April 26, day of ” liberation from the Syrian occupation”

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April 26  , 2005 was the day the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon and now the Phalange party leaders are calling for celebrating this day as  a national holiday.

Phalange  party MPs Samer Saadeh and Sami Gemayel presented on Tuesday a draft law  to declare the  anniversary  of the withdrawal of Syrian troops as the day of “resistance and liberation from the Syrian occupation.”

This day should be a holiday for all official administrations, schools, and universities,  the draft law stressed in its first article.

The second article called for dedicating an hour at schools a day before the holiday to educate the students on the significance of the occasion.

Saadeh said: “Lebanon has endured several occupations throughout its history and the Lebanese have remained attached to freedom that has been a product of its democratic system.”

He explained that foreign armies remained in Lebanon despite its independence in 1943 and it marked their complete withdrawal in 1946 with a national day.

On May 25, 2000 the Israeli army withdrew from southern Lebanon after an 18-year occupation and the occasion has been marked as a national holiday

“Then on April 26, 2005 the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon as a result of a military resistance at first and later a popular one after a nearly 30-year occupation and the death of thousands of martyrs,” said Saadeh.

Over a million Lebanese , Chrstians, Druze and Muslims protestd in downtown Beirut on March 14, 2005 demanding Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. Syria withdraw in April 2005 after 29 years of military presence

The MP noted that the decision to make the Israeli withdrawal as a national holiday should be applied to the Syrian withdrawal as well  in order to recognize the sacrifices of thousands of  martyrs   who sacrificed their lives for liberating Lebanon during the  nearly 30 years of occupation by Syrian forces

The Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon following massive local and international pressure after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005.

Naharnet

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