Lebanon – Sabra And Shatila Remembered

With Ariel Sharon and his failing health being a hot topic on the evening news at present, his implication of indirect involvement in the Sabra and Shatila Massacre of September 1982 makes this an interesting photo article to open 2006 with at Polo’s Bastards. The number of people killed in the massacre ranges from 460 – 3500 depending on who you talk to, but one thing seems clear – The mission was authorized by the Israeli IDF, under the command of Defense Minister Ariel Sharon. A quarter of a century has passed since then, but some people have long memories and wish Sharon nothing less than a swift demise. Arya Kazemi presents us with a series of photographs from the Sabra and Shatila sites in Beirut. – Editor.

1_001A street in the camp with a banner featuring the late PLO leader Arafat flying above.

2_001A mural remembering the bloodshed of 1982.

3_001Palestinian men unwinding at a camp coffee shop. Notice the flier of the late Hamas leader Sheikh Yasin in the foreground.

4_001A United Nations-funded clinic inside the camp.

5_001Eyes of a rebel.

6_001Painting of an imaginary Palestinian liberation boat.

7_001Mural of a Palestinian child breaking through Israeli barriers.

8_001A flier featuring the late Yasser Arafat and the pro-Syrian Lebanese President, Emile Lahoud.

9_001No description needed!

10_001A mural depicting the famous Palestinian victory sign and a dove of peace.

11_001A building in the camp, still suffering the scars of the Lebanese civil war.

12_001Not quite an accurate depiction of the Stars and Stripes!

13_001Wall painting titled “Palestine 1948-67”, depicting the blood spilled from the War of Independence in 1948, right through to the Six-day War of 1967.

14_001A mural of a soldier carrying a banner with the traditional Islamic chant “there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger”.

15_001Symbolic painting of a limbless man using two keys instead of crutches to limp through the West Bank and Gaza.

16Flier announcing a traditional Islamic ceremony, marking the 40th day after a Muslim individual’s passing. In this case the ceremony commemorates those who’ve died fighting the Israelis.

17Camp residents, going through their daily routine.

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