Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Did we gain wisdom from our bloody past?

“He who is without a sin among you, let him cast the first stone”: John 8:1-11
Many were the slogans painted on concrete walls during the civil war, reminding Lebanese of their “patriotic” duties. And way too many were the speeches by all leaders which claimed to hold the interest of Lebanon at heart (in an attempt to rally more “foot soldiers”). Party flags redrawing the cedar tree fluttered everywhere with so called words of wisdom on them. And people followed blindly, like they are still doing today. All of the militias that I personally hold responsible for the death of all the Lebanese martyrs are still in power today and their leaders revered by many. Although throughout 15 years of unashamed, unpunished murder and ever changing allegiances; my people still follow blindly.
Never ever was a question raised (by a simple citizen, could this be because Lebanese are simple?) as to why none of the goals in their various doctrines was achieved. At one time (in the early days of the war) I thought that some dogmas were true and worth fighting for. I am today thankful that this state of euphoria did not last long.
My country is in turmoil once again, and like many I fear the worst. Most of the analysis and blogs I read (and yes I am biased) lead me to believe that the worst is yet to come. So if war erupts once again, who would the Lebanese follow this time? The Syrians are out (supposedly), the Iranians are in, the US and the West have once again changed their foreign policies (or have they)…etc.
Eureka! I came across the following, and not that I agree with it; I could not help but wonder in what percentage is this similar to what everybody I read is thinking of. So here it goes.
N.B: Before you burn me to the stake, remember that I do not agree with all the points in the following GOC (Guardian Of The Cedar) statement, nor am I a member; I just would like your feedback on some or all of the points stated below.
A
. The Liberation of Lebanon from Foreign Forces:
1. The Syrian occupation, which is the foundation of all other occupations. Syria has a historic greed to make Lebanon the western province of greater Syria.
2. The occupation of the unfaithful Palestinians that destroyed Lebanon.
3. The uncivilized Iranian occupation that seeks the destruction of Lebanon's cultural identity and push it backward to the old ages.
4. Cutting down the number of foreigners in Lebanon after they have exceeded 50% of the total sum of Lebanon's population (internationally the average is 5%). Visas of entry must not be given without thorough checking and taking into consideration Lebanon's security and supreme interests.
5. Confiscating the Palestinian properties, companies and stock shares in Lebanon as a compensation for the Lebanese losses during the Palestinian wars on them.
B. Building A Modern State - Internal Affairs:
1. Declaring that Lebanon is Lebanese without any other quality whether it is Arabic or non-Arabic.
2. Declare Lebanon a secular country, eliminate sectarianism and open the door for all the qualified Lebanese to be part of government regardless of religion and sect.
3. Exclude all the traditional politicians from government and form a special juridical panel to try them with the charge of destroying the country.
4. A massive discharge of all the government employees who lived on bribery and corruption and open the door for new and specialized personnel.
5. Ban all political parties that imported their ideologies and political programs from outside Lebanon.
6. Abolish the law that entitles foreigners to buy and own land or property in Lebanon and produce a new decree that allows the government to retake the properties that were previously sold to foreigners.
7. Abolish the normalization law. The honor of the Lebanese nationality must only be given to the distinct and those who served Lebanon well.
8. Solve the case of the Lebanese newspaper's submission to foreign financing (almost all the papers were pro-Palestinian during the war).
9. Purify the juridical body and make it a truly independent authority. All Lebanese must be equal in front of the law.
10. Release a new electoral law that reflects the ambitions of the Lebanese and that opens the door for a wide participation in the electoral process.
11. Declare the Lebanese language as the official language of Lebanon.
12. Substitute the Arabic alphabet with the alphabet devised by the Lebanese philosopher Said Akl, who restored the letter to its Phoenician origins after liberating it from the defacement that was caused by the Arabic language. The Arabic language became very old and it does not respond to the rapid development in our age because it is abnormal to think in one language and write in another one. It is worthy to note that we have a superior command of the Arabic language and our decision to abandon it does not stem from an ignorance complex.
13. Finance the establishment of research centers in Lebanon to attract Lebanese intellectual brains both inside and outside Lebanon.
14. Organize and link the 12 million Lebanese expatriates to their homeland.
C. Social:
1. Demolish all shanty towns that surrounds the capital Beirut or the other big cities and ensure descent housing for those who receive minimum wages.
2. Ensure free education for all Lebanese and place all state hospitals under the supervision of the medical school at the Lebanese University.
3. Education should be free of charge for all the Lebanese from the elementary school up till the university and the Lebanese University must have branches in directorates.
4. Education must also be compulsory up till high school and those who fail must be fined.
5. Start an intensive program to eradicate illiteracy.
6. Replace the old educational curriculum (schools and universities) with new and developed ones.
D. Economic
1. Develop a new agricultural policy in the countryside.
2. Lighten the taxes on newly built factories provided that these factories are in rural areas as a procedure to decrease pollution in the cities and resolve the problem of population density in them.
3. Encourage the light industries at the level of the individuals and the families in order to raise the per capita income of the Lebanese individuals.
4. Plan a new tourist policy that would promote the cultural value of Lebanon through the ages.
5. Fight unemployment through cutting down the number of foreign hand in Lebanon.
E. Security
1. Build a strong army with a firm Lebanese national doctrine.
F. Foreign Affairs
1. Build normal relations with the international community and with neighboring countries that are firmly established on mutual respect and based on the Lebanese supreme interests. Reject any distinctive relationship under the slogans of fraternity or else that were used by the traditional politicians as a cover-up for their cowardice.
2. Sign a comprehensive peace treaty with the state of Israel. Lebanon has no interest in the hostilities with Israel, on the contrary, the relationship between the two was based on friendship and cooperation.
3. Withdraw Lebanon from the Arab League to eliminate the quality that designates Lebanon as an Arab country.
4. The party calls for an alliance between all the people of the Mediterranean sea (MPA, Mediterranean People Alliance).
5. It is normal for the Lebanese to look to the sea when seeking alliances because historically speaking, the sea was the playground of the Phoenicians and on its beaches they spread their culture.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Il y a de l'idée ...

Difficile à appliquer...

Anonymous said...

A bien y penser, quelle importance si on se considère arabe, phénicien ou turc....
Laissons ceci dans le domaine du personnel comme la religion...

Est-ce qu'on demande à un français s'il est européen ou gaulois ou franc ??

Marillionlb said...

@ Mc,
I do agree with you with regards to Arab, Phenician, ...etc, and more over when it comes to religion. But I also agree with one (of many I admit) point Etienne Sakr makes and that of a secular country, the same way I agree with the fact that we have to get rid of this class of corrupt politicians we have. Having had the Guardian of the Cedar present in my neighborhood during the war and having red the slogan they plastered over my garage door "it is the duty of every Lebanese to kill a Palestinian", I was never even tempted to see what they were about. My views about the Palestinians in Lebanon are well known (let them go back to Palestine and fight their own war of liberation), but then I was under the powers of yet another "false messiah". Are the Guardian of the Cedar far from what the Cedar revolution is advocating? that is the question I ask today. Moreover why are they still banned as a political party in the knowledge that some are even more radical than they ever were. Once again I cannot stress enough the fact that I do not adhere to the GOC, but cannot help but wonder.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know they are banned as a political party.... I think that it's because Etienne Sakr went to Israel...

I understand you wonder...

Marillionlb said...

The close ties he had with Israel are a major factor, but also his vision of Lebanon rubbed everyone the wrong way, especially religious figures from all sects.

Anonymous said...

Just a word to say that "I was here" and "I'll be back" ... i'll read all of this in calm and comment it after.

Good to see you :)

Marillionlb said...

Take your time ARNOLD :)

Anonymous said...

Okidoki, I read it all, in calm (yes, at the office ... shutup ;) )

Really interesting. Some part are in my mind really dangerous, especially when it's about the Palestinians cases.Eject them like that will never be possible, if it even happen one time it would turn in a massive affrontement and a giant part of civilian especially womens et kids would be killed.

And i'm not talking about the mass of suicide bomber who will follow of course.

But, in fact, all the damn thing will turn that way anyway, not only because of the Palestinians parts. All the rest is too, a bomb starter. Just see what happened when they tried to clean the airport off Hezzb ... war in the street ...

As you said, it's a lot of good ideas, with some big exeptions. But anyway, before havig good idea, the freaking thing to find is the way to apply anything without a bath of blood.

Keep me in touch about you my friend, and for god sake or whatever sake : take care :)

Ms Levantine said...

Since this blog is musically oriented, I will mention the old Jethro Tull album: Living in the past.

When was the GOC credo written, 1975 in the midst of the sectarian massacres?

Most of it is xenophobic ultra-nationalistic Libanist mumbo jumbo.

What made Lebanon was the fact that wealth was created mainly in Beirut by including migrant from all over the area. When we started excluding people the country collapsed.

The only word that makes sense in the GOC program is Modernity. We need a country based on the rights of the individual not the sect, to separate religion and state, have checks and balances bet. different branches of gov....

All the rest (Palestinians, Maronites, HA, Sunnis, Syrians...) will then become irrelevent.

It is high time to move away from the old crap.

MM.

Marillionlb said...

@Ml,
The GOC according to what I have read so far was written in the 60's, but that is neither here nor there. Like I said I was never tempted by such a party which (for me) had one point too many with Nazis Germany. My intention was not to resurect the past, I would much rather burry it for good (but not forget). But some points in the GOC I totally agre with (such as, secular state, rule of law, rehaul of judiciary, political class, education....etc).
As for Etienne Sakr and the rest of our warloards I dedicate to them Bob Dylan's "Ain't no man righteous".

Anonymous said...

MarillionLB, I suggest you to edit this bill and add some "extra" parts ... like -Don't agree- ** -Totally Agree-

would be more clear ...

And as I said before, for those who dare to call you a traitor ... what are they proposing in return, if not anything else than a Islamist full past turned country, wich will be erased from the earth by Israel in one nuclear strike ?

Whose persons ARE the Traitor, against Lebanon, and Humanity.

Marillionlb said...

@ Ekios
I do not care about name calling and to each his own opinion and views.
Those who read my texts have a clear idea as to what I stand for, as for the rest they can bite me in the arse for all I care.

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