Batrun - Thu 23 Nov 2006

The road to the North, especially during last summer bombings, presents alternative secondary streets, each time used to re-invent the path. Batrun is a small town, just in front of the sea. It's impossible not to wish to have a break here (in Trablus almost every shop was closed, someone said because obliged to do that, otherwise an open shop could be interpretated as taunt for not respecting of the grieve following Gemayel's assassination). A place just kissed by sunlight and as background soundtrack the kind noise of waves breaking the rocks of the beach. Fresh fish and a cold Al-Maza bottle to remove the hunger and to let us forget of the tension and the fear in Beirut.











I am angry because everyone knows that a major part of the Lebanese population did not back Hezbollah and that Lebanon has been punished for crimes it did not commit. I am angry because Israel, Iran and Syria are simply involved in a show of muscle strength at the expense of Lebanese lives. I am angry because innocent Lebanese children paid for this with their lives on a daily basis and no one did anything concretely about it. I am horrified for all the victims who paid the price and their families whether they be Lebanese, Palestinians or Israelis and am sorry for the unnecessary losses of human lives.

How dark must the smoke be before people look our way?
How many people must die before people start caring?
How loud must the screams be before people start hearing?

I dream of a Middle East where Muslim, Jew and Christian listen to their Torahs, Bibles and Korans and get over the fear of loving their neighbour and find another pastime than killing each other. I dream of a Middle East where Palestinians are treated as human beings with rights. I dream of a united Lebanon where Druze, Shia, Sunni, Orthodox Christians, Greek Catholics and Maronite all retain hope and work together to once again rebuild their country. I dream of a freedom that is not brought about by force and a democracy that is not brought about by war...

Now not just lebaneses but all of us should recall a dream of a peaceful, strong, united Lebanon. We recall the fact the first alphabet was created here in Lebanon and that our nation was once known as the Pearl or Paris of the Middle East. We recall the fact that though Lebanon was destroyed many times before, it was rebuilt, again and again and again, perhaps over seven times.

May this ray of hope shine on us all, for we all deserve to live a life of peace and of serenity.