Back when Martyr’s Square was the commercial hub of Beirut, a group of Moroccan immigrants scattered across its outskirts constituted one of its hallmarks. Each of them carried long beads with which he would foretell the future of passers-by and tell them of the fortunes about to fall into their lap. In fact, they knew people’s names as well, reading them in the lines of their palms and murmuring them. If your name was not Joseph, then it was Saleem or Haleem.
Who were the passers-by of Martyrs Square in that era? They were ordinary people who had descended from the mountains or come from the countryside in search of a new life away from their homes in an unfamiliar city they knew nothing about. The Moroccan fortune-tellers went back home, Martyrs Square was deserted, and palm readers began reading the press and foretelling the fates and diseases coming to us and the names of future presidents and prime ministers. They present free analyses of the war in Ukraine.
In their own way, a large number of journalists around the world make predictions of the events to come. Usually, they anticipate the obvious or offer us vague speculation about developments that could occur anywhere and at any time. The caliber of their analyses is often no better than that of the fortune-telling in Martyr’s Square, Saleem, or Haleem. The miserable and hopeless read their fortunes in the bottom of coffee cups. And there are entire nations who wait on the side of the road to find out whether mercy is coming their way or their crushing tribulation with go on.
Three well-intentioned parties take part in this annual festival: those who claim to see the future, TV broadcasters, and hundreds of thousands of viewers. It is a profitable sport for some that reassures everyone involved, except those who end up mired in “doom and gloom.” “I see a large question mark hanging over X politician” - a small question mark would draw little attention. He thus implants seeds of anxiety in the minds of many as they await the next year. This series of speculations is not devoid of personal interests, veneration, and praise. Some of the names involved are laughable and reminiscent of the Moroccan fortune-tellers and their long beads. The men and women who foretell the future can be divided into three categories: national, Arab, and global.
They could have an audience in China, Russia, and Mongolia waiting to hear the predictions of how their countries will be ruled. Facts are important because they are the light that illuminates our path. Positive aspirations are a human right, as are wishes and hopes, especially in countries languishing in suffering. The facts are shrouded in darkness. Besides that, let them enjoy themselves.
