Farfahinne

The Israeli occupying forces retreated from the South of Lebanon, during the night. People woke up to discover that the Israeli soldiers and their Lebanese collaborators are gone. They directly headed to the Khiam prison and liberated with their hands the prisoners. This video shows these moments that cannot be forgotten, these moments of national pride and sense of victory against the occupation.

In 2006, Israel destroyed totally Khiam prison. This prison remained for years an eyewitness on the Israeli atrocities against militants and civilians. By doing so, Israel wanted to destroy what remains from its heritage. It didn't succeed much. Today Khiam prison was turned into a museum.

Have a look at the photo-reportage about Khiam Detention Camp : Electronic intifada

the statement distributed this morning by the AUB leftists, Palestinian Club, No Fronteirs, Secular Club, Civic Welfare League, Cultural Club of the South, Lebanese Mission Club, Freedom Club, Beirut Heritage Club, Lebanese Heritage Club, independent students, and many other student clubs outside the USFC representation.

A Note from a Deceived Student

“A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.” - Niccolo Machiavelli

Unfortunately our VP seems to agree with the founder of the most deceitful political school, turning the demands of thousands of students into a commodity that he sold under political pressure, selling with it everything the students struggled and risked being expelled for to benefit the relation between his political clan and the university’s Administration.

For the sake of objectivity, we must recognize our VP for his outstanding marketing skills. I presume that all of you have received a Blackberry message, a Facebook message or a flier inviting us to join the “REVOLUTION!”

I was glad to honor that invitation and do whatever it takes to oppose the tuition increase. Ironically, it was the first time when my father was asking me to skip classes. The 15 credits policy will turn my university education a nightmare for him, not to mention whether he would be able to ensure a decent higher education for my two younger siblings.

Feeling that I was contributing to a noble cause, I was proud to boycott my classes on Wednesday, May 19, 2010. : Revolution’s Day 1.

Revolution Day 2: More and more lobbying! There is no turning back right now!

Revolution Day 3: The disaster! Our VP might have learned from higher officials that “entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.” Why don’t we set up a deal with the university’s Administration, trading what thousands of students have protested for?

Mr. VP, thank you for turning us down. Good luck in your political career…

Students Coalition

Despite clear support from other clubs and participants in the strike, the PCC and BDS have decided to withdraw our support and participation from this activity. We intend to continue to fight for equality and accessibility of quality higher education for all people of Lebanon. We urge you to join us, but we also urge you to not to participate in the USFC's exclusionary, unprincipled strike. At 9:00 am today (Friday) we will be distributing a bayyan at Main Gate explaining our reasons behind our withdrawl from this so-called "strike." Please join us, we need your support. We do not take the USFC's actions lightly, and we will not tolerate their irresponsible, ill-mannered and frankly racist behavior against the Palestinian Cultural Club.

this is the Letter that the AUB students sent yesterday night:

join the strike- as many of you might have heard, AUB students are on strike. the university's already exclusivist policy is aiming at making it even harder for the low and middle incomes to access it, while forcing them to depend on loans.

the strike that took place on campus today and the support messages (that were individually read in the conference which graduating students were forced to attend) , along with the unity of the student body is something which didnt happen on this campus for more than 15years now.

this movement being mainly led by independent students, along with the support of the USFC(student council) is also something we are very proud of.

the strike didnt end, and as the administration is not answering our demands of not increasing the tuition fees , we are escalating , day by day, taking back our campus. please support us in all manners, your FB statuses, your blogs, your emails, your discussions with your friends, whoever can write articles and take pictures or post them.

in solidarity,

ميغيل أوربانو: “حيث تكدّس الإمبريالية ترسانتها العسكرية تكون مقاومتها دفاعاً عن الإنسانية جمعاء

Letter from AUB Students

The students chained "down Nicely Hall, West Hall, Bliss Hall and Fisk Hall"

في بلد المقاومة والصمود والتصدي والعزة..... في لبنان....بلد الكرامة والوعد الصادق.... في لبنان تمجّد الذكورية فيسمح للرجل المتزوج من إمرأة اسرائيلية، منحها وأولادها جنسية البلد المقاوم..... في نفس هذا البلد تحرم المرأة اللبنانية من منح الجنسية لأولادها!! تباً لك يا وطني

Naher el Bared camp in the North of Lebanon, will be striking this Thursday 20-5-2010. Schools, shops and associations will be shut downed this Thursday.
20-5-2010 marks the 3rd year on the destruction of the camp on the hand of the Lebanese army and Fateh el Islam group. Till this day the camp was not rebuilt.. And the construction processes is really slow. While UNRWA is suffering from lack of funding and waving that it will stop its aids to the Palestinians, all of that happening while the situation in the camp is worsening. The life quality is deteriorating with more people being impoverished and losing their life resources. This is not all: the Lebanese army is making a real siege on the camp. All the visitors are asked to have a permit issued by the army to be able to access. Even the Palestinians, residents in the camp or not, need to show their permits. People in the camp feel that they live in a real prison.

The strike will mark the 3rd anniversary of Naher el Bared NAKBA.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, (May 21,22,23) there will be an open sit it in front of the UNRWA in Beirut.

This is the statement issued by the High Reconstruction Follow up committee in Naher el Bared, in Arabic:

سنوات ثلاث مرت على جرح مخيم نهر البارد.... ومازال رهن الانتظار..يلوك المأساة بصمت.. واقع مرير يعيد انتاج النكبة والخيام من جديد وتنامى الشعور العميق بالاضطهاد والحرمان ... هو نداء من جرح مفتوح لمن يسمع...من حناجر يخرج صداها المضمخ بشظف العيش والحرمان في الامكنة المتعددة والمؤجلة والمؤقتة معاً.. كي يصير الوعد حقيقة... تستعاد الحياة الكريمة وتحفظ حق الوجود، بتنفيذ الالتزامات التى تعهدت بها الدول المانحة والاشقاء العرب، وتنفيذ قرارات الحكومة اللبنانية باعادة الاعمار كقضية سياسية بالدرجة الأولى. والتعويض و الاغاثة والنهوض بالحياة الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والمدنية فيه.
يا اهلنا في نهر البارد وكافة المخيمات
تدعوكم لجنة المتابعه الفلسطينية العليا لاعادة اعمار مخيم نهر البارد الى الى إحياء الذكرى الثالثة لكارثة مخيم نهر البارد، للمطالبة بـ:
- اولاً : الدعم المالي لأعادة الاعمار كونه واجب وطني وعربي ودولي.
- ثانياً: مطالبة الحكومة اللبنانية بإنهاء الحالة العسكرية الطارئة التي مازالت قائمة في نهر البارد رغم انتفاء اسباب استمرارها.التسريع باعمار المخيم وتذليل كل العقبات القانونية و البيروقراطية التي تحول دون ذلك.
- ثالثاً: اعلاء صوت ابناء البارد: ان تصريحي ليس هويتي.
- رابعاً: مطالبة الأونروا بتأمين الدعم المالي من أجل الاغاثة والتعويض والطوارئ واعادة الإعمار.
- خامساً: التمسك بالمخيم كشاهد على النكبة ورمز للهوية ومحطة على طريق العودة الى فلسطين.
يا أهلنا في مخيم نهر البارد ندعوكم لتلبية نداء الكرامة والواجب والحق، وما دعت اليه الهيئات الشعبية والفصائل الفلسطينية واللجان الشعبية في الشمال ومؤسسات المجتمع الاهلي المنضوية في اطار هيئة المناصرة. وذلك في وقفة الاعتصام في مخيم نهر البارد وخارجه بدءا من 18 أيار امام مجمع الأونروا في البداوي الى 20 أيار في قلب مخيم البارد قرب بناية جبر وتلبية الدعوة المركزية للجنة المتابعة العليا لاعادة اعمار نهرالبارد للإعتمام والإضراب عن الضعام في خيمة الإعتصام أمام مركز الأونروا الرئيسي في بيروت من صباح يوم 20 ايار الساعة التاسعه صباحا ولمدة ثلاثة أيام .
كما ندعو ابناء مخيم نهر البارد، من هم فيه ومن هم خارجه وحوله، وهيئة التجار واصحاب الابنية المهدمة والمتضرره والى النازحين في البداوي وحوله وفي البراكسات وفي مخيمات بيروت تلبية هذه الدعوة.
كما ندعو أهل مخيماتنا في لبنان الى الاضراب والاعتصام تلبية نداء لجنة المتابعة للجان الشعبية الفلسطينية.
هو يوم البارد الجرح واحد والامل واحد ولتكن الوقفة واحدة.

لجنة المتابعة العليا لاعادة اعمار مخيم نهر البارد
الإثنين: 17/5/2010

updates:
AUB students are on strike agst the tuition increase

nearly 1000 thousand AUB students demonstrating on campus

I received that they managed to lockdown Nicely and several other buildings an hour ago





I was more than pleased to receive the following message from an AUB student activist:

"Dear friends,

You are all most likely aware of the new tuition policy that AUB is adopting next semester. This policy will affect everyone of us. We will not accept any increases in our tuition which is already too high for most people in this country to afford. The Palestinian Cultural Club has been actively collaberating with other AUB student groups and preparing for the strike tomorrow that will begin tomorrow at 8:00am.

Only a UNIFIED STUDENT MOVEMENT can stop this OUTRAGEOUS tuition policy. And for this reason it is of the highest importance that we all stand together and adhere to the UNIFIED STUDENT MOVEMNT'S call to BOYCOTT ALL CLASSES STARTING TOMORROW WEDNESDAY AT 8:00 AM.

There will also be a sit in at Main Gate tomorrow, Wednesday 12:00 pm.

We must all boycott our classes and be present at the sit in in high numbers for the strike to be successful.

SAY NO TO THE NEW TUTION POLICY
JOIN THE STUDENT MOVEMENT
TAKE BACK AUB! "