Ten Canadian Lebanese NGO's Condemn the wicked Baathist's Recent Crime Committed against Lebanon & Its Oppressed People
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15/2005
A CRIME THAT WILL NOT SNUFF OUT THE FLAME
OF FREEDOM
The criminals hands have struck again the security, hopes and aspirations of the
entire Lebanese people. With the assassination of Ex - Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, the target is the Lebanese people's coexistence, love of peace and
determination to free its country from the hegemony and tyranny of the Syrian
occupation, armed militias and the local ruling collaborators.
The fears and expectations of French President Chirac have materialized. He had
officially warned Syria the day before yesterday against harming President
Hariri and MP Walid Jumblatt. Clearly, the warning has fallen on deaf ears that
listen only to the voice of evil and crime and have no consideration for values,
principles or rights.
The crime that took the life of Prime Minister Hariri was planned and executed
by the forces that have gripped Lebanon for 28 years, that are well-known, and
that are determined with all the means of threats and repression to keep Lebanon
as a hostage and a field for its terrorism and fundamentalism, and to prevent
the Lebanese people from recovering lost sovereignty,
hijacked independence and repressed freedoms.
The organizations signing this statement strongly denounce the assassination of
Mr. Hariri and calls on the Canadian government and the rest of the free world,
the United Nations Organization and all other organizations that are concerned
with human rights to deal with the Syrian Baathist regime with severity, clarity
and a constancy of policy in order to stop that regime's blatant attack on our
subjugated people in our homeland Lebanon, and to force it by all means
available to abide by UN resolution 1559 and let the Lebanese manage their
affairs by themselves. We call on all those parties and friend of Lebanon to set
up an international commission of legal experts who are charged with the mission
to conduct the necessary
investigations not only in the assassination of Hariri, but also in the dozens
of similar crimes that have taken the lives of Lebanese leaders and citizens who
stood against the Syrian occupation of their country.
We offer all the Lebanese people, resident and emigrant, and the family of the
victims, our condolences and pledge to them that we will remain their voice and
their conscience, and the nation's faithful guardians.
Signed By:
Robert Hanna/ Council of the Lebanese Canadian Organizations –COLCO
Edmond El-Chidiac/ Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation - CLHRF
Wlliam Azzi /Lebanese Information Centre - Canada - LIC-Canada
George Chamoun/Action For Lebanon, Canada – ALC
Chahid Zeidan/ Canadian Lebanese cultural club – CLCC
Charbel Barakat/The World Lebanese Organization, Canada -WLO
George Chedid/ Phoenician Club of Mississauga – PCM
Camille Bhersafi/ The Canadian Lebanese Christian Heritage Club - CLCHC
Toni Muwanis/Canadian Phoenician Community Services Club – CPCSC
Elias Bejjani/ Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council - LCCC