War is NOT an Option
Since I learned about the "Say NO to war" online petition (the very concept of which drives me up the wall), I have been itching all day to let something out.
I personally find it sad and scandalous that this hateful mono-syllabic word be even uttered under any circumstance, whether it be coupled with a "NO" or not.
This "war" postulate that seems to be going around should be dismissed altogether. Saying "NO" to it on a petition validates its existence and establishes it as a possible alternative. War is NOT an option or an alternative. Instead of saying "NO" to War, what we need is to promote and reinforce the idea that the Lebanese people who twice stood together in hundreds of thousands in and around Freedom square, will remain united above all conflicts, and that War as we've experienced it, is and shall remain part of a regrettable past.
posted by Fouad at 5:31 PM
11 Comments:
i hope the last 9 words will always remain true.
sigh... when i was in lebanon last week people were talking about a war sneaking up... for there to be a war, there has to fighters... are we that weak to pick up weapons and fight again?
this worries me. i visited the website and i don't have a good feeling about it. i hope that our generation has learned something from our past and present. mutual co-existence is possible, so believe in it!
Fouad,
Although I understand your good intentions, I don't think that not talking about the threat of war or threat of violence is a good idea at all. First, whether we like it or not, the situation is super-tense. Keeping silent or not uttering the words "the situation is super-tense" does not change reality. On the contrary, just keeping silent and wishing it will go away is equivalent to amnesia in my opinion. Our problem is that the causes of the war in 1975 are still here. The roots of conflict are still where we left them. No national reconciliation has taken place, precisely because people did not discuss and analyze what happened, but decided to shut their mouths and carry on, while all the problems and contradictions were still there, beneath he surface, locked inside. No, we have to talk about it, and we must be vocal in our concern.
hello?? who was behind fueling the lebanese conflict? what about learning from our mistakes? how about civilization and education?
and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for your independence and peace?? or did we already forget?? i think we have "some" reason to rise above 1975 in 2006.
jij, please, I am not advocating an ostrich's approach to the situation. Believe me, I've been through the lebanese war from beginning to end and I know very well what issues undermined our social and political conflicts. Yet, I stand by my position. This is NOT the time to talk about war, no matter how tense the situation is. On the contrary, it is because the situation is tense that "war" should be entirely dismissed. I am telling you, it is a matter of perspective, and our standpoint should not be one that is trying to avoid an impending civil war, but one that puts Lebanon's interests at the forefront, and looks at the most capable and appropriate governing body to ensure a state of democracy, independence and continuous constructive dialogue between the different lebanese political factions. War will NOT happen. One million Lebanese taking to the streets is not how threats to national unity were dealt with in 1975. If this overwhelming human tide that we've witnessed twice in one year does not stand for something jij, then really, I don't know what does.
i will preempt by saying that on the contrary, there is a war to be fought. A war against years of religious sectarianism, corruption and tainted leaders. A brainwashing, non-military war. A cultural revolution of sorts.
And even if we have stood together in a square called Freedom, we are far from being united or free from all our prejudices.
Fouad:
I guess we see the significance of those millions taking down the streets in completely different ways. I unfortunately did not see them as the reflection of a newborn unity, but rather as a moment in Lebanese history where the interests of several groups intersected. These groups did not transcend their tribal nature however, as subsequent days have shown. I was pessimistic in those days, and I remain pessimistic today. But anyway... I don't want to drift away from the subject. We can talk about it if you want.
Laila
I don't know what upset you. Conflicts don't come because people talk. Conflicts have social, economical, historical and political origins. The war did not occur because some people were talking about the possibility of war. It occurred for a thousand and one concrete reasons. And yes, these reasons must be discussed, dissected, analyzed to death in order to understand them and eliminate any danger they might cause in the future.
I am all for rising above 1975 and 1976 and 1977, maybe you didn't get what I said. I think we can only rise above our problems by understanding them, which we failed to do until now as a people. You mention education and civilization. Education and civilization consist in learning from history and building on that knowledge. Saying "what's done is done, let's not do it again, let’s do what’s good for Lebanon, Lebanon first" is not education; it’s folklorish talk that doesn’t mean anything.
I hope you take this in good spirit, I think we all want the same thing.
Why is your email address wrong? I wanted to write.
It isn't wrong...
War is never an option I guess Fouad. Don't have many words left. I'll leave it like this then.. Take care..
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