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| Artwork by Tarek Chemaly |
November 2004, Rafic Hariri:
إني استودع الله هذا الوطن الحبيب لبنان
July 2021, Saad Hariri:
الله يعين البلد
The first sentence roughly means "I place this beloved country as a deposit in the hands of God", the second "may God help this country".
Essentially, the late father, and the son (both were head of governments as it seems hereditary in Lebanon), were saying the same thing in different words. But it also underscores what the father had and the son lacked: An incredible charisma. When his guard was down, Rafic Hariri was a very likeable man. Asked during an interview what he did when he got he did when he earned his first million, he said "I went to the mirror and patted my own shoulder, and then I said "now go and lose a few kilos!"". So again, whereas the two men meant the same thing, one - the father - was able to articulate it in a way that still resonates, worded it in a very languishingly eloquent way. The son was more blunt.
Perhaps - sometimes - it is all in the way one puts things, as the message will still be understood.
(Disclosure: I have interviewed Saad Hariri previously on one on one basis for a project pertaining to a client of mine)
