Montrealers Lend Support to Popular Mobilization in Beirut.

WEDNESDAY, December 13th, 2006,11am
Simone de Beauvoir Institute of Concordia University
2170 Bishop Street

MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE.

Several Montreal organizations are speaking out in defense of popular protests which have overtaken Lebanon’s capital for over a week.

Hundreds of thousands in Beirut are participating in a peaceful sit-in, initiated by Hezbollah & over 10 other opposition political parties. Participants are demanding a more representative government in the aftermath of the recent Israeli attack and are challenging U.S. policy in the region.  

Press Release
 
MONTREAL ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR FAIR COVERAGE OF PEACEFUL MASS PROTESTS IN LEBANON

Montreal, 13 December 2006 – Several Montreal-based organizations are speaking out in defence of the popular protests which have overtaken Lebanon’s capital for more than a week. The groups are concerned with a prevailing bias in Canadian media coverage of the events in Lebanon. This bias misrepresents the purposes of the protests and the dynamics that underlie them. It also fuels a dangerous sectarianism that threatens Lebanon.
 
“Should Lebanon become a client state of the US or does it want a government that represents its citizens and is responsive to the interests of other people in the region? Should the government of Lebanon serve all sectors of its population, regardless of confession and economic status?” asked Mary Foster of Tadamon! Montreal.
 
“Whatever your opinion of these issues, these are the questions that are motivating people in the tens and hundreds of thousands to stay out on the streets in Beirut. The real political choices that people face in Lebanon, with far-reaching consequences for the entire region, are obscured when the contest is again and again mis-represented in the Canadian media as the sectarian manoeuvering of one party and its regional allies to take over the country,” noted Foster, who returned from a delegation to Lebanon last week.
 
“In fact, over ten opposition political parties are participating in the peaceful sit-in, bringing together a very significant portion of the population, from all religious and confessional camps, with diverse ideological orientations,” explained Mr. Ziad Najjar of the Council of Lebanese Canadian Organizations (COLCO)-Montreal.
 
Many of those present at the sit-in come from social groupings who have been historically excluded from economic opportunity, political representation, access to public institutions and services and are among those who have suffered the most from Israel’s attack on the country this summer.
 
“The symbol of people from the bombed out villages of the south and from the poor suburbs setting up camp in the richest area of the city, with its Gucci and Armani shops, couldn’t be clearer,” added Foster.
 
The demonstration is a decidedly peaceful and democratic expression of popular will. Far from subverting the democratic process in Lebanon, the non-violent popular expression is working within the country’s political framework to address some of the exclusions and disadvantages that are built into the Lebanese political, economic and social structures. Participants are also expressing their opposition to western interference in their country and hegemony in the region.
 
“When people came out on the streets to demand that the government stand down after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the movement was dubbed the “Cedar revolution” and welcomed in the West as a movement for democracy. Now these peaceful mass protests, which are demanding a more representative government, are being characterized as a coup attempt,” remarked May Hayder of the Al Hidaya Association.
 
“Could this have something to do with the fact that the protestors are demanding independence from the US this time, and not only Syria? There appears to be a double-standard in the way that the North American media portrays different events and political actors in Lebanon,” noted Hayder.

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OPENING STATEMENTS

We called this press conference in order to respond to what we perceive as an inaccurate and unfair portrayal within Canada of the truly historic events unfolding currently in Lebanon.

We believe these events have tremendous significance not only for Lebanon, but for the entire region. The events now taking place in Lebanon are a continuity of the events of this summer, when Israel massively bombarded Lebanon.

At that time Canada overtly supported Israel, refusing to call for a ceasefire even when it became clear that massive war crimes were being perpetrated against the people of Lebanon. Now Canada is supporting the Siniora government. In fact, just two weeks ago, on 24 November, Harper’s Parliamentary Secretary, together with former Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, met with Prime Minister Siniora to deliver a message of “full moral support” as the Globe and Mail reported.

The support for Israel’s attack, and the support for the ruling coalition in Lebanon against an opposition coalition are consistent with Canadian support for US plans for a ‘new middle east’. They show not only a disregard for human life, but a disregard for any meaningful notion of democracy.

The real political choices facing people in Lebanon, with far-reaching consequences for the entire region, are obscured when the current contest is again and again mis-represented as the sectarian manoeuvering of one party and its regional allies to take over the country.

“Should Lebanon become a client state of the US in the region or does it want a government that first represents its citizens and is responsive to the interests of other people in the region? Should the government of Lebanon serve all sectors of its population, regardless of confession and economic status?

Whatever your opinion of these framework issues, whatever the words of the leaders on all sides of the contest, these are among the underlying questions that are motivating people in the tens and hundreds of thousands to stay out on the streets in Beirut. These are some of the underlying issues that the people out on the streets believe will not be decided in a democratic manner unless the government is forced to represent them. These are among the most important questions that people on the streets believe they will have no part in deciding in unless the composition of the government changes.

Many of those present at the sit-in come from social groupings who have been historically excluded from economic opportunity, political representation, and access to public institutions and services. They are among those who have suffered the most from Israel’s attack on the country this summer. Their experience of this government has been that it has failed to protect them from Israel, it has failed to provide compensation after the attacks, it has failed to provide them with services or show regard for their interests in the country.

The symbol of people from the bombed out villages of the south and from the poor suburbs setting up camp in the richest area of the city, with its Gucci and Armani shops, couldn’t be clearer.

It is a deep shame that Canada choses to intervene in internal Lebanese affairs in pursuit of its own interests in the region, and that it does so to align itself with one part of the government against the overwhelming numbers of people who are demanding a fair voice in their government and demanding a government which responds to their needs, serves their interests and reflects their aspirations.

Mary Foster
Tadamon! Montréal

Près de deux millions de libanais se sont manifestés pacifiquement dans les rues de Beyrouth contre ce qu’ils considèrent un gouvernement inconstitutionnel et corrompu. Ce chiffre représente quarante pour cent de la population, c’est comme si on parle de trois millions de Québécois dans les rues de Montréal ou bien de treize millions de Canadiens qui persistent depuis 13 jours à montrer leur refus à leur gouvernement.

Tout ce que ces libanais demandent est 
· de former un gouvernement d’union national où la minorité parlementaire est mieux représentée et
· d’appeler à des élections parlementaires pour régler les désaccords démocratiquement

Toutefois, ce que diffusent les médias internationaux incluant les médias au Québec et au Canada dépassent de loin la propagande qu’émettent les médias Libanais progouvernementales.

On entend parler dans les médias ici :

D’une tentative de coup d’état, alors que les seules réclamations de l’opposition sont la formation d’un gouvernement d’union national et des élections anticipées.

Ceci sera le premier coup d’état réalisé à travers des élections démocratiques!
Il faut mentionner ici que la loi électorale qui a amené au pouvoir la majorité actuelle est considérée comme injuste par cette même majorité, qui ironiquement a contesté cette loi et promet de la substituer par une loi juste, promesse non réalisée jusqu’à date.

On parle de manifestation de Hezbollah, alors que Hezbollah n’est qu’une fraction des forces de l’opposition (on les nomme ‘Opposition National’ dans les médias locaux incluant les médias progouvernementaux). Une des forces majeures qui forme cette coalition est le CPL (Courant Patriotique Libre) qui est une formation laïque appuyée majoritairement par des Chrétiens et présidé par Michel Aoun (cette formation a gagné 75% des votes Chrétiens dans les élections de l’an passé). Il existe aussi d’autre formation de gauche des parties Sunnites et Druzes et le Hezbollah ne forme que le tiers des manifestants.

On parle de pro-syriens et de pro-iraniens, alors que c’est une insulte de considérer des millions de Libanais comme des agents de l’extérieur. On sait bien que le gouvernement en place reçoit l’appui ouvert des capitaux occidentaux pourtant on ne les nomme pas des agents de l’extérieur. Il faut mentionner que ça relève de l’ironie de compter parmi les pro-syriens le CPL qui était la formation la plus farouche par son opposition à l’hégémonie Syrienne ou le Parti Communiste qui en était toujours critique. Cependant, et durant les quinze ans de l’occupation Syrien les anti-syriens d’aujourd’hui se considéraient des fières alliées de la Syrie.

Finalement j’aimerai indiquer qu’un sondage publié hier dans un quotidien local indique que 73% de la population appuie la demande principale de l’opposition pour la formation d’un gouvernement d’union national. D’après le sondage 77.2% des Chrétiens sont en faveurs d’un tel gouvernement et même 47.2% des Sunnites appuient l’idée. 50% des Libanais considèrent le gouvernement actuel inconstitutionnel étant donné qu’il manque de représentants Shiites alors que les Shiites constituent environ le tiers de la population.  Finalement 76.4% des Shiites (base de support du Hezbollah) appuie la formation d’un tribunal international pour enquêter sur les assassinats politiques notamment l’assassinat du premier ministre Rafic Hariri. Le fait que la majorité des supporteurs de Hezbollah appuie cette demande élimine toute prétention qui accuse l’opposition, particulièrement le Hezbollah, de vouloir bloquer la formation d’un tel tribunal.

Ziad Najjar
Council of Lebanese Canadian Organizations (COLCO)-Montreal

We are calling upon the Canadian media to be an objective means to inform the public about the different perspectives of the current crisis and its developing events. We urge you to stay at an equal distance and not be politicized and distort the reality in Lebanon. Media corporations should not endorse a political view; they should rather represent the actuality from all its sides.
 
After the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, people came out on the streets demanding the government of former Prime Minister Omar Karami to resign. The movement was dubbed as the “Cedar Revolution”, a title coined by the United States Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky in a news conference to align this movement with the Rose revolution of Georgia, the Orange revolution of Ukraine and, as named by President Bush, the Purple revolution of Iraq. That movement was welcomed and cheered by the West as a movement for democracy. The events often occupied the main headlines of most Canadian broadcasting corporations and the front pages of major newspapers. According to media reports, 25000 people, at that time, filled the Martyrs’ square in Beirut the day former Prime Minister Omar Karami resigned, who could not but abide by the people’s wish. There were 5 major political parties involved in those demonstrations including the Free Patriotic Movement.

Now, in the current events, peaceful mass protests, demanding a more representative government, are being characterized by the media as a coup attempt. For the last 12 days, tens of thousands participate in a 24 hour sit-ins. On Sunday the 10th, and according to organizers, it was reported by Radio Canada International that 2 million people clogged central Beirut and all the roads and bridges that lead to it. The Lebanese army officials were quoted that the rally was “unprecedented in the history of Lebanon”. Over 40% of the population was on the streets (much larger than the ones which toppled their governments in Georgia and Ukraine). The opposition is not demanding the resignation of the Siniora government for the sake of replacing him but to form a more balanced and fairly representative government that takes into account all the major political players in the country. When referred by the media, it is never labeled as a revolution, neither the least as a call for democratic reform, but characterized with sectarian backed statements that it is a Hezbollah Shiite pro-Syrian pro-Iranian led coup attempt. While in fact, 14 different Lebanese parties (from various religious and secular backgrounds) form the opposition coalition. It was General Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, who first called for street protests.

Could this have something to do with the fact that the protestors are demanding independence from the United States this time and not only Syria? North American media portrays different events and political actors with a clear double standard that is adopted from the United States and Canada’s double standard. This has a dangerous impact on many of the fundamental concepts that people believe in.

Given the great influence of the media, we are more and more driven to grasp many of those concepts paradoxically. While the United States administration is promoting democracy in the Middle East, such a democracy has to be forced and pressured to align with the United States interests. Population majorities, the core and most viable element of democracy, are either ignored and their views are distorted, or punished and isolated for their democratic choices. At the time that the United States is encouraging the Palestinians to form a national unity government, it is strongly supporting the Siniora government on a daily basis, and refusing a national unity government in Lebanon as the opposition demands, despite the recent polls of the Beirut Center for Research and Information that indicates 73% of the Lebanese population want a national unity government.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government still insists on taking sides in the Lebanese crisis. After its clear bias and blind support of Israel in the last war on Lebanon, the latest support visit by the parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Jason Kenny and MP Irwin Cotler came as an even stronger proof of the wrong policies of this government towards the Middle East.

May Hayder
Al Hidaya Association