Blogging Beirut
Almost one eighth of the population has been displaced (around 1/2 million people), provisions of food and medicine are dangerously dwindling, and the Unicef rightfully declares the situation alarming and catastrophic.
Debates on LBF between Lebanese and Israeli bloggers (which are all supposed to be an educated open-minded bunch in favor of peace, not mutual destruction and killing) are taking dramatic turns each time and bouncing back off the wall of misuderstanding and prejudice.
"I am writing to you because of what happened last night in Beirut", wrote the Israeli to his Lebanese friend, after Israel bombed the International airport. "I feel very sorry for that and I really hope none of your relatives or friends were close to the airport or are located in the area where the problems happened. I know it is very delicate to talk about this, but since we are friends and ex-flatmates, I can't but be concerned." Writes the Israeli. "I won't try to justify the attacks, but you probably know that Lebanon is not innocent from the problems in Israel. I just want to tell you this: Whatever happened in the world, wars, terrorists attacks, etc, I will never consider you as my enemy, because we are friends and nothing is stronger than friendship and love."
I have been calling for peace and for putting internal pressure on Hezbollah to stop its violence, and now it seems that Hezbollah is the one pressuring the rest of us. People criticized me for offering a dissenting opinions and supposedly shattering our unity, while the pro Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and outside have been waging a fierce campaign against all the different factions. Nassrallah to Najah Wakim and all the rest of these guys, they have been attacking all those who stand against them, or have not supported Hezbollah, totally vilifying them, calling them traitors and maybe soon burning them at the stake.
It is shame, and it gives you a snap shot of what will happen if Hezbollah wins… the end of Democracy, the end of freedom of press and the end of Lebanon. Some of you will bombard me with comments saying look at Israel it is destroying Lebanon and killing its people, and if Hezbollah loses then we will be humiliated. That might be true. But this is reality and reality sucks. Nothing is totally black or white. All is gray and dripping with blood. Both prospects of this war are a nightmare; there is no solution that benefits us, the people of Lebanon. Everything benefits some external power. Iran or the USA. Israel or Syria. Our country is once more the battle ground for foreign powers using internal pawns. No matter who wins, Lebanon will lose!
Mana:
It occured to me that a lot of people may have no idea why the Shia in the south support the HA so strongly.
The HA, being far from stupid, spent years being the benefactors of the population of the south that was otherwise largely cut off from the rest of the country. They built homes for them, organised schooling, hospitalised the needy, brought them spiritual support... At the same time, the only thing those simple people (way too illiterate and monolinguistic to have access to many sources of information) ever saw from Israel were bombs falling on their heads and events such as the Qana massacre (for the unaware – a UN compound of the Fijian detachment full of Shia refugees was targeted and bombed some years ago, making the entire world reel).
So exactly how do we explain to these people that the HA who fed, treated, schooled and sheltered them are the bad guys, and that Israel is not evil incarnate? As you can see, they've been told being bombed makes them heroes – and they believe it.
Brainwash is the new Black Plague.
There was a time I supported resolution 425. Today I support Resolution 1559. I want to see the complete disarmament of any and all militias within the borders of Lebanon, period. Now, only if I had a government I can trust.
Everyone who can is leaving. And they’re not just going to sit tight until this ends, packed bags waiting by the door… they’re looking for jobs outside Lebanon, resettling.
The Israeli fantasy of the Lebanese rising up against Hezbollah won’t happen. Why? Because Hezbollah supporters will soon be the only ones left in the country.
Just a few minutes ago, a dear friend of mine called to say he was evacuating in a few hours for the Gulf. One of the people I thought would never leave. But he has no work here anymore, and he just can’t afford to stay. I begged him to promise he’ll come back when this is over. The sadness in his voice as he replied cannot be described.
“Carine… come back to what?”
Jetzt kommentieren!
RSS Weblog
