Lebanon: What People Think

"I know that Israel is using the kidnapping of its soldiers as a pretext. Everybody knows that they (the Israelis) were waiting for a chance to do this. Why give them the opportunity then?

"Lebanon should not be used as a tool by other countries that pursue their own interests. We have our own problems."

Unbreakable Spirit

Nada A., 30, Lebanon

Nada is a Shiite Muslim who lives in Baalbak. Because of the Israeli assaults, she has moved to her grandparents' house in a safer part of the same district.

"What happened is not Hizbullah's fault. Israel has been preparing for this war for months and it is not about two soldiers; rather, it is about saying NO to Israel and the United States. We are not shocked by the stance of the Arab rulers or the Arab people. Gaza has been under siege and Palestinian people have been starving since June. They all saw Houda Gallia crying on TV. Despite all this, they came to Lebanon for their holiday. So why would they wake up now? Why would they be men and defend Lebanon? After all those innocent people died and after losing this much, we refuse to give up. We will defend our country and once again teach Arab rulers how to be men and how to preserve their dignity. For us, death is better than living without dignity. This is not my opinion alone; I met people whose houses were destroyed and whose beloved ones were killed and still they shouted 'Fida lal moqawame. Ya rab ehmi el-Sayyid Hassan' (It's all for the sake of the resistance. May Allah keep el-Sayyid Hassan [Hizbullah's Secretary General] safe)."

Dreaming About Reconciliation

Charlotte Stoevring, 28, Denmark

Charlotte is a Danish woman who visited Beirut last May as part of an intercultural dialogue program.

"I really loved this article by Robert Fisk. After reading it, I found myself crying again. I'm planning to send it to all my Hotmail contacts. The world really needs to know what's going on. What else can I do? I feel so helpless. For the first time in my life, I really feel a war is somehow close to me. This has become personal to me. I have this constant feeling of heartbreaking sadness. I can't get rid of it. And I feel so angry about and ashamed of how the Western world is reacting or, actually, how it is not reacting! I'm still that Danish girl who visited Beirut and dreamed about reconciliation. But I can't believe how difficult it is right now! I can now understand the anger and the feeling of injustice.

"But what can I do other than telling my friends and family about Beirut and the
sweet people I met there and praying?"

My Beloved Beirut Under Fire

Sandra Kaissi, 32, Sweden

Sandra is a Swedish citizen married to a Lebanese man. She has been living in Beirut for two years and left for Sweden right before the war broke out.

"Having lived in Beirut for two years, the whole thing is unbelievable to me. I cannot take in that my beloved Lebanon is being destroyed in front of my eyes without anyone doing a thing to stop it. As usual, the United States backs its little puppy, Israel. I am disgusted by all this. I'm disgusted with the state that constantly reminds us of the Holocaust while doing other people the same wrong. While bombs are raining down on the Lebanese children, the United Nations people are discussing things over dinner, taking their time and smiling as they shake hands in front of the cameras. I feel frustrated, angry, and helpless. What will it take for the world to interfere?  What?"

Civilians Pay the Price

Bettina Alveen, 24, Denmark

Bettina is a Danish woman who visited Beirut last May as part of an intercultural dialogue program.

"I think it's much to bomb a country in such a way to get rid of an organization that does not even enjoy the support of all the citizens. What I can't really get is the amount of civilian casualties. Israel and the United States act similarly. I really don't like the war manners of the United States. I thought at the beginning that Hizbullah was in Palestine only.

"It is weird and very very confusing that something like that can happen. I still wear a bracelet with a quote from a Lebanese journalist: "We swear to God, who is great, that we — Christians and Muslims — will live together forever and ever, and protect great Lebanon.

"I think it's very obvious how much the Lebanese people have worked to live in peace. This makes a war even worse, I think.

"Seeing Beirut being destroyed is terrible. I'm most worried about the people I know. The city was great and everybody was so nice. I just can't understand that there are bombings there. It could almost just as well be here then."

Peace For Lebanon

Mona Iskandarani, 24, Lebanon

Mona is a Sunni Muslim. Since the beginning of the war, she has been trying to get the message of the Lebanese people across through the Internet.

"The situation here is very cruel, as you know. I'm trying as much as I can to coordinate with different local NGOs to bring necessary supplies to the refugees. Moreover, I'm working on making the world aware of our bad situation. Most of the volunteers are working on an individual level because it's unsafe to go to far places.

"Many people of different nationalities are still stuck in villages with no food, no doctors, and no medicine. Today, the Israelis bombed a church with refugees inside!! Many massacres took place. I won't continue describing because you know what it is like to be in a war where the international conventions aren't respected and where the illegal arms are used without any consideration to human lives.

"Everyone is asking why the Lebanese civilians are the ones who pay the price. … Though thousands of Lebanese people have left the country, the spirit of the youth is great. We are strong and united. We try as much as we can to be active in helping others and we don't intend to leave our country. Nothing will stop us from living our lives normally. We will always remain proud of being Lebanese. They destroyed our airports, bridges, and villages, but they will never be able to destroy our will. We want peace and justice not only for the Lebanese people, but also for all human humanity.

'Pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.' (Deuteronomy 3:25; Moses on Mount Nebo)

'Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon.' (Song of Solomon 4:8)'"

A Message to the World

Anna Zakrzewska, 24, Poland

Anna is a Polish woman who paid several visits to Lebanon.

"I never witnessed a war in Lebanon, but, during my visits, I could see its remains and I could see how those remains were disappearing. Hadn't this war broken out, I would have been in Lebanon right now. I could've been working and enjoying my time there. Now its impossible.

Now, I can only open my messenger and desperately wait for my Lebanese friends to show up online. Why didn't he/she show up? Is it because he/she lost connection? or...? I don’t even want to think about the other possibilities. I feel so happy when one of them goes online. But, every conversation is heartbreaking. I just can't take it when suddenly a friend I’m chatting with says: "Oh! There is bombardment! I think I should go home!" 

All I can do is watching the news and seeing how the places I love so much were completely destroyed. I don’t care what the causes of the war are. All I care about is the little children and their mothers and fathers who get killed everyday. When I read about the casualties in the village I worked in, I  wonder "Was it the salesman in the shop I used to buy from? Was it our guardian? Our neighbor ? The little girl who used to visit us? What I learned is that Lebanon is a real message to the world as John Paul II said. It’s a message of unity beyond differences, of tolerance and