ok?
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