By: Elias Youssef Bejjani
26 May 2008
Much has been said in praise and criticism of the "Doha agreement" that ended the bloody and criminal unsuccessful coup attempt that the Terrorist Hezbollah Militia and the axis of evil two countries, Syria and Iran, executed earlier this month in Lebanon to take over all the country, by force and topple the whole free and democratic regime.
Every party whether internal or international, interpreted the agreement that was brokered by the Arab League and the Qatari ruler, from its own political, national, ideological, or materiel perspective. Some western analysts said it came as a result of an American-Iranian global secret understanding for numerous Middle East conflicts in general and for the Iraqi one in particular. Others explained it as a preliminary consequence of the Syrian-Israeli negotiations currently being conducted in Turkey, in the open this time.
The International and regional press considered it a victory for the two states of the Axis of Evil; Syria and Iran, a great defeat to the Cedars Revolution, and a certain defeat of the West and its plans for the Middle East. Some even went as far as claiming that Lebanon has now become “a state under the control of Hezbollah”.In Lebanon, the opposition coalition leadership, including Hezbollah, as well as the majority parties, leaders, politicians and MP's considered it a great and historic accomplishment, but each from mere individual perspective, confessional affiliation, wishful thinking, local and foreign links as well as Divine interpretations for winning and losing. The Majority, (March 14 coalition) is working hard to market it to its supporters as the beginning of a long term, well and thorough comprehensive programmed solution. A triumph of the concept of the State and coexistence among its multi-cultural communities. A defeat of Hezbollah’s armed coup objectives. A strengthening of civil peace propelled by a Gandhi-like attitude resulting in substantial and essential compromises.
The Majority justified the back off and retreat on numerous major and substantial matters as "necessary to avert and abort Hezbollah's civil war venomous scheme"Hezbollah and its followers such as Amal, Aoun's FPM, and other Syria-Iran mercenaries, read in it a great defeat to the “American-Zionist Middle East Plan” and its followers in Lebanon including the “conspirators, Zionists, and traitors”.
From this arrogant and illusionary stand, Syria's mouthpiece and loyal servant, Lebanon's House Speaker Mr. Nabih Berri hideously and evilly, seriously endeavored unsuccessfully to ban the Saniora Cabinet members from attending the election ceremony of president Michel Suleiman that took place on Sunday, alleging the cabinet is “unconstitutional and illegal”, from his perspective. His cheap and mean game failed and the cabinet members attended after the Majority MP's threatened to boycott the election session.
Meanwhile Hezbollah's General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah delivered a lengthy speech yesterday in which he reiterated his "Divine" refusal to disarm and reaffirmed his Iranian-Syrian long term plans of resistance "against the enemy, Israel". "The resistance weapons are to be used in fighting the enemy, liberate lands and prisoners, and defend Lebanon and nothing else," . "State weapons … should defend the nation, the people and their rights … but cannot be used to settle accounts with a political opponent. State arms cannot be used to target the resistance and its arms,". "All weapons should serve the purpose for which they were organized,".
Where does the truth stand? Where are all the parties, whether majority of minority, Arabs or internationals, taking Lebanon in this agreement which they sponsored, blessed and advocated for, even though it failed to mention Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1559 and 1701, that stipulates for the disarmament of Hezbollah, and for putting an end to all cantons erected during the Syrian occupation era, among which is Hezbollah's mini state. The agreement also omits any reference to the 1948 Armistice treaty with Israel and contains no clauses calling for the disarmament of militias as required by the "Taef Accord".
One wonders, where are all these parties, Arabs, Europeans and the USA are taking Lebanon with an agreement that legitimizes the “Hezbollah State” inside the state and grants it a veto power in the first cabinet to be formed under the presidency of General Michele Suleiman? What good is to expected from an agreement which did not come with a time schedule or a roadmap to deter, contain and ultimately confiscate Hezbollah's Iranian-Syrian weapons. These same weapons that were criminally used earlier this month to massacre more than 100 Lebanese civilians and invade many peaceful Lebanese territories including the western part of the capital Beirut.
What actually distresses the Sovereign Free Nationalists in Lebanon and Diaspora, and darkens Lebanon's future of Freedoms, democracy, and its multi cultural role model in the Middle East, is that the Security Council which supported the Doha agreement, has also failed to mention in its statement issued last week, UNSCR 1559 and 1701, as well as the "Taef Accord" .
Those who are hailing the Doha agreement, be they Americans. Europeans, Arabs or Lebanese, and who are alleging that the newly elected president Michele Suleiman will work on disarming Hezbollah peacefully, should review thoroughly Suleiman's achievement record as Army commander during the last nine years, as well as his political affiliations background. Suleiman was handpicked by late Syrian president Hafez Assad as Army commander during the Stalinist Syrian occupation of Lebanon and then was embraced by Assad's son, the current Syrian president Basher Al Assad. Suleiman always was and still is a Hezbollah strong ally, and a loud and staunch advocate for what is falsely called "resistance against Israel".
This does not mean that Suleiman will not adopt new strategies and side with his country, Lebanon, and accordingly be a loyal guardian and protector for the Lebanese constitution as a president. Having said this, No one should ignore the fact that the majority of the Lebanese politicians are opportunists and chameleons. They change their affiliations and shift from one side to another so smoothly to secure power and authority. There is no doubt that Suleiman is no exception.Things will be in the clear and unveiled within only two weeks. We will witness either the re-emerging of the state of Lebanon, or the Hezbollah's state instead.
The Suleiman presidency’s path will determine which state this Genera-president is going to preside over. All this will be decisive in the new cabinet's Ministerial policy statement which will be presented to the parliament for its vote of confidence.If the statement re-iterates the falsehood of “resistance, liberation, rejection, and occupied land”, and again gives Hezbollah militia legitimacy and legality, as was the case in the Saniora cabinet pre-2006 war statement, then this will mean simply that the “Hezbollah’s mini state” has triumphed over the Lebanese state.
That the Suleiman presidency will be a crisis management one, under the control, instructions, conditions, weapons, ideology, and religious edicts (fatawa) of Sheik Hassan Nassrallah, Hezbollah's General Secretary and behind him of course, Syria and Iran.The Saniora cabinet's fatal mistake, or rather its mortal sin, was that it deluded itself in believing that Hezbollah will not turn its weapons against the Lebanese people, so it surrendered complementally, and from its first day it was formed, to this Iranian-Syrian Terrorist militia, and legalized its weapons, its influence, its cantons in its cabinet Ministerial Statement. That Statement stated “It is in protection of our valiant resistance, in calm dialog over the options available to us all, and in the context of the Arab struggle against Israel and its occupations, and to fortify Lebanon and adhere to Arab solidarity, to confirm the Arab League Beirut Summit resolutions for a final just peace and the respect of international resolutions”.
Hopefully, the new Lebanese cabinet to be formed within the coming few days, the first in President Suleiman's six years term, will not commit the same sin and fatal mistake that the departing Saniora Cabinet did. Hezbollah was never a real or genuine resistance, but an Iran-Syrian army by every standard. Its coup attempt earlier this month and the horrible crimes and massacres it committed against the Lebanese peaceful civilians tell the whole story.We, the Lebanese in the Diaspora, call on the free world not to keep a blind eye while Iran and Syria are devouring Lebanon bit by bit through its Hezbollah Army.
The falling of Lebanon to the Axis of Evil countries and organizations will make all and every country world-wide targets for this merciless beast.
I reiterate what was stated in my last commentary: "The solid and proved fact that no one in the entire world should ignore is that Hezbollah, like the rest of the regional and global terrorist groups understands and bows to only one language. This language that they master and understand is a combination of force, deterrence and decisiveness. Hopefully the world will be able to communicate with Hezbollah with the only language that it knows and understands".
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Force is the only Language that Hezbollah knows and understandsBy: Elias Bejjani
By: Elias Bejjani
The recent ongoing bloody terrorist riots that Hezbollah has been inflicted on Lebanon and its peaceful people since last Wednesday, tragically show that this country today is confronting challenges of a magnitude unseen since the end of its civil war in 1990.
Hezbollah's military criminal acts against the Lebanese civilians, and its armed rebellion coup d'état against the country's legitimate Government were not, in fact, a surprise to those well-informed observers and political activists who have been closely monitoring this Iranian armed militia since it was founded in Lebanon by the Iranian mullahs (Shiites clergymen) in 1982. It is worth mentioning that Hezbollah's main mission is to export, advocate for, force and spread the Khomeini's religious ideology and its revolution to all the Middle Eastern countries.
Hezbollah is not a Lebanese party by any criteria, but a foreign army in Lebanon, no more and no less. Its decision-making process, financing, ideology, training, supplies and weapons all come from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards headquarters and leadership. It is well documented by many neutral informed resources that Iran annually pays Hezbollah more than three billion dollars.
Hezbollah's Iranian mission and objectives have never ever been a secret at any time. They are public and well known to each and every Lebanese, while Hezbollah boasts with their divinity every day. Simply this group and as planned by its masters the Iranian mullahs has been from day one working on all levels, and by all means, to topple the Lebanese democratic, peaceful, consensual, multicultural, free and liberal regime in a bid to replace it by a religious state, a replicate of the forced on the Iranian people. Hezbollah, who has an actual state inside the Lebanese Central state, fully controls more than 40% of Lebanon's territories in Beirut, the South and Bekaa. Its state was erected during the Stalinist Syrian occupation era of Lebanon (1976-2005). Iran with Syria helped Hezbollah to control the Shiite Lebanese community and in fact to take its members as hostages of intimidation and oppression. The Lebanese people in general and the Shiites Lebanese community in particular had no say whatsoever in this matter. Syria forced Hezbollah on the Shiites and on the rest of the Lebanese communities through murder, kidnapping, terrorization and violence.
When the Syrian Army was forced to withdraw from Lebanon in 2005 after thirty years of nasty occupation, Hezbollah replaced Syria's occupationa and criminal role. Since then it has been purposefully crippling the country and not allowing its democratic process to take place. Numerous pro-Lebanon - anti Syrian MP's. Journalists, officials, army officers and intellectuals including ex PM Raffic Hariri were assassinated by Hezbollah and Syria. The country's Parliament was closed by force and the MP's have been unable to elect a president. In 2006 Hezbollah instigated a devastating war with Israel that cost the country more than1500 victims and about 30 billion dollars in losses. Hezbollah refuses to disarm, and has kept the central Lebanese government and its authority on all levels out side its closed cantons. It has its own army (60 thousand well armed and well trained men), it runs its own schools, jails, hospital, social services, construction companies, communication network, transportation, foreign relations, etc. It does not recognize the central government and has withdrawn its ministers from it in a bid to stop the Hariri International Tribunal and protect the Syrian regime and its leaders whom many believe are behind the Hariri assassination.
In simple mathematics we can assume that one state has to cancel the other. It is either the Lebanese Central government that will prevail and Hezbollah's state inside the state will disintegrate or visa versa. Hezbollah backed by both Axis of evil countries Iran and Syria is systematically working on destroying the Lebanese state and toppling all its institution, the parliament. the cabinet, the presidency, the judiciary, the armed forces etc. Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are viciously planning to take control of the whole country. Hezbollah Party wants to keep by force its own communication network and appoint his own loyal men in all government key positions and specially the security ones.
In this context, its present on going bloody riots took place after its leadership falsely accused the country's cabinet of declaring a war against the Shiite community because the government is questioning the party's communication illegal network and has decided to transfer the country's airport security chief who was helping Hezbollah keep an on going surveillance over the Beirut International airport through very advanced cameras planted secretly and without the government's knowledge.
Hezbollah's General Secretary, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is threatening to severe the hands and cut the necks of any one who dares to approach his party's weapons. Nasrallah tagged his weapons as holy and sacred and tied its fate to the Holy Quran and Jihad. Hezbollah is endeavoring to force on the Lebanese an education of Jihadism (holy war against Israel, USA and the infidels), in conjunction with the Iranian mullah's religious ideology (Welaet Al Fakeh Islamic governing concept), the same ideology that is forced on the Iranian people.Simply Hezbollah is not a resistance group as it alleges, but a mere Iranian-Syrian terrorist army stationed in Lebanon.
Its bloody global and regional terrorism record is extremely notorious and there is no way in the world that this terrorist armed party will peacefully or willingly give up its state inside the state. (Hezbollah launched suicide attacks on Western targets and took Westerners hostage in Beirut in the 1980s. The most spectacular attack was a suicide bombing that destroyed the U.S. Marine headquarters in Beirut in October 1983, killing 241 servicemen. One of the groups, Islamic Jihad, was thought to be led by Imad Moughniyah, who was Hezbollah's military commander when he was assassinated on February 13 in Syria).
Hezbollah was supposed to disarm like all other Lebanese militias after the "Taef accord" in 1990, but the Syrian occupation hindered this procedure and imposed it as a resistance armed organization through force and terror and not through consensus.The whole world should be put on notice, and understand that losing Lebanon for Hezbollah will create a fundamentalist monster that will devour the middle East countries one after the other.
Meanwhile Hezbollah's actual and serious danger will not be limited to the Middle East, but will definitely target all the free world countries. Based on all the above, we call on the UN, USA, European countries, Canada, Australia, the Arab states and the rest of all the free world countries to help Lebanon and its government in disarming Hezbollah by all means including the military one before it takes over Lebanon and becomes a serious threat for peace and stability not only in the Middle East, but in the entire world.
In the face of this organized and intentional evil deadlock that Lebanon and its people are facing alone, we call on the Free World democratic countries, the moderate Arab countries, the United Nations and the Arab League to step in militarily under UN Security Council Chapter Seven mandate and take over Lebanon for a rehabilitation interval as was the situation in Afghanistan, East Timor, Kosovo and some African countries. It will be even more effective and deterrent if NATO forces can assume this mission and not the UN.
The solid and proved fact that no one in the entire world should ignore is that Hezbollah, like the rest of the regional and global terrorist groups understands and bows to only one language. This language that they master and understand is a combination of force, deterrence and decisiveness. Hopefully the world will be able to communicate with Hezbollah with the only language that it knows and understands.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist,
journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
The recent ongoing bloody terrorist riots that Hezbollah has been inflicted on Lebanon and its peaceful people since last Wednesday, tragically show that this country today is confronting challenges of a magnitude unseen since the end of its civil war in 1990.
Hezbollah's military criminal acts against the Lebanese civilians, and its armed rebellion coup d'état against the country's legitimate Government were not, in fact, a surprise to those well-informed observers and political activists who have been closely monitoring this Iranian armed militia since it was founded in Lebanon by the Iranian mullahs (Shiites clergymen) in 1982. It is worth mentioning that Hezbollah's main mission is to export, advocate for, force and spread the Khomeini's religious ideology and its revolution to all the Middle Eastern countries.
Hezbollah is not a Lebanese party by any criteria, but a foreign army in Lebanon, no more and no less. Its decision-making process, financing, ideology, training, supplies and weapons all come from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards headquarters and leadership. It is well documented by many neutral informed resources that Iran annually pays Hezbollah more than three billion dollars.
Hezbollah's Iranian mission and objectives have never ever been a secret at any time. They are public and well known to each and every Lebanese, while Hezbollah boasts with their divinity every day. Simply this group and as planned by its masters the Iranian mullahs has been from day one working on all levels, and by all means, to topple the Lebanese democratic, peaceful, consensual, multicultural, free and liberal regime in a bid to replace it by a religious state, a replicate of the forced on the Iranian people. Hezbollah, who has an actual state inside the Lebanese Central state, fully controls more than 40% of Lebanon's territories in Beirut, the South and Bekaa. Its state was erected during the Stalinist Syrian occupation era of Lebanon (1976-2005). Iran with Syria helped Hezbollah to control the Shiite Lebanese community and in fact to take its members as hostages of intimidation and oppression. The Lebanese people in general and the Shiites Lebanese community in particular had no say whatsoever in this matter. Syria forced Hezbollah on the Shiites and on the rest of the Lebanese communities through murder, kidnapping, terrorization and violence.
When the Syrian Army was forced to withdraw from Lebanon in 2005 after thirty years of nasty occupation, Hezbollah replaced Syria's occupationa and criminal role. Since then it has been purposefully crippling the country and not allowing its democratic process to take place. Numerous pro-Lebanon - anti Syrian MP's. Journalists, officials, army officers and intellectuals including ex PM Raffic Hariri were assassinated by Hezbollah and Syria. The country's Parliament was closed by force and the MP's have been unable to elect a president. In 2006 Hezbollah instigated a devastating war with Israel that cost the country more than1500 victims and about 30 billion dollars in losses. Hezbollah refuses to disarm, and has kept the central Lebanese government and its authority on all levels out side its closed cantons. It has its own army (60 thousand well armed and well trained men), it runs its own schools, jails, hospital, social services, construction companies, communication network, transportation, foreign relations, etc. It does not recognize the central government and has withdrawn its ministers from it in a bid to stop the Hariri International Tribunal and protect the Syrian regime and its leaders whom many believe are behind the Hariri assassination.
In simple mathematics we can assume that one state has to cancel the other. It is either the Lebanese Central government that will prevail and Hezbollah's state inside the state will disintegrate or visa versa. Hezbollah backed by both Axis of evil countries Iran and Syria is systematically working on destroying the Lebanese state and toppling all its institution, the parliament. the cabinet, the presidency, the judiciary, the armed forces etc. Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are viciously planning to take control of the whole country. Hezbollah Party wants to keep by force its own communication network and appoint his own loyal men in all government key positions and specially the security ones.
In this context, its present on going bloody riots took place after its leadership falsely accused the country's cabinet of declaring a war against the Shiite community because the government is questioning the party's communication illegal network and has decided to transfer the country's airport security chief who was helping Hezbollah keep an on going surveillance over the Beirut International airport through very advanced cameras planted secretly and without the government's knowledge.
Hezbollah's General Secretary, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is threatening to severe the hands and cut the necks of any one who dares to approach his party's weapons. Nasrallah tagged his weapons as holy and sacred and tied its fate to the Holy Quran and Jihad. Hezbollah is endeavoring to force on the Lebanese an education of Jihadism (holy war against Israel, USA and the infidels), in conjunction with the Iranian mullah's religious ideology (Welaet Al Fakeh Islamic governing concept), the same ideology that is forced on the Iranian people.Simply Hezbollah is not a resistance group as it alleges, but a mere Iranian-Syrian terrorist army stationed in Lebanon.
Its bloody global and regional terrorism record is extremely notorious and there is no way in the world that this terrorist armed party will peacefully or willingly give up its state inside the state. (Hezbollah launched suicide attacks on Western targets and took Westerners hostage in Beirut in the 1980s. The most spectacular attack was a suicide bombing that destroyed the U.S. Marine headquarters in Beirut in October 1983, killing 241 servicemen. One of the groups, Islamic Jihad, was thought to be led by Imad Moughniyah, who was Hezbollah's military commander when he was assassinated on February 13 in Syria).
Hezbollah was supposed to disarm like all other Lebanese militias after the "Taef accord" in 1990, but the Syrian occupation hindered this procedure and imposed it as a resistance armed organization through force and terror and not through consensus.The whole world should be put on notice, and understand that losing Lebanon for Hezbollah will create a fundamentalist monster that will devour the middle East countries one after the other.
Meanwhile Hezbollah's actual and serious danger will not be limited to the Middle East, but will definitely target all the free world countries. Based on all the above, we call on the UN, USA, European countries, Canada, Australia, the Arab states and the rest of all the free world countries to help Lebanon and its government in disarming Hezbollah by all means including the military one before it takes over Lebanon and becomes a serious threat for peace and stability not only in the Middle East, but in the entire world.
In the face of this organized and intentional evil deadlock that Lebanon and its people are facing alone, we call on the Free World democratic countries, the moderate Arab countries, the United Nations and the Arab League to step in militarily under UN Security Council Chapter Seven mandate and take over Lebanon for a rehabilitation interval as was the situation in Afghanistan, East Timor, Kosovo and some African countries. It will be even more effective and deterrent if NATO forces can assume this mission and not the UN.
The solid and proved fact that no one in the entire world should ignore is that Hezbollah, like the rest of the regional and global terrorist groups understands and bows to only one language. This language that they master and understand is a combination of force, deterrence and decisiveness. Hopefully the world will be able to communicate with Hezbollah with the only language that it knows and understands.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist,
journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Friday, April 25, 2008
Armenian people: Pain, faith, & hope
By: Elias Bejjani
April 25/08
On the ninety-third anniversary of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire government's military forces which took place in 1915 in what is known today as Turkey, we, from the Lebanese Canadian Coordination Council (LCCC), offer our heartily felt condolences to the Armenian people all over the world, share their grief, pain and anguish, as well as their on going cry for justice.
Many historians believe that contemporary history has not yet witnessed a more terrible crime - a crime against humanity - than that of the Armenian genocide. There is no doubt that the faithful and patriotic Armenian People shall keep vivid this sad memory that has touched deeply and extensively their lives, hearts, conscience, and hopes.
With the Armenians, and all people world-wide who believe in Human Rights, justice and enforcement of law and order, we ask Almighty God to grant the souls of the genocide 1.5 million victims the eternal resting peace dwelling in His Holy Heaven alongside saints and angels. With great admiration, we salute the Armenian people for their great courage, tireless perseverance and stanched witnessing for what is righteous and just.
For ninety three hard and tough painful years they've held their cause alive and never allowed themselves or the world to forget the genocide crime that the Ottoman Empire inflicted with cold blood on their families.
It is worth mentioning that on April 1915 the Ottoman government embarked upon the systematic decimation of its civilian Armenian population. The persecutions continued with varying intensity until 1923 when the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by the Republic of Turkey.
The Armenian population of the Ottoman state was reported at about two million in 1915. An estimated one million had perished by 1918, while hundreds of thousands had become homeless and stateless refugees.
By 1923 virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolian Turkey had disappeared. The Ottoman Empire was ruled by the Turks who had conquered lands extending across West Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe.
The Ottoman government was centered in Istanbul (Constantinople) and was headed by a sultan who was vested with absolute power. The Turks practiced Islam and were a martial people.
The Armenians, a Christian minority, lived as second class citizens subject to legal restrictions which denied them normal safeguards. Neither their lives nor their properties were guaranteed security. As non-Muslims they were also obligated to pay discriminatory taxes and denied participation in government. Scattered across the empire, the status of the Armenians was further complicated by the fact that the territory of historic Armenia was divided between the Ottomans and the Russians.
The Armenian Genocide was carried out by the "Young Turk" government of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916 (with subsidiaries to 1922-23). One and a half million Armenians were killed, out of a total of three million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Armenians all over the world commemorate this great tragedy on April 24, because it was on that day in 1915 when 300 Armenian leaders, writers, thinkers and professionals in Constantinople (present day Istanbul) were rounded up, deported and killed. Also on that day in Constantinople, 5,000 of the poorest Armenians were butchered in the streets and in their homes.
The Armenian Genocide was masterminded by the Central Committee of the Young Turk Party (Committee for Union and Progress [Ittihad ve Terakki Cemiyet, in Turkish]) which was dominated by Mehmed Talât [Pasha], Ismail Enver [Pasha], and Ahmed Djemal [Pasha]. They were a racist group whose ideology was articulated by Zia Gökalp, Dr. Mehmed Nazim, and Dr. Behaeddin Shakir.The Turkish government today denies that there was an Armenian genocide and claims that Armenians were only removed from the eastern "war zone."
The Armenian Genocide, however, occurred all over Anatolia [present-day Turkey], and not just in the so-called "war zone." Deportations and killings occurred in the west, in and around Ismid (Izmit) and Broussa (Bursa); in the center, in and around Angora (Ankara); in the south-west, in and around Konia (Konya) and Adana (which is near the Mediterranean Sea); in the central portion of Anatolia, in and around Diyarbekir (Diyarbakir), Harpout (Harput), Marash, Sivas (Sepastia), Shabin Kara-Hissar (þebin Karahisar), and Ourfa (Urfa); and on the Black Sea coast, in and around Trebizond (Trabzon), all of which are not part of a war zone.
Only Erzeroum, Bitlis, and Van in the east were in the war zone.The Armenian Genocide was condemned at the time by representatives of the British, French, Russian, German, and Austrian governments—namely all the major Powers. The first three were foes of the Ottoman Empire, the latter two, allies of the Ottoman Empire.
The United States, neutral towards the Ottoman Empire, also condemned the Armenian Genocide and was the chief spokesman in behalf of the Armenians.Up until now, the Turkish government has consistently refused to recognize the Armenian genocide and keeps on exerting a great deal of pressure on countries that do.
Meanwhile more than 20 countries, including Belgium, Canada, Poland and Switzerland, have officially recognized the killings as genocide. In 2006, French lawmakers voted to make it a criminal offence to deny that Armenians were victims of genocide.
But still many countries, including Britain and the United States, refuse to use the term to describe the events, mindful of relations with Turkey. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee's endorsement of a resolution labeling the killings as genocide last October sparked fury in Ankara, which recalled its ambassador to Washington. Under intense pressure from the White House, the authors of the bill later asked Congress not to hold a debate on the issue.
We call on all the European countries to make the full scale recognition of the Armenian genocide conditional for Turkey's future membership in their Union, and we urge all the free world countries to pressure Turkey to recognize the horrible Armenian massacre and accordingly abide by all due international laws that needs to be enforced in such cases like apologies, recognition and compensations.
The entire free world should not rest until justice is served to the Armenian people and the Ottoman genocide against them is fully recognized.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
April 25/08
On the ninety-third anniversary of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire government's military forces which took place in 1915 in what is known today as Turkey, we, from the Lebanese Canadian Coordination Council (LCCC), offer our heartily felt condolences to the Armenian people all over the world, share their grief, pain and anguish, as well as their on going cry for justice.
Many historians believe that contemporary history has not yet witnessed a more terrible crime - a crime against humanity - than that of the Armenian genocide. There is no doubt that the faithful and patriotic Armenian People shall keep vivid this sad memory that has touched deeply and extensively their lives, hearts, conscience, and hopes.
With the Armenians, and all people world-wide who believe in Human Rights, justice and enforcement of law and order, we ask Almighty God to grant the souls of the genocide 1.5 million victims the eternal resting peace dwelling in His Holy Heaven alongside saints and angels. With great admiration, we salute the Armenian people for their great courage, tireless perseverance and stanched witnessing for what is righteous and just.
For ninety three hard and tough painful years they've held their cause alive and never allowed themselves or the world to forget the genocide crime that the Ottoman Empire inflicted with cold blood on their families.
It is worth mentioning that on April 1915 the Ottoman government embarked upon the systematic decimation of its civilian Armenian population. The persecutions continued with varying intensity until 1923 when the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by the Republic of Turkey.
The Armenian population of the Ottoman state was reported at about two million in 1915. An estimated one million had perished by 1918, while hundreds of thousands had become homeless and stateless refugees.
By 1923 virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolian Turkey had disappeared. The Ottoman Empire was ruled by the Turks who had conquered lands extending across West Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe.
The Ottoman government was centered in Istanbul (Constantinople) and was headed by a sultan who was vested with absolute power. The Turks practiced Islam and were a martial people.
The Armenians, a Christian minority, lived as second class citizens subject to legal restrictions which denied them normal safeguards. Neither their lives nor their properties were guaranteed security. As non-Muslims they were also obligated to pay discriminatory taxes and denied participation in government. Scattered across the empire, the status of the Armenians was further complicated by the fact that the territory of historic Armenia was divided between the Ottomans and the Russians.
The Armenian Genocide was carried out by the "Young Turk" government of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916 (with subsidiaries to 1922-23). One and a half million Armenians were killed, out of a total of three million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Armenians all over the world commemorate this great tragedy on April 24, because it was on that day in 1915 when 300 Armenian leaders, writers, thinkers and professionals in Constantinople (present day Istanbul) were rounded up, deported and killed. Also on that day in Constantinople, 5,000 of the poorest Armenians were butchered in the streets and in their homes.
The Armenian Genocide was masterminded by the Central Committee of the Young Turk Party (Committee for Union and Progress [Ittihad ve Terakki Cemiyet, in Turkish]) which was dominated by Mehmed Talât [Pasha], Ismail Enver [Pasha], and Ahmed Djemal [Pasha]. They were a racist group whose ideology was articulated by Zia Gökalp, Dr. Mehmed Nazim, and Dr. Behaeddin Shakir.The Turkish government today denies that there was an Armenian genocide and claims that Armenians were only removed from the eastern "war zone."
The Armenian Genocide, however, occurred all over Anatolia [present-day Turkey], and not just in the so-called "war zone." Deportations and killings occurred in the west, in and around Ismid (Izmit) and Broussa (Bursa); in the center, in and around Angora (Ankara); in the south-west, in and around Konia (Konya) and Adana (which is near the Mediterranean Sea); in the central portion of Anatolia, in and around Diyarbekir (Diyarbakir), Harpout (Harput), Marash, Sivas (Sepastia), Shabin Kara-Hissar (þebin Karahisar), and Ourfa (Urfa); and on the Black Sea coast, in and around Trebizond (Trabzon), all of which are not part of a war zone.
Only Erzeroum, Bitlis, and Van in the east were in the war zone.The Armenian Genocide was condemned at the time by representatives of the British, French, Russian, German, and Austrian governments—namely all the major Powers. The first three were foes of the Ottoman Empire, the latter two, allies of the Ottoman Empire.
The United States, neutral towards the Ottoman Empire, also condemned the Armenian Genocide and was the chief spokesman in behalf of the Armenians.Up until now, the Turkish government has consistently refused to recognize the Armenian genocide and keeps on exerting a great deal of pressure on countries that do.
Meanwhile more than 20 countries, including Belgium, Canada, Poland and Switzerland, have officially recognized the killings as genocide. In 2006, French lawmakers voted to make it a criminal offence to deny that Armenians were victims of genocide.
But still many countries, including Britain and the United States, refuse to use the term to describe the events, mindful of relations with Turkey. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee's endorsement of a resolution labeling the killings as genocide last October sparked fury in Ankara, which recalled its ambassador to Washington. Under intense pressure from the White House, the authors of the bill later asked Congress not to hold a debate on the issue.
We call on all the European countries to make the full scale recognition of the Armenian genocide conditional for Turkey's future membership in their Union, and we urge all the free world countries to pressure Turkey to recognize the horrible Armenian massacre and accordingly abide by all due international laws that needs to be enforced in such cases like apologies, recognition and compensations.
The entire free world should not rest until justice is served to the Armenian people and the Ottoman genocide against them is fully recognized.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Monday, April 7, 2008
Iraqi Christians: Exodus, Ethnic Cleansing & Identity Annihilation
By: Elias Bejjani
April 07/08In Bagdad on Saturday (5 April 2008), another innocent Iraqi clergyman fell victim to the on-going persecution and ethnic cleansing of Christians in Iraq. Iraqi security sources announced that a group of unknown armed men gunned down Father Youssef Adel Aboudi, a Christian priest with Saint Peter's Aramaic Assyrian Orthodox Church. He was murdered while on his way to the church which is located in the centre of Baghdad.
It is worth mentioning that last month, the body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Catholic archbishop of the Iraqi city of Mosul, was found in a shallow grave in the northern suburb of the city, two weeks after he was kidnapped. During Rahho's kidnapping by terrorists, three of his escorting deacons were murdered in cold blood.
It is of great concern that Iraq's Christians, with the Chaldean rite the largest community, which were said to number as many as 800,000 before the American Liberation of Iraq nearly five years ago, is believed to have dropped to half that figure.
The Muslim fundamentalists in an apparent and avert venomous scheme masterminded, financed, orchestrated and executed by the Axis of evil countries and their armed terrorist tools (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah), as well as by Al Qaeda global armed militias, are all adamant to force the exodus or eradication of the Iraqi Christians.
What is going on in Iraq is an organized and systematic ethnic cleaning, targeting its historic Christian communities while the whole world is silent and indifferent.We repeat our urgent call that was made last month after the heinous murder of Archbishop Rahho and his deacons. We again call on all the free world countries, in particular the United States, moderate Arab countries, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Russia, to end their shameful silence and come to the rescue of the Middle East Christian communities, especially the Iraqi Christian communities, before it is too late.
The United States and the rest of the world should know that elimination of Middle East Christian communities will put terrorist and fundamentalist criminals, with their savage anti-humanity plots and their sharpened swords of hatred, in complete control in those countries. If the West remains silent and indifferent while the Christians in Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon and other middle East and Muslim countries are being eradicated from their own historic lands, the near future will bring many more days like September 11, 2001 in many Western countries.
The civilized communities of the world should understand that by defending and protecting the Christian communities of the Middle East, they will be defending and protecting their own national security. They should not sit idle, watching from a distance under the false belief that they are safe, while the education of death, suicide, hatred, intolerance and fanaticism is destroying the Middle East, and spreading.
This kind of education, spearheaded by Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and the other terrorist and fundamentalist groups, must be totally uprooted, while its sponsors, protectors, advocates, proponents and financiers are brought to justice and put on trial on charges of premeditated murder against civilization and humanity.
As far as Iraq is concerned, it has become more than necessary for the Iraqi government, the United States, Britain, moderate Arab neighbors and the United Nations to take full and immediate action to end the horrible suffering of Iraqi Christians. Their safety and welfare is not a favor from anybody, but rather a holy duty and a national obligation that the whole world is ought to fulfill.
While we remind the world that the peace loving Lebanese people and their troubled country, Lebanon, are still the victims of this Iranian and Syrian satanic culture of death, fundamentalism and terrorism, we pray that Almighty God will grant the Iraqi Christian communities all the needed faith, hope and perseverance to enable them to endure with love and forgiveness this on-going nightmare that has been mercilessly targeting their peaceful people.
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council, (LCCC) offers the Iraqi Christian Churches, communities, and father Aboud's family and friends its warmest heartily felt condolences. We ask Almighty God to grant them all patience, solace, and courage to endure this great loss with a forgiving spirit and solid faith.
We pray that the Father Aboudi's soul is now resting peacefully in heaven alongside all the other Saints and Angels.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
April 07/08In Bagdad on Saturday (5 April 2008), another innocent Iraqi clergyman fell victim to the on-going persecution and ethnic cleansing of Christians in Iraq. Iraqi security sources announced that a group of unknown armed men gunned down Father Youssef Adel Aboudi, a Christian priest with Saint Peter's Aramaic Assyrian Orthodox Church. He was murdered while on his way to the church which is located in the centre of Baghdad.
It is worth mentioning that last month, the body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Catholic archbishop of the Iraqi city of Mosul, was found in a shallow grave in the northern suburb of the city, two weeks after he was kidnapped. During Rahho's kidnapping by terrorists, three of his escorting deacons were murdered in cold blood.
It is of great concern that Iraq's Christians, with the Chaldean rite the largest community, which were said to number as many as 800,000 before the American Liberation of Iraq nearly five years ago, is believed to have dropped to half that figure.
The Muslim fundamentalists in an apparent and avert venomous scheme masterminded, financed, orchestrated and executed by the Axis of evil countries and their armed terrorist tools (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah), as well as by Al Qaeda global armed militias, are all adamant to force the exodus or eradication of the Iraqi Christians.
What is going on in Iraq is an organized and systematic ethnic cleaning, targeting its historic Christian communities while the whole world is silent and indifferent.We repeat our urgent call that was made last month after the heinous murder of Archbishop Rahho and his deacons. We again call on all the free world countries, in particular the United States, moderate Arab countries, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Russia, to end their shameful silence and come to the rescue of the Middle East Christian communities, especially the Iraqi Christian communities, before it is too late.
The United States and the rest of the world should know that elimination of Middle East Christian communities will put terrorist and fundamentalist criminals, with their savage anti-humanity plots and their sharpened swords of hatred, in complete control in those countries. If the West remains silent and indifferent while the Christians in Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon and other middle East and Muslim countries are being eradicated from their own historic lands, the near future will bring many more days like September 11, 2001 in many Western countries.
The civilized communities of the world should understand that by defending and protecting the Christian communities of the Middle East, they will be defending and protecting their own national security. They should not sit idle, watching from a distance under the false belief that they are safe, while the education of death, suicide, hatred, intolerance and fanaticism is destroying the Middle East, and spreading.
This kind of education, spearheaded by Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and the other terrorist and fundamentalist groups, must be totally uprooted, while its sponsors, protectors, advocates, proponents and financiers are brought to justice and put on trial on charges of premeditated murder against civilization and humanity.
As far as Iraq is concerned, it has become more than necessary for the Iraqi government, the United States, Britain, moderate Arab neighbors and the United Nations to take full and immediate action to end the horrible suffering of Iraqi Christians. Their safety and welfare is not a favor from anybody, but rather a holy duty and a national obligation that the whole world is ought to fulfill.
While we remind the world that the peace loving Lebanese people and their troubled country, Lebanon, are still the victims of this Iranian and Syrian satanic culture of death, fundamentalism and terrorism, we pray that Almighty God will grant the Iraqi Christian communities all the needed faith, hope and perseverance to enable them to endure with love and forgiveness this on-going nightmare that has been mercilessly targeting their peaceful people.
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council, (LCCC) offers the Iraqi Christian Churches, communities, and father Aboud's family and friends its warmest heartily felt condolences. We ask Almighty God to grant them all patience, solace, and courage to endure this great loss with a forgiving spirit and solid faith.
We pray that the Father Aboudi's soul is now resting peacefully in heaven alongside all the other Saints and Angels.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Lebanese Government needs to declare Hezbollah a Terrorist Organization
By: Elias Bejjani
The Lebanese government has done well in boycotting the Arab League summit to be held in Damascus on March 29-30.
We wished that this government had shown more steel and had overcome its hesitation with a potion of courage and clarity earlier. Had it done so, it would have saved our Lebanese tortured people lots of intimidation, conning, and the Hezbollah “Godly” anger and noise, as well as General Michel Aoun's lost and cheating general Herculean postures which surpassed basic decency, morality, and logic, even reached insolence and insult to the Lebanese people intelligence and memory.
This clear boycott re-establishes the authority of the Lebanese government and confirms that it is legitimate and constitutional despite the screams and insults of Michel Aoun and the edicts of Hezbollah’s rulers.
This boycott affirms a proper stand which should have been the framework of the government since the resignation of Hezbollah’s and Amal Movement's Shiite ministers in accordance with Syria’s leaders instructions in fear of the Hariri international Tribunal. Our country, Lebanon, would have been in much better shape had the Saniora government shown firmness earlier.
We would have had a president by now, and the downtown protest would have been over. The thousand miles trip always starts with the first step.
We hope that the Saniora government, after all the disappointments it caused to itself and to Lebanon, has decided to exit the bondage of hesitation to deal with the Syrian-Iranian agents (Hezbollah, Amal Movement, Fundamentalists and Syrian made Lebanese and Palestinian military armed groups) as such, and not as resistance, otherwise we will remain in the endless circle.
The government must begin immediately to name political matters clearly and frankly, and abandon its calling of Hezbollah as resistance, such falsification of history as the liberation of the south, and that prior to the year 2000 it enjoyed the support of all the Lebanese people. Fundamentalist Persian Hezbollah is nothing but an Iranian army in Lebanon according to all measures.
Everyone knows it has only retarded the liberation of the south for 14 years. It has never been a Lebanese option never received unanimity in any fashion or shape.
During the Syrian despicable occupation, Hezbollah, the Iranian armed militia in Lebanon, was imposed logistically upon the Lebanese, and specifically on the Shiite community, with financing, organization, command, decision making process and political will of the Iranian revolutionary guard, as an instrument to export the Iranian Khomeini Islamic revolution.
Hezbollah was supposed to disarm like all other Lebanese militias after the "Taef accord" in 1990, but the Syrian occupation hindered this procedure and imposed it as a resistance armed organization through force and terror and not through consensus.
In summary, we wish to state that the Lebanese government has taken an important step today on the road of national and independent governance. But it will not be able to continue this trek unless it maintains its honesty and witness to the truth.
This Government must move with courage and chivalry from the reaction to the action mode. Will it do so? We hope.
Background
Lebanon Boycotts Damascus Summit, Urges Arabs to 'Shepherd' Relations with SyriaNaharnet/Beirut, 25 Mar 08/ The Lebanese government on Tuesday decided to boycott the forthcoming summit in Damascus and urged Arabs to tackle the deteriorating Lebanese-Syrian relations. Information Minister Ghazi Aridi, reading a statement after a meeting by Premier Fouad Saniora's government, said Lebanon would also boycott preparatory meetings that set the stage for the summit that would convene in Damascus on March 29. The government urged "Arab brethren to shepherd Lebanese-Syrian relations to help Lebanon spread its sovereignty over its territories," the statement said. Such an Arab effort should lead to "sound relations between Lebanon and Syria," it added. The decision, according to the statement, is not tantamount to a breach of Lebanon's relations with Syria, but it reflects the need "to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and independence." The decision was adopted in light of blocking presidential elections and Lebanon's determination to be represented at the summit by "the only Christian president among all Arab heads of state," the statement noted. It also reflects the rejection by the Lebanese people to adapt to the existing presidential void, according to the statement. Such a boycott is a "precedent that has been imposed on us," it noted.The statement concluded that Lebanon would remain committed to inter-Arab relations "especially in confronting Israeli threats." *Elias BejjaniChairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.comLCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.comCLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
The Lebanese government has done well in boycotting the Arab League summit to be held in Damascus on March 29-30.
We wished that this government had shown more steel and had overcome its hesitation with a potion of courage and clarity earlier. Had it done so, it would have saved our Lebanese tortured people lots of intimidation, conning, and the Hezbollah “Godly” anger and noise, as well as General Michel Aoun's lost and cheating general Herculean postures which surpassed basic decency, morality, and logic, even reached insolence and insult to the Lebanese people intelligence and memory.
This clear boycott re-establishes the authority of the Lebanese government and confirms that it is legitimate and constitutional despite the screams and insults of Michel Aoun and the edicts of Hezbollah’s rulers.
This boycott affirms a proper stand which should have been the framework of the government since the resignation of Hezbollah’s and Amal Movement's Shiite ministers in accordance with Syria’s leaders instructions in fear of the Hariri international Tribunal. Our country, Lebanon, would have been in much better shape had the Saniora government shown firmness earlier.
We would have had a president by now, and the downtown protest would have been over. The thousand miles trip always starts with the first step.
We hope that the Saniora government, after all the disappointments it caused to itself and to Lebanon, has decided to exit the bondage of hesitation to deal with the Syrian-Iranian agents (Hezbollah, Amal Movement, Fundamentalists and Syrian made Lebanese and Palestinian military armed groups) as such, and not as resistance, otherwise we will remain in the endless circle.
The government must begin immediately to name political matters clearly and frankly, and abandon its calling of Hezbollah as resistance, such falsification of history as the liberation of the south, and that prior to the year 2000 it enjoyed the support of all the Lebanese people. Fundamentalist Persian Hezbollah is nothing but an Iranian army in Lebanon according to all measures.
Everyone knows it has only retarded the liberation of the south for 14 years. It has never been a Lebanese option never received unanimity in any fashion or shape.
During the Syrian despicable occupation, Hezbollah, the Iranian armed militia in Lebanon, was imposed logistically upon the Lebanese, and specifically on the Shiite community, with financing, organization, command, decision making process and political will of the Iranian revolutionary guard, as an instrument to export the Iranian Khomeini Islamic revolution.
Hezbollah was supposed to disarm like all other Lebanese militias after the "Taef accord" in 1990, but the Syrian occupation hindered this procedure and imposed it as a resistance armed organization through force and terror and not through consensus.
In summary, we wish to state that the Lebanese government has taken an important step today on the road of national and independent governance. But it will not be able to continue this trek unless it maintains its honesty and witness to the truth.
This Government must move with courage and chivalry from the reaction to the action mode. Will it do so? We hope.
Background
Lebanon Boycotts Damascus Summit, Urges Arabs to 'Shepherd' Relations with SyriaNaharnet/Beirut, 25 Mar 08/ The Lebanese government on Tuesday decided to boycott the forthcoming summit in Damascus and urged Arabs to tackle the deteriorating Lebanese-Syrian relations. Information Minister Ghazi Aridi, reading a statement after a meeting by Premier Fouad Saniora's government, said Lebanon would also boycott preparatory meetings that set the stage for the summit that would convene in Damascus on March 29. The government urged "Arab brethren to shepherd Lebanese-Syrian relations to help Lebanon spread its sovereignty over its territories," the statement said. Such an Arab effort should lead to "sound relations between Lebanon and Syria," it added. The decision, according to the statement, is not tantamount to a breach of Lebanon's relations with Syria, but it reflects the need "to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and independence." The decision was adopted in light of blocking presidential elections and Lebanon's determination to be represented at the summit by "the only Christian president among all Arab heads of state," the statement noted. It also reflects the rejection by the Lebanese people to adapt to the existing presidential void, according to the statement. Such a boycott is a "precedent that has been imposed on us," it noted.The statement concluded that Lebanon would remain committed to inter-Arab relations "especially in confronting Israeli threats." *Elias BejjaniChairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.comLCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.comCLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Christ has Truly Risen and we are Witnesses to His ResurrectionBy: Elias Bejjani
By: Elias Bejjani
March 23/08
But what does it say? The word is with you, in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says; whoever believes in him will not be disappointed. (Romans 10: 8 -11)
Oh how great is the need nowadays, to understand the meaning and message of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! The fast pace of life has turned us merely into sad human shells of crippled beings, consumed by greed, selfishness and the race for worldly pleasures. Our thoughts and actions are directed by trifle material matters and concerns. In the midst of all this moral and ethical havoc, we have forgotten that we are the sons and daughters of Almighty God and that He has created us in His image and likeness and made our bodies a temple for Him.
We often find ourselves intentionally forgetting the fact that our Heavenly Father has shown us His great love and affection by sending us His only son; born as human, He suffered humiliation and pain and was crucified so that we could be relieved from the burden of our original sin. Through His crucifixion and death, Jesus triumphed over death and resurrected from the dead, thereby resurrecting us with Him, pure and forgiven of all sin and impurity.
Oh how the yoke of death and sin has been lifted from our shoulders and carried by our Lord Jesus!Worldly matters frequently make us easy prey to our sinful instincts and wrongful human inclinations. How easy we are seduced by sin knowing that our Father gave so much for our salvation. In such darkness, our faith, perseverance and hope become weakened, as we drift away from the teachings of our Lord.
Shame is our neglect of our rightful obligations towards our heavenly Father and towards those who need our love, compassion and friendship.We need to realize wholly and become fully aware of the great blessing that Jesus’ resurrection from death is indeed a new life for all mankind, free from all sin.
This fact alone is a comfort that must be remembered with every breath and allowed to settle deep within our minds, hearts and souls. His resurrection is an established truth in its essence, and this truth should penetrate into our bones.“He is not here, rather He has risen”.
We as Christians truly believe that Christ rose from the dead and is alive within all of us. His resurrection is the essence of our faith, beginning with the holy Apostles and ending with us, the Church. His resurrection is not solely a historical event, but rather it is our source of faith which explodes forth like a powerful volcano in our conscience and thoughts.For the believers, this truth cultivates and purifies the faith, allowing them to courageously walk the road of salvation with steadfastness, strength, and veracity. The Father blesses His sons and daughters with the same compassion and love that resurrected His beloved Jesus.
Our heavenly Father, through the sacrifice of His only Son, provided for us a lesson and an example of true love, fatherly compassion and parental sacrifice. He proved to us, His flock and children, that He is love and that His love for us has no limits and that His forgiveness is unending. What peace and comfort is this for us!
The Resurrection of Christ grants every one of us the right to call himself a child of God; it is the return of Paradise lost, the threshold of the Holy of Holies of immortal life and communion with God. St. Paul tells us that if there had been no Resurrection then our Christian faith would have been deprived of any foundation or value: "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:14, 17)."Easter is a festival of hope for salvation and for a new life and a new beginning.
This Holy season calls on us to renew our faith in Jesus as our Messiah and to consolidate our confidence in His Church and its teachings. Easter calls on us all to love and forgive each other and as a family to unite together in celebration of our risen Lord. It is also a time to repent for our wrongful deeds and thoughts; to cleanse our hearts and walk forward with steadfast the righteous path of salvation.
Let us never forget the humbling truth that all of us will one day stand before our Almighty God to answer for our all our deeds, good and bad. It is in this light we need to remember the teachings of the Apostles; That In the end times, there will be hypocrites, walking before their own ungodly lusts and causing divisions, lacking the Spirit.
They taught us to strengthen ourselves and our faith through prayer and the Holy Spirit and to nurture our love for our God, while seeking the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.Our resurrection through Jesus Christ occurs today and lives on in each day of our life.
Let us pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten and empower us on this Holy day just as with the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. Let us all proudly proclaim that Christ is living in us and with us, Christ has truly risen and we are witnesses to His resurrection!Happy Easter to all and especially to our family and friends in Diaspora and in our Lebanon!May God Bless You All!
*Elias BejjaniChairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.comLCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.comCLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
March 23/08
But what does it say? The word is with you, in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says; whoever believes in him will not be disappointed. (Romans 10: 8 -11)
Oh how great is the need nowadays, to understand the meaning and message of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! The fast pace of life has turned us merely into sad human shells of crippled beings, consumed by greed, selfishness and the race for worldly pleasures. Our thoughts and actions are directed by trifle material matters and concerns. In the midst of all this moral and ethical havoc, we have forgotten that we are the sons and daughters of Almighty God and that He has created us in His image and likeness and made our bodies a temple for Him.
We often find ourselves intentionally forgetting the fact that our Heavenly Father has shown us His great love and affection by sending us His only son; born as human, He suffered humiliation and pain and was crucified so that we could be relieved from the burden of our original sin. Through His crucifixion and death, Jesus triumphed over death and resurrected from the dead, thereby resurrecting us with Him, pure and forgiven of all sin and impurity.
Oh how the yoke of death and sin has been lifted from our shoulders and carried by our Lord Jesus!Worldly matters frequently make us easy prey to our sinful instincts and wrongful human inclinations. How easy we are seduced by sin knowing that our Father gave so much for our salvation. In such darkness, our faith, perseverance and hope become weakened, as we drift away from the teachings of our Lord.
Shame is our neglect of our rightful obligations towards our heavenly Father and towards those who need our love, compassion and friendship.We need to realize wholly and become fully aware of the great blessing that Jesus’ resurrection from death is indeed a new life for all mankind, free from all sin.
This fact alone is a comfort that must be remembered with every breath and allowed to settle deep within our minds, hearts and souls. His resurrection is an established truth in its essence, and this truth should penetrate into our bones.“He is not here, rather He has risen”.
We as Christians truly believe that Christ rose from the dead and is alive within all of us. His resurrection is the essence of our faith, beginning with the holy Apostles and ending with us, the Church. His resurrection is not solely a historical event, but rather it is our source of faith which explodes forth like a powerful volcano in our conscience and thoughts.For the believers, this truth cultivates and purifies the faith, allowing them to courageously walk the road of salvation with steadfastness, strength, and veracity. The Father blesses His sons and daughters with the same compassion and love that resurrected His beloved Jesus.
Our heavenly Father, through the sacrifice of His only Son, provided for us a lesson and an example of true love, fatherly compassion and parental sacrifice. He proved to us, His flock and children, that He is love and that His love for us has no limits and that His forgiveness is unending. What peace and comfort is this for us!
The Resurrection of Christ grants every one of us the right to call himself a child of God; it is the return of Paradise lost, the threshold of the Holy of Holies of immortal life and communion with God. St. Paul tells us that if there had been no Resurrection then our Christian faith would have been deprived of any foundation or value: "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:14, 17)."Easter is a festival of hope for salvation and for a new life and a new beginning.
This Holy season calls on us to renew our faith in Jesus as our Messiah and to consolidate our confidence in His Church and its teachings. Easter calls on us all to love and forgive each other and as a family to unite together in celebration of our risen Lord. It is also a time to repent for our wrongful deeds and thoughts; to cleanse our hearts and walk forward with steadfast the righteous path of salvation.
Let us never forget the humbling truth that all of us will one day stand before our Almighty God to answer for our all our deeds, good and bad. It is in this light we need to remember the teachings of the Apostles; That In the end times, there will be hypocrites, walking before their own ungodly lusts and causing divisions, lacking the Spirit.
They taught us to strengthen ourselves and our faith through prayer and the Holy Spirit and to nurture our love for our God, while seeking the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.Our resurrection through Jesus Christ occurs today and lives on in each day of our life.
Let us pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten and empower us on this Holy day just as with the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. Let us all proudly proclaim that Christ is living in us and with us, Christ has truly risen and we are witnesses to His resurrection!Happy Easter to all and especially to our family and friends in Diaspora and in our Lebanon!May God Bless You All!
*Elias BejjaniChairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.comLCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.comCLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The Iraqi Chaldean Archbishop murder is a new victory for Terrorism By: Elias Bejjani
March 15/08
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC) strongly condemns the vicious, heinous and cowardice kidnapping and murder of the Iraqi Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, Paulus Faraj Rahho. The Archbishop's body was found on Thursday 13/02/08 in a grave located in Al-Intisar suburb of the south-east Mosul Iraqi City. An anonymous phone call was received by the police informing them where he was buried. The condition of the body indicated that he had been dead for some time. Archbishop Rahho was kidnapped on February 29/08 during which three of his escorting deacons were also murdered in cold blood.
We offer our warmest and deeply heartfelt condolences to the Archbishop's family, friends, his beleaguered Chaldean Iraqi Catholic Church Sheppard's and members, and to all the Middle East Christian Communities. We ask Almighty God to grant them all patience, solace, and courage to endure this big loss with forgiving spirit and solid faith. We pray that the Archbishop's soul is now resting peacefully in heaven alongside all the other saints and angels.
The kidnapping and murder of the Archbishop along with three of his escorting deacons cannot be accepted or justified by any human means or criteria. There is no doubt that the sole motive for such a barbaric and brutal crime is a deeply rooted sickening hatred complex, a set of evil grudges and a malevolent mentality of intolerance.
This crime is not only a terrorist and immoral atrocity that is committed by wicked individuals and organizations against a prominent Christian figure, but in fact, an organized and systematic pre-set venomous cleansing scheme against all the Middle Eastern Christian Communities.
This scheme is taking place openly and overtly on daily basis in different forms and on many levels in almost all the so-called Arabic countries; Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Gulf countries, Gaza Palestinian territory, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon etcThe Middle East Christians communities are targeted in their very core existence, ethnic identities, properties, freedom, culture, history, civilization and lives. This repugnant cleansing scheme is covert and not a secret anymore. The global evil forces of fundamentalism and terrorism spearheaded by the Axis of Evil countries and terrorist organizations aim to uproot, annihilate, subjugate, enslave and ultimately either force all the Middle East Christian Communities into exodus or mass murder them.
In almost all the Middle East countries, the Christian communities are exposed without any kind of mercy and subjected on daily basis to an orchestrated and well planned tragic and disastrous persecution, torture, terrorism and systematic killing. Meanwhile their historic and deeply rooted existence in Lebanon, the last safe Christian haven left, is becoming more and more hazardous, while the conspiracy against their existence, land, identity and freedoms is escalating around the clockWhat is actually unfortunate, disappointing, despicable and sad about this on-going deadly systematic prosecution and religious cleansing that is targeting all Christian communities in the Middle East lies in the fact that it is carried on with unprecedented brutality while the free world countries are silent, indifferent and completely detaching themselves from this criminal dilemma. We call on the free world in general, and in particular on the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Russia, who boast and brag with their secular and anti-religious democracies to step forward out of their deadly and shameful silence and come to the rescue of the Middle East Christian communities before it is too late.
We denounce these Western countries' naive, shortsighted, uncalculated and uneducated silence. Meanwhile we assure them that the fall of the Middle East Christian communities for terrorism and fundamentalism will put these criminals with their savage anti-humanity schemes on their own Western countries' front doors and backyards.
We are putting all the free world countries on notice and serving them with this warning: Allowing the emptying and cleansing of the Middle East from Christian communities through persecution, annihilation and exodus means simply emptying this historic part of the world from all aspects of civilization, morals, peace, freedom, democracy, stability and human rights.
It remains that the continuation of this Middle East Christian barbaric killing, cleansing and mass exodus is a colossal victory for the education of death, terrorism and fundamentalism, and an abominable defeat for the education of life, freedoms, peace, equality, human rights and moral values.
*Elias BejjaniChairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.comLCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.comCLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC) strongly condemns the vicious, heinous and cowardice kidnapping and murder of the Iraqi Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, Paulus Faraj Rahho. The Archbishop's body was found on Thursday 13/02/08 in a grave located in Al-Intisar suburb of the south-east Mosul Iraqi City. An anonymous phone call was received by the police informing them where he was buried. The condition of the body indicated that he had been dead for some time. Archbishop Rahho was kidnapped on February 29/08 during which three of his escorting deacons were also murdered in cold blood.
We offer our warmest and deeply heartfelt condolences to the Archbishop's family, friends, his beleaguered Chaldean Iraqi Catholic Church Sheppard's and members, and to all the Middle East Christian Communities. We ask Almighty God to grant them all patience, solace, and courage to endure this big loss with forgiving spirit and solid faith. We pray that the Archbishop's soul is now resting peacefully in heaven alongside all the other saints and angels.
The kidnapping and murder of the Archbishop along with three of his escorting deacons cannot be accepted or justified by any human means or criteria. There is no doubt that the sole motive for such a barbaric and brutal crime is a deeply rooted sickening hatred complex, a set of evil grudges and a malevolent mentality of intolerance.
This crime is not only a terrorist and immoral atrocity that is committed by wicked individuals and organizations against a prominent Christian figure, but in fact, an organized and systematic pre-set venomous cleansing scheme against all the Middle Eastern Christian Communities.
This scheme is taking place openly and overtly on daily basis in different forms and on many levels in almost all the so-called Arabic countries; Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Gulf countries, Gaza Palestinian territory, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon etcThe Middle East Christians communities are targeted in their very core existence, ethnic identities, properties, freedom, culture, history, civilization and lives. This repugnant cleansing scheme is covert and not a secret anymore. The global evil forces of fundamentalism and terrorism spearheaded by the Axis of Evil countries and terrorist organizations aim to uproot, annihilate, subjugate, enslave and ultimately either force all the Middle East Christian Communities into exodus or mass murder them.
In almost all the Middle East countries, the Christian communities are exposed without any kind of mercy and subjected on daily basis to an orchestrated and well planned tragic and disastrous persecution, torture, terrorism and systematic killing. Meanwhile their historic and deeply rooted existence in Lebanon, the last safe Christian haven left, is becoming more and more hazardous, while the conspiracy against their existence, land, identity and freedoms is escalating around the clockWhat is actually unfortunate, disappointing, despicable and sad about this on-going deadly systematic prosecution and religious cleansing that is targeting all Christian communities in the Middle East lies in the fact that it is carried on with unprecedented brutality while the free world countries are silent, indifferent and completely detaching themselves from this criminal dilemma. We call on the free world in general, and in particular on the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Russia, who boast and brag with their secular and anti-religious democracies to step forward out of their deadly and shameful silence and come to the rescue of the Middle East Christian communities before it is too late.
We denounce these Western countries' naive, shortsighted, uncalculated and uneducated silence. Meanwhile we assure them that the fall of the Middle East Christian communities for terrorism and fundamentalism will put these criminals with their savage anti-humanity schemes on their own Western countries' front doors and backyards.
We are putting all the free world countries on notice and serving them with this warning: Allowing the emptying and cleansing of the Middle East from Christian communities through persecution, annihilation and exodus means simply emptying this historic part of the world from all aspects of civilization, morals, peace, freedom, democracy, stability and human rights.
It remains that the continuation of this Middle East Christian barbaric killing, cleansing and mass exodus is a colossal victory for the education of death, terrorism and fundamentalism, and an abominable defeat for the education of life, freedoms, peace, equality, human rights and moral values.
*Elias BejjaniChairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.comLCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.comCLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
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