Controversy Over Swimsuits And Alcohol In Arab Salim Raises Questions Regarding Personal Freedoms In Lebanon
A Facebook page named “Akhbar Arab Salim” put up a divisive post asking visitors who drop by the Southern village of Arab Salim to adhere to what they dubbed “the town’s social and religious traditions and customs”.
This comes after a Lebanese hiker and explorer put up pictures of herself swimming in the Khirkhar river in a swimsuit, which triggered an onslaught of negative reactions from some locals who deemed the woman’s freedom an infringement on their beliefs. Other pictures of a riverside picnic with alcohol were also flagged as “inappropriate”.
In response, many social media users were quick to condemn the page’s stance.
Even our rivers are now religiously divided, and personal freedom apparently works one way only.
But even worse is that just last night, around the same time this went viral, a mother was killed by random gunfire with her baby in her arms. A heartbreaking instance that didn’t get nearly as much attention and didn’t trigger those offended by a swimsuit and a bottle of beer.
We should really get our priorities in check. What do you all think?
