Under the current ongoing anti-government protests, the Lebanese celebrated the occasion of the 76th Independence Day in a warm and special way across all Lebanon by creating and initiating many heartwarming events.
On this day, the Qanoubin Sports Club, in cooperation with the “Friends of the Cedar Forest” Committee and the Municipality of Bcharre, organized an environmental day under the title “Let’s Walk Together to Complete the Independence.”
In the morning of the Independence, a number of young women and men gathered in front of the environmental house in Al-Arz, north of Lebanon. Upon singing the Lebanese national anthem, they set off with Lebanese flags, walking up to the peaks of the mont Makmel accompanied by the Lebanese army.
Once they reached Sha’arnub, they began planting 100 cedars with the participation of the club’s president, Joseph Hayyaf, as well as the club members, the chairman of the “Friends of the Cedar Forest” Committee, Bassam Geagea, and the head of the Cedar Reserve Agency of Kadisha, Antoine Gabriel Tawk.
During this environmental day, the three martyrs of the 17 October revolution were not forgotten. Three cedars were planted in their memory. The committee of the “Friends of the Cedar Forest” issued a statement for each of the martyrs: Alaa Abu Fakhr, Hussein al-Attar, and Omar Zakaria.
These written declarations, honoring the martyrs with the symbol and icon of Lebanon, will be delivered later to their families.
The chairman of the committee pointed out to the centenary of the declaration of the State of Greater Lebanon, issued on Sep 1st of 1920. Henceforth, 100 cedars were also planted now, on our 76th anniversary of Lebanon Independence.
From his side, the president of Qanoubin Sports Club stated, “Independence Day concerns us all, and this year has a special flavor, and we decided to establish this activity to confirm the walk with all the Lebanese to continue together the true path of independence and honor the martyrs of the October 17 revolution.”
Hussein al-Attar, Omar Zakaria, and Alaa Abou Fakher are considered the martyrs of the 17 October Lebanese Revolution. They died for their country, for the better Lebanon we all seek to live in and honor, a Lebanon where we all can live in dignity like this great nation of ours deserves.