Democratic Palestine : 16 (ص 26)
غرض
- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 16 (ص 26)
- المحتوى
-
What do you want from the revolution?
We want more arms to defend ourselves, from Lahd’s
forces in particular.
How are relations with the Lebanese in Sidon?
They are very good. My son-in-law is from Sidon.
Um Hussein's son-in-law was present and intervened at
this point: | am from Sidon and a member of the Popular Nass-
erite Organization. Our relations are very strong because we
have the same aim, the same enemy - we are the same people.
We also have a special view of the PFLP members.
Do you want your daughters to work when they
finish school?
| don’t mind. | would prefer they work with the PFLP.
«We cannot liberate Palestine with negotiations.»
Ahmad Muhammad Abu Karsh is 75 years old and the father of
fourteen children. He had to leave one of his sons in Palestine
in 1948.
Did your situation improve after the return of the
revolution?
Of course. The Phalangists had taken our house and ter-
rorized us. We had to leave. My.son, Walid, who was one of the
fiercest fighters against the Zionist invaders, was taken by
them on June 13, 1982. We stayed in Jiyah (town on the coast
north of Sidon) until! September 9th. The Phalangists kidnap-
ped my other son who was a teacher. | could only return here
when the revolution returned. | think the situation would be bet-
ter if the revolution was united.
How can we liberate Palestine?
| was in the 1936 revolt in Palestine with Ez Al Din Al Qas-
sam, and | fought against the British and against the Zionists.
There were two trends prior to 1948. One was that of Haj Amin,
refusing the partition of Palestine and wanting an independent
state. The other was that of collaborating with the British and
joining the Jordanian kingdom. We will liberate Palestine with
Islam and on that basis, fight Zionism. We cannot liberate
Palestine with negotiations; it is impossible. | am from Safouria
in the Western Galilee which the Zionists took in 1948. The
only way for me to go back to my home is by war - if the Arab
governments are sincere about defeating ‘Israel’. That's how
we liberate Palestine.
Ain al Hilweh
Popular Committee
Interview with Abu Atef Rezek, member of the
camp's popular committee
Could you give us an idea of the popular commit-
tee - how it was formed and its work?
After we returned from Ansar, we found committees
established by the Zionist occupation forces in the camp.
Heading these committees was a group of Palestinian col-
laborators. We started to think of how we could confront these
collaborators who had been oppressing our masses. Contacts
started between nationalist figures in Ain al Hilweh, Miyeh
Miyeh and Sidon. The popular committee was established on
June 2, 1984, with the full support of the masses. We started
working publicly by providing services for the masses. The
committee represents all the masses with some representa-
tion of the Palestinian revolutionary organizations. We started
to face the problems resulting from the occupation, especially
the need to rebuild homes and other vital institutions that had
been destroyed.
We had difficulties with UNRWA. We had to pressure
UNRWA to continue providing the assistance and services
they are supposed to provide, like health and education, but
UNRWA policy was to cut back services. The popula’ commit-
tee had to struggle for two years to get UNRWA to fix the roads
and the sewer system. We try to solve other problems, like the
masses’ economic problems. The occupation destroyed
agriculture in the area, where a great percentage of our people
were employed. Palestinians still cannot move freely outside
the Sidon area to search for work. This problem can only be
solved with great efforts to build production institutions. There
is some positive work now in the camp, like the hospital named
for Dr. Wadi’ Haddad, and the cooperative that the PFLP is
building. | can say that the PFLP is the most serious organiza-
tion when it comes to dealing with these problems. The PFLP
is thinking seriously of building a workshop for women because
of conviction in the importance of women being productive in
our society.
What was the effect of Palestinian organizations’
returning to work openly in the camp?
Our masses were not surprised by the return of the revolu-
tion. After the invasion, people started organizing military and
mass resistance against the Zionist army, although most men
were in Ansar. The area was under the control of the fascist
Lebanese Front and Zionist army, but the mass struggle grew.
The demolished camp was rebuilt through the efforts of
women, children and elderly. Military operations began against
the Zionists right after the invasion. | mention these facts to
Clarify that we were not surprised by the return of the revolutio-
nary organizations. This public return was the culmination of
our struggle under the occupation.
After the forced withdrawal of the Zionist army, we started
to increase our military abilities, especially during the fascist
Geagea’s war against our people and camp (in April 1985).
Generally, our masses and the Lebanese masses were happy
about the return of disciplined Palestinian armed presence to
the area. Our masses are the revolution, and the revolution is
their dignity. In this period, we want new behaviour and discip-
line, without the mistakes of the pre-1982 period. This is what
the Palestine National Salvation Front is stressing in the sec-
urity forces. - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 16
- تاريخ
- مايو ١٩٨٦
- المنشئ
- الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين
Contribute
Not viewed