Lebanese woman calls out Shia political leaders in Lebanon

Video of a Lebanese woman criticizing Shia political leaders in Beirut has gone viral on Twitter, in the latest example of the change in mood in the country since the outbreak of popular protests in October 2019.

The woman, named on Twitter as Faten Fadlallah by George Washington University Professor Firas Maksad, accused Lebanese leaders of being corrupt and prioritizing Syria and Palestine over the Lebanese people. Although she did not name the parties outright, she referred to Mousa Sadr, the Shia leader who is venerated by the Hezbollah-allied Amal party. Both Amal and Hezbollah have ties to the Iranian and Syrian regimes.

“Your country [should be] your priority. More of a priority than, Syria and Palestine, and the deal of the century,” Fadlallah said.

“Lebanon needs you. Lebanon needs you to stand up to every corrupt person,” she added.

She also called out Lebanese people who have defended their party leaders rather than embracing the cross-sectarian popular protests.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves. You were defending your leaders, and we didn’t say anything, we shut our mouth,” she said.

While the leaders of several major political parties in Lebanon have voiced their support for the protests, even if doing little to realize protesters’ demands, Hezbollah and Amal have criticized the demonstrations as a threat to the status quo.

Hezbollah and Amal thugs have also repeatedly attacked protesters in Beirut, Tyre, and Nabatieh.

The woman criticized the new government of Hassan Diab, which is supported by Hezbollah and Amal but opposed by the parties that made up the “March 14” coalition.

“I hope they eat poison, to every person who went to the government meetings to vote in favor of the new corrupt government, supported by the corrupt,” she said.

“Corona[virus] shouldn’t be in China, it should come to Lebanon. [I swear] on my father’s dead soul, it should come to Lebanon,” she added, accusing Lebanese people of being ignorant.