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Lebanese Canadians Thank Canadian PM Stephen Harper
21 July 2006Stephen Harper, Canada’s Prime Minister, has apparently been getting much flack and much praise over his stance on the Middle East. Mr. Harper was an unfortunate victim of bad timing earlier this week, when he called Israel’s current assault on Hezbollah “measured” a day or two before a family of 8 Canadians living in Lebanon was killed in an Israeli air strike targetting Hezbollah. Canada’s previous stance in the Middle East was “neutral” due to the Liberal party being a majority for 13 years. Harper, a Conservative, has strayed from the line of previous governments and has been quite supportive of Israel’s current attacks on Hezbollah.
The flack is typically coming from Muslims and liberals, and the praise is coming from Jews and conservatives. However, there is also support from an unexpected source - Lebanese Canadians. Today, six Lebanese Canadian organizations published a letter in Canada’s National Post showing their strong support. Here is their letter, in full:
We, the undersigned, representatives of the six Lebanese organizations listed below, extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Canadian government, represented by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay, for the correct, just and prompt positions they have taken with regard to Lebanon and the unfortunate military confrontations that are occurring on its soil as a result of the reckless hostile actions of Hezbollah. Those actions violate the will of the Lebanese people and the decisions and authority of the legitimate government of Lebanon.
The actions and conduct of Hezbollah are extremely harmful to the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese people, and obstruct progress of the peace process in Lebanon specifically, and in the Middle East in general.
We also thank the government for its wise and effective efforts with respect to its handling of all measures for the evacuation of Canadian citizens from Lebanon, the safeguarding of their security, and their safe return to Canada.
We call on the Canadian government to continue its interventions through the United Nations and the Security Council to secure an immediate truce in Lebanon based on UN Resolution 1559, which explicitly calls for the disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, the deployment of the Lebanese army along the border with Israel, and the extension of the authority of the Lebanese government over all Lebanese territory.
Signatories: Elias Bejjani, Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC); Toni Mouanis, Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF); Noel Haddad, Phoenician Club of Mississauga (PCOM); Khalil Kaekati, Canadian Phoenician Community Services Club (CPCSC); Charbel Constantine, Canadian Lebanese Christian Heritage Club (CLCHC); Colonel Charbel Barakat, World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU)-Canadian Chapter.
- For further information, please contact clhrf@yahoo.com or Phoenicia@ hotmail.com. Or visit www.clhrf.com or www.10452lccc.com.
The above is an important statement. It shows that individuals of Lebanese heritage are criticizing Hezbollah and not Israel, for the current war in Lebanon. They recognize that Israel has been put in a bad spot, because Lebanon has not lived up to their responsibilities by securing their borders and ensuring sovereignty over their territory. Lebanon has been through too many wars and really is an innocent bystander in the Middle East conflict. Kudos to these Lebanese organizations for speaking out and asserting their support for peace in the Middle East, by dismantling Hezbollah.
Tags:hezbollah , lebanon
July 21st, 2006 at 10:26 pm
this has to be the most biased website i have ever been on in my entire life. you take one just ONE instance in which someone blames hezbollah and you make a whole article on it. I find it odd how the only countries supporting Israel are the english speaking ones who are also the ones that bombed hundreds of thousands of Japanese. Thousands of iraqis. and thousands of blacks. If you wish i can find you more than just one example of how the world sees israel as a psychotic, immoral, and disrespectful nation.
July 22nd, 2006 at 2:57 am
Wes, you’ve made your feelings quite clear in a number of comments to posts that we’ve made. Why keep complaining?
This post indicates that Lebanese people in Canada commend the action being taken, because Hezbollah is holding their country hostage. Hezbollah, a terrorist group, does not represent them and they know that Israel is doing the dirty work that the Lebanese government should have done long ago, but didn’t have the political will to do so.
You have a limited view of history, and it’s obvious from your posts. The bombs dropped on Japan, while abhorrent, did their job in stopping the brutal Japanese war machine, that continued fighting after the Germans gave up. With regards to Iraq, the hundreds of Iraqis killed every week are killed mostly by Muslim suicide bombers, not by Americans. As for the blacks, I’m not sure what you’re referring to. If you’re referring to the slavery issue, I don’t think this is quite the place for it, but I would have to agree that the Americans of yesteryear where acting abhorrently to the black slaves. But I think most African Americans will admit, they’re happy to be living in America now, rather than living in Africa - this, of course, doesn’t take away from how America treated African slaves.
As for finding examples of how “the world sees Israel”, I invite you to share them with me. Keep in mind, however, that many countries condemn Israel out of convenience to prevent “offending” their Muslim citizens and because much of the oil in the world is controlled by Muslims. Oil is a very powerful weapon that the Muslim countries wield. And before you bring me “evidence” from the UN, keep in mind that the Muslim world, with their 51 represented nations at the United Nations forms quite a voting bloc. Keep in mind also, that in the 1970s, the African bloc and the Muslim bloc made a pact that they would vote together on certain issues, especially with regards to the Middle East (an issue of “concern” for the Muslim countries) and on slave reparations (an issue of concern for the African nations).
Israel is at the forefront of the war against Islamic terror. You seem to sympathize with this terror machine, which is unfortunate, because you seem like you are bright, even though you lack the background knowledge and history of the conflict between Islam and the West. Israel has NEVER threatened any nation of unilateral destruction, which is how I measure how “psychotic, immoral and disrespectful” a nation is. Of course, numerous Islamic countries, including Iran, Egypt and Syria have continuously threatened Israel with annihilation over the years. Just because “the world” didn’t condemn these countries for their threats, it doesn’t mean that they were right. You accuse us of being biased - it sounds like you’ve been quite brainwashed into beleiving that anything Israel does is bad. To people like that, there’s not much for us to say!
July 22nd, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Why is it that we Canadians have to pay for these idiots who do not pay Canadian taxes and are citizens of convenience
July 22nd, 2006 at 10:35 pm
I assume you are talking about the Lebanese-Canadians that were in Lebanon, and not members of the organizations that wrote this letter. Every Western country has citizens abroad - why people bother leaving their home country and go to the west just to get a citizenship and return is beyond me.
July 24th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
My main reason for posting all of these comments is that i find it shameful that i haven’t heard a single word of remorse or sadness for any lebanese person that has been killed at the hands of the israelis. I was infact hezbollah who started this and they are infact stupid for doing it. But every israeli or jew feels that because a group of fanatics that dont speak for all lebanese shud be punished by killing innocent civilians, regardless of whther they are christian, muslim or druze.
O and to refusino #3 i find your comment by far the most ignorant, saddest and funniest comment ever. I don’t think you realize that Canada is considered to be a new country and that a very large number of the population is mad eup of immigrants. if you decided to take out every immigrant form canada then guess what would happen to their economy? you guessed it. IT WOULD CRUMBLE. so think before you speak.
my final point here is, why do all of you feel that you shouldn’t be challenged. If somebody tries to convince you of something else or tries to make you reconsider to shut them out and have no regard for what they have to say. This is why negotiations can never be made with you people.
Enjoy the scenes of what you criminals have done during your existance, id love for you to explain this crap [Edited - included link to a page about the Sabra and Shatillah massacre that is often blamed on Israel, but was not carried out by Israel]