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Myriam Dalal

General Security Investigating New Play about Tarik el-Jdideh



General Security: Alo, Mr. Yehia Jaber this is the General Security speaking.
Yehia Jaber: Oh hello there.
General Security: Regarding your play, “Beirut – Tarik El Jdide,” we’ve looked at the script and we’re hoping you could come to our office so we could give you some comments.
Yehia Jaber: Some!! That means a lot.
General Security: Hahaha
Yehia Jaber: Hahaha

This was how Lebanese director Yehia Jaber sarcastically summed up the phone conversation he had with officials from General Security on Friday morning regarding his new play, “Beirut.. Tarik El Jdide” which is scheduled to premiere at Metro Al-Madina on July 18.

Beirut.com contacted Jaber about the call from General Security. He told us, “I can’t comment on this right now. And let’s not call this an investigation. I was called in for a discussion [laughs] of my new play’s script and they said we’ll meet again. So let’s just say the matter is “still under discussion [laughs again].”

Jaber’s play tells the story of Tarik el Jdide, a predominantly Sunni neighborhood in Beirut that since 2007 has become a recurring site for sectarian clashes with Shia residents from nearby areas.

Post Edit/Update:
General Security has handed the script back to Jaber and says the play can go on as originally written.