From: soufi@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Khaled S. Soufi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Re: Thank you but No.
Date: 16 Oct 92 04:34:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: m.1992Oct16.043430.6864
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL

elie@sensors.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad) writes:

>In article <Bw6q57.525@ecf.toronto.edu> fahs@ecf.toronto.edu (FAHS Samir M) writes:

>I think Samir misses the point.

>>Why does it sound like they are doing you a favor by calling "israel"
>>an occupier?!!..And they do wait for that something in return!!!.

>The key is Syria CLAIMS to be helping Lebanon from Israeli domination.
>Israel on the other hand CLAIMS to be helping Lebanon from Syrian domination.
>Or at least that's how they sell their position to the world.

That's not true!  Israel claims it needs a "buffer zone" north of its
border.  They use the Syrians as an excuse to keep the Lebanese
occupied land.  Unfortunately, there are Lebanese elements who make it
*easy* for the Israelis to get away with their bogus claim.  That's
why it is so important for all the Lebanese to focus on this one issue
of uniting wholeheartedly against the Israeli occupation of the South.
As I said earlier, we need to unite our efforts, ALL OF US, into
getting Israel and their tools out of the land to which they were
never invited, to say it mildly!  If this happens, then there would be
no lingering doubt whatsoever that EVERYBODY WANTS ALL OUTSIDERS OUT.

>>It is incomprehensible how someone's resistance to an occupier (be it
>>political, military, or otherwise), if it is their true belief that
>>"israel" is an occupier, is contingent upon others' view of Syria!!!.

>Well, I am afraid that Elie Wardini chose his words poorly.
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
But he does that consistently!

>Actually at least he admits he made a mistake in the past and that's good.

So it is best not to ever take him seriously because sooner or later
he will realize he is making mistakes and then admit to them anyway.

>>The mere comparison between Syria and "israel" is reprehensible.
>>Equating Syria with "israel" is incogitable.

>Is this something like whether one would prefer to die in the gas
>chamber or via an electric shock ? 

No!  It is a difference between an invading force that stuck like a
bug on a windshield and a force that was invited in to help transform
a totally chaotic situation into one where reason/elections/ability to
plan for the future could take place!  I don't think you expected the
Syrians to do that for free, did you?  The Syrians have gone too far
because we have gone too far in our stupid War.  It is up to us to try
to put an end to this quagmire by starting to agree on the priorities
first:

1- Israel, the uninvited invaders.
2- Syria who was *invited* but stuck longer than we would have hoped
   but not *expected*.

Or 1 & 2 concurrently.  But when I see some Lebanese organizations
focusing on 2 while they would only talk about 1 if and when they felt
it would be hypocritical if they don't (birabhuna minnyeh), then they
actually *are* hypocrites in the true sense of the word.  And, there
is no chance on earth to expect me or people like me to join their
efforts in kicking the Syrians (whose presence prevents a sure and
unwanted rollback to old corrupt Lebanon with a clear cut minority
rule--supremacy) out.  I think it is quite obvious that the people who
are more concerned with Israel than with Syria are a majority in
Lebanon and the elections were the unequivocal proof.  But I guess
these organizations who have never been to the South of Lebanon and
never cared anyway, want to focus on their immediate concern (Syria)
which is preventing them from bringing the old corrupt Lebanon back.
So, get your priorities straight folks, or else learn how to live
under the conditions of the status quo!

>Regards, Elie.

-- 
+-----------Khaled Soufi-------------+--------------------------+
|   Department of Computer Science   | email: soufi@cs.uiuc.edu |
| U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | phone: (217)244-2274 (W) |
+------------------------------------+--------------------------+