73258825_2310314579279760_5970341000588034048_n

<div class="at-above-post-homepage addthis_tool" data-url="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/sectarianism-unity-las-solidarity-protests-lebanon/"></div>On Sunday, October 27th, over 2,800 Lebanese people came together in front of the LA Lebanese Consulate. Their goal was to stand in solidarity with their counterparts’ anti-Sectarian revolt in Lebanon. This protest, dubbed <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/3411350195553676/">We The People: Lebanese Diaspora Civil Protest</a> by Chapman University Law student Silvana Wissam Kordab, was preceded by another, smaller one on October 20th — with at least 400 people in attendance — also organized by Kordab. “I was just thinking if we got 50 people, I would be happy. But we got at least four or five hundred! And then at the next one, a week later, we got 2800, maybe 3000 people,” she reflected.
On October 17th in Lebanon, thousands across the country erupted into protests, chanting “thawra! thawra! thawra!” (Arabic “ ثورة ” translates to “revolution”) in revulsion at the government’s proposed $0.20/day tax on WiFi calling — through apps such as Facebook or Whatsapp — as well as a proposal to raise the VAT (value-added tax) to 15% by 2022. These proposals were made in an effort to resolve the country’s mounting economic crisis: with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 152%, Lebanon is the third most indebted country in the world.
However, these proposed taxes are not the only cause for a revolt. This economic crisis is rooted in corruption resulting from the Sectarian structure of the government. Protesters have also demanded that their basic human rights — such as 24-hour electricity, healthcare, better public education, infrastructure repairs and maintenance, and much more — be met. In addition, they have called for the country’s Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Maronite Christian President Michel Aoun to step down. This would make way for technocrats to take their place and propose reforms for constructing a non-Sectarian government that also upholds accountability for corruption. Prime Minister Hariri took heed of this demand and resigned on Tuesday, October 29th, stating that he has “reached a dead end,” and, “to all my political peers, our responsibility today is how to protect Lebanon and to uplift the economy.”
Kordab believes this is a win for the movement: “&#8230;he did this and he listened to the people… I&#8217;m not saying he didn&#8217;t do anything wrong. He definitely did. But for all I&#8217;m concerned with, he did his part.” But this thawra is not over yet. Protesters in Lebanon and its global diaspora have continued protesting, developing the chant “kellon ya3ne kellon!” ( “ كلن يعني كلن ” translates to “all means all”), demanding that the rest of the country’s leaders resign.
In accordance with those in Lebanon, Lebanese immigrants and Lebanese-Americans alike are joining forces in the US, not only to push for these changes and to stand in solidarity, but to also experience their newfound unity. At the We The People protest, Kordab said that “this is the first time in history where Lebanese people, from every sect and every political background, actually came together.” With over 2800 Lebanese people waving flags and singing along to Lebanese classics while people form circles to perform the <a href="https://youtu.be/rGN2uWS2iKs?t=12">dabke</a> — a native Levantine folk dance — in unison, these protests have made way for the Lebanese populous, both in and out of the country, to form a unified community.
The protest lasted from noon until 7 p.m., with DJ performances and speeches scheduled throughout. A few days after the event, Kordab voiced her pride in these protests remaining peaceful: “we did not even have one single problem with anyone. In other states and other countries, there were problems with other parties. But we made sure not to politicize it. Everybody is welcome as long as you come with your Lebanese flags.” After this, she continued to explain her goal with organizing these protests in solidarity with Lebanon, noting the money her team raised by selling T-shirts and that they are filming a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marioosaber/videos/10162585092925473/?__tn__=%2CdK*F-R&amp;eid=ARDE25IVGO1hoeWHBdBWvassjMaj7WIq8CzYzMwUb-min6sHErygGfG0xgn0LETKLw_wLXJFqdamcbv4">video</a> documenting the event for others to see around the world. This is about “Resistance,” she explained, “[We want to tell them,] Keep going. We see you. We’re here. Whatever you need. Just keep going.”
Kordab and her team’s goal with these two protests was to remind those in Lebanon that they are globally supported. But, she believes that protests are not enough. She noted how attendance at protests outside of Lebanon is declining and, although it’s “understandable” because “when we&#8217;re here [in the US], when we&#8217;re not working, when we&#8217;re not going to school, nobody&#8217;s going to take care of us and pay our bills.” Kordab and her team are working to solve this problem in multiple ways “so that we can help them stay on the streets over there.”
First, they are in the process of forming an NGO (non-governmental organization) called Next Lebanon Organization (NEXT LEB). In preparation for the imminent elections in Lebanon, NEXT LEB will also be a PAC (Political Action Committee), allowing them to fundraise and donate funds to campaigns. Kordab describes the org as “an independent nonsectarian PAC established to empower Lebanese residents and emigrants as an involved and informed constituency. Our aim is to have a stronger voice in the political process and make our views heard.”
Second, they organized a “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/743939442772725/">Potluck Picnic</a>” on Sunday, November 24th in celebration of Lebanon’s Independence Day (November 22nd). A few weeks before the festival, Kordab told me, “We&#8217;re going to have a huge event. It&#8217;s not going to be mainly a protest. It&#8217;s going to be an event where we&#8217;re going to fundraise. We&#8217;re going to get sponsorship. We&#8217;re even going to do some stuff for the kids and families. We want to make it so that everybody can be there and they could actually stay there from noon to six.”
The protests in Lebanon have not stopped, and the global support will not either. In New York City, Lebanese people have joined together every weekend since October 17th to protest in front of the United Nations. Lebanese fashion designer Milad Khoreibani even made a 50-yard-long Lebanese flag for attendees to carry together as they march. People in France, Denmark, the UK, Spain, and so many other countries are standing with those in Lebanon. This thawra has already produced global support and radical unity in a country that has been plagued by religious divides for decades. “This is our time to raise awareness and show the people back home that we&#8217;re still here,” says Kordab.
<div class="at-below-post-homepage addthis_tool" data-url="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/sectarianism-unity-las-solidarity-protests-lebanon/"></div>

From Sectarianism to Unity: On LA’s Solidarity Protests for Lebanon

magic

kids_cubby

screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-18-13-pm

screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-17-42-pm

screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-3-36-53-pm

<div class="at-above-post-homepage addthis_tool" data-url="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/recklessreader/books-magic-brooklyn-ny/"></div>It’s “the living room you wish you had in Brooklyn,” says Colleen Callery, marketing and communications director at <a href="https://booksaremagic.net">Books Are Magic</a>. Books Are Magic was opened in May of 2017 by married couple Emma Straub and Michael Fusco-Straub. After their neighborhood bookstore closed at the end of 2016, the two decided they had to fill the hallowed space it left behind. Emma Straub — who is a novelist in addition to owning BaM — blogged about the decision to open BaM in December of 2016: “a neighborhood without an independent bookstore is a body without a heart. And so we’re building a new heart.”
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-12512 aligncenter" src="http://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kids_cubby-300x207.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="207" srcset="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kids_cubby-300x207.jpg 300w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kids_cubby-768x529.jpg 768w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kids_cubby-1024x705.jpg 1024w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kids_cubby.jpg 1963w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Michael Fusco-Straub’s design skills in tandem with Emma Straub’s love of books and bookstores creates a space of energetic coziness. With bean bags, couches, and nooks like its &#8220;magical hidey hole&#8221; — an octagonal cubby made for kids to crawl into and read in — Books Are Magic kept both adults and children in mind when designing the shop. They even have <a href="https://booksaremagic.net/?q=h.calevents">events</a> — including book launches, signings, and readings — almost daily!
Books Are Magic sets itself apart from other independent bookstores in New York through their efforts “to fight for the well-being of our communities.” This manifests at BaM in two ways: first, through their <a href="https://booksaremagic.net/?q=p.readers_for...">Readers for…</a> initiative, and second through their poetry gumball machine.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-12514 aligncenter" src="http://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-18-13-pm-300x73.png" alt="" width="300" height="73" srcset="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-18-13-pm-300x73.png 300w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-18-13-pm-768x187.png 768w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-18-13-pm-1024x250.png 1024w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-18-13-pm.png 1986w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The &#8220;Readers for…&#8221; initiative is led with the goal of upholding and developing ideas of justice, equity, intersectionality, and healing. Currently, &#8220;Readers for…&#8221; is running a program in which they share information regarding gun reform in the US, which can be found on BaM’s &#8220;Readers for…&#8221; page. They have also partnered with author/illustrator Carson Ellis to create <a href="https://booksaremagic.net/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=nQhV0zs_31FnxOMMDaSvxw">beautiful tote bags</a> that say Melt the Guns around an illustration of a pink flower. 100% of the proceeds from the tote sales at BaM will be donated to gun safety reform organization Everytown for Gun Safety. Books Are Magic has also sold T-shirts for LGBTQ+ rights and will continue to inform their community and work for causes that are important to them and their readers.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-12515 aligncenter" src="http://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-17-42-pm-300x200.png" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-17-42-pm-300x200.png 300w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-17-42-pm-768x511.png 768w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-17-42-pm-1024x682.png 1024w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-4-17-42-pm.png 1514w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-12516 aligncenter" src="http://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-3-36-53-pm-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-3-36-53-pm-300x300.png 300w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-3-36-53-pm-150x150.png 150w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-3-36-53-pm-768x771.png 768w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-3-36-53-pm-1021x1024.png 1021w, https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/screen-shot-2019-09-15-at-3-36-53-pm.png 1192w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Books Are Magic also has a “gumball” machine which dispenses poems for $0.25 each. Proceeds from this machine go to a different community organization each month. Last month’s proceeds went to City Harvest — a New York City-based organization whose goal is to keep hungry New Yorkers fed. This September’s sponsored organization is The Brooklyn Book Bodega, “a new non-profit working to get more books in the homes of kids,” says Callery. Books Are Magic has sent gumball proceeds to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, The Trevor Project, The Poetry Foundation, and more.
Books Are Magic invites you all to come check out the pink wonderland of books they have created in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill. “These last two years have been such a learning experience for us!” says Callery about the store’s staff and owners. They hope to share their passion for reading with their neighborhood community and New York as a whole.
<div class="at-below-post-homepage addthis_tool" data-url="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/recklessreader/books-magic-brooklyn-ny/"></div>

Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY

Athena Villard is currently an Assistant Politics Editor at LARB as well as a Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture (CSLC) Major at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Athena grew up in Manhattan, New York, but also spent two of her formative years living in Beirut, Lebanon. At Occidental, Athena is working to develop her CSLC senior comprehensive essay and, upon graduation in 2020, hopes to return to the East Coast and continue her career in editing.