Rime Allaf : This clip will make you very angry! Such scumbags get away with this thuggery because their superiors are thugs too, and those above them are even bigger thugs, all the way to the top. There is no accountability for their behavior as they rule in their little fiefdoms, but I’d love to see them in a place where there is the rule of law – the bastard would be shaking in his flip-flops!

Friday, July 15, 2011 | 12:16 Beirut Subscribe to NOW Lebanon RSS feeds

Caught on tape: Baath Party leader terrorizes Saida pharmacy
Posted by: Angie Nassar share
Thursday, July 14. 2011

Mustapha Qawas, the head of the Baath party in Saida, assaulted a woman identified as the owner of the Bashasha pharmacy and her staff on Sunday, and the whole incident was caught on tape.

It’s not clear if the pharmacy is pressing charges. But what’s clear is that Qawas and his “thugs” are way out of line: swearing, smashing things, physically assaulting and threatening harm.

The story begins off camera, when Qawas’ nephew allegedly went to the pharmacy to buy medicine, but didn’t have enough money to pay for it. The owner apparently turned the boy away.

The action starts at around 2:53 in the video when a group of men, led by Qawas, can be seen storming into the pharmacy.

Qawas aggressively questions the woman: “So you asked him if he was my nephew or not? (repeats)
When I tell you he’s my nephew, then he’s my nephew (apparently referring to a phone call they’d had after the boy was turned away from the pharmacy).

Woman: “I was asking him….”

Qawas: “I told you he was my nephew, so is he my nephew or not?” (He knocks over a display at the register)

“So is he my nephew or is he not?”

(The male pharmacist can be seen trying to shield the woman from Qawas who becomes increasingly aggressive.)

Qawas to the man: “Where are you putting your hand? … everyone go out… go out, take them out.”

“I call you and you say this to me. I can f*ck god.”

(3:35 — swats something off the table)

“You want to call the police, you want to call anyone you want… I don’t care. When you talk to me you talk to me with respect.”

(As Qawas curses several family surnames, you can see the male pharmacist trying to shield the woman again)

Qawas to the man: “Remove your hand, remove your hand I’m telling you I will shoot you.”

(3:50 One of Qawas’ men grabs the pharmacist’s coat and pulls him across the counter.)

Qawas to the woman: “You don’t say a word.”

“The biggest judge in this country, I will f*ck him. When you talk to me, you talk to me with respect or I will fuck your god. Are you understanding me?”(Repeats several times) “I’m talking to you .”

Woman: “What do you want?”

Qawas: “I want you to tell me, did you understand? Did you understand me? Tell me, did you understand or no?”

(A man approaches the woman and Qawas and appears to want to hit her.)

Woman: “I understand.”

(Qawas walks away and pushes the computer monitor to the ground.)

Qawas: “Yalla, call the police. Call them and see what’s going to happen to you.”

(A domestic migrant worker can be seen going to comfort the owner around 4:30, and then she ends up fainting at 5:15)

A second exchange happens around 5:51 in the video. Qawas and his men return after the male pharmacist had apparently gone outside to apologize to customers.

Male pharmacist: “I was just apologizing to her. I swear I wasn’t telling her anything, I was just apologizing.”

Qawas and his men demand the pharmacist go outside with them.

Male pharmacist: “Why? What’s wrong? I promise I was just apologizing.”

Qawas: “C’mon, go out with respect (as in, ‘don’t let us drag you out the door’).”

Qawas: “I’m telling you. I’m Mustapha Qawwas. God talks to me with respect. You know police? You know the head of the cabinet? (Even they can’t do anything to me) I’m gonna break down this place. I’m gonna shoot both you and the police. I am waiting for you. My soldiers will be waiting. I am the head of the Baath Party. You know what I mean? I don’t even see god. (I’m not even afraid of god). If I hear anyone saying a word, in the name of god I’m going to break down this pharmacy.

At the beginning….(*difficult to understand*) But now it’s against everyone. Wait and see what I’ll do with you.”

(Thank you to NOW Lebanon’s Nadine Elali who contributed to reporting on this blog post.)