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The Lebanese in general, including those who personally knew Samir Geagea, have always been divided about him and his political and strategic choices. Samir Geagea has always been controversial to his supporters and opponents alike. He is hated by some, respected by others, and seen as a hero by many. But regardless of what people think of him, no one can deny his strong presence, vision, tenacity, and ability to withstand a confrontation even in the most difficult circumstances. But what really distinguishes Samir Geagea, whom many call “Hakim,” is his ability to make courageous choices, which he made at several junctures during his long career.
Today, Saturday 25 October, is Samir Geagea’s birthday, and we wish him continued good health and a long life. On this occasion, let us review some the junctures where he showed great courage, which earned him immense respect by many. Geagea’s popularity is due to his commitment to the cause, his being in harmony with himself, and his courage.
Below are examples of that courage:
(1) Geagea comes from a modest family that has no history of political heredity. He was irritated with feudalism and tribalism, which were prevalent in his hometown of Bsharreh. He courageously joined a political party with an ideology of change instead of bowing to the will of the tribal leader, his children, and his grandchildren.
(2) In 1975, Geagea was at the forefront of the confrontation against the octopus-like Palestinian spread. He drew inspiration from the resistance of previous generations in Qannoubine and promoted that ideology among the youths in northern villages. He was most courageous in managing the resistance in the North, winning the confidence of Sheikh Bashir Gemayel, the founder of the Lebanese Forces, and he demonstrated his great courage and presence in several battles.
(3) The trust that the young men in the North had placed in Geagea did not go in vain. He demonstrated great organizational skills. And in the most difficult and sensitive circumstances, he gave his men an existential, political, and intellectual drive. The North needed a man like him to organize the youths in the barracks and to give them cohesion, purpose, and awareness.
(4) In 1983, the danger reached the Mountain (Chouf and Aley). The Christians there were about to be obliterated by their opponents amid weak stances by the Christian leaders. So Geagea, contrary to what many think, acted courageously to minimize Christian losses. He and a few men gathered the Mountain’s Christians in Deir el-Qamar. He stayed with them during the difficult siege while the Christian leaders were either busy exchanging accusations about who was to blame or awaiting the developments in order to formulate a strategy.
(5) When Geagea felt that Christian decision makers have stopped taking the initiative in accordance with the historic Christian conscience, especially the decision to resist, he was most courageous in engineering the uprising of March 12, 1985. The uprising brought clarity to the resistance and put it back on the right path.
(6) On January 15, 1986, Geagea stood as a bulwark against Syrian attempts to impose an agreement that would give Syria historic gains. The Christians had overwhelmingly rejected the agreement. So Geagea courageously turned the tables on everyone and consecrated the resistance as a force to be reckoned with in the Lebanese equation.
(7) Throughout Lebanon’s history, no military group was so organized or had the military, political, economic, and social capabilities that the Lebanese Forces had under Samir Geagea. The LF became a full-fledged institution, which, from 1986 to 1988, made the Eastern area economically and socially prosperous. The Eastern area, or the “free area” as it was also called, was an oasis of freedom. It attracted many people to live in it and the world media talked about it.
(8) Geagea courageously accepted the military government headed by General Michel Aoun. Geagea tried to absorb the decisions that were designed to undermine the resistance at a time when the Syrian occupation and its allied leftist and Islamic militias were still hounding Lebanon. Geagea courageously, albeit grudgingly, confronted the attempt to eliminate the LF military institution. The Christian areas were destroyed for the sake of Aoun’s personal ambitions. And the Christians became on the losing side after a war that lasted 15 years.
(9) History will record Samir Geagea’s courage in accepting, albeit reluctantly, the Taif Accord, i.e. the national compact that ended the war. The Christians were exhausted and had lost the elements of steadfastness when General Aoun’s stubbornness allowed the Syrians to invade the defiant Eastern area for the first time since the war started. Later, Geagea courageously handed over the LF weapons to the Lebanese army in the interest of civil peace, the peace of the brave.
(10) When the Syrian occupation started persecuting the Christians, Geagea was the only voice that opposed the coup against the Taif Accord. He received messages threatening him to leave or face arrest. His decision was the epitome of courage: he stayed in Lebanon and continued his confrontation from the confines of a small prison cell. For 11 years, he withstood the persecution of his jailers. He gave an example of peaceful resistance, which he used to hone his spirit, intellect, and culture. He was freed from his small prison when the Lebanese people were freed from their large prison. Despite his imprisonment’s difficult circumstances, he and his wife Strida led the LF popular movement against the occupation while he acted as an inspiration to the Cedar Revolution from within his prison cell.
(11) Geagea courageously extended his hand to a Muslim partner (the Future Movement) and to a Druze partner (Progressive Socialist Party), and formed a cross-sectarian alliance in the face of Hezbollah taking over Lebanon’s war and peace decision-making. Although some forces withdrew from the March 14 alliance and other forces became inactive, Geagea dug in his heels and kept defending the principles of March 14, becoming a political stumbling block in front of the Iranian project.
(12) With unmatched courage, he rebuilt the Lebanese Forces from scratch and reestablished its political presence. The party attracted a lot of supporters thanks to the courage of its leader, the performance of its officials and deputies, and the transparency of its ministers. During a mass for the Lebanese resistance martyrs, he apologized with rare courage to all the Lebanese who were harmed by the mistakes that the LF made when it was performing its national resistance duty. After all, everyone makes mistakes.
(13) As head of a major Lebanese party, Geagea courageously supported the Syrian revolution—politically—in the face of the Syrian regime and the Islamic State’s terrorism, because he believes that all people have the right to democracy and self-determination.
(14) Despite being subjected to an assassination attempt whose perpetrators were clear to all, he didn’t back down nor was he intimidated. He remained committed to rejecting self-security or forming armed militias. He kept calling for giving the army a monopoly on weapons.
(15) Samir Geagea was the first to nominate himself for the presidency. And he was the first to launch a presidential program, called “the Strong Republic.” By doing so, he showed respect for the Lebanese people. He asked other candidates to enter into a democratic confrontation, whatever the outcome. He urged the parliamentary blocs to go to parliament and elect a president.
(16) History will recognize Geagea’s courage when he declared his readiness to withdraw in favor of any candidate that the Lebanese agree on while other candidates are rejecting any settlement that would allow the country to move forward and plug the vacuum in the country’s top Christian post.
Dear Samir Geagea, congratulations to Lebanon for having a bold and courageous man like you. Perhaps the present will not do you justice. But history will be celebrating you, every October 25, as a hero among Lebanon’s historic heroes. Just wait and see.
Translated by Dr. Rani Geha.
LIC-Lebanon
المركز اللبناني للمعلومات
لقراءة المقال كما جاء في نسخته العربية عبر موقع “القوات”: “حكيم”… حيث لا يجرؤ الآخرون