Hero, Patriot, Journalist…Gebran Tueni

To get to the web site where I found this picture, click on the photo.
“In March Tueni was meeting with other organizers of the Lebanese opposition, trying to translate the momentum in the streets into major steps toward real independence and democratic change. I asked him who was the leader of these democrats, and he replied that part of the strength of the movement was that there was no single leader; instead, many leaders of various groups and communities had come together. He stressed that this was just as well, given Syria’s propensity for murdering Lebanese patriots, “A one-man show would make a beautiful target.”
The common goal, he said, was to “restore democracy so we can have elections, and then we can compete with each other.” On the broader front, concerning the wisdom of charting a similar course for Iraq, he had no doubts: “George Bush is doing the right job in the Middle East for us, believe me.” Tueni’s only reservation was his belief that Lebanon, endowed with a rich pre-Syrian legacy of democratic institutions, deserved a chance to lead the way: “We really think if the big issue is about the Middle East, about changing the world, Lebanon is the answer.”
Jenny Hatch