If time was to tell the tale of Bachir Gemayel, it would sigh at every pause, drain its ink on the pages of an exceptional man's history and shine until the great end with joy and tears.
Forged from the timeless rocks of Bekfaya, from the rocks of valor, chivalry and glory, Bachir is Lebanese and remains a cornerstone in the building of this nation.
Bachir Gemayel was only 15 years old when he joined the ranks of the Lebanese Kataeb. He was haunted by the ambition and wishes to restore Lebanon's sovereignty so he went on a political journey towards his goal. He was known for never bargaining over his principles, the high standard of his speeches and his closeness to the people.
Lebanon First
On July 1st 1978, Syrian militants kidnapped Bachir Gemayel from Ashrafieh's Sassine square, he who had so reluctantly attempted to convince the state of the uselessness of relying on Syria to resolve local issues. They held him for a short period. But as short as it was, holding such a man caused a revolution and was at the root of the war that started soon after.
100 days later, the "Lebanese Resistance" managed to shoo the Syrians out of Ashrafieh and Bachir decided, then and there, to turn this area into an exemplary miniature of Lebanon that he hoped would spread to reach the country's 10452 m2, under his new motto "Lebanon First".
We Are the Saints of this East and its Devils
On August 23rd 1982, Bachir was elected president. In his last speech before his assassination, Gemayel said: "We are steady in Lebanon and the East, while others come and go. It is true that we are not geographically stable, but our presence in itself is ever stable. We are the Saints of this East and its Devils. We are its cross and its spear, its light and fire. We can burn it if they burn our fingers and can light it up if they leave us be. So beware of any solution to Lebanon and the region's crises that doesn't take into consideration our history and the fall outs of Lebanon's war."
They Feared Him so They Killed Him
“We don’t meddle in anyone’s affairs while others interfere in ours,” stated Bachir once. But all failed to understand his plead that called for the support of the Military Institution, deeming it as the only valid solution for foreign interference in Lebanon.
“The Army should no longer be a scapegoat. It needs morale, weapons and orders as it is ready to respond. We should have 150 thousand geared up troops. We can no longer wait for foreign countries to assist us,” he said, adding “We hope that all Lebanese militias join the Army, thus turning it into the only armed, legal group on Lebanese soil.”
Lebanese President, Not Syrian, Neither American, nor from the Vatican
As for the presidency and the candidate’s optimal qualities, Bachir said: “We want a president that could transport Lebanon from living with the crisis and potential solutions towards a permanent exit from the residual issues. If the US and Syria agree over a president to pave way for their interests in Lebanon and the chosen one fails to garner our approval then we won’t have him. If the Vatican approves of a candidate and we don’t, let them elect him as pope. We want a Lebanese president and not a Syrian, American or one made in the Vatican.”
As if made yesterday, Bachir’s speeches still apply as the political status and back-alley alliances remain unchanged. Today, on the anniversary of his martyrdom, Bachir appears again, warning against presidential obstruction and holding those behind it responsible for the consequences of vacancy in the country’s top spot.
Hopefully, political authorities will gain from the speeches of a man who shook a warm tear out of history with his martyrdom.
This broken, shattered country lost a hawk, and with Bachir, lost a part of its glory.
Article Originally Written in Arabic by Elise Merhej
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