Comments on: A War Of Necessity

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:02:45 +0000

I raised this question, because I believe that if you continue calling a person dumb and stupid, it will highly probably remain dumb and stupid. If you continue believing your ill, you will never get better. If you continue believing you are a refugee (even though two generations back came to live in Lebanon), you will remain a refugee. If that is the case all members of nation X not living in nation X but in diaspora, will remain refugees (political, economical, whatsoever). If that is the case I can call myself also a refugee. But I will not. I am not. I do not consider myself to be one. And I am able to grow. Because people around me dont see me as a parasite. Dont see me as a poor refugee woman. Dont see me as part of some lower standard. But as equal. With equal opportunities and equal rights. Perhaps it’s time UNRWA should stop calling the grandchildren of refugees “refugees” but start treating them for what they are. Human beings willing to start a live and grow up.

Now, with this terminology alone only segregation is created.

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 21:19:17 +0000

Don,

Worcester was given it’s name in the 7th century, by Anglo-Saxons. Same with Gloucester:

Wiogoraceastre bið burg Englalandes; and h?o ligeþ on ð?re Sæferne. H?e is norþ Gleaweceastere.

And most of the other variants of “ceastre”. You are probably correct on the origin of “ceastre” in the English language being from Latin, but the Romans did not name those towns and cities. The Anglo-Saxons did. It is a good point you raise, but those were never refugee camps. They were walled cities and walled towns. The Anglo-Saxons did not build castles until feudal times. Note, the word “town” itself comes from the old Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse word “tun” which means “an enclosed place” – towns were also fortified. And there are many cities in England that end in “-ton” – signifying a town.

Doesn’t really seem relevant to so-called refugee camps in the ME, to me. Especially since the UN actually does still consider them to be refugee camps, not former refugee camps.

By: Don Cox

Don Cox — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:08:00 +0000

“Why would one continue calling those places settlements or refugee camps after 60 years or more?”

There are many cities in England with names like Winchester, Lancaster, Doncaster, etc. These come from the Latin word “castra” meaning a (military) camp. So they are still called “camps” 2000 years after they were first established as camps.

Names stick, apparently.

By: easterner

easterner — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:05:54 +0000

Mustapha, I am sorry for what Lebanon is going through. It seems that Lebanon can not find a moment to breath peacefully. Of course, Fatah guys are the bad guys, but is Lebanon suffering from a deeper problem that this violent arm conflict and others are the symptoms? I believe it is! Lebanon is not in sync with reality and that is its biggest weakness as a state and nation. Imagine disarming Hezbullah which is the wish of Sunnis and its prime minister Faoud Siniora. Lebanon needs to update its political structure to allow anyone become prime minister, president and speaker of the parliament. End discrimination and hypocracy. That will serve as incentive for all groups and people of Lebanon to stand for and support their beautiful, fragil nation and disincentive to serve others.

By: beirutspring

beirutspring — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:05:25 +0000

Good article Mazen and very relevant! thanks for sharing it

By: Mazen

Mazen — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 22:14:53 +0000

Mustapha, I read quite a good article by a Syrian human-rights activists. I agree with her on this.
(it’s in Arabic)
http://www.middleeasttransparent.com/article.php3?id_article=963&var_recherche=%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86+%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:58:51 +0000

@beirutspring, i know many settlements or refugee camps which just melted into the country evolving into a city and is called a city nowadays as well.
Why would one continue calling those places settlements or refugee camps after 60 years or more?

By: another_someone

another_someone — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:36:57 +0000

So with that, the whole ME is a refugee camp?

Just kidding…

By: beirutspring

beirutspring — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:32:12 +0000

Well suzanne, A refugee camp, just like any settlement that lasts 60 years will develop from a tent city to a full-fledged concrete jungle.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:18:19 +0000

I heard that most of the civillian population (quite an amount0 already fled and that about 6.000 civillians are still in the place.

I also heard that 14 died in the battle (of which two soldiers). Can you confirm this?

Furthermore I wonder what you think when you hear “refugee camp” in the news while you see huge buildings which have been built and people seem to have an ok live there – not the live you would expect “a refugee” to have.