Michel Aoun
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October 12, 2009
On October 11, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) carried the transcript of the speech delivered by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun during a ceremony held by the FPM at Resurrection Church in Rabieh to commemorate the October 13, 1990 martyrs.
“Today, the Free Patriotic Movement meets with friends and citizens from all over Lebanon and abroad, to commemorate the Lebanese military and civilian martyrs who fell while defending the country, its people, its land and sovereignty. We have chosen this date to revive the event, because it has become an inherent part of our collective memory.
These people have fallen while defending our existence and identity, and while we commemorate them every year, we do not want this to remain a traditional celebration that is limited to social duties or a moment of contemplation that does not extend beyond the celebration itself. Moreover, we do not want it to turn into a trade over the blood of the martyrs. What we want is to overcome the moment of martyrdom and its direct cause and reach its wider and ongoing meaning in our lives, so that this meaning is translated into action and secures the continuation of the society for the survival and continuation of which the latter were martyred. The society for which we are yearning cannot be built unless we maintain the spirit of resistance that will prevent us from falling in the trap of practices seen in an environment that lost its immunity and the purity of its traditions and customs due to neediness.
However, in order for our resistance to reach its true dimensions and goals, we must pinpoint the enemies of the current stage and see what we must do to achieve our goals. Our primary enemy resides in our behavior and the way we deal with the practices imposed on us by the corrupt, considering that these practices are hindering our choices and rendering us affiliates, thus perceiving things the way they do and ratifying things which go against our true convictions and reality.
Some of those benefiting from corruption believe it would be in their own interprets to see its continuation, completely disregarding the fact that they are acting like a cat licking a knife and enjoying the taste of blood from its bleeding tongue. All the Lebanese, regardless of their origins and inclinations, should realize they are citizens who enjoy their full material and moral rights and are therefore responsible for their security and safety. They are also responsible for the stability, prosperity and continuation of their society, through authorities produced by their political system.
Moreover, these authorities are responsible for their part for any shortcomings affecting the performance and are held accountable by the parliament and the constitutional and judicial institutions. This is what regulates governmental work. Unfortunately, our accountability apparatuses are inefficient due to the prevalence of mafias [who exercise control] over them. This situation has placed us in an ongoing confrontation at the level of the different sectors, and we no longer need votes in the ballot boxes to fix the damage, rather voices that enjoy the spirit of resistance and who are relentlessly trying to reach the desired reform. Therefore, those who believe that the Change and Reform [bloc] is an easy target or that parliamentary and ministerial work can proceed in light of our current situation are greatly mistaken. The confrontation is harsh with superior forces in terms of numbers and equipment, seeing as how - much like a spider web - they have weaved their strings to cover all the public and private sectors.
The mafia regime under which we are living today has become like a cancer in its final stages, [and] has spread all over the body and is threatening the lives of the citizens, unless all the active forces in the country rise up and become aware of the seriousness of the threat posed by this internal corruption that is sometimes covered up behind the excuses given to the people regarding the fact that the crisis is external.
However, on this occasion, we promise you that the liberation of Lebanon, the reform of its system and the maintenance of our community is a contract between us and those whose memory we are commemorating today. We call on each and every one of you to follow this contract and join the march toward reform, because although reform stems from the ideas and will of individuals or small groups, it needs - in a democratic system - a majority that enjoys awareness and the spirit of struggle so that this reform is imposed and achieved. Therefore, the Lebanese people are currently facing two choices: either to succumb to the status quo or try to reach a reform stage that would ensure the accomplishment of the things they have been waiting for.
In the meantime, we are waiting for them [to decide]. Some might think that these are mere slogans, but they would be mistaken if they were to underestimate our determination, our strong will and the steadiness of our decisions. We must consecrate stability, achieve prosperity and spread reassurance for us and our children, since our future is set by what we do today. I thus call on you to work together and honor our martyrs and their sacrifices. Long live the people, long live Lebanon.”
Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Michel Aoun
12th October 2009
