 By: Elias Bejjani Dear fellow Lebanese in Diaspora: Always remember you are the sons and daughters of Lebanon, the great nation that has stood like a rock in the face of invaders, conquerors and occupants for 6000 years. Your Lebanon never bowed, kneeled or surrendered to any of them and they were all forced to leave in shame, defamed and humiliated. They all departed and Lebanon remained. It is historical fact that the liberation of any occupied country cannot be achieved through collaboration, day-dreaming, appeasement of the occupants, or laissez-faire stances. Nations are liberated only though hard work, faith, commitment, loyalty, devotion and sacrifices. Dear fellow Lebanese: Lebanon will never be liberated before we, the Lebanese in Diaspora, liberate ourselves from selfishness, cowardice, hesitation, procrastination, egotism and a dependency mentality. Nobody is going to liberate Lebanon except its own people. It is not going to be liberated by a miracle from heaven. The 20 million Lebanese and Lebanese descendents in Diaspora are its last hope. The majority of our people in occupied Lebanon are oppressed, impoverished, deprived of basic human rights, divided into weak sects and manipulated politically by subservient parties. Syria has crippled most of our potential for any peaceful revolt and it controls, by force, all aspects of Lebanon's everyday life. The Lebanese have become strangers and second-class citizens in their own country. There is one Syrian citizen for each two Lebanese nationals. One and half million Syrians reside and work in Lebanon, whose population is three million. A parallel in Canada would mean twelve million foreigners living illegally in the countryside with its twenty-five million citizens. For the USA, the equation would mean a national disaster and the destruction of the mightiest nation in the world. Simply, one hundred and fifty million foreigners with their own army of occupation competing with three hundred million Americans. Our Lebanon will not be liberated until we train ourselves to take courageous, clear, straightforward, national stances without fear or hesitation, putting Lebanon's interests before anything else. A man who has no definite stance in regard to life, religion and national matters is dead in mind and spirit, although physically he might be alive and breathing. National interests have always to come first. Lebanon will not be liberated unless the Lebanese people witness for the truth, exercise national conduct with honor and fully respect freedom and human rights. Lebanon will not be liberated unless its people openly and proudly abandon double standards camouflaging their ethnic roots and national identity. Lebanon will not be liberated unless its heritage, culture, unique history and distinctive identity are preserved. Lebanon will remain an occupied country as long as the Lebanese people are unable to trust themselves, believe in each other and in their potential. Those of us in Diaspora involved in ongoing Lebanese political affairs are continuously dealing with numerous social ailments affecting our communities' national thinking and conduct. A high percentage of our people are crippled both politically and nationally. Some are open in their hatred of politics and politicians and to all those working in Lebanese public affairs. Others show interest in merely listening to Lebanon's news, and blame everybody else for the current Lebanese status-quo. They do not question their own lack of action. Others preach pessimism with hopelessness, while a minority of opportunists and collaborators are loud, fussy and advocate for the occupation's advantages and benefits, as if there are advantages to enslavement and collaboration. The majority of our Diaspora communities are patriotic in heart and spirit and believe in Lebanon's cause, but up till now are not actively involved in any national organized activity. This majority must stand up and take its leading role among those working for liberation. How could we expect our people in Lebanon to be able to revolt peacefully against the Syrian occupant if Syria appoints the whole regime's officials? The only mandate for those officials is to serve Syria's interests and lobby for its vicious scheme to annex Lebanon and destroy its identity and history. How can we expect any peaceful changes to come from inside occupied Lebanon while high ranking officials like Minister Omar Meskawi, who are supposed to protect Lebanon's interests and independence, openly and with no shame, lobby for the occupant's annexation scheme. Mr. Meskawi in a press conference on August 30, 1998 said: "Those groups calling for the withdrawal of the Syrian troops from Lebanon are living outside history... they are still dreaming about the past…The Syrian military presence is the foundation of the regime, how could we think of building a state without Syrian support." Unfortunately, the free world especially USA and France have abandoned Lebanon and its peaceful people. They have sided with the occupants (Syria and Israel). Since 1990 the free world countries have condoned the Syrian occupation and ignored its atrocities. They also blessed Israel's occupation and did not support the implementation of UN resolutions 425 and 520, that call for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon. We, the Lebanese in Diaspora, have no other options but to advocate for the Lebanese cause, utilizing all our potentials and capabilities. How could we think for a moment that Mr. Emil Lahoud, the Lebanese new president appointed by Syria's dictator personally, will be free in taking patriotic courageous decisions, protect Lebanon's interests or ask the Syrian troops to withdraw from the country? We should not fool ourselves. Recognizing these unfortunate facts puts us, the Lebanese in Diaspora, face to face with our national responsibilities. We are the only hope left for our country and people. The torch is in our hands. Either we carry it and continue the struggle till Lebanon is liberated, or we give up, betray our cause, let our people down and accept enslavement. Long Live Free Lebanon. |