Exclusive Interview with Moqawama.org

Local Translator

The series of victories made by the Lebanese resistance against the Zionist enemy since its invasion of Lebanon doesn't stop at the divine victory in the 2006 aggression. Yet with every victory it has accomplished, the resistance implemented its conditions on the enemy, adding defeat to its defeats.

Among the faces of victory is the prisoner swap operations, and particularly the Lebanese prisoners, during which the enemy was forced to give in to the resistance's demands.

Among the swap op. prisoners was the Lebanese freedom fighter Suha Beshara who was transformed into a nightmare for the enemy and the trait or Antoine Lahd operation, and into an icon to many Lebanese youth.

On the tenth anniversary of the liberation of the land and prisoners from the Khiyam prison, the Islamic Resistance [Hizbullah] official website conducted an interview with the freedom fighter Suha Beshara about the days of liberation and the Khiyam prison. Suha Besharas' struggle did not stop at the gates of the prison; she continued her struggle, bearing the Palestinian cause to international assemblies.

Q: To begin, what are the motives which prompted Suha Beshara, the young lady, to abandon her normal life for the resistance against the Zionist enemy?

A: In light of the civil war on one hand, and the Zionist occupation of south Lebanon on the other, I cannot talk about a normal life, because my life was deeply affected by the civil war.... Hence, the shrapnel [ i.e. the impact] left by the rise f the Zionists over the Arab world, and the implantation of "Israel" in the heart of Palestine, to the issue of the Palestinian refugees and the cause of the Palestinian people...all that remained marginalized in the civil war.

We, the youth who live in Beirut in particular, were gravely impacted by the daily toll of the civil war. However, with the "Israeli" invasion of South Lebanon in 1978, this impact became more evident, until it peaked with the "Israeli" invasion in 1982. It was then that everything changed to me.

At that stage, I realized that I must resist the "Israelis". And with the Sabra and Shatila massacre, I realized that I must join the front of the national Lebanese resistance.
To defend our identity, or being, our country became my priority. And the compass of war, according to me, is in the direction of the true enemy, that is, the "Israeli" occupation united...we must unite in the face of the enemy, the "Israeli" occupation. That was our true war, not the civil war. And we realized that the prevalence of Lebanon began with its liberation from the "Israeli" enemy.

Q: You were imprisoned in the Khiyam prison for ten years. What does that prison represent to you? And what memories do you still have of it?

A: The Khiyam prison represents Lebanon's story, and in particular, the story of the southerners with the "Israeli" occupation. It also represents the thousands of Lebanese who were directly affected by that occupation. That prison was against all laws, governed by the law of the jungle.

However, as the Khiyam represents pain and suffering, it also continues to represent resistance. That place is engraved in our memories, and our memories are engraved in the remains of this prison.

Q: What did you feel when you saw the Lebanese break into the Khiyam prison to liberate the imprisoned detainees there?

A: It was a unique moment, not just to me or to the Lebanese, but the history of humanity.
It is freedom to all prisoners, and victory to all martyrs who presented the most precious so that we could live that great moment. We ought not forget that in the year 2000, we still had detainees in "Israeli" prisons, just as Shibaa Farms the the Kfarshouba Hills are still occupied.

Q: How does the freedom fighter Souha Beshara live her life today as a mother of two girls? What do you do to breathe into them the spirit of resistance?

A: To the side of my everyday family life, I continue to defend the Palestinian cause in Europe and the west, as the cause of the Palestinian people is considered the main issue to me, not just in the middle east, but on an international level as well.

Concerning my kids, my goal is not as much in planting the soul of resistance in them as it is in teaching them the love of life and how to defend themselves and consolidate with others and think of others and sacrifice...and later on, they are free to make their own minds in that sense.

Q: On the 25th of May, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Resistance and Liberation day. What does that date represent to you? And what would you like to say to the Lebanese public in that sense?

A: The 25th of May is the end of 22 years of "Israeli" occupation of our country, save for the Shibaa farms and the Kfarshouba heights. The 25th of May is the return of the Southerners to their villages, their heads held high. The 25th of May is the date of liberating of detainees from the Khiyam prison by the villagers themselves. This date is a victory to all Lebanese who said NO to "Israel", and to all mothers who refused to work with the enemy. It is a victory to all resistance fighters who surpassed fear and continued to resist. The 25th of May is the return of our martyrs to share this great moment with us.

It is critical that we liberate our country, but what is more important is to preserve it. Therefore, we, as Lebanese, are responsible in front of the future generations and the martyrs to preserve this victory, and that is accomplished through protecting the resistance.

Q: What message do you have to the Lebanese who demand the disarmament of the resistance at the time when the Zionist enemy threatens Lebanon and violates international conventions?

A: I know not what importance or impact directing a message to people that have not endured the toil of calling on the pains of the South may have. You may ask why I use the term "call on". In truth, if they were, in the least, tourists, they might conceive, or at least attempt to understand, the role which the resistance played in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese.

For once, we have a strong point, and I cannot understand the logic of this minority of Lebanese whoch wants us to destroy this point ourselves... Who benefits from this matter and the disarmament of the resistance save "Israel"?