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Lebanese People Are Exposing Banks That Refuse Lebanese Pounds For USD Accounts
“I’m at BML (Bank Misr Liban) in Tripoli, it’s 10 AM on November 6th, 2019. I am trying to pay my credit card payment of $333 and the bank is refusing to accept it in Lebanese Pounds. This is illegal according to Article 192.”
This is a loosely translated portion of a 3 minute 39 second video that was streamed live by Bilal Karami. It has gotten over 90,000 views as of publishing time, and is one of many videos that have recently been uploaded onto social media channels, exposing banks for refusing Lebanese Pounds.
We got an opinion on the legality of this from Dr. Muhamad Mugraby, an international lawyer and human rights defender and advocate who said,
“It is my opinion that refusal to accept Lebanese currency to discharge debts is a crime punishable by Article 319 of the Penal Code with a prison term of six months to three years. A victim of such crime may report it to the nearest police station. Article One of the Currency, Credit and Central Bank Law makes the Lira the official currency of Lebanon. Articles 7 and 8 of this law give the Lira unlimited power to discharge all debts. Article 192 of this Law penalizes any person who refuses to accept the Lira with the penalties provided under Article 319 of the Penal Code.”
As social media has become one of the world’s most powerful regulatory tools, it is no surprise that Lebanese people are using it to gain an edge over a banking system trying to bully consumers into dealing strictly with US Dollars.
“Where am I? In Sri Lanka? Or China?” This question asked by Karami throughout the video resonates with many of us, and by the end of his ordeal, he manages to force the bank manager’s hand into accepting the payment in Lebanese Pounds – but it begs the question, why are we being forced to enforce the law ourselves?
Here are some other similar complaints surfacing on social media:
This is a loosely translated portion of a 3 minute 39 second video that was streamed live by Bilal Karami. It has gotten over 90,000 views as of publishing time, and is one of many videos that have recently been uploaded onto social media channels, exposing banks for refusing Lebanese Pounds.
#لبنان_ينتفض #يسقط_حكم_المصرف pic.twitter.com/JtnoYA5hDu
— . (@Myr_Naj) November 6, 2019
We got an opinion on the legality of this from Dr. Muhamad Mugraby, an international lawyer and human rights defender and advocate who said,
“It is my opinion that refusal to accept Lebanese currency to discharge debts is a crime punishable by Article 319 of the Penal Code with a prison term of six months to three years. A victim of such crime may report it to the nearest police station. Article One of the Currency, Credit and Central Bank Law makes the Lira the official currency of Lebanon. Articles 7 and 8 of this law give the Lira unlimited power to discharge all debts. Article 192 of this Law penalizes any person who refuses to accept the Lira with the penalties provided under Article 319 of the Penal Code.”
As social media has become one of the world’s most powerful regulatory tools, it is no surprise that Lebanese people are using it to gain an edge over a banking system trying to bully consumers into dealing strictly with US Dollars.
“Where am I? In Sri Lanka? Or China?” This question asked by Karami throughout the video resonates with many of us, and by the end of his ordeal, he manages to force the bank manager’s hand into accepting the payment in Lebanese Pounds – but it begs the question, why are we being forced to enforce the law ourselves?
Here are some other similar complaints surfacing on social media:
تحية لهذا الرجل الذي استطاع لوحده إغلاق بنك في العبدة #عكار
— فخر الأيوبي (@FakhrAlAyoubi) November 2, 2019
يجب مقاطعة هذا القطاع الذي يسرق جيوبنا لصالح جيوب الزعماء#لبنان_ينتفض pic.twitter.com/OHetkJrsBa
المتظاهرون في مدينة #صيدا يجبرون المصارف على إقفال أبوابها بسبب رفضها التعامل بالليرة والاصرار على الدولار #لبنان_ينتفض #لبنان #lebanon pic.twitter.com/8DpQtNPVOR
— Mohamad Antar (@MohAntarSKY) November 4, 2019
@saadhariri @alihasankhalil @jamil_el_sayyed
— Mounib El Fakih (@naosecansa) October 7, 2019
