Fri 28 Oct 2005
Today there was a Hezbollah parade for Jerusalem (al-Quds) Day, to protest the Israeli occupation. In fact, it is just ending. Several television stations carried it in its entirety. It took place in the southern suburbs of Beirut. When I passed through the area earlier, I saw a family piled onto a scooter with a huge yellow flag, as well as some others walking with flags. I know it is silly that I took photos of the TV, but I kind of just wanted to show that it looked exactly like a military parade anywhere (except that some of the regiments (?) were goosestepping).
Apparently, Nasrallah gave a speech claiming that the UN report is an attempt to sabotage relations between Lebanon and Syria. He said that Hezbollah would stand by the Syrian leadership and people.
Now Al-Manar, the Hezbollah run TV station is showing some of its propaganda videos, as it often does. Common themes include mosque domes, funerals of babies, heroic and scary looking fighters, and white doves flying.
October 28th, 2005 at 5:51 pm
Wait, you mean sabotage relations between Lebanon and Syria? Right? If that’s all that the UN report is attempting to do, I’d say they’re a little bit late to the party.
Were the participants in the anti-Israel festivities mostly Muslim? I got the sense while I was there that the Maronites could really care less about Israel.
October 29th, 2005 at 1:09 pm
Yeah, oops. Thanks- I fixed it.
I would assume that most parade attendees were Hezbollah supporters. So probably mostly Shia, some Syrians, some Palestinians. I doubt that there were many Christians at the parade, though a friend of mine who is Christian gives money to them, for their charitable projects, of which they have many.
But I think you are right that a lot of Christians are not terribly concerned with Israel now. Historically, Christians in Lebanon have at times allied themselves with Israel. There are a few thousand Lebanese (mostly Christian) who are living in exile in Israel for being members of the SLA (South Lebanon Army), which took orders from Israel. When Israel withdrew from South Lebanon in 2000, they fled with the Israeli soldiers.