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| It is Time for the Lebanese to Rewrite their History By Pierre A. Maroun Since the Lebanese war started in 1975, and until the present time, the Syrians, the PLO, and their allies have harassed, intimidated, and slaughtered foreign reporters and foreign dignitaries in Beirut who did not report their side of the story. The main objective was to distort the truth in order to rally Arab and western support to their “cause,” which was not fighting Israel but rather killing Lebanese and trying to eradicate the Lebanese state. Unfortunately, most reporters and diplomats were subdued by the will of the terrorists. Those writers, especially European ones, who were not intimidated by force due to their geographical location that distanced them from the long arms of the terrorists, succumbed and joined this plot due to their liberal political agenda or because they were paid off. This resulted in a host of misleading and coerced “studies” filed in universities and newspapers archives. These are the same false “studies” which are being used today by many media personnel as well as some officials and grass root organizations including Human Rights ones as reliable sources. Lebanese writers and intellectuals, whose main purpose should have been to accurately report the truth and to properly cite events, far more often tend to believe the false and misleading information that has been filtered to the public by these propagandists. This is due to the fact that if a lie is repeated more often and never contested, it becomes the truth. Now that Lebanon is free, these falsities in our history books and newspapers archives must end. It is our duty to launch a long term damage control campaign aimed at exposing the culprits and correcting the stories by rewriting history. This can be achieved through hard work by dedicated individuals who care about Lebanon's image and heritage. The feminist movement has done it before us by rewriting important segments of history. As a result of their efforts, many great women from the past have been given the proper credits they deserve for their achievements, which originally have been overlooked, or ignored by sexist historians. Our heroes and legends deserve no less. The war against Lebanon has cost us the lives of 200,000 martyrs; half a million injuries; the emigration of 1,000,000 young Lebanese men and women; and the destruction of our economy, impoverishment of our people, and a tarnished image of Lebanon. For thirty years, the Syrian occupation was pushing in full capacity for the Syrianization of Lebanon’s society and for the Ba’ athification of its regime; they failed. Thus, let us complete our victory by removing all false remnants of that hideous era from the archives. Let us rewrite the real Lebanese history otherwise we will be allowing some unethical reporters and writers, driven by self-serving interest, to distort the truth regarding Lebanon and the Lebanese cause. The objectives of our ancestors have been sacred and noble ones. For centuries, they have defended Lebanon and its people from foreign and domestic aggressors. They have fought terrorism and freedom oppressors; and they have fiercely fought for democracy and Human Rights. Consequently, Lebanon became a haven for the oppressed and the persecuted. Now, it is time to tell the truth about this great nation; it is time to end intellectual terrorism; and it is time to write the truth about phenomenal Lebanon and its unique heritage, and especially about the latest war of 1975. Long Live Free Lebanon Pierre A. Maroun July 1, 2005 |