I hope you read this!
The hoarder of books, the avid reader and the bookseller Mohammed El Maghraby who has no house to shelter him, build his a home for himself with books beneath the bridge Fayatt, Cornishe Al Naher in Beirut. Despite the homelessness, his books offered him a humble shelter. But Mohammed, did not think that between day and night, it might all change for better or for worse! As you see in the video, he sits motionless, speechless, statuesque, tearful and painfully gazing at his books that were everything to him. He had a heater to warm himself in the cold and it was cold and now they took everything from him.
In a previous interview by Al Ain News, with Al Maghraby, asking him by what reaosns he ended up to such s tragic situation, he introduced himself:"I am an engineer, a graduate of Cairo (Egypt) University, I am 78 years old, for a year and seven months I have been living in this place, however I thank God for his Grace, I live my like everyone else, eat and drink."
He added:" I had gas, but unfortunately it was stolen, and because necessity is the mother of invention, I managed with a stove on wood, and at a nearby station I take a shower," and continued:" I became a destination for many young men and women who visit me to exchange conversations with me and benefit from my experience."
Regarding where he lived before, he said:" in a house that belonged to my friend in the area of Mirna Al Shalouhi, until he had to demolish the building and ....I ended up homeless." He was also asked about whether he had family or not. He explained:" My wife died a long time ago. Leaving me with three children. Two young men who now live in exile, specifically in Africa, and a married young woman. I do not include them in my concerns and problems, I raised them with tears in the eyes and with them a happy life."
And about his books, he expressed:" I love books. For knowledge is light. I open my eyes in the morning, I grab the book and start reading. Through it, I forget reality and travel to the place it takes me to. I enjoy every word, and I forget time and myself."
He was asked if he sells books to which he answered:" I do not care about money. Whoever asks for a book and doesn't carry money, I will gladly gift it to him/her. What I do care about is that reading does not perish and that the rope of culture is not broken."... And whether he would continue to live under the bridge without shelter, he concluded:"The day will come when my life will change."
And about his favourite books, he passionately explained:"All of them have them their own style and flavour, but I love the dean of Arabic literature Taha Hussein, for he is one of the monumental flags of the Arab Literary Movement in Modern Era."
What threat, what power, what issue, what class, what danger a homeless man poses on? A homeless man who reads, what crimes is he given or seen with?
After the incident, Al Maghraby disappeared. Which made people wonder, between those who said that he went to the police station to file a lawsuit against the people who set the fire and those who said that he went to the historical to receive treatment for the burns he sustained.
Luckily the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and The Public Security took determine the circumstances of the incident, after which they promise to address and enhance the conditions the Librarian Mohammed Al Maghraby by word of the ministry. Before the incident the librarian was visited by members of the government and announced support and charity to improve his life after he his identification papers and others data were verified. His life had a promise of change but this iunforeseable incident changed him drastically. For sadly, the hearts that humans carry are far more crueler than winter will ever be.
May those who set the fire be caught and may Mohammed thrive out of this horror.