Memories of War Are Indelible

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Posted on Apr 01 2017 0 minutes read
Memories of War Are Indelible
If any one of us wished to search the nooks and crannies of their Lebanese war memories for positive points, they would find nothing but scenes of oppression, humiliation and tragedy. Just like all wars-in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq-and every land that is destroyed by fire, surrounded by smoke, and dominated by murder. We may have been children during the war, rejoicing at missing school. But we were also afraid and terrified, suffering from the lack of water and bread, of freedom of movement, of entertainment. In other words, the positive never prevailed.
Some say that there was economic prosperity during the Lebanese war. That may be true, but what good is money when facing the risk of losing your life at every moment, or, at least, losing an arm, leg or any other limb.
Remembering the war does not require much effort, as it is before us in many situations close to imploding. And then there are the archives to be used if necessary to revisit scenes, images, tears, crying and destruction.
What matters more than remembering the war is coming out of it, or working towards preventing its recurrence, and that is an important challenge, which we did work for. At a time when wars are encircling us from every direction, and its harbingers warn of their spread to engulf us in their flames, do we just stand and watch, or should we fortify our national unity in order not to relive this experience?
To escape a war that has repeatedly recurred in our history, there is a therapeutic act that we have not performed to erase the effects of war inside us. This is not about forgetting, but rather about treating the wounds, soothing them, and making its anniversary a lesson not a desire for revenge. Reconciling with oneself is the starting point for reconciling with the other.
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