York graduates’ terror in Beirut
Several Graduates from the University of York found themselves trapped in Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict over the summer.
Three students; Christine Hamieh, Rachael Marsh and Aseel Takshe, were situated in different parts of Lebanon when the militant group Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed three others in July 2006, provoking a 34-day military offensive and blockade on Lebanon by the Israeli government.
The conflict, known as the ‘July War’ in Lebanon, ended after a ceasefire negotiated by the United Nations came into effect on 14 August.
Christine Hamieh, who recently completed her PhD in Lebanese Politics at York, hadn’t planned on visiting her family in Lebanon but was forced to return to her home country the day before the war began, after her father became sick.
When bombs began to fall on her family’s home village of Karak, she, along with around fifty of her relatives, fled to the Syrian border.
She said, “They were the worst moments of my life. I have never felt that scared before. Normally, the road [out of Lebanon] takes twenty minutes but it took us nearly two hours. We took all kinds of alternative routes because the main road was destroyed.”
Rachael Marsh from the UK was staying with the family of Aseel Takshe who was celebrating her engagement, in the city of Dohhe Aramoun when the conflict began.
After arriving back in England she told Nouse of her experience: “I was scared the first night of the bombs because we didn’t know what was happening. I decided to stay [in Lebanon] because I didn’t want to leave behind a family that had welcomed me so generously”.
She admitted that while the attacks continued her family in England probably suffered more than her, as she knew exactly what was happening while all they saw were highlights on the television.
Of this, she said: “My mum was terrified and was very glad to get me home at the end.”
Aseel Takshe, current Welfare Officer for the York GSA (Graduate Students’ Association) spoke of her anger at the way she and her fellow Lebanese were treated during the war.
“We were frustrated more than scared for ourselves, but scared for the well-being of others, especially my family in Sour,” in south-west Lebanon.
“They said that the main reason for the war was to get back the two soldiers…for the sake of those two soldiers over 1,000 Lebanese were killed. Are we that cheap? They have created a whole new generation of Hezbollah.”
Since the ceasefire was declared, Rachael and Aseel have returned to the UK to complete their respective PhDs, while Christine has returned to Lebanon to assist with the aid effort as a volunteer for Oxfam.
Speaking on a recent visit to York, Christine she expressed her disappointment at the reaction of the West to the conflict: “We believed that the strength of Lebanon lay in the weakness of the army because as long as we had good connections with the West they would not allow anyone to violate our land, but [the war] proved that wrong.
“It was very obvious that there was a disproportionate reaction…people are very resentful.
By Daniel Whitehead
NEWS EDITOR
