Saad Hariri released a statement today commemorating the death of Nelson Mandela, which contained the following sentence:
“بلغ مانديلا من العمر حدود المئة، وبقي حتى اللحظة الاخيرة من حياته قطعة نادرة من الذهب الأسمر التي تلمع في ارجاء البشرية، وتقدم في كل يوم أمثلة حية عن قيم الصفح والمصالحة والاعتراف بالآخر، وإنزال العقاب المعنوي والأخلاقي بكل المفاهيم التي تجعل من الانسان وحشا ضاريا يخوض صراع البقاء بروح التسلط والاستئثار والانتقام”.
“Mandela nearly reached the age of a hundred, and remained until the last minute of his life a rare piece of brown gold glittering over humanity, presenting live examples of the values of forgiveness, reconciliation, the recognition of the other… etc.”
I hereby announce a competition to find an even more insulting way for a Lebanese leader to commemorate the great man. Leave your suggestions in the comment section below. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- “He was an obsidian rock of hope in the whitewater rapids of prejudice…”
- “He was the black hole that made all the racism in the galaxy go away…”
- “He was the brown bread that made humanity’s diet so much healthier…”
It’s days like this…
Qifa Nabki 
I shudder to think how the Golden Sa’d would likely refer to Native Americans….. Perhaps he could name the next NFL expansion team?
Posted by Jim Reilly | December 6, 2013, 6:35 pmIndeed.
Posted by Qifa Nabki | December 6, 2013, 6:37 pmSuch sensitivities. The Middle East has been a cesspool of racism and intolerance for decades, especially against “The Apartheid State”.
“Brown gold” is nothing.
Posted by Akbar Palace | December 6, 2013, 10:56 pmThis is priceless, alas, for all the obvious reasons, none more glaring than Hariri’s boorishness and idiocy. The interesting question is, Did this small man think up this eulogy all on his own, or did the usual small minds around him figure this one out for him as well?
Posted by Amal | December 7, 2013, 1:31 amMost Arab politicians, know nothing and when they speak, and it shows….that is why this country never progresses…on the contrary. it remains a cesspool of corruption controlled by unmerited public figures.Where the children of these so-called leaders “inherit” their posts having no political education,while they deny the opportunity for those who are really capable of governing, to have a say.Nelson Mandela was a great man and there is no one in the whole Middle East, Today, that who is worth commenting on him,We dream of a Mandela to rise up in this part of the world, but, if he had lived here he would have died, forgotten and rotting in some prison waiting for his trial.
Posted by Dunia Garib | December 7, 2013, 2:57 am– “He was the dark fuel that powered the engines of change…”
– “He was a Périgord truffle growing under a soil of hatred…”
– “He was the spread of Nutella that made the white and brown sides of the pita bread stick together…”
Posted by mas | December 7, 2013, 3:40 amSpeechless! Crude and clueless! Fire the PR guy ya Saad.
Posted by danny | December 7, 2013, 8:44 amHe was the irresistible brown chocolate that conquered the white supremacist cream and together they became a delicious “Tête de nègre” for the hungry humanity.
Posted by Vulcan | December 7, 2013, 8:50 amYou guys are a little too accomplished at this.
Posted by Qifa Nabki | December 7, 2013, 9:09 amWe work for cousin Saad lol
Posted by Vulcan | December 7, 2013, 9:54 amHe was the black DIAMOND held under tons of pressure by the hateful tectonic pressure of white south african zircons.
Posted by Hala | December 7, 2013, 10:00 amDunia Garib,
Well said.
Posted by Akbar Palace | December 7, 2013, 10:22 amDon’t worry Nelson, you weren’t the only brown gold politician to get picked on…
http://www.wnd.com/2006/07/37251/
Posted by Akbar Palace | December 7, 2013, 2:34 pmA veritable gushing of sweet light crude amidst vast barren reserves of heavy sour.
Posted by lally | December 7, 2013, 3:05 pmall of you are posting here, but your words would have more meaning if you tweeted responses to this racist “tribute”. people and posts like this must be called out to confront this embarrassment and this racism that pervades our societies.
Posted by susanabulhawa | December 7, 2013, 3:08 pmHe was the black stallion in the race to end racial prejudice…
Posted by Ziad Moubarak (@ZiadMoubarak) | December 7, 2013, 3:23 pmHe clearly meant well. That was his idea of eulogizing Mandela. I’m not defending him though, it just shows how out of touch he is with public opinion, and with what people consider to be politically correct/incorrect, rather than his racism. Him and his shitty PR team which probably came up with this sentence, we all know Sheikh Saad can barely string 2 words together.
the saddest part is that many people in Lebanon will continue to argue to themselves and to others that the likes of him (and others from both camps) are fit to lead this country, when every time these ‘leaders’ open their mouths their words drip with incompetence and naivete.
Posted by Ali | December 7, 2013, 6:58 pm“He was the black olive that was ground and squeezed for 27 years to yield the yummy golden oil of freedom and democracy. White labneh never tasted better.”
Posted by amorethoxin | December 7, 2013, 7:43 pmIf Nelson Mandela heard Saad he would pity him first for his ignorance second for his ego and third for choosing false words to describe the legacy of a Freedom Fighter and a Wise Soul . What an ignorant arrogant insensitive statement ! Clearly Saad never knew Mandela the prisoner for freedom , the teacher of non violent resistance , the warrior for South Africa s liberation .
Posted by Samar dudin | December 7, 2013, 11:36 pmThis reminds me of when the ARM lebanon posted a youtube video using blackface
http://www.antiracismmovement.com/2012/05/important-message-to-everyone-who_26.html
Posted by tamer k | December 8, 2013, 3:31 amI think the most important question is what is Saad’s pet name for Bandar since they are probably seeing so much of each other in regards to their failed adventure in Syria… Black Gold?
Posted by tamer k | December 8, 2013, 3:40 amFor the archive:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/2013/12/08/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin
http://whoghouta.blogspot.de/
Let’s see what the UN “experts” will make of that
Posted by Mina | December 8, 2013, 10:54 amNo Tamer, I don’t think that is the most important question.
I am not angry at Saad for this, I was a little disappointed that his 4 years at my Alma Mater didn’t teach him to at least predict a negative reaction to that kind of statement. Alas, I just rolled my eyes and deduced that, as usual, politicians in Lebanon would be better off keeping their mouths shut. They don’t even seem to get fake expression of emotions in their unprompted condolences right.
And to Samar, I disagree with you, Saad didn’t know Mandela, but maybe you don’t either. I wouldn’t come close to describing Mandela as “the teacher of non violent resistance” or the “warrior for South Africa’s liberation”. For the majority of his politically active life prior to the abolition of apartheid, Mandela was an advocate of Fanon style fight violence with violence.
Posted by M Alloush | December 8, 2013, 7:02 pmSaad Hariri’s “brown gold” comment sure has this website in turmoil.
I think that’s funny.
Meanwhile good ‘ol BB is skipping the holy man’s funeral.
http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-missing-mandela-memorial-cost-reasons-004144116.html
Posted by Akbar Palace | December 8, 2013, 11:49 pmAfter the “DR” Liz Obagy debacle, it is refreshing to read some analysis from someone who is passionate and well versed in his analysis when presenting to the United States Congress.
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/interviews/524755-524755-talking-to-phillip-smyth
Posted by tamer k | December 10, 2013, 2:47 amHere’s Naharnet’s very unfortunate translation of what Suleiman had to say: “President Michel Suleiman paid tribute to Nelson Mandela, saying: ‘By his absence the world loses a man who believed in humanitarian values despite the race and color.'”
Posted by Dave | December 10, 2013, 11:02 amNelson Mandela’s odd relationship with jews and Israel:
http://www.jta.org/2011/07/18/the-archive-blog/timeline-nelson-mandelas-complex-and-storied-jewish-relationships
Posted by Akbar Palace | December 10, 2013, 11:30 pmCome on guys dont be Harsh. The man is still learning.
Posted by aoibrahim | December 11, 2013, 1:58 am