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Dr. Joseph Gebeily’s Word at the “Lebanon
Cedar Revolution Solidarity Day”
May 10th,
2005 – The Capitol,
Washington
DC
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Please allow me first to express on behalf of the
Lebanese Information Center in the US, on behalf of
thousands of Lebanese-Americans, on behalf of the
Lebanese people my most sincere gratitude for
Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, his Staff and our
Lebanese-American committee from Detroit for
organizing this wonderful event at this great bastion
of liberty - the United States Congress.
We are gathered here today, American Officials,
Americans of Lebanese Origin, Friends and supporters
of freedom and human dignity to celebrate the rebirth
of a free and independent Lebanon.
With the passage of the Syria Accountability and
Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act in 2003 by the US
Congress, and with a better understanding of the daily
plight of the Lebanese people by the Administration-
which was influenced by the opinions and the expressed
will of the US citizens of Lebanese origin- the
support for a free and sovereign Lebanon finally has
become a determined and clear US Policy.
Within the context of its strategy of spreading
democracy in the Middle East to promote peace and
prosperity, President Bush and the United States
Congress have recognized the value of freeing Lebanon
from the grips of Syrian control and allowing
Lebanon’s once fledging democracy to be revived and
nurtured. Without a free Lebanon the task of
introducing the democratic process into the Arab World
would be difficult if not altogether impossible.
Since the signing of the Syria Accountability and
Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, we have
witnessed positive steps towards self-determination.
We witnessed the issuing of the Presidential Executive
Order promising to prosecute individuals, who
contribute to the Syrian Occupation of Lebanon,
We witnessed the resolve of President George W Bush
who was the first world leader to proclaim “The people
of Lebanon should be free to determine their own
future, without foreign interference or domination”,
We witnessed the repeated declarations of US Officials
in support of Lebanese Sovereignty and right to
self-determination,
We witnessed many House and Senate Resolutions
introduced and voted on with a bipartisan majority
condemning Syria’s actions in Lebanon and supporting
the end of Syria’s occupation of its neighbor.
And we witnessed the efforts made at the United
Nations to secure UNSC Resolution 1559 which calls for
the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, the
disarming of all militias, the respect of the Lebanese
Constitution and the rectification of the electoral
process.
So we thank you, our friends in Congress, we thank you
President Bush. And the people of Lebanon thank you
and will be forever grateful.
The recent assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafic Hariri, sparked the fire of revolt among
Lebanese youth. A million and a half Lebanese, a
quarter of the population, from all religious and
social backgrounds, took to the streets to declare
their united stand against the occupation. And the
Cedar Revolution was born with the entire world
watching and providing its unanimous support.
Finally, under international pressure and Lebanese
persistent public outcry, the Syrian Forces were
compelled to withdraw from Lebanon.
But our fight for a free democratic Lebanon is not
over. Nor is our resolve to remove the shackles of
injustice.
The Cedar Revolution, by its very nature, is the
desperate cry of a people who have endured decades of
brutality and suffering. While the romanticism of the
patriotic flag waving by our enthusiastic youth,
captured our attention on television and achieved much
in liberating Lebanon from the grip of the Syrian
regime, the struggle is far from over.
And despite the grand achievements of the past few
weeks, we are now witnessing the desperate attempts of
tyranny to escape the chains of international pressure
and to regain its hold on a Lebanon which thirsts for
a drink from the fountain of liberty.
Therefore, we should remain vigilant and not rest
until sovereignty of Lebanon is restored. We owe it to
the millions who bravely united against tyranny and to
the thousands who sacrificed their lives fighting the
occupation, to not stumble, to not falter and to not
allow the enemies of freedom to regain their footing.
We should also be mindful that democracy’s prize
cannot be won, cannot be celebrated without ensuring a
free and fair electoral process, allowing a true
representation of each and every component of the
Lebanese society; without disarming all militias,
eliminating the security islands currently not under
the Lebanese authority, and deploying the Lebanese
army and security forces on all the Lebanese
territory; without reconsidering all bilateral
treaties which were imposed on Lebanon by the Syrian
occupier; without freeing all political prisoners in
Lebanon, particularly Dr. Samir Geagea.
The case for releasing Dr. Geagea is at the core of
liberating Lebanon. Actively supporting an end to his
captivity is the ultimate signal of the end of
oppression. As the sole imprisoned leader, he is the
one living symbol in Lebanon representing the many
years of tyranny. As was Nelson Mandela’s release, the
liberation of Dr Geagea will result in the winds of
independence filling the sail of freedom and will
create the foundation for a strong democratic nation.
A nation that will not properly heal until Samir
Geagea is free and once again living amongst the
people of a united Lebanon.
And finally we must all realize the experiment of
democracy cannot succeed unless we, as a united
people, recognize the seeds of dissention that, at one
time, separated us and led to our civil unrest. We
must protect our promising future by never forgetting
our painful past, and in so doing we become part of
the bright light, which illuminates the world’s lamp
of liberty.
God bless you all, God bless the United Sates of
America and God Bless a free and sovereign Lebanon.
Joseph Gebeily, MD
President,
The
Lebanese Information Center
