Skokaa سكوكع
(Lebanon cyclamen)
Nestled in the heart of Lebanon blooms the skokaa rose that’s what we call it in the south. Delicate yet resilient. What distinguishes this rose is that it does not bloom in spring like others, but rather in harsh conditions between fall and winter. This rose grows between rocks, it protects itself and does not let anyone reach it, a testament to the adaptability and resilience. The skokaa, with its resilience and ability to thrive in challenging mountainous terrains, mirrors the enduring spirit and adaptability of Lebanon and its people.
Like this rose, there are many roses that protect themselves with thorns, making anyone who wants to get close to them think twice. By the laws of nature even to one of the simplest creatures, self-defense is a legitimate right.
You probably agree with everything I’ve said so far.. But when we speak about the sons of the south, the ones defending their land against Zionist occupation, self-defense becomes illegal. Bomb their hospitals. Bulldoze their homes. Silence their voices. Call them “terrorists” when they resist.
The right to resist against occupation is enshrined in international law (Geneva Convention (1949), Protocol I (1977)). History proves that Lebanese dignity was not won at a table in Washington, but through the resistance that forced a unilateral retreat of our occupier in 2000 without a single concession.
You cannot support a people without supporting their right to resist.
Clip from Wild Flowers: Women of South Lebanon
So many liberals, and even so-called leftists, expect the resistance to look more progressive, more honorable, more morally righteous, more like them. But that’s not reality. For decades, people in the West have been raised on Hollywood movies where the resistance is always pure and heroic. The savior is always morally perfect. The rebels are always noble.
Real resistance doesn’t work like that. Resistance doesn’t have to be morally perfect. It doesn’t have to match Western progressive ideals. It only needs one thing: a justified case against the occupier, the foreign invader, the actual villain. And the groups resisting empire, whether in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, or elsewhere, have the clearest case possible: they are defending their homes from foreign domination.
