Elissa: I do not allow anyone to lay a hand on me…and words can be as deadly as a knife!

The Lebanese artist Elissa confirmed that she did not allow anyone to lay a hand on her in any form of violence, explaining that she once confronted someone who tried to do that, but she warned him of the consequences of that at the time.

She added during the “Big Time” podcast with the journalist Amr Adeeb, broadcast on “MBC1” on Wednesday evening, that she does not accept anyone attacking her, whether by hand or by word, explaining that a person is the one who decides to surrender himself to violence. Whether he accepts it or not.

She explained that verbal violence is no less dangerous than physical violence. In fact, it may be more influential sometimes, noting that some words may be harsh “like knives,” as bullying and verbal abuse may push a person to think about ending his life.

She stressed the need to be careful about the impact of violence on children, especially verbal violence, pointing out that describing a child as a failure or ugliness may negatively affect his life.

Journalist Amr Adeeb commented on Elissa’s statements, mocking his exposure to verbal violence from his mother in his childhood without feeling hurt, saying: “My mother kept telling me a lot, ‘You are a failure,’ and she did not disagree with me, nor did I feel in need.”

Elissa explained that people’s ability to deal with verbal violence varies from one person to another, saying that Adeeb’s reaction indicates his intelligence and his ability to develop himself, but not all people may have the same ability.