Lebanon's capacity to rebuild is greater than that of others to destroy

Editorial from Lebanon's "The Daily Star"

Nothing can describe the feeling of having worked tirelessly for 15 years rebuilding a country from the ruins of war, only to see it once again laid waste within a period of days. Just over a week ago, the Lebanese were only beginning to reap the benefits of all their toils, with the summer tourist season making a major comeback. But now the bridges, buildings, factories and roads that they have spent the decade-and-a-half working to rebuild have been destroyed, along with any immediate hope of an economic rebound. Even the airport, which was named after late former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was a driving force behind much of Lebanon's reconstruction, has been put out of action in a relentless series of air raids.

Yet the ambiance of horrendous destruction has not ruined the country's spirit of humanity. The resilience of this spirit can be seen in each and every act of compassion that Lebanese citizens are now showing toward their compatriots, 500,000 of whom have been made homeless as a result of Israel's assaults across the country. As a wide range of Israeli weapons rains down from above, many Lebanese on the ground are arming themselves with determination, and channelling all of their energies into providing relief and refuge to their fellow citizens.

Political parties, including the Free Patriotic Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party, have been turning their offices into temporary shelters and providing food, water and words of comfort to terrified refugees. Christian churches and schools have opened their doors to the floods of mostly Shiite refugees, proving that compassion and mercy know no religious or sectarian boundaries. Artists, including the SHAMS Arts Collective and Sanayeh's Zicco House, are now using their talents to prepare food and distribute supplies such as water and medicine to those made homeless as a result of Israel's offensive. http://www.dailystar.com.lb

These simple acts of kindness and generosity in these times of crisis are a testament to the spirit of the Lebanese people. Their response to this tragedy has been to pool all of their resources in order to provide assistance to those in need. They are demonstrating that their capacity for compassion is abundant, even now, in the midst of massive destruction.

These gestures also prove yet again that the will of the Lebanese to survive and rebuild is far stronger than the will of others to kill and destroy. They know that Israel has launched a deadly mission to set their country "back 20 years" - an assault that has claimed the lives of about 300 civilians in just eight days. But in spite of that, the Lebanese are holding on to the belief that no matter how hard this country is trampled upon, it will once again rise up from the ashes, all the more determined to thrive.