From death to destruction: One man's escape from Lebanon

Winnipeg

On July 28, Bechara Azar, a Lebanese Canadian from Manitoba arrived in Winnipeg after being evacuated from Beirut. His plans for a month-long visit home to mourn the passing of his father were disrupted by "a rain of bombs" signalling the outbreak of a war with Israel that has killed hundreds of Lebanese civilians, left personal lives in chaos, and devastated the infrastructure and fragile economy of his country.

"The bombing started at the airport just two hours after my arrival in Beirut early on July 13," Azar said at the airport, sounding jet-lagged and dazed. "My brother had told me about the kidnappings of two Israeli soldiers [which Israel used as justification for its incursion into southern Lebanon] when I arrived. We expected some problems in the south, but not on this scale.... It never crossed my mind that there would be such a huge bombing campaign in Beirut! We heard the bombs very strong in the nearby suburb where we stayed," he continued. "You could feel the vibration... and the pressure pushing against you...."

In such a chaotic setting, holding a memorial service for his father in the Greek Catholic (Melkite) Church became impossible. Instead, the family shifted into survival mode-as they had many times in the past-extending hospitality to about 15 refugees, and helping Azar's sister and family, whose husband works in Jordan, escape to the Jordanian embassy.

"That was very dangerous, getting her there," said Azar. "Ten minutes later, the road was bombed and a helicopter shot down. It was quite a moment. We thought we wouldn't get back."

As for his own evacuation, initially he thought the war might stop at any time and he would take the road to Jordan. "But the road kept getting more dangerous," he said. So when his wife, Joan Barkman Azar, phoned to say that Canadian citizens did not have to wait to be called by the embassy to get onto the evacuation ships, he decided to go to the port to see what would happen. He was surprised when he showed his passport to a Canadian soldier, who told him he could go straight on board.

Thinking he was going to Cyprus, Azar actually ended up in Turkey. "There were about 200 people on the ship, including young families," he said. "It was an okay journey. They did a good job," he said of the Canadian rescue mission. After staying for a night in Turkey, Azar continued on by air to Montreal and finally arrived in Winnipeg on July 28, where he was warmly welcomed by his wife and a small group of well-wishers, including friends from Aberdeen Evangelical Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, where they attend.

Azar is glad to be safely back in Canada, but he is clearly distressed over those he left behind, especially his mother, with whom he hardly had time to visit.

"She's a very strong woman. We went through many wars together," he said ruefully. "Bombs, shrapnel in the house in 1982.... But the bombs are bigger now and shelters are no use."

"I don't know why [the Israelis] are doing this," he agonized. "They say it's because Hezbollah is using villagers as human shields. But there is no army there. These are just accusations...."

According to Azar, Israel's most recent incursion into Lebanon just "creates more enemies. It doesn't help the peace process. It will affect people for years to come. But if war stopped, they would forget."

While he appreciated the Canadian government's assistance in getting out of Lebanon, Azar is upset at Canada's response to the war itself. "I don't understand why they respond as they do," he said. "They just talk about violence on one side. At least they should condemn violence on both sides. Canadians should be writing to their governments, but I don't think it's going to change," he sadly concluded.

-Leona Dueck Penner