This letter was printed in the UAE’s 7Days tabloid-style newspaper today:
Your story ‘Battered For Parking Spot’ (November 2), brought back the memories of a nightmare I encountered in the parking lot at Mall of the Emirates.
I was walking through the parking area when a Land Rover with red Abu Dhabi licence plates, drove right up to me and stopped less than an inch from my legs. I was so alarmed and shocked! I stopped and told the young Lebanese lady to please slow down and be careful.
Then lady pressed on her gas pedal and actually hit me in my knees.
Horrible road rage, right? But how did she know the lady was Lebanese? Not to worry, the writer explains:
I know she was Lebanese by her general appearance and attitude. I was not guessing her nationality, nor am I maligning her nationality, as I have many, friends from Lebanon.
I just couldn’t stop laughing. I was expecting something like “I saw a cedar tree-shaped piece of wood hanging from the rear-view mirror” or the “Lebanese flag bumper sticker”. Not “her general appearance and attitude”!
Well, this isn’t the first time Lebanese have been profiled in the Letters to the Editor section of the same newspaper. Here’s one during the World Cup:
Well another FIFA World Cup is nearly upon us.
Just wanted to write in to put a guess on the number of our fellow expats from Lebanon who suddenly become one of the following nations: Brazil, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Argentina or another nation who is likely to win the final…! It’s strange how nobody from Lebanon supports some of the smaller nations like Slovenia or Honduras…
Man Utd fan
Never been to Manchester
Aren’t we a fascinating bunch? We act differently while abroad (than we would act in Lebanon) yet it seems we can be spotted a mile away.
such stereotyping in offending beyond belief!!
and even more disgusting that a stupid editor would actually find that “publish” worthy! ..
i for one is a lebanese in UAE, that always gets mixed up for something else.. even though to people that know me, am too lebanese to be true!
still disgusted!
I have to confess that I have been known to stereotype Lebanese – I’ve been told numerous times that I’m very different from most Lebanese but never confronted the person on what they actually meant (deep down I knew what they were talking about).
Had the Pakistani office driver approach me once asking if I’m Lebanese. I told him I was and his response was disbelief: “You can’t be Lebanese because you are kind to me.”
The question remains, what is the source of this profiling and how can it be tackled? I really don’t have an answer.