Monday, October 26, 2009

Glory of Tabbulah and Hummus

Marwan kindly translated the column of comrade Khalid from Al-Akhbar:
"Glory of Lebanon Given to Tabbouleh

Failure to form a cabinet.
Failure to agree on the foundations of building a nation.
Failure to manage public debt.
Failure of sects to coexist.
Failure to separate religion from the state.
Failure in the tax system.
Failure to go twenty consecutive years without the outbreak of civil wars.
Failure to accept people and denounce racist sentiments towards anyone with brown skin.
Failure to keep a sense of dignity in front of the white man.
Failure to agree on who’s the enemy and who’s the friend.
Failure to respect the traffic signs.
Failure in the odor of diesel fuel.
Failed in the honking of taxi cars.
Failure to organize government departments.
Failure in the press.
Failed in movie production.
Failed in political parties, programs and slogans.
Failure to clean the streets.
Failure in music and singers.
Failure in comedic and non-comedic programs.
Failure of agricultural land.
Failure in the factories that are shutting down.
Failure in workers’ rights.
Failure to pave the roads.
Failure to maintain security.
Failure to respect different customs and traditions.
Failure to respect the poor.
Failure in women's rights.
Failure in political dialogues.
Failure in teaching.
Failure in “tashbeeh” (roughly translated: blatant daylight stealing).
Failure in cosmetic surgery.
Failure in unjustifiable arrogance towards others.
Failure in claiming grandiosity.

Failure to ask the government to fulfill its most basic duties.
Failure in the ability to rally around one demand.
Failure in the use of mobile phones.
Failure of the education system.
Failure in the death at the gates of hospitals.
Failure in public parks.
Failure in employment opportunities.
Failure at everything ... Almost everything.
However, despite all of this failure, Lebanon occupies the first place in many fields. After Kibbeh and Hummus, Lebanon entered the Guinness World Records book with the largest dish of Tabbouleh. 1600 kg of parsley, 1500 kilograms of tomatoes and 420 kg of onions made the glory of Lebanon yesterday. A glory that weighs three and a half tons of tabbouleh.
«Where does the Hummus come from? Where does the Tabbouleh come from? »Chanted “Michau”, with Chef Ramzi at his side, to fight his political battle against Israel. End of the line."