Lebanon | July 24
Shahar, if you want to
convince the Lebanese people and the rest of the Arab world to feel bad
for you, then please do not tell us how much you suffered in the Gulf
War, how your mother suffered in Auschwitz, or what your views on
Hezbollah are; because I could go on and on about how my country
suffered when Israel occupied it for years, describe the way my
Palestinian grandmother and her family had to leave their homeland and
how there people are still suffering till today, and explain why
Hezbollah are here in the first place. Point is, there is no right or
wrong point of view and we could argue about this our whole lives, and
it would still not change a thing.
What’s happening right now is
beyond either of us, it’s mind-boggling, scary, and completely
incomprehensible. We all want peace, fine. But do you really think that
is going to happen once Hezbollah or Hamas are dismantled? Please,
think to yourself why on earth they are there in the first place. The
formation of Israel displaced Palestinians from their homes, giving
them little rights let alone a proper government. Many are displaced,
living lives of poverty and fear, and are angry. Naturally, they are
going to support extremist groups like Hamas. Basic history, and yes,
it bit you back in the butt. Israel is going to continue to face
violence from “terrorist” groups like these because it has created
them. So now there is a choice of either wiping out every single
Palestinian, or wipe out Israel. Neither are a pretty choice, and which
is more justified? Once again it depends on your point of view.
It is a well known fact that Hitler
terrorized, ruined the lives of, and murdered millions of Jews. His
World War II genocide was grotesque, but so were the genocides of
Armenia and Rwanda. Genocides have happened throughout history and in
various parts of the world. The persecuted want a place where they can
be safe, but does that mean they have the right to persecute others in
order to get it and maintain it? Once again it depends on your point of
view.
Israel is your home, but this land
is also the home of others. Your country, and with the support of
others, will go at any lengths to ensure that it remains there, but at
who’s expense? The 372 Lebanese that have died till now? Please don’t
try and convince me to be at peace with your country with your cheap
reasons, when you have really no idea what Lebanon is all
about.
The conflict happening right now is
beyond our little bubble of “Israel vs. Hezbollah”, it is beyond even,
this larger bubble of “Syria/Iran vs. America”. Point is, and I
definitely agree with you on this, we want it to end either way before
it escalate and ends up wiping out the world’s population. Believe it
or not there is an even bigger picture that analysts, news stations,
and newspapers fail to tell you about. Our progress has caught up with
us, and it is slowly destroying us. The root of the problem is so
deeply burrowed, that we can’t even tell what it is anymore.
This is your perspective, and I
have mine. They clash, and they will continue to, because truth is,
neither one of us wants peace. We want what we think is right, and once
again this depends on your point of view. I want you, to just take
everything you think is right and think of it as wrong. Look at it from
the other side first. Look at what is happening right now. Realize that
the only way to achieve this “peace” that you talk about, and revere so
highly, is if you change. Yes, I’m talking to you, and every person
that desires peace. We have look away from the microscope and look back
out to the world again. We need to change our politics, our economies,
and our media. We have to change our lifestyles. You want peace? Then
please, give up your soft cozy bed for a refugee from Da7iyeh or a
Palestinian child. We need change now, and we need it quickly before
our own progress wipes us out.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Very convincing, but people that are comfortable and happy in their warm beds won't change and won't lend a hand to others..Shahar wants peace on her way, but you explained how it can be truly done, not the way lebanese want(Extermination of israel).But i'm afraid israel's policies will never change, because even if shahar and millions there did change, the ones leading to country won't change their minds....Marwan
I have never seen war myself and would not contend that I would have the slightest idea of the magnitude of your suffering.
On that note, I might assume that you, and any other readers who come from a war torn life anywhere on earth, have no idea what it is like to live in peace, to not once in your life to have heard a grenade explode or seen a murdered human being (let alone a member of your own family) with your own eyes.
Watching the war on TV is - psychologically, an overwhelming experience for the likes of myself with such a tranquil past and we come online to read these descriptions of war to try to better understand or comprehend the ramifications of a reality of violence that, for me, seems like another universe all together!
It occurred to me upon reading Shahar's and Cynthia Merhej's entries and their comments, that while you, among other things, look for someone to put the blame on, be it american foreign policy & george w. bush, western world or the UN, terrorist groups born out of the oppression and atrocities of various states be it israel, afghanistan, iraq or whoever, - it is stupifying that it should be the people, the citizens, including the majority of the armed forces too, that do the killing and dying while they've had very little to do with the very politics that lead to the crisis.
I don't think that it's the presidents of countries or even the governments of countries that decide whether to wage war or not, these decisions are made, not unlike a script of a movie is written, by the very powerful few, who represent the countries that participate in whatever crisis it is at hand and once the script is written and agreed upon, set it to motion thru means of manipulating the instruments that operate and command these massive forces that make your mothers and brothers bleed to death. These instruments of modern war being business, politics, armed forces and the mass media. Ask yourself who c
On that note, I might assume that you, and any other readers who come from a war torn life anywhere on earth, have no idea what it is like to live in peace, to not once in your life to have heard a grenade explode or seen a murdered human being (let alone a member of your own family) with your own eyes.
Watching the war on TV is - psychologically, an overwhelming experience for the likes of myself with such a tranquil past and we come online to read these descriptions of war to try to better understand or comprehend the ramifications of a reality of violence that, for me, seems like another universe all together!
It occurred to me upon reading Shahar's and Cynthia Merhej's entries and their comments, that while you, among other things, look for someone to put the blame on, be it american foreign policy & george w. bush, western world or the UN, terrorist groups born out of the oppression and atrocities of various states be it israel, afghanistan, iraq or whoever, - it is stupifying that it should be the people, the citizens, including the majority of the armed forces too, that do the killing and dying while they've had very little to do with the very politics that lead to the crisis.
I don't think that it's the presidents of countries or even the governments of countries that decide whether to wage war or not, these decisions are made, not unlike a script of a movie is written, by the very powerful few, who represent the countries that participate in whatever crisis it is at hand and once the script is written and agreed upon, set it to motion thru means of manipulating the instruments that operate and command these massive forces that make your mothers and brothers bleed to death. These instruments of modern war being business, politics, armed forces and the mass media. Ask yourself who c
I agree with Cynthia and Marwan.I would also like to say the Israel will never be wiped out and nor will Palestine or Hizbollah.This is what Israel must understand to solve this crisis. However, I'll go back to Marwan's point that points out that Israel will never change its policies. Since Israel is a very military country it will tend to solve its problems in a military manner, hence causing thousands of people to die and renders thousands homeless. I would also like to answer Cynthia's question: why do hizbollah and hamas exist? That exist simply to gain a reasonable and dignified amount of rights to the Palestinian people who are living in fear and poverty as we speak. True they are doing it by war, but that is only because they have realized that Israel will never change, hence they have to win back Sheb3a and some Palestinian rights using the only way possible (war).
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