(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanon’s Environment Minister Mohamad Machnouk has been silent on his personal Facebook profile since August 12 after he faced backlash for sharing landscape photos amid the widely reported trash crisis.
Machnouk, 74, who previously worked in press and photography, formerly served in various media roles and as president of the Federation of Arab News Agencies.
But his favorite hobby isn’t making some people smile. Amid the widely reported trash crisis which has left Lebanon’s streets piling with uncollected garbage, Machnouk may have found peace in his own photos — but some Lebanese citizens haven’t.
“I think it should be better for you that you find solution for the waste crisis instead of putting these silly photos,” wrote one Facebook user.
“(sic) Do u think you’ll be able to take such nice pics in the near future with all the dirt piling up in so many outdoor areas of our beautiful country?” wrote another.
Machnouk, who actively used Facebook for photo-sharing, deleted his most recent post and has remained silent since.
Protesters are calling for his resignation for his failure to solve the trash crisis, which has been going on for more than a month.
But on Saturday, Machnouk reiterated that he would not resign during the country’s “critical stage.”
“There is joint responsibility,” he said in comments to An-Nahar newspaper. “The resignation of the Cabinet is out of the question for all political powers because it means a leap into a vacuum and chaos.”