Preserving Lebanese culture

[Taken from www.Babelmed.net website,The Mediterranean Cultures Site]

The critical circumstances that currently prevail in Lebanon, a country that has been for many years an ideal arena for liberal cultural practices based on tolerance and the acceptance of creative cultural diversity, poses an ethical responsibility on the world’s intellectuals and artists.

This responsibility can not be limited to attempting to put an end to the catastrophe that befalls the Lebanese people. It must extend to include new initiatives to refute the excuses and allegations used to justify the Israeli attack on Lebanon, and to turning a blind eye to it. It is an aggression that is threatening the lives of thousands of civilians, and forcing hundreds of thousands into compulsory displacement. In addition to the deliberate destruction of the civilian infrastructure, the Israeli onslaught is threatening tens of historical and archeological monuments in Baalbek and Tyre.

Monuments that stood for ages to ascertain the cultural characteristics of this ancient country. Similar attacks by the Israeli Army had previously destroyed important archeological sites in Nablus in Palestine.

Culture Resource calls upon the world’s cultural associations, artists and intellectuals to carry their moral responsibility in supporting and adopting all initiatives calling for:

- First and foremost, an immediate cease fire, and the provision of all forms of urgent humanitarian support to the civilian victims of the bombardment.

- Call upon cultural associations in the world to urge the parties to the conflict to abide by the UNESCO agreements for the protection of international cultural heritage during armed conflicts. Also to put an end to the Israeli aggression jeopardizing historical sites listed on the International Heritage List.

- Rebuild the infrastructure that was destroyed by Israeli bombardment, and reconstruct Lebanon, in order that it may regain its role as one of the active arenas of cultural expression and communication.

Culture Resource calls upon all the world’s cultural associations, artists and intellectuals to write, to that effect, to the offices of the UNESCO, and the UN and EU delegations in their countries.

Also to clearly voice their support to this statement, and their adoption of the ideas it promotes, through various mass media.

Culture Resource

Main Office: 34 Rue Berkmans, 1060 Brussels, Belgium
Regional Office: 43 El Mequyass St., Rodha, Cairo, Egypt,
Postal Code 11451, P.O. Box 175, Mohandessin
Fax: (202) 3626748 – Tel:(202) 3625057.

www.mawred.org