The Victory Day….Denied by Its People

As-Safir Newspaper

Wednesday, August 14, 2013 is the seventh anniversary of the Lebanese Resistance victory. Seven years ago, "Israel" attacked Lebanon for 33 days destroying Beirut's Dahiyeh, the South, the Bekaa and other parts of the mountain. This day recalls the defeat of "Israel" on the hands of the Lebanese people, army and Resistance.

The consecutive governments did not consider August 14th as a national day. "Statesmen" will not visit the martyr's tombs in the destroyed areas to put some flowers. The media channels will not publish any rare photos or videos talking about the bravery and steadfast of these people.

Statesmen and some Lebanese citizens will spend Wednesday, August 14th with no attention to the great achievement created by the massive sacrifices, and the efficient leadership. They won't pay attention to the Mujahedeen who sacrificed their lives to get their sacred lands back, and made their fellow citizens hold their heads high feeling proud of the victory.

This day will pass quietly while the enemy will be busy recruiting its government, army, scientists and strategic studies institutes to investigate their defeat. They will try to find out why they were defeated despite of the enormous weaponry, air force, battleships and rockets? Why were they defeated in spite of the international support to this war that was conducted by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice? Why were they defeated although an international resolution to end the war was deactivated giving a chance to the "unconquerable army" to save their faces and their allies'?

Most Arab regimes will do their best efforts to fight this victory using all kinds of sectarian incitation, political defamation of the fighters who achieved the victory with the support of their people (and the Arab people without their governments' permission). They even outrun the EU listing "Hizbullah" among the terrorism organizations. It is worth mentioning that the EU was forced to take that decision so they apologized to "Hizbullah" leadership.

In a recent interview with Sayyed Nassrallah , As-safir asked him whether his grey hair and beard has to do with July 2006 war. He laughed "Lebanon is behind all this grey. The battle against "Israel" is easier than the battle with some Lebanese. When you fight "Israel", you have clear targets, options, weapons, tactics and rhetoric. But, when it comes to Lebanon itself, it is pretty difficult".

This country is strange! The government is absent or maybe it chose to be absent concerning tenets and premises. Still, it gives the people a chance to defeat "Israel" and its allies but at the same time, it gives its minorities, sects, and majorities a chance to defeat any victor.

When the 33 day war ended, exactly on August 27th, 2006, our colleague Mariam al-bassam interviewed Sayyed Nassrallah through al-Jadeed Lebanese channel "if you asked me if I have had 1% of doubt that this kidnapping will lead to a war like this, would you go on? I would have answered: absolutely No due to humanitarian, social, ethical, political, security, and military reasons".

This statement was so argumentative seven years ago. Some considered it as "the most honest". Others regarded it as a criminal clue to trial Sayyed as "a criminal;" while non-politicized others asked politicians to look at this statement carefully and follow what it conveys as "we can find so much honesty and care about the country and the people"

On April 28th, 2000 before less than a month of the liberation season, President Nabih Barri addressed Sayyed Nassrallah in a meeting with many field and political leaders "Sayyed, "Israel" was defeated but we should not be overjoyed. This liberation and "Israeli" defeat is so great that Arabs, Muslims and maybe some Lebanese are not able to bear."

Few days before "the victory celebration" on September 25th, 2006, Speaker Nabih Berri , MPs Hassan Khalil and Ali Hassan Khalil rode the same car towards the southern suburb. They reached a building standing alone amongst several destroyed buildings from the shelter to the fifth floor in Haret Hreik area in the Dahiyeh. Sayyed was there welcoming them right at the elevator door. At the end of their closed meeting, Berri said " Sayyed, yes we have won, the world cannot deny this victory and it might share our celebration. But in Lebanon, there are some people who still insist theorizing for defeat, trying not to portray you as a victor".
He reminded him of what he said on the liberation day in 2000 that some powers want Lebanon and the Resistance to pay the price of this Victory"

Maybe, that is why August 14th will pass quietly for many Lebanese and Arabs moved by hard feelings, sectarian disputes, interests and obsessions. None of them will celebrate the resistance victory over "Israel" in the July aggression.

Immediately after the July war and the Special tribunal for Lebanon (investigating the assassination of martyr Rafiq Hariri), many countries and beneficiaries of this disaster strived to point finger "members" of" Hizbullah " employing false witnesses.
Since 2006 until now, time was enough to change the identities of friends and enemies. It was enough to defame the image of the resistance, that even the July victory became an "accusation". To make the situation more ironic, the EU chose a day of July to list what it called "the military wing" of "Hizbullah" on its black list.
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This is no only Europe business, but also some Arab and Lebanese bodies did not show a softer stance than others regarding the resistance achievements. They even worked publicly and privately to illegalize resistance and surround it with all types of accusations.

The resistance is nearly the only living "establishment" besides the military at the tome of paralyzed state on all levels. Despite this fact, there are some powers that rush to empty it of its capabilities and content without any guaranteed ready substitute. They ignore the fact that jumping into nowhere is the real adventure, and not sticking to a righteous option that proved efficient in 2006 victory.

Resistance against "Israel" could have been one of the most common factors at the time of sectarian fragmentation and projects transcending Sykes-Picot in destroying the unity of this land and shattering its Arabic identity.

It could have been the best response to the projects invading our region under different names. But the narrow-minded perspectives and fanaticism resulted in a layer of mist that confused visions and distorted facts making "Israel" a " former enemy" or at best cases " a postponed" enemy leaving space to other different names to come.

In "normal" countries, victory is glorified and its achievers are bestowed medals and privileges. But in our country, they become "perpetrators" and "inconsiderate" and mostly find themselves in need to defend their acts and "justify" their sacrifices.

In "normal" countries, victory is conserved in hearts and history books, but in our country we find many ways to "torment" victory and lose it in narrow alleys.

In "normal" countries, people of different backgrounds agree on the importance of victory. They forget their disputes, contradictions and shelter victory trying to find a relation to it. But in our country, victory is one of the most highlighted factors of internal divisions.

In "normal" countries, the resistance takes over after victory. In other words, it should be given authority as an appreciation of its sacrifices. But in our country, all political tricks and pressures are used in order to alienate resistance from the government even if it is going to represent one ministry. When the government was named "Hizbullah government", it didn't go beyond the neglected agriculture.

In "normal" countries the resistance weapon is regarded as an "example" but in our country it is a "burden" for some people who feel the good intentions of the enemy while suspects the resistance intentions. Since we don't live in a normal country, resistance will always be argumentative. Crucial occasions like August 14th will always be debated as some people will celebrate it while others will ignore it. But, at least, le's all remember that if the entire globe will fail to convince one man of South Lebanon to get rid of the resistance weapons, so how about the fighters themselves who own weapons and victory?

How about the "majority" that considers "Israel" as the enemy and will always do even if the defeated Arabs change their stance. Those who colluded on the resistance during the war came to Beirut holding "Israeli" pass permission and issuing their ridiculous statement that almost ignored the aggressor and even tried to ignore the bloods of the Mujahedden who own the victory.
Despite all this, the least we can do is exchange congratulations in this "feast", at the time our life is burdened with memories of defeat, tribulations, and the collapse of nations that failed to protect their existence by fighting the battle: Against "Israel".