Posted on 08/18/2006 12:38:53 PM PDT by okiedog
South Lebanon Christians bitter over Israeli attack
QLAIAH, Lebanon: Ever since a truce between Israel and Hizbollah took hold this week, Boulos Abu Hamad and his family have been cleaning up the damage they say was left by Israeli troops who occupied their home for a night.
Their properties have only been moderately affected compared to the devastation of nearby Shi’ite Muslim towns, but residents of some Christian areas in southern Lebanon are just as angry with the Israelis.
“We are Maronite Christians. We are neither with Israel nor with Hizbollah nor with any other party so why did they do this to us?” said Abu Hamad’s wife, breaking into tears.
“Their troops came and ruined the bedroom furniture. We threw out the clothes I bought for my sister’s wedding because they ruined them and sacked the drawers and cupboards. They left nothing intact. Even their dogs left mess in the house.”
Many Lebanese Christians, Sunni Muslims and Druze have criticised Hizbollah for touching off the war by capturing two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12.
But they are also furious with Israel’s devastating response, which killed at least 1,100 people in Lebanon. One hundred and fifty-seven Israelis were killed in the conflict.
When Israeli troops invaded Lebanon last week and occupied the Christian villages of Marjayoun and Qlaiah — once home to the defunct pro-Israeli South Lebanon Army militia — they went from house to house, locals say, hammering down doors, breaking glass and trashing the contents for no reason they could fathom.
Soldiers took up positions in the neighbouring villages, entering and leaving residential areas after imposing a curfew.
Barely a shot was fired from Qlaiah, which was occupied by Israel until 2000, at Israeli infantry that advanced from the border to Christian towns around Aug. 10. Villagers say Hizbollah did not fight from among them.
No one thought the area would come under attack, and in comparison to nearby Hizbollah strongholds where houses and shops have been completely flattened, it has not.
A few buildings in the picturesque cobbled square of Marjayoun had been hit, apparently after some shots were fired at advancing Israeli troops.
Israeli soldiers also entered Marjayoun barracks and the town hall, their tanks crumpling or flattening the cars parked outside it and leaving imprints on the tarmac.
A peek through the padlocked gate into a clinic in Qlaiah reveals white doctors’ coats hanging up and a table of medical tools nearby, surrounded by broken glass and metal.
Glass litters a nearby optician’s and dental clinic, where neighbours say medical equipment has been damaged.
“May God not bring them fortune,” said one resident surveying the damage. “It is disgusting,” agreed another.
Reads like a who's who in the Christian Science organization.
Q: Holy Father, Christianity has spread around the world starting from Europe. Now many people think that the future of the Church is to be found in other continents. Is that true? Or, in other words, what is the future of Christianity in Europe, where it looks like it's being reduced to the private affair of a minority?
Benedict XVI: I'd like to introduce a few subtleties. It's true, as we know, that Christianity began in the Near East. And for a long time, its main development continued there. Then it spread in Asia, much more than what we think today after the changes brought about by Islam. Precisely for this reason its axis moved noticeably toward the West and Europe. Europe -- we're proud and pleased to say so -- further developed Christianity in its broader intellectual and cultural dimensions.
But I think it's important to remind ourselves about the Eastern Christians because there's the present danger of them emigrating, these Christians who have always been an important minority living in a fruitful relationship with the surrounding reality. There's a great danger that these places where Christianity had its origins will be left without Christians. I think we need to help them a lot so that they can stay.
...
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=70314
That's what it said. Says he was born in a Maronite town.
I was in the Marines back then and I remember the loss of Headquarters Company, 8th Marines.
I am not glad they lost their homes but - compared to their own in.action - the part of anyone else played in their loss of their homes IS trivial. Feel free to debate this point by point.
I don't go for any of that "I have no responsibility to plan" crap the Maronites are selling. If they want to immigrate here fine - I'll even employ some. But if they keep choosing To stay there, they'd best put together an army with artillery and air support or quite crying.
I'm sure the Christians in Lebanon are pissed, and helpless to some degree. But I'd like to hear about it without the media filter. I notice they "criticize" Hezbollah, but are "furious" with the Israelis. Sure it's not the other way around?
I recall back in 82' or 83' that the Christian militias in Lebannon were armed to teeth. Were they neutered by the Israeli occupation?
Read the article. It clearly mentioned that Hezbollah did not fire on Israelis from that village.
Send a bill to the IDF ... being that they are Christians they MIGHT just pay it.
The Christians were there first, so they didn't exactly choose to lie down with the dogs.
They did during and after the first invasion. Israel left them to the tender mercies of Hezbollah the way the US left the Southern Vietnamese. You can imagine how good their life has been since.
I'm sure you're right about that. Not that the Lebanese Christians haven't been a touch ambivalent about the Jeee-oos. I remember when they joined the attack against Israel in 1967, and I believe they were part of the Arab projects to exterminate the Jews in 1948 and 1956.
Did Lebanon recognize Israel diplomatically when it majority Christian?
"they went from house to house, locals say, hammering down doors, breaking glass and trashing the contents for no reason they could fathom."
If they really did that then these people obviously should be compensated by Israel.
I'd to see you, as a civilian, try to take on a well armed militia that has just kicked the IDF in the teeth. It's really easy to criticize.
Marionette?
So they are puppets on a string? Sounds about right.
Uh...dude. Did you and I read the same article? The one I read is at the top of this thread. It said, in relevant part...
Boulos Abu Hamad and his family have been cleaning up the damage they say was left by Israeli troops who occupied their home for a night.
Their properties have only been moderately affected ...
“Their troops came and ruined the bedroom furniture. We threw out the clothes I bought for my sister’s wedding because they ruined them and sacked the drawers and cupboards. They left nothing intact. Even their dogs left mess in the house.”
Where do you get that their house was "blown up"? Now, I used the word "trivial" and of course such a judgement is subjective and relative. If at a time of peace a stranger came into my home and did the above things, I'd be irate. But this was a war. People were killed and whole villages were razed as inevitably happens in war. Yet these folks in this article are whining over having to clean up dog poop (possibly) and buy some new furniture and clothes. I call that trivial. Others may well disagree with me, but whatever you think, their house was not "blown up".
OK, late hit. I see that others said this above and the matter was cleared.
"Because you failed to do the job yourself when you should have."
Which illustrates my point that there are three interests in what happens in Lebannon -- Muslims, Christians and Israelis. America cannot simply accept the theology of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell or the politics of Likud in seeking partners for peace.
That wasn't what I was referring to. I'm talking about Hezbollah using Christian villages as human shields so that the Israeli's would be taking out Christians in their effort to root out Hezbully.
I don't understand what you are trying to say.
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