The Lebanese People: Faith, Hope & Perseverance

By Elias Bejjani

Decembe 02/08

General Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, in his strongly Syrian influenced conduct, has become another Lebanese Judas Iscariot.  Judas betrayed his master, Jesus Christ and handed him over to his enemies for thirty pieces of silver and Aoun too follows suit in his Dhimmitude to Syria and his cheap price extracted by the Syrians for himself and his political party.

Aoun has become a paid slave to Syria, Iran and Hezbollah's anti-Lebanese schemes and he has become a loud and reliable mouthpiece for their heretical, anti-democratic, anti-human rights, and anti-west propaganda.

This week, the Syrian Baathist regime is arranging an official four to five day visit for Aoun as a reward for his subservience.  The Iranian Mullahs made Aoun’s recent official visit to Iran a big deal and tried unsuccessfully through him, to sell themselves as a champion state in protecting religious minorities, to the contrary of the reality of their dismal record of religious and ethnic oppression, even going as far as murdering those who may sway the majority and oppose the current regime.  The whole world needs to know that Aoun is an exception in Lebanese history and not the rule.  Politicians like Aoun have historically ended their careers and lives in shame, humiliation and disgrace.

Aoun had established his political life and popularity back in 1988 as a fierce Lebanese advocate against the Syrian occupation of his country Lebanon and against terrorists, among which include Palestinian and Iranian militias.  He portrayed himself as a hero in this domain for 18 years, but since his return from exile in Paris since 2005, he has changed his skin and drastically shifting his stances.  The man, for mere personal gains and a delusional lust for power and authority, has sold himself to the Axis of Evil countries and terrorist organizations!

There should be no doubt that those minority Lebanese, who still believe in Aoun and support his pro Syrian-Iranian platforms, are committing a crime against both their country and their countrymen.  They have consciously become blind followers of this man, ignoring the disastrous consequences of his policies.  They have forgotten the Lebanese cause of freedom, sovereignty and independence and instead preferred to be an ignorant flock to a man who is driven only by his lust for power and securing his legacy.

Let us remind those Lebanese who have lost their better discretion and have chosen the dark path that history has taught us that few of the world's greatest nations have ever been defeated by their external rivals.  All of them were first weakened and destroyed from within even before their enemies were able to bring them to their knees.  Science teaches us that when the body loses immunity it becomes vulnerable to disease.  This can be seen in the fall of the Ottoman and Roman empires and in this regard, those Lebanese who blindly provide a cover for Aoun's anti-Lebanese policies and alliances are knowingly or otherwise destroying the Lebanese model of coexistence, tolerance and democracy.  These mislead Lebanese are destroying the Lebanese communities from within, through their shameless collaboration and subservience to the evil schemes of certain political parties, social and religious groups and individuals who are advocating against the essence and core of what actually is Lebanon and Lebanese.

 "Everyone who sins is a slave of sin" (John 8-34), and every Lebanese who betrays his people to advocate the Syrian occupation is also a sinner too. 

Leaders like Aoun are mercenaries and Pharisees.  They are void of dignity or national honour.  They steal, cheat, embezzle, betray, and change their skin for personal gain, all at the expense of the people and the country.  They ignore Lebanon's deeply rooted history, unique identity and they have no respect for the sacrifices of the many thousands of Lebanese who offered themselves on the nation's altar to enable us to be proud, prosperous and independent. 

These antagonists are thirsty for power and blood.  They sold their souls and honour for thirty pieces of silver and they have no respect for Lebanon's 7000 years of civilization, culture and glorious history.  They are masters in defeatism, ignorance and cowardice and faithlessness.  Their deceptive camouflage, sweet words and cloaked lies are well known to all those who are witnesses to the truth.  They have missed the fact that Lebanon's people have never knelt nor hung their heads before any tyrant, invader, occupier or conqueror. 

Aoun, Hezbollah and all those revolving in the Iranian-Syrian orbit should, foretell their fate of ultimate failure.  They will not be any better off than those, who like them, delude themselves and falsely believe they can destroy Lebanon and subdue its people.  They have all left while Lebanon and its free and peace loving people still stand as proud and patriotic as they were 7000 years ago!

We remind the Lebanese Pharisees and Trojans, in particular General Michel Aoun that the people of Sidon in the year 350 BC, chose to burn themselves and their city rather than face defeat after their prolonged heroic resistance failed to safeguard their city against the Persian invader Artechtahta.  They preferred to die with dignity rather than live with humiliation!

The people of Tyre also choose this martyrdom in 332 BC, when they resisted Alexander the Great's mighty army for seven months, refusing to surrender or kneel.  Alexander, after capturing the city, crucified many of the brave Tyrians, while enslaving others in a bid to revenge his huge loss and demeaning humiliation. 

The Maronite Patriarch Gabriel Hgola choose to be burned (1367 AD) in Tripoli in front of the Omari mosque in a bid to save his people from the Mamlouk's humiliation and torture.  The same sacrifice was taken by Patriarch Daniel Al-Amshiti in the same place (1282 AD), for almost the same reasons and for the same cause.

We remind those who refuse to takes clear and noble stances in life, change their skin to suit their opportunistic interests and lack the courage to bear witness to the truth, that by doing so, they are committing the worst mortal crime.  Imam Ali said in this regard, "He who accepts acts of others is considered their partner.  He who is involved in evil acts commits two sins, that of performing the act and that of its acceptance."

My dear misled countrymen, strengthen your faith, repent for your cowardice, and witness the truth!  Do not fall into the trap of opportunism and do not be deceived by the golden garments and illustrious schemes of those who have been assigned to divide our nation and communities, while spreading hatred and conflict among its members.  To these shepherds of evil, I refer you to great words of our God, "God has blinded their eyes and closed their minds, so that their eyes would not see, and their minds would not understand, and they would not turn to me, says God, for me to help them". (John 12-39).

The coward is a blind man in both sight and discretion whose conscience has turned numb.  Shame on our people who live in democratic countries like Canada, where freedom of expression is sacred, yet they are still afraid to be witness for the truth and do not support their Lebanese sacred cause. 

Shame on every Lebanese who keeps a blind eye towards their people imprisoned arbitrarily in the Syrian jails. 

Shame on every Lebanese who does not support human rights, does not advocate for Lebanon's liberation, and shame on every Lebanese who does not carry with Lebanon's brave youth the flag of sovereignty, freedom and independence!

Shame on all those Lebanese politicians and clergymen who are scared to call for a dignified and honourable return of our refugees living in Israel since May 2000.  There is no doubt that these politicians and clergymen have chosen the track of sin rather than that of righteousness.  These Pharisees are destroying the country which is our holy temple.

"It was almost time for the Passover festival, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. There in the temple he found men selling cattle, sheep and pigeons, and also the money changers sitting at their tables.  So He made a whip from the cords and drove all the animals out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle; he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins; and he ordered the men who sold the pigeons: Take them out of here, stop making my Fathers House a marketplace.”  (John 3-13) 

We call on those who have accepted slavery and to those who are afraid to be witnesses for the truth and feel defeated inside themselves. 

We call on those who have deviated from the righteous track, camouflaging, cheating and betraying Lebanon. 

We call on them to wake up and start thoroughly reviewing their dangerous acts! 

Forgiveness is always there and Lebanon's open loving arms will embrace them once they repent.
If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples, you know the truth, and the truth will set you free". (John 8-13)

*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
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