Bashar Hafez al-Assad escaped, the statues and idols of the past have crumbled, and arms have been sold for mere pennies. Streets and avenues will be renamed, and the Baath Party’s riffraff and their breed will vanish. In the end, Lebanon will endure, and without a doubt, Bashir will forever live on within us.
It is a dream realized. Today, we will not hide our joy. We will celebrate, cheer and roam the squares. We will gather in Sassine Square, the square of the martyred President Bashir Gemayel, to raise a toast in his honor. We will then pass by the statue of Samir Qassir in downtown Beirut and stop by An-Nahar newspaper to salute Gebran Tueni. From there, we will make our way to the Jabal region to raise the victory sign at the tomb of Kamal Joumblatt. We will return to Beirut, where the legacy of Rafic Hariri is still felt, and remember the martyred Mufti Hassan Khaled. Finally, we will head to Zghorta to pray for the soul of René Moawad, passing through Metn, Keserwan, Jbeil, Batroun, Tripoli and every city that has suffered under the tyranny of the Assad regime—both father and son—and their followers in Lebanon.
These words are not an article, these words are a celebration. Today, we have every right to celebrate—a celebration of a new Syria that will no longer serve as a conduit for terrorism against our homeland. And tomorrow, we must commit to building a new Lebanon, one where no one can dominate another, a Lebanon no longer a battleground for Iran, no longer subservient to Hezbollah and no longer held hostage by the tyranny of the Assad dynasty.
Let us all learn from what has happened and understand that our faith and patience are our salvation, and our Lebanese identity is our refuge. Let us no longer be a tool for any party, but instead work to build a strong Lebanon.
Comments