“The Path of Revolution in Lebanon is Our Universe”

^{Translated by Ahmad Elamine}

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In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon and occupied south Lebanon. After 18 years of brutal occupation, Israel suffered a historic defeat, the first in the Zionist entity’s history, and was forced to withdraw, humiliated. Six years later, in July 2006, Israel waged another war against Lebanon. For 33 days, it sought to occupy parts of South Lebanon — and for 33 days, it failed. Despite repeated attempts to re-establish its control over the land, Israel was once again forced to retreat, suffering the second defeat in its entire history, both times on the same stubborn soil of south Lebanon.

Over the past month, Israeli officials have expressed fantasies of reoccupying south Lebanon. For us, the future seems to be uncertain and indeed much of it is. One thing is certain, however — they will be defeated. Forty-two years ago, in a roundtable journal organized by al-Tariq magazine, Hassan Hamdan, known as Mahdi Amel — a Marxist philosopher and militant from south Lebanon — warned against acquiescence and pessimism of the intellect and will. With unwavering intellectual clarity, even amid war, and unyielding political militancy, even in seemingly desperate times, Amel articulated the guiding principle that continues to shape Lebanon’s present and future as a bastion of resistance — a node that both haunts and breaks Israel.

Ahmad El-Amine, a Lebanese-British doctor working in Psychiatry in London, translated Mahdi Amel’s The Path of Revolution in Lebanon is Our Universe (al-Tariq, 1982):

“The logic of history dictates that it must follow the path of struggle—against the invaders in Lebanon and against all tyrants from the ocean to the gulf. History has always progressed through the logic of this struggle. They plot, but their plots will turn against them.

On the surface, they seem to be in control of events: initiating, destroying, and seeking revenge. They besiege the land, sea, and sky, championing death. Yet, in our eyes, death will besiege them from every corner in the forthcoming era.

They claimed the war in Lebanon would be swift. They said that in just a few days, those who had not yet knelt, who only understand the language of force, would finally kneel. They declared that there would be no Salaam, only Shalom, and that Israel is the Rome of our day. To the kings of Israel and their imperialist masters—the masters of the foul regimes in our Arab world, to the petty fascists—we say: It pleases us to spit in your faces. We will fight you even with our nails. Our fists are the compass of history, and the bullets of our freedom will pierce your hearts that beat death inside your ribs. To you, we say: Brick by brick, we will build a world on your filthy graves. You are the dustbin of history, and Beirut is the city of the free who have made a vow: We will resist you.

This is our guiding principle: No to fascism. The path of revolution in Lebanon is our universe. From our defiance, a beautiful morning will rise, as we champion it now, in this very moment, now, now, now—and it will triumph through us.”

Ahmad Elamine is a Lebanese-British doctor working in Psychiatry in London.