Supporting the Resilience of the Southerners in Lebanon
August 20th, 2006Silaa, Lebanon: Israel bombed this small community in southern Lebanon during the 33-day Israeli war against Lebanon, and destroyed 35 homes. Eighty-five people are now homeless. The Campaign for Civil Resistance is going to buy a pump so they can pump water; due to the Israeli bombardment, there currently is no running water in this village. The Campaign will also buy a water tank to store water, and are working on getting the resilient villagers donated clothes and food from people throughout Lebanon.
Today, at 5 pm, families are going to gather where their homes once stood for a ceremony of prayer and remembrance.
“It is impossible to beat the people. You can destroy the stones. You can the houses. You can’t destroy the people,” said Abed Deeb Naeem, whose 65 year old father was killed in Silaa.
There are numerous towns like Silaa in the south of Lebanon, and numerous neighborhoods like Silaa in the southern district of Beirut and in Ba’albeck. More than 15,000 residential homes were destroyed during the war, and thousands of other homes are uninhabitable.
The Campaign for Civil Resistance was launched on the passing of a month on Israel’s war unleashed on Lebanon. On August 12, more than 200 people gathered, supported by more than 50 participants from 19 countries, to defy the Israeli dictate which declared that any car traveling south of the Litani River in Lebanon would be a target to attack. Fifty cars, carrying more than 250 rations of food and medicines, with more than 15 representatives from the local and international media, proceeded on the path to the south. The objective was to mark a stand in solidarity and unity of all the people of Lebanon, to break the siege on the south, and to defy Israel’s policy of forced expulsions, terror and organized massacres of civilians. From that day, the Campaign organizers have sworn to build on this support and work towards committed, long-term solidarity with the people in the south and throughout the beloved country of Lebanon.
Press Contact:
Abdel Rahman Zahzah: ++ 961 3 779947
Rania Masri: rania@ourwords.org
www.lebanonsolidarity.org
