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PART 3  (Translated freely: By Elias Bejjani) One day, the well-known Lebanese journalist Fawzi Mubarak, came to visit General Michel Aoun at Marseilles, France, after Aoun was forced into exile in 1990. While both men were chatting with each other in my presence, Mubarak said: General Aoun, Mr. Elias Hrawi (Syrian installed Lebanese president) has arrived to Paris today on an official visit, and at this hour, he is delivering a speech on democracy and freedom. Aoun responded instantly, he is like the man who is attending his wife's wedding". Mr. Mubarak, who was surprised by the response, asked Aoun for more explanation. Aoun said: as you can see, the installed officials in Lebanon have sold every thing, the country, their honor, democracy and freedom. What is really sarcastic, added Aoun, is they are bragging now, and talking about things that do not exist any more, except in their fantasies. their status applies to a Lebanese popular proverb that says: a man sells his wife and his honor, then dresses the best of his cloth and attends her wedding with apparent pride. In 1985, General Aoun was celebrating, as he used to do every year, the St. Elias day, at his friend's house, Mr. Joseph Chosen, Abu Elias. He noticed a portrait hanged near the door entrance portraying a verse from Gobran Khalil Gobran. It read: God help a nation that believes a tyrant could be fair. Aoun said to his friend, it seems Gobran did not encounter other hardship. He took a pencil and wrote beside Gobran's verse: God help a nation that sacrifices its youth for the sake of its elderly. Aoun always loved the Lebanese proverbs, because he believed they genuinely portrayed the Lebanese sufferings throughout history. These proverbs delineate clearly the Lebanese stubbornness, resistance and courageous endurance of pain and grievance. At the same time Aoun frequently expressed his disgust from some of the proverbs that do not represent the actual Lebanese character, like: lying is the salt of men, it is a shame to say the truth, kiss the hand that you cannot defeat, and pray it would be fractured. Aoun hated these proverbs because they belittle the Lebanese intelligence and courage. He commented on the last proverb by said: instead of praying the hand would be fractured, we have to build our efforts to be able to fracture it. At the beginning of the liberation war in 1988, a journalist asked Aoun: how could you fight Syria, and you know very well its army, is much more stronger than ours? Aoun responded: The weaker always wages wars of liberation against powerful tyrants, and always the weaker is victorious because his cause is righteous...We have to be perseverant, fight courageously, never give up, cling to our rights, defend our freedom and maintain our faith and self confidence. The regional and international status will change one day, and the world will come to our support in liberating our country after recognizing the righteousness of our cause. Aoun one day told us the story of the sickle-toothed bird, which personifies persistence and perseverance. He said: one day while I was hunting in an area close to the borders known as Tim Lobia, I saw a sickle-toothed bird fighting for his nest, he was attacking a big venomous snake who was trying to get into the nest and eat his eggs. He kept attacking the snake, although he knew, she was stronger and more powerful, he refused to give up. I was fascinated by his perseverance and shot the snake to save the nest. Aoun is a very courageous individual, he never feared death, he believed it is always in the hands of God. He frequently repeats this verse from the bible: the hair of your head is counted, and not even one hair falls without God's will. When I visited him in Marseilles, France, after he was forced into exile, I found his faith as strong as it always was, he was full of faith, and hopeful more than ever in the ultimate victory. He told me this incident, he said: while I was trying to get to the French embassy at the Hezmieh area, after leaving the Baabda palace on the 13th of October 1990, and while seeing hundreds of bombs exploding all over the area, I envisaged the thousands of the Lebanese people praying and asking God for victory and liberation outside the Baabda palace. I contemplated their holy faces and felt their faith. When I reached the embassy safely, I was sure that their prayers saved my companion and me. Long Live Free Lebanon |