When it comes to laying blame for the current violence in Lebanon, people on the two sides of the Hariri-Bashar divide seem to have lost all semblance of objectivity. Everyone is dead certain they know the motivations of these thugs. It is a pity to see what now passes for objective journalism at Naharnet as it is starting to look more like the trash that is dished out by the bucket on Champress. I will not pretend to know if Fatah el-Islam is creating trouble on behest of the Syrian regime or not. The timing is certainly suspicious. However, there is enough convoluted politics in Lebanon that I can’t rule anything out. All I know is that if Fatah el-Islam is getting its ass kicked, then good riddance. I am very concerned, however, that in the process, many innocent Palestinian civilians are unnecessarily getting hurt.
One thing that I am certain about it that it is time for Lebanon to change the way it deals with Palestinian refugee camps and their inhabitants. I blame both Palestinian and Arab leaders for the way the plight of three generations of Palestinian refugees was politicized. Everyone wanted them to remain refugees because, the logic went, if they settled (tawteen) in the land of their refuge, they would lose their right and their will to return to Palestine. So instead they languished in misery for 60 years. In Lebanon, their plight was complicated even further by fears that their presence was going to affect the sectarian mix. So the Lebanese state gave them few rights and restricted their ability to work. Most, consequently, remained stuck in abject poverty with no legal documents to allow them to go anywhere and not way to improve their lot. It is no wonder that the refugee camps, rife with despair, became breeding ground for extremism. Add to that the fact that the Lebanese authorities have no jurisdiction within the camps and you a have a recipe for repeated disasters. The refugee camps became "free zones" where the various regional mukhabarats, common criminals, and Bin Laden wannabes came to exploit the anger and despair to their benefit.
It is high time that the Lebanese authorities reestablish control of all refugee camps on their territories. It is also high time for the Lebanese to give Palestinian refugees some basic rights and an opportunity to live with dignity. Some Lebanese would bristle at this latter suggestion. They are the ones who would rather the Palestinian refugees remain invisible or just disappear. Frankly such reactions make me angry. The fact is the change I am suggesting would make Lebanon safer and more stable in addition to benefiting the Palestinian refugees. I am not talking about settling them in Lebanon just providing them with a modicum of respect and a way to earn a living.
We Arabs readily express our outrage at the way Israel treats the Palestinians but conveniently overlook how we have treated our fellow Arabs. It is shameful that Palestinian refugees get more rights as refugees in non-Arab countries than they do in the countries of their brethren.
7 comments:
The way Palestinians have been (and continue to be) treated by their so-called Arab brothers is a shameful blot on the conscience of any Arab.. The claim that it is all for the sake of protecting the Palestinian identity is a sham and a lie, not believed even by those who continue to spout it.. That treatment is largely responsible for the sense of resentment and disenfranchisement that prevail amidst the Palestinians, making the camps fertile grounds for extremism, as well as other social ills..
Open up the camps.. Give the Palestinians the right to work and settle.. and you will defuse on of the most serious demographic time bombs threatening our region.. And if Palestine gets liberated... well.. Did I not tell you about the light at the end of the tunnel, and the oncoming train?..
As for the origin and the allegiance of Fath Il-Islam gangs, it is extremely difficult (dangerous, even..) to try and guess... I find it very intriguing and very concerning that they seem to have highly sophisticated weapons, and a well-developed command sturcture.. They certainly do not seem to have sprung completely out of nowhere...
Good Blog.. Congratulations.
Farid Ghadry
SB, "The claim that it is all for the sake of protecting the Palestinian identity is a sham and a lie" could not agree with you more.
I strongly believe that some Fath IL Islam fighters got their experience from Iraq. So if you see the connection between Iraq and Lebanon (a lot of Lebanese fought in Iraq), you need a manager and a facilitator to move between these 2 countries et voila Syrian Mukhabarat is your answer of who the God Father is for those terrorists and don't worry about them being Sunni extermists, Syria knows to tame those people specially if they are not Syrians.
Them using the palestinian camps is a very clever idea, first the camps are not controlled so anything goes and second it puts the palestinians in Lebanon in the middle of the conflict (not by their choice of course) and Syria if off the hook in Lebanon in terms of creating chaos as long as Israel or the Palestinians are involved...not that hard to figure out. As for SY Hersh and putting Saudi Arabia in the middle of it to counter balance HA, that does not make sense not one bit, Saudi Arabia can have camps in Afhganistan or Bosnia but Lebanon is too hot for them to play with.
Another thing to add is if Syria was not smuggling weapons to Lebanon why would they object so loudly to UN monitoring Lebanon borders with Syria???
AK the refugees are hopeless, I could not come out with a solution for them on my blog because the usual baathists come and start crying for them just to make sure no solution happen and keep the tragic issues on focus. The people who support the refugees too much are one using the issue and second they have double standards when it comes to other policies. It is pretty depressing to see some Syrian blogs going all over the issues when they are like chickens when it comes to freedom in Syria, not to mention they don't care if terrorists are free to operate in Lebanon. I have mentioned to you a certain blog that you admired, I hope you changed your mind about it.
The shame was highlighted with Qassan Kanafani story which turned movie back in 70s about the plight of the Palestinians crossing boarder to Kuwait for work and they died inside the truck. From the beginning, the Arab States based their policies on the returning the Palestinian land in the life time of one generation. And here we are the third generation and we have a new wave of refugees from Arabic Country to Arabic Country. Time has changed a lot, and your call for giving them decent recognition and make them useful part of the society with all rights and condition could be late but still necessary and argent. And this does not go on Lebanon, but Syria, KSA, Kuwait, Gulf States and all other countries.
I wonder how we come to the western States and we get a new nationality within 5 years and others in Arab countries never give their Arab brothers who provide and work hard for them any recognition how long they stay. Tell me about dealing with Stupid minds.
And somewhere there is still out there a military officer in the Syrian army and his regime that wants to keep the status quo of boarders so he can make money from cigarettes smuggling, or what else I can say.
I am on total agreement with your post. And you are absolutley right to point out that integrating the Palestinians is in Lebanon's interest.
It is about time we understand that having poverty belts around our cities and underdevelopped regions such as Akkar, Hermel and the South destabilze our country.
I have lost a few friends by making the argument over the years. My fellow Lebanese think that by closing their eyes the problem will disappear. Enough already.
MM.
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