Lebanese content creator Karen Wazen, a resident of Dubai, recently shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, detailing her emotional struggle and heart-wrenching decision to leave Lebanon due to rising tensions in the region. Like many Lebanese families who had chosen to spend the summer in their homeland, Wazen and her family faced a grim reality as the situation escalated.
In her post, Wazen candidly expressed the internal conflict that plagued her and countless others: the dilemma of staying with loved ones versus the fear of getting caught in a potential conflict. “Do we leave? We have children, is it wiser to leave? What if we get stuck there? What if there is a war?” she shared. Her concerns extended beyond her immediate safety, contemplating the psychological impact on her children and the possibility of them being traumatised by the experience.
Wazen’s words captured the essence of the Lebanese diaspora’s perpetual struggle: the deep-rooted connection to their homeland and the agony of being torn away from it. “My family… I haven’t gotten enough of them, my home, my Lebanon, we are meant to be there for another 3 weeks, my store opening? My grandma…” she added.
Ultimately, Wazen and her family made the heart-wrenching decision to leave, a choice that left her in tears for 48 hours. “I cried for all the pain that we as Lebanese have had to endure since I can remember. I cried for the injustice of it all. I cried for my family, I cried for the ones in Lebanon who have had to deal with so much trauma,” she wrote.
Wazen’s post, which now has over 140,000 likes, resonates with the shared sorrow of the Lebanese people, both within the country and abroad. Many people came to show support on her post, including Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad and famous actress Nadine Nassib Njeim.
“A heartbreak like no other,” commented Nathalie Fanj. “You spoke our feelings. In such situations, we were all debating to leave or to stay,” said content creator Nihal Nour Sard.
“With everything that the world has been able to cancel, how are wars still a thing in 2024??” Wazen asked.
Despite the turmoil, Wazen expressed gratitude for her safety and a longing to return to Lebanon. “I, like every other Lebanese across the world, feel a strong sense of longing… to the hope of a brighter future, to the moment I will step foot back in our beautiful country.”
“Being a child of the Middle East is knowing all too well what this feels like.”
Wazen’s heartfelt message encapsulates the enduring love and hope that Lebanese people hold for their homeland, even in the face of adversity.