Challenges Faced by Lebanon Amid Conflict

Last April, the Very Rev. Bayrour Shernezian was welcomed by members of Waukegan’s St. Paul Armenian Apostolic Church. Invited for the Holy Friday Candlelight Service, he was introduced by the church’s board and its pastor, Father Daron Stepanian. A native of Beirut, he studied at the Armenian Theological Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon, for eight years. In 2020, he became the seminary’s dean and also took on the role of managing an orphanage with 40 children from diverse backgrounds.

The Very Rev. Bayrour Shernezian has maintained communication with the Waukegan congregation, relaying updates from Lebanon. The situation in Lebanon is troubling, with ongoing military conflicts involving American-Israeli forces and Iran, alongside Israel’s parallel campaign against Hezbollah militants. Recent airstrikes have targeted southern Lebanon and infrastructure sites in Beirut.

“As always is, it is a battlefield, unfortunately between powers against a small country, a beautiful country, where there are different religious denominations living together,” Rev. Shernezian said. “There are Christians, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical, also Muslim denominations, Shiite, Sunni, Alawi, Druze…so, there is religious diversity. We are also neighbors. Not everybody knows this picture of Lebanon. We never look at each other as strangers, just citizens of Lebanon.”

Bombardments have primarily affected areas in south Lebanon and around Beirut, forcing more than one million people to move to northern and eastern regions. They face dire living conditions; many reside in cars as temporary shelters like schools and soccer fields become overcrowded. The economic crisis adds to the hardships by eroding savings, impacting residents’ financial security.

“They are on the streets; they live in their cars because they don’t have any place,” Rev. Shernezian said. “The government provided some schools, soccer fields so they can put up tents, but we don’t know what their future is. Many people, because of the economic crisis, they lost everything, everything they had in banks, lost.”

Father Stepanian reflected on the impact of destructive military actions, stating that many families have been displaced due to their homes being destroyed. He criticized the lack of consideration for innocent civilian lives during these operations.

“Families are being displaced because their homes were destroyed on the basis of militants hiding in the buildings. To do these things to innocent people is something that makes no sense.”

Shernezian highlighted the ongoing fear and instability experienced by Lebanese residents. He described the difficult situation where warnings about evacuations often come too late or are not acted upon in time, leading to further displacement and trauma.

“Many times, when they do bombardments, the Israelis leave messages to evacuate the area before the attack…but we never know when,” Shernezian said. “More than a million Lebanese from the south are emigrating to safe areas, and sometimes Israel bombs these places, saying a terrorist escaped there. People are afraid to welcome refugees, scared that someone is a target.”

He pointed out that the ongoing conflict is damaging the spirit of young people who seek a brighter future in Lebanon. Despite their desire to rebuild and thrive, the current environment is discouraging.

“Even if war ends, they have no assurance…they appreciate life, and yet, people have hope. They want to start again, but this situation is not helping us. We always find Lebanon as a battlefield for different groups, as political authority.”

Arda Haroian Bowles, a board member of St. Paul, emphasized the importance of direct communication to empower young people. She believes in sharing truth and affirming their inherent worth.

“We need this kind of direct communication. It’s also a way of regeneration, appealing to young people with the truth and their own worth as human beings.”