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               my  hometown.  Yet,  I  reminded  myself  that  heritage. To investigate questions of identity
               I was missing a place that no longer exists;  it is imperative to revisit the past, examine
               a place that left me before I even considered  memory and criticize the political structure
               leaving it. Coming back to Lebanon during  throughout the years. Throughout my writings
               winter break of my first year reaffirmed my  and interrogations and that of others, I hope
               doubts.  I  am  still  holding  on  by  a  thread,  to find a stance where the Lebanese identity
               promising  Beirut  that  I  would  come  back  encompasses  being  a  survivor,  a  victim,  a
               even when Beirut itself wasn’t there to hear  fighter, a lover and an opposer all at once.
               my  supplications.  But  being  Lebanese  for
               me means remembering what once was and  Article  first  published  Jan.  30,  2023,  12:30 
               keep fighting for it. So I did, in my own way,  a.m.  in  the  Standford  Daily.  Reproduced
               thousands of miles away.               with the authorization of the author.

               In  Lebanon,  politics  represent  a  struggle
               for  inclusion,  self-actualization  and  social
               justice.  Politics  represent  a  real  barrier  to
               opportunities of nurturing civil virtues that   Gheed El Bizri ‘25 serves as the Grind Desk Editor for Vol. 262.
 The  sound,  the  blood,  the  destruction  on  to say we have triumphed after investigations   reinforce  prospects  for  greater  measures   From Lebanon, she seeks to major in Psychology and minor
 Aug. 4? We don’t remember what happened  for  the  Beirut  blast  have  been  suspended   of  autonomy  and  empowerment.  But  the   in Human Rights and has a strong interest in creative writing
 because we don’t know what really happened.  multiple times, after murderers are roaming   problem of claiming one’s identity in Lebanon   and  journalism.  She  hopes  to  use  storytelling  as  a  way  of
 We know the names of the victims and not  freely  in  the  streets,  after  we  have  hit  rock   isn’t confined to its political systems. It also   putting into words the most complex human emotions, staying
 the  perpetrators.  We  know  that  there  are  bottom over and over again?   manifests itself in people’s mindsets because   connected to people all around the world and banding them
 people  in  the  government  who  disregarded   religious or sectarian bias lies at the core of   together. She is also interested in representing her country,
 the  fact  that  there  were  2,750  tonnes  of  Remembering is essential not only to honor   contemporary  Lebanon’s  lack  of  identity.   Lebanon, and amplifying the voice of her people through her
 ammonium  nitrate  stored  in  the  port,  but  victims  and  to  fulfill  obligations,  but  to   The  truth  is  that  religious  and  sectarian   work. Contact Gheed at thegrind ‘at’ stanforddaily.com.
 not their names nor how many did. We don’t  reinforce the collective Lebanese identity. It   extremism, in short confessionalism, divided
 have a clear understanding of the event that  is easy to say that we are Lebanese without   the country to the extent that it became hard
 changed our lives forever. Our right to know  understanding  what  it  really  means.   to claim our identity as Lebanese.
 the truth has been denied. Therefore, we don’t  By Lebanese, I am referring to every person
 remember  enough  in  order  to  forget.  Yet,  who has the nationality, who was born here,   In the long journey of finding the truth, of
 one could draw the line between individual  who  left  and  never  came  back,  who  stayed   finding  a  stance  between  vengeance  and
 and  collective  forgetting.  While  the  former  and  never  left,  who  feels  like  an  outcast  in   forgiveness, in defending the right to justice
 is usually involuntary, the latter is generally  their  communities  and  who  feels  at  home   and creating a climate conducive to human
 purposeful and deliberate .   every time they visit.   rights,  there  is  also  hope.  We,  Lebanese
               people,  can  face  who  we  were  before  and
 In  order  to  memorialize  the  country’s  The  reason  why  I  mention  this  is  because   shape  who  we  could  become  and  who  we
 pathological history of protracted civil strife,  people  can  be  homeless  in  at  least  three   want to become after. Unity and hope should
 The views,
 information,   monuments  have  been  created.  The  basic  existential  senses.  They  suffer  the  angst  of   be the overarching themes and driving forces
 or opinions   dilemma the Lebanese face today is to know  being  dislodged  from  their  most  enduring   behind a nationwide revolution.
 expressed are   how  to  remember  all  the  ugly  atrocities  of  attachments  they  suffer  from  being  outcast
 solely those   the war without lessening their horrors. The  from  their  own  environments  or  they  feel   Being  Lebanese  is  not  only  a  feeling,  but  a
 of the author   problem  is  to  figure  out  the  right  way  to  obligated to reassemble a damaged identity   deeply-embedded  belief  that  exists  that  is
 and do not   recall the war without sanitizing it by making  and broken history. Is it possible to be victims   acknowledged  and  is  recognized.  Claiming
 necessarily   it  more  tolerable  to  remember.  Another  and survivors at the same time? Can we be   our  identity  —  personal  or  collective  —  is
 represent   problem  with  commemoration  is  to  create  both homeless and Lebanese?   claiming  what  is  ours.  This  impulse  for
 those of Diva   memorials to recall mournful events without   seeking refuge in darkened places is sustained
 International/  falling into the trap of making it a celebration  I  not  only  struggle  with  answering  these   by  two  opposed  forms  of  preservation:
 International   of  glories  of  past  heroic  events.  Maybe  questions  but  with  knowing  if  there  even   to remember and  to forget. One  might  lead
 Diplomat   these  lines  can  be  drawn  by  distinguishing  is an answer. I spent my first quarter of my   to  assume  nostalgic  predispositions  to
 and its   memorials  and  monuments.  The  former  freshman year at Stanford terribly homesick.   return  to  a  past  anchored  in  questionable
 contributors.  opens up spaces to mourn and the latter has  I would write poetry and compare the food   authenticity  and  the  other  is  to  reinvent
 an element of triumphalism. Is it really fair  to what was once served on a large table in   communicable  solidarities  and  threatened



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