【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2024 年9月27 日黎巴嫩貝魯特訊】 ─ 要了解目前黎巴嫩慈幼會的處境，就必須先簡要說明該國目前的社會政治和軍事局勢。這是黎巴嫩慈幼會團體發出的聲明。
自2023年10月8日以來，哈馬斯從加沙走廊對以色列發動突然而殘酷的襲擊，以及以色列國的暴力反應之後，黎巴嫩儘管身不由己，卻也捲入了這場衝突。衝突的導火線是真主黨，一個黎巴嫩政黨，也是一個武裝精良的什葉派民兵組織，它將自己定位為伊斯蘭「抵抗軸心」對抗以色列的先鋒，而該軸心則屬於伊朗伊斯蘭共和國。
從那時起，黎巴嫩已經經歷了五年的嚴重社會經濟、金融、制度和政治危機，而且還沒有國家元首（已經兩年了），而且由一個代理政府負責處理當前事務。目前，它受真主黨的擺佈，真主黨不顧國家意願，違背大多數公民的意願，單方面決定向以色列開戰，以表示與加沙的團結，並將持續開戰，直到以色列關閉加沙戰線。由於戰線仍然開放，黎巴嫩戰線的局勢不可避免地會逐漸惡化。事實上，最近情況嚴重惡化，除非出現奇蹟，否則正處於全面戰爭的邊緣。有針對性的暗殺、更猛烈和廣泛的轟炸、以色列同時引爆數千個傳呼機和對講機造成的悲慘嘲諷，造成死傷，這意味著情況已經失控。
從上週開始，報復和反報復的螺旋式上升似乎沒有停止，幾天內已造成黎巴嫩600多人死亡，2000多人受傷，60萬人流離失所，南部邊境地區與以色列接壤的地區遭到巨大破壞，並且在焦土之後可能會有地面入侵，就像在加沙一樣。即使法國、美國和阿拉伯國家剛提出的為期三週的停火協議，至少目前看來，由於交戰雙方態度強硬，完全沒有把握。
所有這些都給黎巴嫩人民帶來巨大的恐懼和強烈擔憂，尤其是年輕人，他們再次面臨一個陰暗而危險的未來。家庭也正經歷著這場危機，感到深深的困惑和不安。
為了應對所有這些情況，慈幼會正試圖以鮑思高神父的精神，向他們提供一種充滿希望和友誼的親切感。過去一年在隱藏的戰事和不穩定的局勢中，他們一直在努力開展各種活動，並試圖定期進行。只是最近在中東舉行的慈幼青年運動（SYM）集會被取消。它原定於今年9月在黎巴嫩埃爾侯松的會院舉行。
目前存在不確定性：學校的開學被推遲，來自南部的大量流離失所者（幾乎都是什葉派，大部分是真主黨的支持者）湧入貝魯特北部基督教地區，以及以色列也在這個地區開始轟炸，這裡也有什葉派村莊。就在昨天，位於Jbeil-Biblo區的埃爾侯松會院，設有一所國小和初中，像該地區的其他學校一樣，接待了約60名流離失所者，而附近的兩個什葉派村莊則遭到以色列空軍襲擊，造成死傷；其他村莊則擔心會遭遇同樣的命運。
通常會吸引數百名基督教徒和穆斯林參加的定期遊樂活動，這些活動恰恰應該很快在埃爾侯松開始，現在將不得不等待局勢明朗。
位於同一地區海岸阿爾菲達爾的「鮑思高技術」職業高中，和位於貝魯特的為伊拉克基督教難民開設的「和平天使」學校的重新開放，也取決於局勢的發展。
總之，值得注意的是，埃爾侯松的慈幼會會院在過去50年影響黎巴嫩的戰爭事件中，一直特別積極地作為希望的象徵。
在內戰期間（1975-1990），貝魯特蓬勃發展的慈幼會學校由於不受控制而永久關閉，埃爾侯松的會院被佔領並改造成兵營，但多年來也成為數百名流離失所基督教徒的避難所。在2006年以色列和真主黨之間的第一次戰爭期間，它臨時收容了來自南部村莊的數百名穆斯林和基督教流離失所者。
因此，目前流離失所者的到來，其人數在未來幾天可能會增加，這代表著這座位於山區、但不在人口稠密地區的會院第三次被認為是一個相對安全的地方。
未來幾天將決定事態的發展，並因此指導慈幼會在不久的將來的行動：恢復一定程度的正常狀態，還要繼續在緊急情況下生活和運作。這是鮑思高神父的屬神子孫準備應對的挑戰。
黎巴嫩慈幼會團體
Lebanon Salesians in a context of war
(ANS – Lebanon–Beiru, 27 September 2024) – To understand the current situation of the Salesians in Lebanon, a previous, albeit summary presentation of the current socio-political and military situation in the country is essential. The communique sent by the Salesian community in Lebanon.
Since 8 October 2023, in the aftermath of the sudden and brutal attack by Hamas on Israel, starting from the Gaza Strip, and the violent reaction of the Israeli state, Lebanon has been involved, despite itself, in this conflict, by Hezbollah (“Party of God”), a Lebanese political party, but also a super-armed Shiite militia that presents itself as the spearhead of the Islamic “axis of resistance” to Israel, which in turn belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Since then Lebanon, already involved for five years in a serious socio-economic, financial, institutional and political crisis, has also been without a Head of State (for two years now) and with a resigning government in charge of current affairs. Currently, it is at the mercy of Hezbollah which, regardless of the state and against the will of the majority of citizens, has unilaterally decided to open the front against Israel as a gesture of solidarity with Gaza and to keep it open until Israel closes the Gaza front. With this front still open, it was inevitable that the situation on the Lebanese front would progressively deteriorate. Lately, in fact, it has seriously worsened and we are now on the threshold of an open and total war, except for a miracle. Targeted assassinations, more intense and extensive bombings, the tragic mockery, by Israel, of the simultaneous explosion of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies with dead and wounded, means the pot has overflowed.
Since last week, a spiral of reprisals and counter-reprisals has begun that does not seem to stop and that has already caused more than 600 deaths and 2,000 injuries in Lebanon in a few days, as well as 600,000 displaced people, with enormous destruction in the South, on the border with Israel, and the prospect of a ground invasion after scorched earth, exactly like in Gaza. Even the three-week truce, just requested by France, the United States and Arab countries, is, at least for now, completely uncertain, given the obstinacy of the two belligerents.
All this is causing the Lebanese population a lot of fear and strong concern, especially in young people, who once again face an insidious and dangerous future. Families are also experiencing this crisis with a deep sense of bewilderment and unease.
To try to cope with all this, the Salesians are trying to offer them a closeness that tastes of hope and friendship in the style of Don Bosco. During this last year of hidden warfare and precarious situation, they have carried on their various activities trying to do so on a regular basis. Only recently Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) gathering in the Middle East was suspended. It was to take place this September in the house in El Houssoun, Lebanon.
At the present time there is uncertainty: the opening of schools has been postponed, a massive influx of displaced people from the South, almost all Shiites and largely supporters of Hezbollah, in the Christian areas north of Beirut, and the beginning of Israeli bombing also in this area, where Shiite villages are also located. Just yesterday, while the house in El Houssoun, located in the Jbeil-Biblo district and which houses a state, elementary and middle school, welcomed some sixty displaced people on its premises, like other schools in the area, two nearby Shiite villages were targeted by the Israeli air force, with dead and wounded; and other villages live in fear of meeting the same fate.
The regular oratory activities that usually involve hundreds of Christians and Muslims and which, precisely in El Houssoun, were due to begin soon, will now have to wait for the situation to clear up.
The reopening of the “Don Bosco Technique” vocational high school, located in Al Fidar, on the coast in the same district, and the Angels of Peace school for Iraqi Christian refugees, located in Beirut, are also linked to how the situation develops.
In conclusion, it is interesting to note that the Salesian house in El Houssoun has always been particularly involved as a sign of hope in the war events that have affected Lebanon in the last 50 years.
During the civil war (1975-1990), while the flourishing Salesian school in Beirut closed permanently due to forces outside its control, the house in El Houssoun was occupied and transformed into a barracks, but it also became, for years, a safe haven for hundreds of displaced Christians. And during the first war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, it temporarily hosted a hundred displaced people, Muslims and Christians, from villages in the South.
The current arrival of displaced persons, whose number could grow in the coming days, therefore represents the third time that this house, located in the mountains, but not in a populated area, is considered a relatively safe place.
The coming days will indicate the turn of events and will therefore guide Salesian action in the near future: return to a certain normality or continue to live and operate in an emergency situation. A challenge that the spiritual sons of Don Bosco are ready to face.
The Salesian community in Lebanon