The Lesson of Lebanon Lost, Once Free and Prosperous (and 54% Christian) - EurArabia Next?

The country of Lebanon was formed from part ofwas that I was a Christian in what was once the only
the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Middle-East forpredominantly Christian country in the Middle East -
four centuries prior to World War I; after that, it wasbefore Islamic Jihad took hold and turned it into a
part of the Mandate Area set aside by England andterrorist haven."
France for settlement of Jews and Muslims - it was- That night her life was saved by the Israeli invasion
established as an independent country after Worldto the Litani river. She lived four years "protected" by
War II. Once predominantly Christian (54% to 44%the presence of the IDF.
Muslim), in the mid-sixties it became prosperous- She says, "The Israelis came into Lebanon to
despite the lack of oil resources, bustling withliberate them in 1982, because Hezbollah had joined
activity, construction of apartments, hotels andwith the Palestinians." Her mother was wounded in
tourism - boasting the highest living standards of anythe shelling, taken to a hospital in the village tended
Arab country in the world. Its capital, Beirut, grewby an Israeli doctor and two Israeli nurses, then
from 450 thousand to 1.25 million persons (abouttaken in an Israeli ambulance to Israel for medical
50% of Lebanon's population); the country wastreatment. (She was then a teenager.)
proud of Beirup being called "Paris" of the Mid-East.- At the hospital, IDF helicopters brought in Israeli
Then came the disastrous consequences of acasualties - she expected an angry reaction against
country that forgot its purpose for being - to protecther and her mother - but an Israeli nurse took her
its citizenry - a country out of control, officialaround, "Don't worry, we'll take care of your mother".
incompetence and corruption; religious and politicalShe cried, tells herself, "These are people of
factions contesting authority everywhere, revengingcompassion I want to live with."
grudges: political-religious-extremist groups running- Relating the experience of kindness at the Israeli
amok, funded by external Arab regimes; thehospital, she says that she broke down sobbing
Lebanese militia destroying five UNRWA camps,because she had "experienced civilization for the first
breeding grounds of resentment and hatred, puttingtime in my life." After 22 days at the Israeli hospital,
down rebellion (leaving 11 camps from the original 16Gabriel and her mother return to Lebanon.
UN camps with their hundreds of thousands of- Gabriel moved to Israel in 1985, got a job as a
Palestinian refugees); the "Identity-Infidel killing raids"news anchor at Middle East News, speaks fluent
of Lebanese Christians by Lebanese MuslimEnglish, French, Arabic and Hebrew. She now lives in
extremists (identity cards divulging one's religion) -America.
then flights to safety by those Christians able to flee,Today, Ms. Gabrielle's message is for the "politically
or going into hiding; the influx of thousands ofcorrect" in America and Europe, who seem not to
terrorists into Lebanon from Jordan, after its Blackcomprehend the happenings to Lebanon and their
September, killing thousands of the PLO; similarcauses:
forced dumped-evictions of extremists from Syria;- She says, "Why didn't the US media show more of
then rocket attacks from Lebanon's borders ontothe beheadings of Daniel Pearle and others - so
Israel by PLO and Hezbollah terrorist groups - withpeople would understand what truly gratuitous
eventual IDF (Israel Defense Forces) retaliation raidscruelty is."
to root them out - then IDF equipping and training a- Her memories are even more horrible: a Christian
Lebanese Christian Force to defend its Christians, andmother with her young son tied to her lap - forced
to create a border buffer zone against future rocketto cut off his h--d; perhaps even worse, a Christian
attacks upon Israel - then a "revenge" by thefather and mother, each leg of their baby strapped
Lebanese Christian Forces against Lebanese Muslims,to their waists - then they are pulled apart!
killing hundreds at camps Sabra and Shatilla (Israel,- She says, "We are constantly told that Islam is a
uninvolved in the inter-religious chaos and killings ofreligion of peace, that only a small percentage of
tens of thousands above, is faulted by the world forMuslims are killers. Where is the proof? Perhaps they
not restraining the Lebanese Christians).can't speak out in Arab countries, but here in America
The life of Ms. Brigitte Gabrielle, now an Americanthey can - where is assurance from moderate
citizen, author and speaker (on Islamic terrorism andMuslims that Islam will let us live in peace in our own
Lebanon) - from her age ten to teens - was witnessChristian countries?"
to the end of Lebanon's Christian life. Her statements- She says, "The 1988 Hamas charter to destroy
tell the story:Infidels teaches, from their Mosques, how Muslims
- She grew up hearing talk about religion and politics.can demand rights, then take over countries -
discussion was anti-Israeli, equating Israel and Jewsprotected by democratic principles of
with the devil. She attended a private Christian school.Christian-majority countries.
- She describes Palestinian atrocities against Christians.- She says, "Osama bin Ladin was one of 53 children,
She says that the Palestinians would park their tankshe himself had 27 children. Where is any concern in
and cannons in front of their bomb shelters andthe 'politically correct' Western democracies about
launch rockets at Israel, then drive away, knowingsuch birth rates - as we open our country's gates?"
that Israel would fire back and hit the Christian bomb- She says, "Where are the Islamic voices of sanity -
shelters.for peaceful co-existence of our culture and religion
- She says, "My home in Lebanon was destroyed bywith Islam? Are there any? And if not - her message
shelling; I lived in an 8 X 10-foot bomb shelter foris - wake up Europe and America, see what
seven years between the ages of 10 and 17; I atehappened to Christian Lebanon"!
grass to live, drank dirty water from a nearby springNote: To complete the history of Lebanon regarding
and spent evenings in candlelight, covering my earsits majority religion, present information is that its
from the sound of the bombs exploding around me."Muslim population is now at 60%, increased from
- She says, "Once, at age 13, I went to bed dressed44% only several decades ago, thus the Christian
in my Sunday best because I wanted to look prettypercentage has dropped from 54% to 38%.
for burial if I was killed by the Muslims. My only crime