This is 52 yo Jihad Bayan who was born and raised in Baalbek, located in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. This is a UNESCO site, dating back to 9000 B.C., home to UNESCO-listed Roman temples.

Many businesses in the Baalbek and Beqaa region has been incessantly targeted by Israel, airstrikes hitting civlian homes and shops. The town dates back to Phoenician times, also reflecting its Greco, Roman, Ottoman and Arab past. The Roman ancient ruins here are a tourist attraction for Baalbek, a town usually teaming with visitors. Most businesses have since been forced to close. Those who have chosen to remain in the area remain primarily in their homes. Many have been forcefully displaced to Beirut, Saida, Tripoli, Zahle and other parts of Lebanon deemed safer but nowhere is safe as Israel do not adhere to any rules.

A day before this interview, Israel bombed an area right near the ruins, right in front of Jihad's clothing store, killing 4 people. Jihad runs a women's clothing store a stone's throw away from the site of the bombing. She specialises in hand embroidery, spending hours adorning abayas and jalabiyas with beautiful Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian hand embroidery that is a bit of a lost art nowadays. Many shophouses were significantly damaged and are closed but Jihad's store remains open, mended by makeshift wooden panels and duct tapes where glass panels used to be. When I asked her why she has kept her store open and if she was afraid, she explained that she was born in Baalbek, and Lebanese people lovea life! She is not used to sitting at home and therefore would rather open her shop and continue to work. She passionately explained that she loves the air that she breathes, she loves the water that she drinks, she loves the land that she is on and she will never leave. Just like fish, if they leave the water they will die. It is the same for her. Islam also gives her the patience and the strength to help her through this. It is without a dou