The mirror of the Arab street:Lebanon does it again [Archives:2005/823/Opinion]

A couple of days ago this observer read an article in Slate Magazine (formerly a Microsoft web publication, now owned by the Washington Post), which states that, for all practical purposes, the Arab Street is a non existent concoction that has no merit or significance in the formulation of the political scene. On Tuesday, the 8th of March 2005, the Lebanese people, lock, stock and barrel went out on the street to belie this stupid supposition, undoubtedly written with the belief that it is all right for Israel and the United States to dictate to the Arabs how should they be governed and what policies to pursue. On Tuesday, the 8th of March, 1.6 million Lebanese gathered together, in a magnificent display of civilized mass behavior and expression of political views and told the world, “Lebanon is ours, and it is we who decide what Lebanon should and should not do”. If American thinks that by sending an envoy (aided by a French envoy for decor) to arrange for some relatively insignificant minor displays of public will and expression, they can dictate to Lebanon how its future should be laid out, they have fallen into the mistaken belief, no doubt sold by the Israelis, that the political scene in the region is in the hands of a few neo-conservative strategists in Washington and their Israeli mentors. Lebanon, on Tuesday, told the world that the future of Lebanon is in the hands of the Lebanese and it is the Lebanese who decide the fate of Lebanon. It is not Ariel Sharon, George W. Bush or for that matter Lebanon's supposedly dear friend Jacques Chirac who dictate the terms of Lebanon's sovereignty. It is the Lebanese people who kicked out a mischievous Israeli occupation that brought havoc, death and destruction to Lebanon, while the international community, the White House and Paris sat idle, not even willing to get a UN Resolution issued against Israel for its many massacres in Lebanon into passage, let alone get Israel out of Lebanon.

Yes, the Arab Street is alive and well in Beirut, Sidon, and Tripoli and it fully knows what it wants and does not have to wait for a signal or forebodings from Washington, Tel Aviv or Parris as to how to sustain its independence and ability to resist the most dangerous menace to peace and tranquility in the Middle East, the demonic State of Israel. The people of Lebanon have echoed the mood of all the Arab peoples from Mauritania to the Persian Gulf, when they cried out to the world: “We have our own views. We have our own sense of justice. We have our own ways of making sure that our rights are sustained”.

So, how can one not truly watch in admiration as every so called ethnic or factional group in London had representative in that momentous gathering in Riadh Al-Sulh Square that spoke with one mode of expression: America, Israel, France et al, leave Lebanon alone. Lebanon shall not be a sphere of influence for any hegemonious monster that insists on dictating its will on all the people of the area. If we want the Syrians to stay in Lebanon, it is because the national interests of Lebanon so dictate, not because the late Hafez Al-Assad or Basshar Al-Assad so want it to be”.

The mass gathering in Beirut was a solemn slap in the face against all the manifestations of a “might makes right” policy, which Mr. Sharon together with Mr. Bush are fervently trying to shape the region with. The people of Lebanon have made it clear that the views of the Arab masses have not nudged one bit from their long standing conceptualization of the circumstances in the region: Israel and all her supporters are seeking to put the entire region under their submission, so that Israel can undermine the stability of the region to further its own ambitions. Tuesday is an unforgettable day in the political history of the Arab World, because for once, the people of Lebanon reminded the rest of the Arabs that power lies in their hands if they organize it correctly and in a civilized manner. Even those Arab leaders that rushed to suggest their support of Security Council Resolution 1559 will find themselves dumbstruck by the massive display of rejection by the Lebanese people of the guided wisdom by which these leaders wish to influence the will of the Lebanese (and for that matter their own) people.

The people of Lebanon on Tuesday the 8th of November echoed the cries of every Arab, whose hearts bleed for their brethren in Iraq and Palestine, while their leaders are content with succumbing to American dictates in order to augment their own political leverage. The people of Lebanon – Christians, Druze, Moslem Sunnis and Moslem Shi'as – all spoke one language on Tuesday in Beirut. Thus, the minor manipulations of public opinion with the guidance of special envoys from Washington and France, were made a mockery of by the people of Lebanon – all the people of Lebanon, who once again showed the world that indeed Lebanon is an exceptional case of true Arab civility and democratic interaction. By democratically coming forward en masse to express their rejection of outside interference in their internal affairs and the imposition of the political will of those who care the least about the welfare of the Lebanese or any other Arabs, as can be seen in Iraq and Palestine, the Lebanese have assured the world that indeed there is political life in the Arab masses. If the rest of the Arab leaders will only allow their people to organize such displays of national solidarity as we saw in Lebanon and not worry about what Washington or Tel Aviv might think, they will see that the proud gathering at Riadh Al-Sulh Square can be repeated from Nouakchott to Salalah. One might even suggest that this would be even to their benefit more so than succumbing to any prodding from Washington or Paris. After all, the political will of the people is their best safeguard to longevity.

One important point to note from this is that Hezbollah of Lebanon has once again shown that it cannot be underestimated or for that matter removed from the arena in Lebanon. Its political muscle has now actually been strengthened rather than weakened by the latest folly of American Middle East policy in Lebanon, adding more to its previous manifestations of military might.

The Arab Street is alive and well.
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