“Cry the Beloved Country” Israeli’s attack on Lebanon Summer 2006 By May Haddad
“Cry the Beloved Country” Israeli’s attack on Lebanon Summer 2006 Extracts from an e-mail journal Lebanon: July 12-August 14, 2006
By May Haddad Edited Nov. 2015
My visit to the town of Khiam and S. Lebanon Nov. 3-6 2015, motivated me to revisit and edit my e-mail journal from summer 2006. With gratitude to all the friends who helped me cope at the time.
Cover photo: At Khiam, Sep. 2006
My life froze on July 12 2006! I looked at my calendar for that week‌ Just ridiculous! Nothing worked as intended!
I am not a war victim, I have not been Shot at, imprisoned, Tortured or raped I am an ordinary person, Who has become Forever, a witness
I compiled and reflected on my saved e-mail messages July 12 -August 14 2006, to help me understand‌
Solidarity e-mail messages Palestine: Ironically, the very first were solidarity messages from Palestine: “Our hearts and minds, and eyes and ears, are all tense, directed to what is happening in Lebanon”, Ghassan-Ramallah “May, my heart goes to you, warm hug and kiss, please take good care of yourself HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE”, Majeda-Khan Younis
“I am thinking of you and the people of Lebanon, our hearts with you; we are living in a very repulsive world. I am confused, depressed and deeply disappointed”, Umaiyeh- Jerusalem “Hope you are safe”, Heba -Gaza
Globally: Other inbox soothing e-mail messages from around the world: “I've been thinking about you a lot, May, and sending peaceful thoughts your way, love”, Jane- San Francisco
“Please be assured that our thoughts and best wishes are with you in these times”, Andreas-Berlin
“Thinking of you amidst this new outrage and insanity. Stay safe”, Chris -Oxford
“Solidarity acts for the Palestinian & Lebanese people from Salaam the olive tree children”, Elena – Trieste
“I am really worried about you. Not very familiar with the locations of the bombings but Lebanon is so small, everything looks hellish,” Jamal – Vancouver “The pictures are so distressing and heartbreaking, and it's unconscionable that Bush and Blair refuse to broker a ceasefire. Are you okay? Sending much love”, Cynthia
“Thinking about you and hoping you are safe amidst the Israeli madness and destruction. Love”, Nancy -Birmingham “What could one possibly say in the midst of this utter madness? I'm completely at a loss, and still I wanted to know you are in my thoughts, May. Take care of your wonder-full, dancing, spirited self”, SharryCairo
Some friends seemed to be shouting. Here is what Harry wrote: “May, May, I do hope you are not in Lebanon right now. I'd be happiest if you were somewhere where idiots are not firing guns and dropping bombs”, HarryVancouver
A day later, he wrote: “Get the hell out of there? I'm afraid this it going to be a lot worse than previous catastrophes. Of course, nothing will be solved - only more people are going to get killed and maimed. So do think of waiting it out, if need be in Cyprus…”
Others had different opinions than Harry: “Talking to you and hearing Jude's voice made it more painful... emotionally... may be feeling guilty that I am not there to share the pain with you... I don't know...”Aida-Washington DC
Hanady Salman (Al-Saffir newspaperBeirut) lived with us through her passionate daily e-mail diary and images. Her messages that started just after the war, ended soon after the cease-fire. On August 15, Hanady wrote:
“This will probably be my last letter to you. I will miss you all. Some of you I never met, but I feel that you are all so close to me. More than that, you probably already know it — without you I would not have made it throughout this hell. You were there by my side and that made me stronger. Every day, you gave more meaning to all this — peoples’ stories were heard, peoples ‘suffering was shared. This was what I could do for my people: tell some of their stories. Knowing that you would listen, knowing that you would care made the whole difference’. Note that Hanady’s e-mail diaries are posted at her blog: http://beirutjournal.blogspot.com
Through solidarity e-mail messages, I connected to virtual people whom I have never known or met. They became friends. Chris with shaw.ca address wrote back to me when I thanked him for initiating a petition on line: “Thank you May, it's the very least I could do. I feel so helpless!”
Petitions and articles Petitions on line became an obsession: “The citizens of the Lebanon need your help. The Israeli government has waged a relentless war in Lebanon and is committing crimes against humanity in defiance of international law. Many civilians have been killed and Lebanon is being destroyed systematically under the eyes of the whole world. To let this go on would be a historic crime. Please help stop the massacres.�
I was signing all the relevant petitions that I found on line, such as: o The citizens of the Lebanon need your help: Petition to US Government http://www.petitiononline.com/50600/petition-sign.html? o Save the Lebanese Civilians Petition: http://julywar.epetitions.net o Justice for Lebanon Petition to UN, UN Security Council, EU and International NGOs working in the Human Rights and Peace field http://www.petitiononline.com/Jul06Leb/petition.html o Academics against Israeli Aggression on Lebanon and Gaza http://www.PetitionOnline.com/caracas/
My efforts at disseminating the petitions on line to all my contacts, networks & groups were rewarding: “May, hope you are fine - a lot on my list have signed the petitions -that is reassuring - although what I see on TV is horrific. Be well”, Yasmeen -New Delhi
“Of course I signed, naturally. But dear May how are U. It must be hard now history is repeating again”, RuudAmsterdam
Soon I expanded to include: o Sites & blogs such as: www. ElectronicLebanon.net, http://sanayehreliefcenter.blogspot.com/ http://lebanonupdates.blogspot.com/ etc., o Images such as beirutjuly2006.assafir@gmail.com, www. fromisraeltolebanon.org, o Appeals, press release, Cultural statements, such as Roger Assaf’s: Nous allons bien, et vous? Articles & links, Calls for action including vigils & protests around the world.
Indeed I was screaming loudly:
Stop War on Lebanon NOW! Everyday, I was communicating by e-mail for long hours. I was uncertain that I could continue to do so as I was concerned that the phone lines would be cut off any moment and we would loose internet connections (as was happening with electricity cut off).
E-mails were also a venue for circulating articles. Here are selected titles: o o o o
The West must recognize that Israel's agenda is in conflict with its own Lebanon: the world looks on Why Is Israel Destroying Lebanon? Cluster bombing of Lebanon 'immoral' UN official tells Israel etc.…
Humor E-mail messages were also humorous; here are two examples from my e-diaries: On July 19, I e-mailed my friend Hossein, whom I was to pick up from Beirut airport: “I guess that it is obvious I will not pick u up from the airport at 6 pm today, because u will not be in the flight, the flight has been cancelled & the airport is closed…. What a situation!” Nabil, my brother e-mailed Imad on July 17 who was thinking of us during his vacation in Costa Rica: “Imad, if the sun in Costa Rica is not hot enough, consider Lebanon, IT IS HOT this summer”.
Juliano Juliano was one new virtual friend I met through e-mail. I wrote then: “Juliano. I have no idea if you were a man or woman, older age group or younger; your messages touch my heart. I find them sensitive, genuine and often you say what I want to say... I know for certain, you are A FRIEND- in solidarity” Soon I realized that I was communicating with Juliano Mer-Khamis himself, the freedom fighter in Israel/Palestine. Juliano was a peace activist and theater actor/director living mostly in the refugee camp of Jenin, where he established the “Freedom Theater” http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org/ On July 26, Juliano wrote to me: “While whole families are being wiped out in Lebanon a small girl, five years old and a nine month old baby were killed in Gaza today. Who says Israel is not facing a cruel enemy?”
Aida On the same day, Aida commented on Juliano’s message: “Actually they are cruel... their faces will haunt their killers every moment, hour, and every single day for the rest of their lives...” E-mail messages with Aida helped me reflect… On July 24, I responded to Aida’s title of “Cry the Beloved Country” that she used to describe the situation. My title was This Cursed Region: “This cursed region...is it really beloved? I always wanted the khalehiyee (gulf) tourist to be away, they are.... I hated ugly concrete buildings; many have been demolished (one with 23 tons of explosives, how many tons do you need to destroy a building?)... I disliked highways, always romanticized about old roads, now both are not functional.
I hated traffic jam, well none exists these days... I always wanted equity and that the poor can access places in the growing rich Ras Beirut area, now Ras Beirut's population has changed again... BUT, I never wished this level of destruction, killings, suffering... However, I also feel the pain of people living in North Palestine/ Israel... It seems as if we are in a situation where all feels terribly squeezed. Most likely, this nightmare is ending, only to start a new one of a different nature� Aida responded: “Read this several times... A meaning beyond the meaning...
Encompassing so many feelings That are conflicting, diverse, But surprisingly one... That of pain... your pain... Anybody’s pain... regardless Beyond borders... Beyond understanding... I choose another book as title then,
"Of Human Bondage"... Somehow I cannot think for myself... Titles come in handy.
Sonia Solidarity with Lebanese and Palestinian people:
Stop the Brutality This was the slogan that Sonia developed and printed on T-shirts and pins. Friends across the world immediately translated the slogans into German, Dutch, Italian, Mandarin, and French etc. Here are two selections from the translations:
Solidarietaet mit den Libanesen und Paelestinensern: Stop die Gewalt SolidarietĂ con il Popolo Libanese e Palestinese: Ferma la Violenza
“Of Human Bondage” Responses of friends - By 18 11 15 This is important work, May. Our attention span is so brief these days -with 24-hour news cycles, FB and Twitter -- what happened in 2006 (and 2014, and 1948 and, and) mustn't be forgotten. loveNorbert- London You are so attuned to circumstances, I love to see your impressions, insights… Thanks for sharing and just being you. Alia- Washington DC Your photo expresses signs of helplessness, despair, loss, beyond words, making sense, trying to accept, finding peace, staying strong, waiting… in the midst of madness... evil, love survives, and love endures. And your collection of the messages is hopefilled… … Nancy- Vancouver Dear May, it is awful to realise that such a beautiful country and all the people, in your homeland, must suffer, for so many
decades. I think a lot about U and the people in Lebanon. In my heart I dream that you will live in peace once. And I believe that dreams come true. With love. Ruud- Amsterdam While reading your thoughts Dr May, I can hear the helicopters roaming the sky of Jerusalem…Same oppressors Amirah- Jerusalem شكرااااااااااااا تشوام تشوام ،م++ عال++ طني وال++ ن فلس++ ك م++ بة ل++ ل االح++ ائ++ رأ رس++ دأت أق++ ب رب++ لك الح++ ن ت++ ك ع++ الم++ ن ك++ د م++ زي++ رأ امل++ ود الق++ اع++ يد س++ واك نفس++ كن ب++ ل،ما++ قيض رب++ ن ي++ رف++ ن ط++ ا م++ شناه++ تي ع++ ال . محبتي،الرعب والخوف من هوالت الحروب ن++ك ع++الم++ك ي++ م.ميلة++ك الج++عادت++ع ك++ن رائ++م ثر++مل اك++ع لك++ ن ت++ ي م++ ات++ ري++ ة ذك++ كتاب++ دأ ب++ جعني إب++ وع ش++ وض++ امل++ ه 2006 الحرب الصعبة من حيفا صيف
Denise- Haifa
Hello, May, Your feelings shine through your memories - and all I can hope for is an end to these mindless tragedies. Yasmeen- New Delhi
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