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Mira Mawla

It’s About So Much More Than Garbage: Nadine Moussa Talks #Tol3itRee7itkom

After having previously spoken to Nadine Moussa about her prospects as a presidential candidate, Beirut.com met up with the lawyer and political activist for her take on Tol3et Ree7etkom’s initiative so far; incidentally, we met her on the field as she was participating in the civil movement for the second day in a row.



Moussa began by condemning Saturday’s security issues, saying she felt she was “coming out of a battlefield” where the protestors were peaceful, simply trying to exercise their sacred constitutional right of self expression. These protestors came demanding essential and basic rights, like living without garbage in the streets, and living a dignified life free from the trash in the government and the real waste that’s flooding the country. “In return for this peaceful and heroic initiative that we thought was taking place under the protection of security forces, they ended up attacking us with live bullets, sound grenades, tear gas, and physical beatings which I was a victim of as well. These are machineries of blatant barbaric oppression from a fascist dictatorship of the political class,” expressed Moussa emphatically.

This sentiment goes hand in hand with politicians’ collective refusal to take responsibility for the violence, an oblivious refusal to take public interest into consideration, and clear evidence that a change is only possible when the structure of the system is changed from the ground up. “The problem is not the garbage, it is a question of life or death. Either we take this lying down or we make a fundamental change.” Moussa highlighted the ails of the sectarian system, insisting that it paralyzes the country and publicizes a culture of corruption instead of a culture of accountability, stating that the garbage crisis was simply the grain of rice that tipped the scale and led to this activism.



Moussa also expressed warm sentiments towards those protesting peacefully, as well as constructive advice, saying “this is a popular movement par excellence, more powerful than March 8 and 14 combined…but for this hard working committee to find the fruits of their labor so far, they need to get organized. I am more than willing to support all of those involved, and the organizers already know that I considered myself their lawyer when the security forces were violent against them.”

Most importantly, Beirut.com was the first to get a briefing of Moussa’s National Saving Plan, a tangible and impressively holistic plan. It vouches for a transitional phase with a temporary president that brings together syndicate representatives, civil society organizations, intellectuals, diaspora, and other social groups who meet to put a new Lebanese social contract in place. The plan is that this will set the stage for a peaceful political coexistence amongst the population, instead of social coexistence, which we have already achieved through initiatives like #YouStink. The interim president may then resign, and a new social, political, and economic landscape can be set for the country, including a new electoral law that represents the people’s will.



Seeing Lebanese citizens march and chant together in the heart of the capital was heartwarming, but more importantly, it was politically stimulating. The nucleus of a real change is there on the ground in all its diversity and mindfulness. The youth are looking forward, and with a legal, intellectual, and socially conscious backbone like Nadine Moussa, the path to a safe and secure Lebanon should not be too long in the making. With all the complications that surround Lebanese public life, it is more than refreshing to have a supportive voice like Moussa fighting peacefully at the frontlines.