Nonpartisan political forums. Political blogs. International news.

See, that is the problem with a large proportion of Lebanese Christian. Being the minority, they use such defensive mechanisms to avoid integrating the society they are surrounded by. Their (your) whole existence is at risk if they disseminate into the society. Those defensive mechanisms go to such extremes that it brings them to identify themselves as belonging to a civilization that has been extinguished for thousands of years.

They claim to be Phoenicians, not Arabs.
They claim to speak Lebanese, not Arabic.
Israel, who occupied Beirut, is their friend, not their enemy.
Hizbullah, who expelled the Israelis from most of the country, is their enemy, not their friend.
And so on.

They will do anything they can to feel distinguished, unique, different, in a separate social class than the rest of the people of Lebanon.

Now that we have a better idea of where Elias Bejjani, submitter of this article is, comes from, we will go directly into analyzing each of his claims instead of roaming on ad hominem.

>>"Thanks from [...] all the members of the Canadian Lebanese community all over Canada [...]"

Bejjani, what a show of non-modesty you put there. You certainly do not represent all, or even the majority, dare I say, of the Lebanese living in Canada. In what right do you take for speaking on their behalf?

And NO, the "Canadian Lebanese community all over Canada" does NOT "fully share the Council's [ideas]". Please do not think that your single voice represents thousands and thousands of people.

>> Thank you, Mr. Harper, for standing tall like the Holy Cedars of our homeland Lebanon. Thank you for declaring loudly and strongly Canada's firm stance against terrorist organizations and the states of the axis of evil.

Translation: Thank you, Mr. Harper, for standing for pro-Israel groups, that would like to see the only deterrent force in Lebanon, Hizbullah, vanish, leaving the impotent Lebanese Army struggling with the Israeli enemy on its south.

>> "Thank you for saying a big NO to any dialogue with the terrorist Hezbollah [...]"

Hold on. One paragraph ago, you were mentioning your Coucil's "tolerance, diversity and the acceptance of others". Would that not also imply dialogue? What happened now? All groups who share a different ideology than yours are classified "terrorists"?

And if you are so keen on the "terrorists" term, why not go ahead and tell us exactly how Hizbullah forms a "terrorist" group. Here's your chance to defend yourself.

>> "[...] which is Iran's army in Lebanon [...]"

The Resistance (Hizbullah) is 100% Lebanese, and does not take direct orders from anyone or any country. But please, do try to support your claim.

>> "[...] through force [...]"

When did Hizbullah point arms or force towards any Lebanese groups?

>> "[...] and against the will of the majority of the Lebanese people [...]"

Another claim you cannot possibly support. I will say exactly the opposite. The majority of the Lebanese people support Hizbullah. Hizbullah is the people. The people has showed up massively in street protests. Can you prove otherwise?

>> "[...] has erected a state inside the state."

Hizbullah provides social services and builds nurseries, schools, and roads where the Government has not shown a will to do so.

After this summer's war, Hizbullah said they would rebuild.
The Government raced to say that they would rebuild to.
Hizbullah was asked why were they trying to appear as an alternative government, to which they answered: Fine, if the Government builds, we will complement and assist. Until they decide to do so, we will start working. And guess what. The Government has yet to do anything. Hizbullah has shown a will to build and erect. While the current Government is impotent, at best.

>> "This fundamentalist organization is fully run, financed and controlled by Iran and Syria [...]"

Can you prove so? Exactly. You can't. Another fantasy fact.

>> "Its leadership, and in response to military instructions from Iran and Syria, [...]"

See above.

>> "has been for the last three weeks resorting to scare tactics to topple Lebanon's legitimate elected Government."

What scare tactics? I've seen none. Please cite sources.

Lebanon's current Government has been judged illegitimate by the President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Lebanon, amongst many others, for not equally representing all the country's factions in its current form.

>> Mr. Harper, you have proved again that you are a great leader and that your dedication to worldwide peace and to the fight against terrorism in all its forms is genuine and committed.

I was starting to wonder when the usual butt-licking was to come. Here.

>> Yes it's impossible to negotiate with groups that advocate violence and want to wipe out other countries and other peoples.

When did Hizbullah advocate violence against ANY Lebanese?

>> 1. "This militant group and its subservient accessories and allies have rejected repeated calls by pro-government groups to go back to the dialogue table."

This could not be any further from the truth. In fact, it was Hizbullah and it's allies that repeated calls to find a solution before they are forced to go on the streets. And even after they hit the street, they continued showing openings for a Government of national unity. They have also  recently supported Arab mediation. Your accusations are fantasy, again.

>> "They are adamant at taking over the whole country under the threat of their 30,000 missiles and heavy weapons"

They have, in FACT, never threatened to use their weapons against ANYONE in Lebanon, and even REPEATEDLY mentioned that they would not turn their weapons against their fellow Lebanese. Can you prove your claim?

>> Hezbollah's General Secretary had made his scheme so clear when he said: "We will lead two million Lebanese citizens to starvation, and instead of bread we will give them swords to cut the politicians' necks and thus bring the condition of Jihad to maturity."

Source?

>> 2. "Iranian dominance and, more ominously, to the growing influence of Iran's theocracy through Hezbollah."

What Iranian dominance? Where do you get this from?

>> "which restored democracy to the only Middle East country that has ever truly experienced it, is in great jeopardy."

Why is it in "great jeopardy"? Did Hizbullah and its allies EVER show a sign of eliminating democracy? NO. Furthermore, Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hizbullah, mentioned times and times again that they would abide by the country's democratic system.

>> 3. "But these protests are fueled by Hezbollah, the Shiite militia group sponsored by Iran. This fact makes the situation nothing short of a Tehran-backed coup attempt - a counterrevolution with grave consequences for the region."

You handpick what is appropriate for your agenda.

The current anti-government protests include Christians, Shiites, Sunnites, Druzes, Communists, etc. You really discredit yourself by making this sound like it was a "Teheran-backed coup attempt", where the "protests are fueled by Hezbollah". Impotence and corruption of the current Government are amongst the major factors that fuel the Lebanese protestors.

>> 4. "It's also imperative that the Free World countries stop making "fact-finding" trips to Syria and talking with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The only language that the Syrian Baathist regime understands is firmness and deterrence."

Oh my, and this coming from a Council who loves "tolerance, diversity and the acceptance of others". Hypocrisy at its azimuth.

>> 5. "Lebanon as well as the entire Middle East will know neither tranquility nor peace before UN Resolutions 1559 and 1701 are fully implemented and Hezbollah is disarmed with the rest of the Syrian sponsored Palestinian and Lebanese militias."

See, I would think that the entire Middle East will know neither tranquility nor peace before Israel fully implements the various UN Resolutions that have been agreed on YEARS ago. However, I would not make those sound like facts, just like you do, because I do not possess a crystal ball. You, on the other hand, seem to have that ability to predict the future and this is just what you do in the above paragraph. Please, Bejjani, tell me where I can stand in line to have you read what the future has for me.

>>  "Such a move would give opposition members the power to dissolve the cabinet and block the institution of UN tribunals that would try those who assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and other democracy advocates."

Sounds great, except the FACT that the opposition has CLEARLY and MORE THAN ONCE claimed that they were NOT opposed to the tribunals and that they would gladly sign guarantees to have one erected, for a third of the cabinet.

>> "If this expansion isn't granted, counterrevolutionaries threaten to demand Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's resignation or create their own shadow cabinet."

Source?

I won't even bother with your point #7. I believe what I previously mentioned covers it well.