Al-Mahdi Scouts, Major Youth Target for “Israel”
"Creative" information gathered about al-Mahdi Scouts proved that "Israel", which claims is part of the "World Scout Movement", does not understand anything about the Scouts movement. "Israeli" claims failed to succeed to lead al-Mahdi scouts outside the international movement.
Establishing Scout movements in Lebanon was considered as the first in the Arab world since the founding of the World Scout Movement, founded by the English officer Robert Baden Powell in 1907. Scouting in Lebanon began under the name of "Ottoman Scouts" in 1921 after the announcement of the first international conference of the movement in 1920.
It then expanded to include cities and schools with the participation of the youth,
and then extended to Syria and Palestine, until the first scout federation was formed and recognized by the World Scout Movement in 1924. Following the aforementioned, a new Lebanese Scout Federation was re-established in 1936 when Lebanon was declared as a State after the separation from Syria.
Objectives of the World Scout Movement, which embraced all Scout associations in the world are:
• to spread the loyalty and redemption spirit towards the homeland among young people
• to spread habits of self-reliance
• to help embracing obedience and cooperation
• to enable the youth to raise their efficiency, fitness and physical, mental and emotional abilities to be good citizens and to contribute their energies in what serves themselves, their families, community and homeland.
Al-Mahdi Scouts in Lebanon was among the Lebanese organizations that were established on the basis of the said scouts' objectives. Al-Mahdi Scouts formed its structure and teams and set up camps like other Scout associations in Lebanon.
The fact that Lebanon is targeted by "Israel", and that Lebanese villages and towns have been witnessing a blatant range of aggressions since the Zionist occupation of Palestine, the youth represented a true sense of responsibility towards their homeland as taught by the scouts. Since then, the youth have been playing an important role in defending their land and people. The scouts associations also were engaged in other types of activities during war, including helping people at the times of forced-displacement after the indiscriminate "Israeli" attacks.
Among these associations was al-Mahdi Scout, and as an association within the umbrella of "Lebanese Scouts Federation", it carried out its activities within the law of Scouts.
However, despite that al-Mahdi Scouts is present in a targeted atmosphere, whether in South Lebanon, Bekaa Valley or in the capital Beirut and its southern suburb, the atmosphere does not agree to be a target for "Israel", therefore it found itself obliged to resist the enemy and defend its homeland. Here was the responsibility entrusted to al-Mahdi Scouts more than other societies, especially when their activities and camps were and still are being targeted by the Israeli military and Medias.
In addition to being targeted by the permanent military assaults, the nonstop hostile media in "Israel" focused on the resistance's public view, and studied it carefully in order to destroy it, whether on the political or economic levels or in terms of media.
"Israel" targeted, militarily and through media the youth, especially the youth of al-Mahdi Scouts.
Particularly after the July 2006 war, "Israel's" Medias started advertising for the criminality of the youth, in order to run away from the justice after killing innocent children and women in their homes, and escape international condemnation.
Defending the homeland and redemption are two goals of the World Scout Movement. The "Israeli" accusation that al-Mahdi are applying the aforementioned goals, affected its credibility in the World Scout Movement instead of gaining anything.
Al-Mahdi Scouts in Lebanon consists nowadays of more than 70 thousand members, and is considered as the outnumbering scouts association in Lebanon. Its activities take part all over the Lebanese territories, and its Commissioner-General currently holds a position in the Arab Region Scouts Federation. This gives al-Mahdi scouts the chance to participate and manage conferences and camps for Arab region scouts and word scouts, some of which are held in Lebanon.
Recently, the synonymous Association of "al-Mahdi Guides" (for Girls) was established, and being a member of the " Lebanese Association of Guides", it also participates in all conferences, camps and training courses, on the levels of the Arab region and word scouting.
Lebanon is always the target and not just al-Mahdi Scouts, especially after Lebanese Scouts Federation won the presidency of the "Arab region Scouts and Guides for girls" headed by "Nora Garaudy," and recently won the Presidency of the Assembly of the "World Scout movement" headed by "Nadine Ashi".
"Israel" will probably have nothing new but to declare War on Lebanon and on its youth, not only through its military, but through Medias and culture.
