In 1940, Omar Zaani wrote a poem titled “بدنا بحرية يا ريس”, in which he criticized the French Mandate of Lebanon and the first president of the state of Greater Lebanon, Charles Debbas. As a result, Debbas issued a decree in which he ordered deporting Zaani to the Batroun court. Hence, Zaani decided to resign from his job in Al-Bidaya court in Beirut (in Arabic: محكمة البداية في بيروت), and devote himself to his art.