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SIDON: Children of the Ain al-Hilweh
Palestinian Refugee camp, on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sidon
staged a demonstration on Saturday to protest the wobbly security
situation there. "There weapons should be directed toward Israel not
toward each other," six-year old Sally Miaari, who took part in the
demonstration told The Daily Star.
The protest was organized by the Civil Association for Professional
Development and Social Services, which are the main organizers of summer
activities for children inside the camp.
Dozens of children, between the ages of 6 and 13 carried banners that
read "Stop the Bang Bang in the Camp," while marching down the main
street of the camp, blocking traffic for more than half an hour.
Lebanon's
largest refugee camp, Ain al-Hilweh, became the theater of conflict
between Fatah and Islamist groups Osbat al-Ansar and its offshoot Jund
al-Sham.
Early in July, Jund al-Sham lost some of its members, including leader
Shehade Jawhar, when clashes erupted between it and the joint force of
Palestinian factions responsible for the camp's security.
Since then, it has been said that Jund al-Sham might seek revenge for
the death of its members and that it is stockpiling munitions and
weapons.
An attack last Tuesday against a senior Fatah official inside the camp
was seen by many in the camp as retaliation for Jawhar's assassination.
Fatah commander Talal Asmar was critically wounded last week, when a
bomb planted under his car was detonated by remote control.
"Weapons should not be used for Palestinians to kill each other,"
another participant in Saturday's demonstration, Khaled Sawi, said.
The young Palestinian refugee also urged feuding factions "to direct
their weapons against Israel rather than against each other."
Wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh around her neck, one of the
demonstration's organizers, Hanadi Miaari warned against turning Ain al-Hilweh
into another Nahr al-Bared.
"Feuding groups should realize that the ordinary residents of Ain al-Hilweh
refuse to face the same agony as our compatriots at Nahr al-Bared," the
Palestinian activist told The Daily Star.
The northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared was reduced to
rubble during fighting between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the
Al-Qaeda inspired Islamist group Jund al-Sham between May and September
2007.
At least 30,000 Palestinian refugees were forced to flee the camp and
have yet to return to their battered homes.
Focusing on the purpose behind Saturday's demonstration, another
organizer, Wissam al-Hajj said the children of Ain al-Hilweh "are
completely aware of the tense security situation inside of their camp."
"Kids staged this demonstration to urge feuding groups to stop their
skirmishes and more importantly to send out the message that they are
worried about the fate of their camp," Hajj said.
The children ended their demonstration with a meeting among
representatives from the joint force of Palestinian factions tasked with
preserving security inside refugee camps.
Children inquired about recent violence inside the camp and ways to
counter it.
"I don't want to be forced to flee my home every once in a while," Rami,
one of the participating children told the Palestinian officials.
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