My Country’s enemy
By: Colonel Fayez Karam

It is not easy for Arabs to forget a theatrical scene played by Deryed Laham, the famous Syrian comedian years ago. At the end of his well-known play "A toast for you, my country" Laham addressed his deceased father, reassuring him about the fate of family, friends and the progressing Arabic nation.

A nation that inherited nobility, honor and principles,
A nation carrying the torch of resistance and struggle against the "Zionist aggressor enemy",
A nation committed to dignity, Arabic stances, principles of unity, freedom and justice,
A nation carrying slogans of liberation, progress and evolution.

Laham addressed his deceased father:
On Arab’s current status of division, injustice and devastating grudges,
On how Arabs are divided into contradicting denominations, religions, and factions,
On a humiliating nation-wide defeat portrayed as heroism and triumph,
On famous Arab rejections that became their demands, quests and bragging material,
On justice improvised in jails and Intelligence headquarters,

On justice practiced by regimes specialized in discrimination and favoritism,
On regimes that legalizes murder, assassination, torture and infringement on human rights,
On poverty, starvation, oppression and pain prevailing in the Arab world,
On a brother that finds pleasure in occupying his brother’s country for revenge purposes,
On people living happily in ignorance and misery,
On people addicted to deception, subservience and collaboration,
On people hailing tyrants and aggressors,
On people who take no stance and side with whoever is in power,
On people who live and die in division and hostility.

The imposed status on our people has divided them into factions and classes. The big powers force this status to serve their own interests not ours. The peace equation in the Middle East has made us the prey, chips and conciliatory prices in the war of others using our country as an arena.
The imposed status put us in an Arabism category that we reject because it is not ours,
The drum and stick Arabism,
The life term rulers Arabism,
The Arabism governments of followers, collaborators and subservience,
The Arabism of empty slogans,
The Arabism of religions, denominations and factions,
The Arabism of ignorance and anger,
An Arabism that brags about its past, glorifies its present and fears its future,
This is not our Arabism.

Our Arabism is freedom of choice, democracy and respect of human rights,
Our Arabism is tolerance, multiculturalism and slogans raised by free people,
Our Arabism is equality, justice, heritage, roots, and distinguishable identity,
Our Arabism is education, and openness on the world,
Our Arabism is integrity and respect for principles and traditions,
Our Arabism is democratic regimes and freely elected rulers,
Our Arabism is the enemy of ignorance and awkwardness.

What is happening in the Arab world at the present time frightens us.
Its regimes are scared by patriotic stances, truth, and freedom of speech.
Its regimes see their power in assaulting neighbors, friends and brothers,
Its regimes legalize murder, corruption and acts of revenge,
Its regimes legalizes for its figures what forbids for others,
Its regimes interfere in the affairs of others exceeding all limits,
Its regimes are self-isolated and enemies for progress,
Despite their miseries and wrongdoings these regimes want to defeat Israel !!!

Victory is not achieved solely because of military power and population superiority.
It is attained through, devotion, courage, education, patriotism, tolerance, competition and progress in a free world.
We are our own number one enemy because we reject openness and acceptance of others as they are.
We are our own enemy when we reject education and knowledge. Our enemy is a brother forcing us to be awkward like him instead of joining us towards progress.
Our enemy is laziness and sluggishness…
Comedian Laham described our current reality many years ago.

Long Live Free Lebanon
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