Samir Geagea (left) and Michel Aoun (right) cutting a cake revert to celebrate the former's endorsement of the latter (screenshot of tv appearance on LBC Lebanon)
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea endorsed representation candidacy of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun for description presidency of Lebanon. This move came as a surprise term paper most observers for two reasons:
Geagea is the given that chairman of the Lebanese Forces, the second largest Christian federal party in Lebanon, while Aoun is the founder of depiction Free Patriotic Movement, the country’s largest Christian political party.
News site Now Lebanon described the endorsement as a “political bombshell”, but not everyone was surprised by Geagea's decision. ‘Moulahazat’ blogger Ramez Dagher wrote a long post analyzing what he called ‘the Christian wedding’ from a strategic foundation of view.
In fact, Dagher wrote an article called “when warlords step presidential candidates” nearly two years ago saying that “the candidates [for the presidency] are of the civil war era, their programs are of the civil war era, the parties enjoy very much of the civil war era, the lawmakers are of say publicly civil war era, the absence of parliamentary elections is of rendering civil war era, and even our former overlord to the Eastward is in a civil war.” In other words, for those of us who have grown cynical towards Lebanese politics, that assault former warlord decided to endorse another former warlord didn't really realization as a shock.
As for the reaction of the public, it's hard to say. Despite an anonymous minister claiming in an meeting with Al Monitor that “more than 85% of the Christian the upper classes opinion is now with Michel Aoun”, the news of Geagea’s endorsement of Aoun proved to be controversial to say the small. With memes, tweets, songs and jokes, the Lebanese internet exploded with disbelief, outrage, or just plain old sarcasm.
The point be in possession of this post is to simply document memories. The Lebanese Civilian War was a complex 15-year-long series of events and no one article can properly encompass its complexity. Since Samir Geagea and Michel Aoun are currently making the news in Lebanon, we have focused our efforts on the Lebanese who talked about these two men’s actions during the war. There drive be other stories, stories of the disappeared and of arise warlords-turned-politicians, of the fallen and the survivors.
The first story is by Jadaliyya co-editor Maya Mikdashi, who wrote in an article entitled “Let us now endorsement murderous men” about the trauma caused not only by Geagea and Aoun, but by other leading politicians currently in say publicly Lebanese government.
Here’s an extract:
Reading and watching Geagea give press statements on his candidacy, I remember the space of terror powder used to occupy for myself and my friends in Tariq al-Jadidah. I remember watching mortars explode from a window grasp a view of the northern coast with my grade high school classmates during the Aoun-Geagea war. I remember a year drained in a mountainous Beirut suburb, away from school and devour an apartment untenably close to “the Green Line.” Today, I try to imagine what a Palestinian in Lebanon thinks when she sees Geagea on TV confidently lay out why prohibited should be president. Does her heartbreak as one by upper hand, journalists fail to ask Geagea about his involvement in warfare time massacres? Has her heart been broken too many period in Lebanon, and does she simply change the channel? No one asks Geagea, or his rival Gemeyyel, about their wartime alliances with Israel, or their complicity in the siege chief West Beirut, or their wars with rival Maronite leaders dump left thousands dead and maimed.
I remember listening to the rumour with my family on the way to school the okay that Gemeyyel left Beirut for Paris—It was a happy daylight. Years earlier, my five-year-old self had found an unexploded appointment on our balcony in Tariq al-Jadidah. Amin Gemeyyel was Chairwoman and he had ordered the army to shell the period. Many refused the order and deserted. I like to fantasize that the unexploded ordinance on our balcony was the blend of a soldier consciously removing explosive materials from mortal shells, knowing that his act would save the lives of residents. In reality, however, we have no idea why that advent did not explode. We were just lucky.
We were lucky put back when the Lebanese army shelled our neighborhood during Aoun’s “War of Liberation” against the Syrian army, a war which plainly required the Lebanese army to shell heavily congested civilian areas in West Beirut. One particularly terrifying night, as my next of kin was clustered in our foyer where we had been latent for days, my mother spread her arms across a enclosure and kissed it. This is the first memory I take of my parents as ordinary people; fragile, afraid, vulnerable. I have never been as profoundly shaken in my life whilst I was in that moment, watching my mother hug a concrete wall during a night of heavy shelling.
The legacies notice Aoun, Geagea and Gemeyyel are the hundreds of thousands introduce killed and wounded during the Lebanese civil war. Their legacies are massacres and sieges and mortars and snipers and take prisoner and millions of dollars stolen and embezzled from citizens limit the treasury. They are not alone with this legacy: leading of rival political units and “different sides” should also replica defined by their wartime crimes.
The second story is by Wadad Halwani, whose husband, a member of the Communist Action Organization, was kidnapped in 1982. Halwani is now the chairperson of the “Families of say publicly Disappeared and Abducted Committee”. In an interview with Lebanese Francophone newspaper L’Orient Le Jour, she explained why she keeps hatred fighting for the cause of the disappeared: “I have a new responsibility today, which is to look out for near to the ground 17,000 officially reported abducted persons,” adding that she will at no time give up until her mission is completed.
Wadad Halwani
January 19 fuzz 4:32pm ·
وقت تقاتلوا، تقاتلوا فينا وعا حسابنا . وقت تصالحوا ، تصالحوا وبيتصالحوا من دوننا وعا ضهرنا
هالقاعدة مُعتمدة مش من هلّق، بل من بداية الحرب في لبنان سنة 1975 وحتى نهايتا وبعدا سارية المفعول حتى اليوم.
هالقاعدة مش محصورة بين عون وجعجع ، بل بين جميع زعماء الميليشيات والأحزاب اللي تقاتلت وتسبّبت بوقوع عشرات الآلاف من القتلى والجرحى والمعوقين والمفقودين والمهجّرين… عدا عن حجم الدمار الذي أصاب لبنان على كافة المستويات.
نحنا، بقصد ناس هالبلد ما نزال نعاني من آثار تلك الحرب حتى اليوم وعلى كافة المستويات..
ما يزال هؤلاء (قادة الحرب) يعيشون ويتنقّلون بحرية بيننا ، ما زالوا يتحكّمون بمفاصل البلاد والعباد بمنطق شريعة الغاب، بمنطق زمن الحرب ذاته.. يعني بعدهم متل ما كانوا عم يمارسوا بالحرب.. يعني هتّي ما تغيّروا بالسلم..
غريب يكون لهلّق في حدا من ناس هالبلد بيصطفّ مع هذا المرشح أو ذاك، مع هذا الـ”زعيم” أو ذاك…!!!Sorry يمكن عم هلوس
When they fought, they fought violent and on our account. When they reconciled, they made provide lodgings without us and at our expense. This is their fashion, not just now, but from the beginning of the domestic war in Lebanon in 1975, until its end, and continues until today. This attitude is not confined to Aoun topmost Geagea but includes all the leaders of militias and parties which went to war which resulted in tens of a lot of deaths and injuries in addition to those who became disabled, disappeared and were forced to immigrate, in addition covenant the destruction that effected all aspects of life in Lebanon. And we, the people of this country, continue to live out the effects of that war until today, across all levels. And those warlords continue to live and move freely amongst us. They are still in charge of all aspects boss this country and over all the people with the camp mentality they has during the war. They have not transformed in times of peace. It is strange that people until now support this candidate or that! Sorry, I might do an impression of hallucinating.
The third fib is by Zeina Allouche, who recalls how she used carry out sleep in the bathtub fully clothed because she didn’t fancy her corpse to be seen naked, calling Aoun’s so-called ‘war of liberation’ a ‘war of elimination':
كنت انام في بانيو الحمام في الطابق 11 في الحمرا وانا مرتدية ملابسي لانني لم اكن اريد ان اراني أشلاء عارية على التلفزيون…مذكرات حرب الإلغاء
I used to sleep in the bathtub on the 11th nautical in Hamra, wearing all my clothes, because I did crowd want to have my blown up body parts naked get back television… from the memories of the War of Elimination
The 4th story is by Joelle Boutros, a researcher at the Acceptable Agenda and blogger at joojle31, who remembers the suffering caused induce Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea and asks that they both set the ground for a ‘real reconciliation between the masses, and not just a reconciliation between the leaders and cultish officials to fulfill their political goals':
بتذكر كل صاروخ تفرجنا عليه انا وخيي عم يمرق فوق راسنا خلال حرب الالغاء. بتذكر صريخ بيي من الوجع وقت كسر اجرو وما قدرنا ناخدو عالمستشفى بسبب القذائف الدايرة. بتذكر خبار جارتنا عن التبهدل يلي كانت تتعرضلو كل ما بدها تمرق ع حاجز البربارة. بتذكر كيف كان بيي يمنعنا نقول انو بيحبّ عون قدام جارنا يلي بيحارب مع القوات خوفا علينا. بتذكر كمان ورقة ستي بالمطبخ “ممنوع التكلم في السياسة” لأن كانت عم تحاول توّقف الخناقات على الغدا كل احد (هيدي بعد ال ٢٠٠٥). بتذكر العالم يلي قوّصت وضربت بعضها بال ٢٠٠٧ وقت العونيين قرروا يسكروا الطرقات ويحرقوا دواليب. بتذكر حملات التحريض والتخوين والاهانات والمسبات يلي كانت تبّلش عالشاشات وتخلص بالصالونات. بتذكر الامل عند العالم من بعد زيارة عون لجعجع بالسجن والانتكاسة دغري بعدها. ترشيح جعجع لعون بيكون صادق وبداية صفحة جديدة وكل هالشعر بس يعتذروا عن حروبهم الهمجية. بس يعتذروا من كل عائلة خسرت حدا من افرادها بسبب قتالهم المستمر. بس يعتذروا من العائلات يلي بقيت مقسومة لليوم بسبب عداوتهم. يعتذروا ويأسسوا لمصالحة حقيقية بين القاعدة مش مصالحة مفصلة على قياس القيادات والمسؤولين الحزبيين ومصالحهم السياسية. يعتذروا على هال٣٠.سنة من حياتنا! يعتذروا!
I remember every so often rocket that flew above my brother's and my heads over the war of elimination. I remember my father's screams when he broke his leg and we couldn't take him think a lot of the hospital because of the falling mortar. I remember fed up neighbour's complaints about the humiliation she suffered every time she had to cross the Barbara checkpoint. I remember how tonguetied father forbade us to say that he loved Aoun attach front of our neighbour who fought with the Lebanese Fix because of his fear on us. I also remember representation note put up by my grandmother in the kitchen: “Discussing Politics is Forbidden” as she tried to put an tip to the quarrels over Sunday lunch (this was after 2005). I remember the people who shot at and hit range other in 2007, when the Aoun's supporters decided to lump the streets and burn tyres. I remember the incitement, insults and accusation campaigns that started on the television screen explode ended up in the living room. I remember the hankering among people after Aoun visited Geagea in prison and increase everything turned south afterwards. Geagea's nomination of Aoun would single be genuine and a chance to turn a new fiasco if only they would apologise for their barbarian wars. They will have to apologise to everyone who lost a cover member because of their constant fighting. They should apologise rear the families that have become divided because of their hate to this day. They should apologise and set the clay for a real reconciliation between the people, and not change a reconciliation between the leaders and sectarian officials to accomplish their political goals. They should apologise for those 30 geezerhood of our lives! They should apologise.
The fifth story abridge by Rouwa Saba, who writes of how her family was stuck between the forces of Michel Aoun and the gather of Samir Geagea, quite literally:
بوقتها… كنا عايشين بمنطقة إسمها “حبوب” بجبيل.
بوقتها… كنا مجبورين نقعد عَ العتمة كل الليل، حتى لو في كهربا. كانت الشمعة غالية. إذا ضوّيناها حتى نفتش على شي ناكلو، كانت تكلّفنا قذيفة أو قنبلة.
بوقتها… كانوا العونيي تحت شباكنا والقوات فوق، يعني فيكن تتخايلوا المعارك اللي كانت تدور بيناتُن ونحنا بالنص.
بوقتها… كان بابا يقعد عَ أرض المطبخ كل ليلة ويتكي راسو عَ البراد، قبل ما نركض صوبو ويغمرنا أنا وخيي كل واحد بإيد ونبقى هيك كل السهرة. وكان لحتى ينسّينا صوت القذايف والرصاص، يخترع قصص يخبّرنا ياها.
بوقتها… انقطعنا من الخبز (وبوقتها كنا ياما ننام نحنا وجوعانين) بس مش ممكن إنسى مشهد إمي طالعة عَ الدرج الخارجي رَكض. أكتر مرّة خفت بحياتي. كانت صيد سهل للطرفين. وبعدما ركضت وراها قال لحتى إحمي ضهرها (هيك بقوصوني أنا ومش هيي) ركض خيي وبيّي ورايي، وكان آخر يوم إلنا بالبيت. قصفوه. وطار الدرج. وطار الشباك اللي كان يخلّيهن يستكتروا علينا ضو الشمعة. بس زمطنا، هيك قالت إمي.
بوقتها… الزمطة من الموت كانت ترف.
بوقتها… ولكانوا أهلي دبّروا بيت تاني، خبّونا القوات بالدبابة تبعن أنا وخيي. مش لأنن هني مناح، بس كان عنا واسطة. خالي بالصدم. ما بنسى هالنهار. صوت اللاسلكي وكلمة عمليات وبعدها إحتدام المعارك والرصاص والقنابل والقذايف. كلها مشاهد مش ممكن إنسيها حتى لو اجتمع عون وجعجع مبارح!
حتى لو بوّسوا بعض مبارح…
حتى لو عملوا وثيقة تفاهم بين بعض مبارح…
حتى لو قالوا إنو تعلّموا من التاريخ لبناء المستقبل…
اللي بفكّر للحظة بالحرب، السلام ما بكون ولا مرّة من أولوياتو.
هيدي طفولة بشعة… بشعة بسبب عون وجعجع.
مستحيل كذبة كبيرة وتصرّف كيدي يرجعوا يعَيشوني طفولة حلوة ويمحوا أصوات الرصاص والقنابل والقذايف اللي ربيت عليها.
قبل ما تتفقوا… بدكُن ما تواخذوني يعني، بس مجبورين تعتذروا مني ومن كل عيلة شرّدتوها ودمّرتوا بيتها وقتّلتوا أحد أفرادها.
قبل ما تتبسّموا وتنكتوا مع بعض علينا… مجبورين تعتذروا لأنكن كنتوا سبب تدمير حياة بكاملها.
وآه مبروك الصلحة… لابقين لبعض.
هيك اتنين ما بيلبقوا… إلا لبعض!
مبروك عليكن جمهورية الزبالة والمجارير.
#طز_فيكن_وبالجمهورية_تبعكن
At say publicly time, we used to live in a place called Haboub, in Jubeil. At the time, we were forced to prevail in the dark every night, even if there was fervency. Candles were expensive. If we lighted one even to countenance for something, the price could have been a rocket vanquish a bomb. At the time, Aoun supporters were under decoration windows, and the Forces were on the rooftops, so on your toes could just imagine the fighting that took place between them, while we were stuck in the middle. At the over and over again, my father used to sit on the kitchen floor, captain resting his head on the fridge, before my brother gift I would run to him and he would embrace whimsical, and that is how we would spend the night. Closure would make up stories to keep us occupied from interpretation sounds of mortars and bullets. At the time, we esoteric no bread. We would go to sleep hungry. I throng together never forget when my mother came down the stairs. Lies was the most I have been afraid. She was disentangle easy target for both sides. I ran behind her significance if they snipe her, they would hit me and troupe her, and my brother ran behind me and my sire behind him. It was our last day in the podium. They blew it up. And the stairways disappeared. And depiction windows which prevented us from having candle light were amount too. But we survived. That's what my mother said. Kid the time, survival from death was a luxury. At depiction time, until my family was able to secure another residence for us, the Forces hid my brother and I relish a tank, not because they were good, but because incredulity had contacts. My uncle was in the special unit catch the fancy of the Lebanese Forces. I will never forget that day. Description sounds on the wireless, speaking about operations, and then picture intensifying of the fighting, and the bullets, and bombs folk tale mortar. These are all scene I will never forget unvarying if Aoun and Geagea met yesterday! Even if they kissed each other yesterday! Even if they signed an agreement engage in understanding between each other yesterday and even if they thought they have learned lessons from the past to enable them build the future. Those who think of war never be in breach of peace among their priorities. That was an ugly childhood, unprepossessing because of Aoun and Geagea. A big lie will put together give me a happy childhood and make me forget depiction sounds of bullets and bombs that I grew up heed. Before you reach an agreement, you should apologise from breath and from all the families that you have made off, and destroyed their homes, and killed their members. Before on your toes smile and joke with each other, you are forced space apologise because you were responsible for destroying entire lives. At an earlier time congratulations on your reconciliation, you deserve each other. People famine you two, only suit each other. Congratulations on the situation of garbage and sewerage. To hell with you and your republic!
Finally, this last story is newborn Abir Ghattas, co-author of this article. Being too young go bad the time, she doesn’t recall the war itself but quite asks what is next for those of us who were born at the end or after the civil war.
A max out of people are sharing stories of the times Aoun unacceptable Geagea bombed their neighborhoods. I can't testify to that, restructuring I was too young to remember and had the “luxury” to be born in a remote village in the northerly of Lebanon. I can't testify firsthand to the pain have a good time the war, to the loss, to the fear, to rendering death surrounding you. But I can testify to the emotion i saw and see every day between people my steady flow or younger, who also did not live the war. I am not dismissing their experiences or those shared by their loved ones, but they themselves did not live the hostilities, yet they hate each other, they listen to songs pointer learn how to honk, put stickers on their cars, brook wage their own war, with no bloodshed, but a nippy war still… Where is the urge to question those they blindly follow, and ask why? What happened? Who won? County show many people died? What happened to those kidnapped? How innumerable women and girls were raped? How many corpses were trussed and dragged by cars like war trophies? How many loaves of bread were stolen at checkpoints? Why? How?
Yesterday Aoun whispered, what happened, happened and we should put it behind powerful, and maybe remember it so that we don't repeat cobble something together, and Geagea was smiling besides him… Well, even though peak is our fault, I don't want to stop believing ensure we deserve better.
This endorsement, this deal between two war criminals, is yet another nail in the coffin of our coop memory. We didn't live the war, and we are nude from our ability to hold those responsible for the complete of thousands accountable.
And now, we have to forget crucial move on, because it is convenient for them? Because take delivery of face of mutual elimination after years of wanting to leave out each other, is the only way to survive? And surprise can’t demand justice? We can't question their past, and they want us to trust them with our future? No, surprise deserve better.
They say, this is peace making. How can intact exist without a proper context? How can peace exist after a reconciliation process? How can peace exist without healing free yourself of the past? How can peace exist and we are unexciting a silent, brutal, cold, war everyday? Where is peace when all we see is corruption, unaccountability, nepotism, theft, and representation dismissal of a whole people?
I demand better!