Lebanon is Burning and Other Dispatches

by Jane Burns

Lebanon is Burning and Other Dispatches is unlike any other graphic novel that I have read. Yazan Al Saddi is the author of the 14 dispatches (stories) which are coupled with seven different comic artists’ renditions of the events covered in the story.  Some artists contribute to more than one dispatch.

This approach of having a different artist draw in a different format adds to complexity and engagement which allows the reader to fully experience this work from multiple perspectives.

In the acknowledgements section Al Saddi sets the tone of the work with a credit to Fadi Baki who is described as “one of the godfathers of the current age of comics in the Arab world [p. vi].” With a recognition of “… the countless brave people in the [Arab world] region who resisted and some continue to resist in spite of the horrific odds. From Palestine to Yemen, Syria to Bahrain, Egypt to Morocco and beyond. The struggle is never, ever truly over [vi]”.

The dispatches are set in in various places, such as Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Sudan. Each dispatch is presented as a news story. This is especially effective in the dispatch about Humanitarian Workers (13 – 17) which highlights experience of those involved in Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders. This is a hard-hitting expose of the experiences and realities of the humanitarian industry. The dispatch approach is also very informative and immersive. Through these representations I have learned a great deal about recent historical events and geo political situations. Each dispatch provides a historical vignette to set the scene for the comics panels to come. This provides the reader with enough information to engage with the comic format which invites the reader into the story in the ways only comics can do. Especially for this reader I wanted to keep reading to learn more.

The Medical topics in some of the dispatches include the experiences of medical professions in Eight Years of Unrest in Syria (28-42) that provide insights into the experiences of attacks on hospitals, medical professionals as part of the war strategy by the Assad regime and its allies. The extraordinary effort and innovations that need to be engaged with when trying to provide even the most basic medical care, in the most dire situations. All the while being caught in the cross fire. The challenge to remain professional in the middle of such inhumanity is challenging.

I was especially moved by the dispatch- “Whose Lives Matter, Death in the Periphery [140 – 148]” dispatch. When we read or hear about a political uprising, conflicts and wars in the world, the impact on the people is often lost in the coverage.

This book is brave. It engages with lots of emotive, political and socially complex topics, many of these are recent events. Insights into the devastation of the ordinary citizens in light of the broader global vision is impressive.

This book provides background and historical contexts for reader to gain better understanding but more importantly it is written and illustrated in such a way that the reader will feel compelled to learn more.

Editor’s note: The seven comic artists are Tracy Chahwan, Ganzeer, Ghadi Ghosen, Omar Khouri, Sirène Moukheiber, Hicham Rahma, and Enas Satir.

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Jane Burns is the Director of Education & Public Engagement at the Technological University of Ireland in Ireland who is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at Dublin City University researching the Role of Graphic Medicine. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeaburns/