Majesty and massacre at Maroun al Ras
Franklin Lamb at the Lebanon-Palestine border
Maroun al Ras is a beautiful hillside Lebanese village on the border with Palestine. 63 years ago today its villagers lifted their lights to welcome ethnically cleansed Palestinians, who were part of the approximately 129,000 from 531 Zionist pillaged and destroyed villages who sought temporary refuge in Lebanon. A similar number of Palestinian expellees entered Syria a few miles to the West and another half million were forced into Jordan and Gaza.
On Nakba ("Catastrophe") Day, Sunday May 15, 2011, Maroun al Ras welcomed approximately 27% of all the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, this time coming from the opposite direction heading back toward their homes in Palestine. Palestinians in Lebanon now number approximately 248,000, approximately half of whom live in 12 squalid camps and as many "gatherings", although 423,000 remain registered with UNWRA.
The discrepancy in numbers is explained by the fact that Lebanon's Palestinian refugees, without any of the most elementary civil rights, than in any of the other 45 camps in the Middle East and in gross violation of international Law as well as Lebanon's Constitution and bi-lateral and multilateral agreements, tend to leave Lebanon to seek work, decent housing, and a better life whenever they are able to secure a visa to Europe or elsewhere.
For a majority of the more 72,000 ( some estimates this morning exceed 100,000 because many refugees and supporters traveled south independently and did not register or use provided transportation) arriving in more than 1200 buses & vans, and many on foot, from all the camps and corners of Lebanon, it was their first siting of their country. Lebanon law has long prevented Palestinians from coming anywhere near the blue line to even look towards their stolen homes and lands or to cross the Litani River north of Tyre. This year, for one day only, the Lebanese authorities reluctantly decided not to interfere with this human rights project.
For the teen-agers on the crowded bus I rode on from Shatila Camp, their parents and grandparents stories and descriptions of Palestine on the Internet was what they talked about.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
