It
was 1943 when patriotic, honest and courageous Lebanese Christian and Muslim leaders
peacefully agreed on a "National Pact", a fair formula for sharing power and
honouring Lebanon's Western and Arabic cultures, enabling the country to gain it's
independence from France. It was Forty-seven years later that the "Taef
Accord" was forced upon the people of Lebanon by cowardly and subservient Christian
and Muslim leaders through which Lebanon's independence was marginalized and the
sovereignty annulled. Accordingly, Lebanon's identity, culture and history were
murdered.
On October the 13th of 1990, Syrian tanks with their local puppets in the back rolled into
the Presidential palace ending the last remaining resistance against the Syrian hegemony,
while the whole world stood silent focusing on Iraq's Saddam Hussien and his invasion to
Kuwait. Syria was given full control over Lebanon for its pro Western roll in the
Gulf war that year.
The Lebanese philosopher, Gibran Khalil Gibran wrote, "Woe to the nation that sees
the victor's pomp as the perfection of virtue, and in whose eyes the ugliness of the
conqueror is beauty". We wonder how could any Lebanese even think of
celebrating Lebanon's Independence Day when this independence became just a memory under
the barbaric Syrian occupation?
The Beirut puppet regime, who is orchestrating the phoney celebrations is ignoring the
fact thousands of Lebanese patriotic have given their lives fighting 'Henry Kissinger's'
plan that aimed to turn Lebanon into a substitute Palestinian State? It is ignoring too
that the Lebanese Army and the people fought fiercely against the invading Syrian Army in
13th of October 1990. Hundreds were massacred, and hundreds fell during the battle of
honour. The Lebanese lost the battle and since then Lebanon is an occupied country
governed by a Syrian installed regime.
It is a disgrace and a horrible shame for any Lebanese to celebrate the Independence Day,
except through prayers and hard work to reclaim the confiscated independence. It is a kind
of treason to even think that our country is independent when it's decision making process
is in Damascus and not in Beirut.
How could any Lebanese with dignity and self-respect pose and celebrate the independence
Day when hundreds of innocent Lebanese citizens, women, men, clergymen, army officers,
soldiers and politicians are still arbitrarily detained in the Syrian jails without any
kind of trial or even knowledge of thereabouts?
For Heaven sake, how can any Lebanese, no matter what his political or religious
affiliation is, keep a blind eye on the horrible atrocities committed on daily basis
against the people of Lebanon?
How could we celebrate when Syria has crippled our beloved Lebanon with tens of imposed
and unfair treaties under the disguise of Co-operation and Brotherhood? Lebanon is not
currently an independent country, but a satellite fully controlled by the Syrian Stalinist
Baathist regime.
Those who celebrate the Independence Day as if the country is independent are either
mentally sick, living in a world of fantasy detached from the bitter reality, or blind,
deaf, mute and in a kind of physical and mental coma. Meanwhile the minority who
have lost all patriotic affiliations and accepted the slave's role cannot be blamed
because initially they did not believe in the identity, entity or Lebanonism.
We the patriotic and sovereignists youth in occupied Lebanon and in Diaspora shall not
celebrate the Independence Day, not this year on November 23, 2002, or in any coming year
before we reclaim back our country and it's confiscated Independence. Till the day of
liberation becomes a reality, we will keep praying and remembering our nation's martyr's
who died for the 10452 km doctrine. Lebanon has seen for the past 7000 years hundreds of
invaders, tyrants and conquerors. They all left and Lebanon the sovereignty, freedom,
dignity and distinguishable identity remained. With the patriots' devotion, faith,
perseverance and sacrifices our people and our holy country shall be victorious
again...then and only then we will celebrate the independence Day.
Long Live Free Lebanon