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Samidoun (صامدون): Peaceful Warriors in the Face of a Brutal Enemy

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The word samidoun (صامدون, meaning "those who stay") has been present in Arabic political vocabulary for quite a long while right now. It is an honorable title, given to people who have committed honorary and usually non-violent actions in the face of oppression and torment. People who stay in their homes, despite orders from a perceived enemy force to leave their places of residence, especially in times of war or conflict, have earned that title. People who work in the face of human rights violations, and non-violently resist such forms of abuse have also earned the namesake. In my opinion, a samid is akin to a mujahid who keeps control of his temper (though as the Prophet (peace be upon him) once said, "The best form of Jihad is speaking the truth against a tyrant", a completely non-violent form of Jihad).



The Samidoun group have quite a big support base, especially from those who have stayed behind. Unlike what the U.S. media tells you, the Samidoun's civilian support base have chosen to stay behind in Lebanon on their own free will, not on the orders of Hizbullah. Well, why is that? Think of it this way: if someone tells you to leave your home because he's going to destroy it, do you want to do so? I don't know about the Western mindset, but mine is not so passive: I would choose to stay behind. The samidoun have chosen to stay behind the same way, so as to stand right in the face of Israeli Zionist land-grabbing aspirations and political aims bent at creating a "Christian" state supportive of Israel. Kudos to them for staying behind.



Another thing: the samidoun are not just a group of civilians who have "stubbornly" stayed behind in their homes. They also have an aid program, providing aid to those in need. It is also a democratic base that is made of Lebanese and other residents of Lebanon alike who have suffered under the Israeli onslaught. In short, the Samidoun project is also a political and sectarian unification project that seeks to eliminate all forms of discord or tension, or any images therein. What I also like about this noteworthy group is that they seek no help from international aid grants, but instead feel it necessary that they keep the Lebanese social fabric alive, especially when the political fabric has turned out to be of no use to the Lebanese people. Support for this group will put you in a situation of solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian people, and support the unification of such a nation in the face of an entity that seeks to divide amongst the Arabs.

Salaam, from
Saracen

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