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On Independence and Blood |
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Thursday, 17 February 2005View: Hazem Saghieh
Lebanon has witnessed two historic prime minister figures in its modern history. The first was Riad Solh whose name was linked to the independence of 1943 and the second was Rafiq Al Hariri whose name has begun to be attached to the second promised independence. The brutal assassination of Hariri indicates how much more difficult the second independence will be, for its path could be paved with corpses. The French in 1943 left without blood and Lebanon's independence was considered one of the peaceful and calm independences not the violent ones experienced in other countries. The struggle-oriented and radical disposition always had the reservation that the first independence took place without blood and violence. For, as the famous verse of poetry says: the red gates of freedom are only knocked by hands stained with blood.
Despite this, the first independence had its blood deferred for a bit. After a few years of attaining it, the National Pact underwent a rebellion after some criticized the peacefulness of the independence and demanded for Lebanon to be joined with Syria. Soon afterward, the architect of the first independence, Riad Solh, was assassinated. Yet, the killers were not the former French colonialists but they were the same ones who rejected the peacefulness of the independence and wanted to join the newly born entity withÔÇÐ Damascus.
On the other hand, the second independence might witness a lot of bloodshed since the colonialist is in a severe crisis. From the failure of liberating an occupied land to confronting universal opposition and unfavorable regional transformations and to the helplessness in attaining a single accomplishment on any of those levels, there does not seem to be any light at the end of the colonialist's tunnel except the light of bombs that only last for passing seconds. Even sectarianism as a way to scare and divide the Lebanese is declining after Walid Jumblatt has joined it and after the late grand figure, the "Mr. Lebanon" as he is being called by western press, was going to join at any second. Even the act of accusing Israel has lost its credibility with the exception of those who have the immunity of its parliament. And prior to all this, the liberation of the Shebaa Farms have become a bad joke like the claims of brotherhood, strategic alliance and the rest of the debased composition.
When the accomplishment bankruptcy becomes a rhetorical bankruptcy as well, there only remains of its strength a Frankensteinian energy that releases a horror machine on a scale unconceivable by any rationality and assessment.
It is for this reason that the Lebanese are suffering today from the power and ferocity of weakness and not the power of strength. In such a case, he who sees his grave so near and imminent works to turn it into a graveyard that would engulf the biggest attainable number. This is what Rafiq Al Hariri did not take precaution from and similarly Riad Solh before him. They both told the Lebanese that the Muslim is "allowed" to be Lebanese along with the Christian. The two late figures considered the enemies of independence to be very far and avoidable. For "colonialism" is only present to describe the inhabitants of a distant continent. Both who attempted to join what could not be joined missed the fact that there are murderous ideas and murderous regimes and organizations that are not satisfied with any alternative other than expansion not even a back down of one rock or an assessment of a reality, a truth or a meaning. Independence from such entities unfortunately and painfully only occurs with blood. |
Thursday, 17 February 2005
Al Hayat
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