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you can fool some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.  In the "Vote for MERLIN" section, I had criticized the people who are against the reconstruction plan of Prime Minister Hariri. I still hold the same opinion, but recent events in Lebanon have made me consider the Prime Minister as unfair in certain decisions he has made, specially when those decisions have not been taken by him, but through manipulated persons, at least in the name of his government. Just before new year of 1997-1998, a Michel Aoun interview was forbidden to air on MTV station (a Lebanese local TV station owned by one of the Ministers in the Hariri Government). The Hariri Government claims that this interview might affect the stability in the country. I certainly do not support this point of view, I personally believe Prime Minister Hariri was afraid of something that might be revealed in that interview : The Hariri-Aoun relationship during the Aoun era. Marches and sit-ins broke out, mainly in university campuses and schools, of course the marches were organized by Aounists, but there was a considerable amount of people mainly non-Aounist lawyers, doctors and so on, who participated in the marche, not in support for Michel Aoun, but in Support of freedom of expression in Lebanon. Those , I SALUTE. Those non-Aounists have in their act contributed to preserving Freedom and Democracy in Lebanon. The marche was put down by the Internal Security Forces and many were jailed inspite the fact that they were peaceful and non-violent. What is the Government and Mr. Hariri afraid of exactly ???? I am not a Aounist, but I do not think Aoun or ANYONE should not be allowed to speak, not EVEN Samir Geagea. In my opinion, he should have been allowed to speak, and after that Mr. Hariri could have had a similar interview in the same program on the same TV station , one week after that to defend or reply to anything or any claim Michel Aoun might have said in the his interview. THAT , Mr. Hariri ...... is Democracy. THAT Mr. Hariri is what makes LEBANON a unique Country in this part of the World. This is what makes us different from Syria, Iraq, Egypt........and even Saudi Arabia. Then in January of 1998, and after a struggle with the Government, LBC (a Lebanese local and Satellite TV station previously run by the Lebanese Christian Forces) had aired an interview with Mr. Najah Wakim (a deputy of parliament opposed to Mr. Hariri) where he had some facts against the Hariri Government and mainly was asking for answers from the Government. After the interview, LBC was forbidden from airing political interviews and even their NEWS PROGRAM WAS BANNED. WHY ??? Let them speak, let them say whatever they want, you always have the option of denying or justifying your position through another similar interview that will tell YOUR side of the story in an equally CIVILIZED manner. Am I to understand that if I raise my objections to this act, the Lebanese Government will ban my site through Lebanese ISPs and Lebanese users will no longer be able to login to my site ???? I really don't know how to categorize this act. Is it to be considered a shameless act against the essence of Lebanon which is based on the equality of its citizens ??? or is it to be considered a crime against Freedom of expression and therefore Democracy itself ??? Either way, it is INTOLERABLE and UNACCEPTABLE. It is not the Future Lebanon we want. I was among the first to accept and defend the reconstruction plan of Mr. Hariri, I accepted the challenge to contribute as much as I can in repaying the economical debts that will incur as a result of this reconstruction plan which might also extend to my son's generation. nevertheless, I accepted the sacrifice for the well being of my country and my people from the economical point of view. The responsibility of these debts does not fall on the reconstruction plan itself, it falls on the Lebanese Warlords who did not think (or care) about the consequences of resorting DIRECTLY to the armed struggle among themselves and their communities (each claiming to be doing it in defense) and pushing my generation (Lebanon's youth) to their deaths in these battles and obviously, the infra-structure of Lebanon to its doom (which was maybe, just maybe, the objective of this war in setting the grounds for a division in Lebanon and pave the way for a confederate system, and even justify this by saying : Well the old system is just not working). For all these reasons I supported the reconstruction plan and accepted the sacrifices which I consider a necessity today. But my support for Mr. Hariri's economical reforms will NEVER be at the expense of Freedom and Democracy in LEBANON. We cherish our Freedom and Democracy more than anything in the world. Perhaps we were too free that we each fought for our beliefs and destroyed our country with our own hands in this nightmare of a civil war. But today, we each realized that there can be no winning, but grades of loosing, that's why the war ended. I praise the Government and the Lebanese Army on disarming the militias, I will continue to praise the Government if it will leave everyone to struggle the way they want and believe, provided the debates remain WITHIN the boundaries of a civilized democracy. NO FIGHTING. The role of the Government is to insure and enforce this through the Army (which I hold so dear to my heart). But to take part in the struggle and use the Army unjustly and twist the laws by enforcing Government decisions against Medias and shut them up, as a tool against the opposition from expressing itself ?? NO NO and again N O By committing these acts, you, Mr.Hariri, are making two mistakes, one small and one big and DANGEROUS. The small one is that you are offending Democracy and our unique way of life not to mention abuse of power. The Big and Dangerous one, is YOU ARE SETTING A PRECEDENT. In the future (hehehe la3younak), Prime Ministers and Presidents will have the tendency in DOING THE SAME when they get a bit embarrassed by the political opposition. Of course Future TV today is careful on not having interviews with political opposition figures and not mentioning anything bad against the Government. But will this remain the same when an opposition Government takes control ???? If tomorrow another President is elected and another Prime Minister (which you oppose) is appointed. Would you accept that he does the same to Future TV by Banning its news broadcast ???? What will you say then ??? you cannot say anything because it was done before........BY YOU. Perhaps, Mr. Hariri, your act is perfectly justifiable, I don't know. I am just a simple Lebanese Citizen with Chehabist convictions. This WHOLE page was made because I care about my country and about our way of life and how it was, it is and should be. I care about the Future of my country through the well being of its youth (my Generation, the one they call the war generation or the generation that is coming out of the shelters), this youth , that you are thankfuly responsible for educating a large portion of them, regardless of their religion. I am voicing out my opposition to your recent acts today, as a result from what I hear in the news, although deep inside, I am still keeping a small doubt that your act was maybe justifiable : So let us hear YOUR side of the story. In the absence of your justification, I have to condemn your act on Michel Aoun's interview and LBC as a violation on our (the people) basic right for freedom of expression. |
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