Dear Mr. Kheireddine,
I was shocked and saddened to find out that the front cover of “hunting & safari” features none other than you, Marwan Kheireddine, lecturer in Finance at AUB and minister of state, posing with a freshly killed lion. I cannot begin to express how outraged I was upon discovering that such behavior is being encouraged.
Let’s get something straight. You are hunting for the love of shooting and killing. Let us please save some time and admit that the reason why anyone would go pose in front of their murdered victim and smile a smile of victory is because they enjoy the very act of hunting, of killing, of watching an animal die of its wounds. You’ve killed lions, leopards, crocodiles, bears, ibexes, and whatever looks big and majestic. You enjoy the very act of murder and the power that comes from it. Let’s remember that if people like you had any compassion in their hearts, they wouldn’t kill in the first place – not killing is an actual option. If killing an animal was not about the joy of killing, hunters like you wouldn’t display so much pride in their kill; they would show some humility and not advertise death. No, this is about showing your masculinity. It is about feeling equipped with gigantic balls pumping testosterone until nothing is left but a shell of an adrenaline-filled man dedicated to kill and smile while doing it.
I expect your apologists to use the traditional arguments used to justify such barbarity, namely the money gained (“it can be used to help people!”), and the ‘environmental’ and, dare I say it, ‘moral’ pseudo-argument (“we only hunt really old animals who are about to die anyway and we probably made its death less painful”). These arguments don’t hold water. The conservationist’s biggest obstacle is precisely the expensive price of these magnificent beasts – we’d have a much easier time doing our job if they weren’t. And I don’t think I should bother debunking the second one.
I’d truly love to believe that any post I write would make a difference. Imagine a post like this one converting a hunter into someone who likes deathless sports – too good to be true. But what I can do is urge all those who are already appalled by this to join and support NGOs such as BETA – Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals-, Animals Lebanon, ESMA – Egyptian Society for Mercy for Animals-, SPARE – Society for the Protection of Animal Rights in Egypt – and all the other NGOs in our region working, often with extremely difficult obstacles to overcome, to fight cruelty towards animals. Although they do not directly address the issue (yet) at hand – I suspect it being not that common compared to other acts of cruelty; just common enough – they oppose wildlife trade and would support discouraging and condemning the murder of lions and other wild animals. Only when enough people are actively participating in improving the condition of living beings would blood ‘sports’ like ‘sport’ hunting be considered unacceptable.
Update: I found another person who also wrote an open letter.
Hummus For Thought 
omg thats horrible!!!!! im with u in every word u wrote, joey!!!
the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable
Reblogged this on Ned Hamson Second Line View of the News.
Even though it is heartbreaking to know this. It is not surprising, knowing that he is part of team of political group (not only the party, the entire regime) that was part of the Lebanese Civil War. These people have killed people using guns for 15 years, and keep on killing people daily through governance malpractice.
I wasn’t shocked to see this, I guess all the heads of this state have a similar disgusting activity, we just are too lazy to look for them.
This is quite sickening. One offshoot of a monkey (an unendangered species), using a destructive mechanical tool, to kill other creatures. It would be a better hunt if he goes bare-handed and try to slay the lion (an endangered species) he just killed with his rifle. Better yet, why not invent his own rifle? A Lebanese minister (good for nothing in a sectarian sick society) and a lecturer of finance (an outdated and corrupt field that failed miserably) takes his anger and rage on innocent creatures. Anger management and organizational behaviour may help. Killing will lead to more killings and I pray that one of these lions or other carnivores may find you one day and eat you as a little snack between breakfast and lunch.
Utterly disgusted. What a coward he is. I dare say he wouldn’t be so brave without the gun. This is a frightened boy in a mans body.
Its sad so sad and sick to have an educated young man chasing animal in the wild and killing them just for the sake of showing off , take pictures with his fatalities and propably eat them later on. I would like to see you Marwan going bare-handed trying to slay a lion, ONLY then you can be proud and post your pictures showing your masculinity to the public. Trust me their is lots of beautiful outdoor activities in this world other than killing innocent animals. You defenitely need medical professional help to overcome your complex and hopefully stop that ugly act of murder and have comapssion in your heart. All I can hope for now is for your family and friends to be safe having you around them because if you love killing that much it means you can’t Differentiate between a human being and an animal while animals CAN……
How can a president of a country encourage killing of such kind, this is inhuman what he is doing. Trophy hunting should be illegal any where in planet earth. People like him are destroying our planet.
this is sickening
A man who kills for pleasure is empty on the inside, he needs to fill his life with love.
Same guy that wants to destroy the Roman ruins in Beirut? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24222755
Yes. Quite the moral man he is.
This is absolutely disgusting! How can anyone like you, supposedly educated, show such pride in doing something as despicable as killing innocent animals??! Shame on you🤬🤬🤬🤬
This is a disgusting inhuman coward. He is sick and definitely needs a therapy. I wish him lots of love cause he certainly doesn’t have any of it.