Almost a year has passed since the onset of unprecedented destruction in Gaza, and genocide of the Palestinian people, and now, attention shifts back to Lebanon. The story seems all too familiar, at least for the Lebanese, a recurring nightmare of conflict that traces back through 2006, 2000, 1982, and even 1978. History repeats itself, relentlessly and ruthlessly. Read More...

Exploring my bicultural identity as a Canadian of Lebanese descent, I share what it means to be Druze. From the complexities of faith and cultural integration to the recent tragedy in the occupied Golan Heights, this blog post reflects on maintaining integrity, respect, and human rights amidst political and religious tensions. Discover the values that define the Druze community and the importance of standing for peaceful coexistence. Read more on my blog.

One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Matrix.” Anyone who has read my book knows I’ve made mention of it in a few spots.

In it, there’s a scene where the character Cypher (a sort of Judas) is eating steak with the enemy agent Smith inside of the Matrix, and he says: “After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss.”

As we mark the 162nd day of the ongoing onslaught in Gaza, the heavy weight of sadness has settled over the world, the community around me, and my own shoulders. The barrage of unending horrors, massacre after massacre, and the inaction of our Canadian Prime Minister, along with his Conservative Party counterpart, have led to a profound sense of powerlessness and despair.

The videos I’ve been sharing on Instagram from Beirut and South Lebanon, inspired by the themes in my book “You’re Already Dead,” focus on the beauty of everyday life. My father captured not every detail, but those ordinary moments between family and friends. It’s these scenes that now strike a chord with me…

I wrote, in my debut book, “You’re Already Dead,” about my recollection and experience visiting Lebanon as a seven-year-old in 1992. I hint about my current understanding of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East as a grown man, but in the chapter on community, as I recall my first-ever trip to Lebanon as a seven-year-old, it was one of childhood ignorance…