BEIRUT: Future Movement chief Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt pledged on the 40th anniversary of the Lebanese civil war to help avoid a similar tragedy in the future.
“40th anniversary of the start of Lebanon’s civil war: Never again,” Hariri posted to his Twitter account Monday.
April 13, 1975 is generally considered the first day of Lebanon’s 15-year-long war that left 150,000 dead and tore the country apart.
“We did not end our civil war to precipitate our country into the furnace of Arab wars,” Hariri said, in an indirect reference to Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian war.
“We cannot protect Lebanon if we do not stop surrounding fires from reaching it, or worse, if we keep throwing ourselves into their flames!”
Jumblatt, whose party was among the most active in the civil war, described it as “the war of others on our land,” using a quote by the late-intellectual Ghasan Tueini.
“I will not go on, because I was among the several factions who were driven by fanaticism and grudges,” he said. “Whatever I say on this occasion, my point of view would not be fair and objective... I prefer to remain silent.”
The Druze leader called on the next generation, including his son and soon-to-be successor Taymur, to not repeat the mistakes of the past.
“My testament to Taymur and to all the Lebanese youth: Beware of violence and ignorance.”
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