Lebanese Committee Raise Concern
The Lebanese community in Kenema raised concern over the sledgehammer of discrimination meted out to them by some Sierra Leoneans. The Lebanese, like their counterparts, the Fullahs, Indians, Marakas, and others, are among the biggest communities that are strongly committed to bringing socio-economic development in the country.
For example, the Lebanese community in Kenema has done a lot in terms of bringing development in the district such as building a maternity ward at Kenema Government Hospital; they serve as committed security partners by providing funds for security bodies, and many community development projects.
With all their long staying in the country while others were born here and never been to Lebanon, they are shrouded with a lot of marginalization and branded all kinds of names on them that are not good in tandem with human rights principles.
What really discomforts them are the negative sentiments said about them by some Sierra Leoneans coupled with the bad mouthing coming from some radio stations whenever there is a standoff between them and Sierra Leoneans.
Speaking to the vice-chairman of the Lebanese Committee, Mr. Hassan Khalil, he revealed that any tribe or community has good and bad people, but let the bad ones not totally affect the good deeds of the good ones.
He said some time back ‘Big Forward,’ a Lebanese man at Kings Way Street ,blocked a passage. It brought a very alarming problem which the Lebanese strongly condemned that he did the wrong thing and has no respect for the Lebanese Committee which advised him to stop. Later some community stakeholders also met him and advised him to open the passage but he failed to yield to their pleas.
Mr. Khalil further made mention of the Lebanese PRO issue with one mad man who is currently terrorizing the city. He said the mad man was sometimes under Mr. Ali Hassan’s care but people resort to use all sort of negative statements against the Lebanese community and not the very man in question. He said this has discouraged the Lebanese people out of all their relentless effort to the people of this great nation.
Speaking to Mr. Ali Hassan aka AK 4, he pleaded to the government to leave no stone unturned for lawless people. Addressing the issue of the mad man who nearly killed Hassan’s daughter a few days ago, he said people were alleging that he sent people to flog that mad man which Mr. Hassan denied. He said his daughter was crossing toward his shop when this mad man attacked his daughter and that passers-by intervened to rescue the poor girl.
By Kamal M. Barrie, Kenema
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