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In a Civil War Everyone Loses

 

 

 

 

After nearly two months of purely peaceful demonstration on the part of the National Unity Movement, a general strike was called on 23/1/07. Such a move, given the economy-based demands of the National Unity Movement, is not unusual. 

Strikes have a long-standing role in democracies. 

Isn’t British Airways now on strike?

 

 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/25012007/325/ba-chop-1-300-flights-strike-looms.html

 

But the strikers were met with angry men brandishing sticks and pro-government flags.  Film footage of the day makes this clear.  Tensions were high.  Though the news is vague on some points, contradictory on others,

it does seem as though tempers were lost on both sides. This is regrettable. 

But it does not change the legitimacy of the National Unity demonstration.

 

On 3/12/06, pro-government forces fatally shot in the back demonstrator Ahmad Mahmoud, a 20-year old

member of the Amal party.  Nontheless, the demonstration remained peaceful. 

Four days later, the leader of one of the National Unity Movement ‘s participating parties, Hezbollah,

addressed the demonstrators. 

What Hassan Nasralla told the people was in part this:

 

So long as we are persisting with our sit-in, I want to talk of the rules

we talked about on the first day of our street action.  No insults.

Some enthusiastic demonstrators in the sit-in squares may release offensive slogans concerning government personalities.

We disapprove of any personal insult to anyone. Any abusive or unethical expressions should not come out of our sit-in.

We reassert our civil, peaceful and civilized sit-in protestation.

Of course, when they killed martyr Ahmad Mahmoud, they wanted to drag us into an armed conflict,

 but in the name of martyr Ahmad Mahmoud and on behalf of his colleagues, every child, woman, and elderly man and woman in the national Lebanese opposition, I say to the ruling team, their political forces and I am sorry to include their militias also:

We reject the civil war and discord between communities.

 Also, we reject any conflict in the street.

We refuse sedition between religions, different sects or between political forces. We refuse any armed conflict in the street.

We refuse any kind of conflict in the street.

We wanted it a civil peaceful movement as we proved on Friday with the unprecedented gathering in Lebanon’s history.

Even if, through their media, they exaggerate their actions and belittle yours,

the picture remains crystal clear to the whole world.

I say to the Lebanese and all the peoples of the region whoever pushes the Lebanese into a Lebanese war,

in a civil war everyone loses.

When you took to the street and picketed on Friday and Saturday night and congregated for Sunday morning mass,

in the afternoon at the celebration and at night for the known sit-in,

how did the ruling team treat you? (The team that claims and talks of democracy,

public freedom and freedom of expression)

Your actions were civilized as acknowledged by the whole world,

and you always astonish the world with your conduct in war, in peace and in protestation.

What did they do, how did they behave?

Did they welcome your unprecedented gathering?

No, they resorted to riots, they sent in their armed gangs.

It saddens me that some of them sat at the dialogue table to discuss the arms of the resistance that were not aimed internally,

while they were acquiring, distributing and storing arms in more than one area.

They sent their armed gangs to hit you on your return from your protest,

 to kill martyr Ahmad Mahmoud and wound others.

They were not able to bear the democracy they claim to protect!

 

(full text at http://english.wa3ad.org/index.php?show=news&action=article&id=700

 

The National Unity Movement remains a peaceful demonstration

of the need to come together to build a better and more peaceful Lebanon. 

The general strike was not received in the spirit in which it was delivered. 

Though it lasted only one day, despite the flaring tempers,

it revealed the rift that has been sown between the Lebanese people by foreign interference. 

Much work remains to be done to rebuild the country.

 

 

 

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