Reminder: Lebanon's Tripoli is much more than bullet holes and extremists

A lot of people are upset after the BBC released a Pop Up documentary focusing on tensions in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli.

While the documentary sheds light on some issues facing residents of parts of the city, many Lebanese are frustrated that the city only gets negative spotlight. Many are calling it "orientalist", "distorted" and "shallow" on social media.

We talked to Mira Minkara, a Lebanese woman who grew up in Tripoli and who now leads tours of her native city, to get her perspective on why these types of representations have become so frustrating.

Through her business – Mira's Guided Tours – Minkara has already been challenging the negative stereotypes of her city and her homeland.

"It makes me upset because I’m from Tripoli and I’m a tour guide and my job and my passion are about showing that Tripoli is not, as Benjamin says [the BBC journalist in the documentary], extremely conservative," Minkara told StepFeed.

"When I see such reports, I feel kind of upset and sad and tired of this media coverage, which is very, let’s say simplistic, and in my opinion one-sided and also very sensational," she said. 

"Tripoli is like all cities in Lebanon. There are areas in each city of Lebanon that are conservative and there are others that are open and modern," Minkara said, explaining that it's frustrating to see journalists only focusing on the negative aspects. 

While Minkara admits that their are some areas of the city, just like many places throughout Lebanon and the world, where people are more "conservative," she said this does not define Tripoli.

"There is this stigma about Tripoli that is really untrue because Tripoli is after all the second biggest city in Lebanon and it's very diverse," she said.

In Minkara's opinion, the documentary also focused a lot on "old news."

The BBC journalist in the video talks to men that previously fought in inter-sectarian clashes that took place in an impoverished, troubled area of the city back in 2014.

"I mean, the battles stopped in 2014, we’re in 2017. His news is so out of date," Minkara said.

Minkara said she sees international media coverage of Tripoli as getting "boring" and "unrealistic," pointing to the significant economic and creative ventures taking place in the city. She feels a more nuanced and accurate representation is necessary to correct the misconceptions.

"Of course the city has problems, like any other city in the world,"  Minkara said.

"But I really don't feel there is a problem of violence in this city. I feel very safe. I go around at night. I don't feel at all that there is this problem of violence," she said. 

"Let me tell you about Tripoli if you don't know," Najy Saad El-Dine Fakhoury, who identifies herself as a native of Tripoli, posted on Facebook.

"It is a safe city, where all people living in it are happy, enjoy life and spend most of their time in coffee shops, restaurants, sports clubs, pubs, nightclubs, beaches, etc.," she said. "Most of my friends from Beirut, southern Lebanon, eastern Lebanon, as well as from abroad have visited this city and fell in love with it."