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What has been happening lately?
A certain spirit has come about, and captured the every living fiber of
people from Machghara across the world. Nasser El-Haj and his supportive
spouse have appeared on us like a cloud, a cloud full of stunning colors.
One must realize that their loyalty does not just lie behind the colors, but
behind the morale, thoughts, feelings, and actions of the people of
Machghara. A dedicated person could fit the definition of nationalism to the
exact letter. Those outsiders, who attempted to destroy our beloved town,
failed to take notice that our ideas, love, and loyalty to Machghara are
much stronger than they have thought. Nasser and other devotees from
Machghara have something more rational. One must view their efforts as a
sort-of durable faith based more upon interests and a general way of
thinking. This along with a sense of freedom is not tangible and cannot be
destroyed.
What are we trying to show the people of Machghara? Strength, Courage,
Durability, Bravery, and Machgharanism. We cannot be afraid, or else we will
have surrendered before the battle has begun, and that is the battle of
self-determination and liberty.
Our love to Machghara will continue to grow no matter what took place, and
our daily lives will continue to and have already strengthened us. Having
faith and a drive for freedom may just be the key to the fall of the
outsiders.
We must return to God and ask him for things such as peace and love. God
does not promise an easy life, or a life free from struggle. But he makes
available to us joy, peace, love, self-control, patience, gentleness,
kindness, goodness and faithfulness. He offers hope and healing.
We must pray for a spiritual renewal in the people of Machghara and we may
look to God for forgiveness, strength, wisdom and direction as inhabitants
from Machghara. May God's Love and Grace encompass our hearts, comfort our
sorrows and heal our wounds as we join hands as a whole generation, united
forever.
Hassan Habib Hajjar. 10 Mar 2002
Hi,
My Mom is from Machghara - Amal Kazwini - and I knew from my sister's Family-
Ali and Rima Mansour - about this web site !!
This is so refreshing to see lovely pictures of Machghara and know that ppl are
trying to conserve ideas about their home country and home towns and trying to
inform the rest of the world as well.
Keep up the good work,
Wafaa Safaoui. 10 Mar 2002
Hi, this is Wael Issa
from Machghara, I am so glad that u did this website for Machghara, keep
trying the best, congratulations!!!!!!!!11. 10 Mar 2002
I am very pleased to browse this web
site. It makes me happy to discover the place of my ancestors. It is really
beautiful and charming. I am planning to visit Machghara and enjoy it. I might
find my root that was once established in Mashghara. Tahya Mashghara.
10 Mar 2002
Hi everyone,
Thank you for reopening the guest book.
I suppose that this website is one of the best websites on the Internet, because
I think that all the people who don’t live in Machghara will be very happy to
see their village on a small screen when they are very very far away from it.
And to see the places where they played when they were small with their friends
and get back the memories. And to see the pictures of the "Ain" ,
"Machghara in snow", these pictures that they haven’t seen it from
15-20-25 years or may be more, because all people who don’t live here come to
Machghara in summer & in this case it’s impossible to see the snow. And
how grateful is to let all the world know that there is in Lebanon a village
called Machghara wich is better than all the big cities in the world because of
its kind & great people who are proud being from it.
So I like to say to all the Machgharaniens in any place in the world: PLEASE
COME BACK & YOU WILL BE SO GLAD & give them all my love and my best
regards & at the end I’d love to say: THANK YOU very very much Nasser and
Hassana, don’t stop your work!!!! Crystel Hajjar, Machghara.
11 Mar 2002
May Allah Bless you as you read this
and look at such a wonderful site. I am not from Machgara but I have been there
many times. My husband is from Ain Et Tineh, the next village South of Machgara.
He and his family own property in Machgara and have many family members still
there. It was so nice to be able to look at things that were familiar to him and
remind him of his home. It was also great to show our children and grandchildren
their heritage and make them want to go "HOME"! Ain Et Tineh is almost
connected to Machgara now by homes being built down and around the mountain.
Many of the families of both cities have married and made these two cities
"ONE". Keep up the good work! It is a beautiful site, I can't wait to
get there again! May Allah Bless you and keep you out of harms way. Thanks! Haji
P. Sobh. 12 Mar 2002
Thank you Hassana and Nasser for
reopening the Guest Book
Thank you Hassan Hajjar for your opening statement
Thank you Hussein El Hajj for the early Spring pictures
Thank you Joseph Charara for all your poetry and the artistic oil paintings
Thank you Hajji P. Sobh for the connection you made between Machghara & Ain
Et-Tineh
Thank you Chrystel Hajjar for you innocent and sincere feeling about the Town we
all love and belong to…
Bassil Hajjar. 12 Mar 2002
مشغرة
في البال دوما
حاضرة....
نبتغي منها
لقاها....
نشتهي فيها
هواها.... هي في
الوجدان دوما
حاضرة.... ان
نكرنا الحب
تذكر.... ان
ذكرنا الخير
تذكر... واذا
قالوا
الرجالا..
اذكياء..
صنعوا المال
حلالا.... في
بقاع الارض
تذكر.... حوتوا
الصخر جلولا....
جعلوا الوعر
حقولا....
عمموا اسمها
في الدنيا
فبانت.... في
مجال الخلق
والتصنيع
كانت.... في
رحاب الطب في
الفن.... وفي
القانون كانت....
مشغرة كانت
سناء.... في
سماء الحق
نورا وضياء....
قتلوها مثل
لبنان لتمسي
خبرا...
وضعوها داخل
القبر وردوا
الحجرا.... الا
ان النور لم
يحجبه مكيال
ولا العطر
انطوى.... بل
نشرا... نحن
ابناء
القيامه.... من
يعش في النور
لا يرضى
الظلاما ...من
يكن في الحق
يابى
الانهزاما....
مشغره سوف
تقوم.... مثلما
قام المسيح
ستقوم....
فنعود كلنا
ننشد للحب
اناشيدا
جديده.... وتعود
مشغره فينا القصيدة ... نزيه حجار
12 Mar 2002
It is heartening to be able to
connect with everybody particularly as most of us have become citizens of the
world without denying our heritage and roots.
I congratulate the sponsors and masters of this website for making this
communication facility possible and for keeping us in touch with what is
happening in Machghara and Machgharanians.
Keep up the good work.
Hassan Moussa,
Sydney Australia,
e.mail: hassan@rmgregory.com.au
12 Mar 2002
It is heartening indeed, to read the
guest book every morning, form the innocent little hearts like Chrystel, to the
older ones like Nazih. and the ones who have never been to Machghara and are
longing to go.
Two years ago, I took my kids for their first trip to Machghara and as they
said, for the first time in their lives they felt a sense of belonging.
A lot of us may be citizens of the world, but we all know were we really belong,
once you drank Machghara's water, you are hooked, no pain is strong enough to
let you forget nor any happiness some were else.
Last summer I spent three days in Machghara, and trust me the water still taste
the same, the moon is still as round and beautiful, the people just as loving,
and more importantly you can still knock at any door with a light on for a cup
of coffee.
Let us all, turn some more lights on.
No stone is large enough to block the light for we are people of character.
Salem Gazal, Philippines. 12 Mar 2002
Hello my people!!! My family is the
Karam family from Machghara but I have never had the fortune of visiting it.
This web site is a blessing. I am seeing my heritage for the first time. I am
inspired more than ever to actually come and visit. My father is Atef
Nasri Karam and my beautiful Danish mother is Jane and loves Machghara since she
actually saw it in the early days. I am 23 years old. I grew up in Dubai and am
now based in Boston, Massachusetts doing higher education. I will visit
Machghara this summer en sha'Allah and am looking forward to seeing you all
there! ;)
Dina Victoria Karam
d_karam@hotmail.com 13 Mar 2002
I am very proud about this site of my
country "Machghara". It is the beautiful site of all its families
around the world who like Machghara and it keeps in our mind. In addition, I
hope to all its immigrated families to visit Machghara and see what its need
should be to become Machghara like 20 years ago. It is well to communicate with
them through the internet specific in this site, but it is not enough . It
should be to work trend Machghara in our heart. I hope to everyone to visit
Machghara and see its difficult problems specific (AL BALADEYA). I hope to all
of them not to be prejudice of these problems and keep away the political and
the religous on the other side.I wish that these problems will be solved in
Machghara in a happy way: Ibn Macghara1. 13 Mar 2002
لن
اقوم بمدح
جمال مشغرة و
لكن اريدكم ان
تعرفوا كيف
انا اكتشفت
جمال هذه
القطعة
السماوية.
اكتشفت
جمالها من
خلال الفن
الذي توّج
ابطا له ذكي
ناصيف,ربيع بو
خليل و جوزف
شرارة. اكتشفت
قيمتها من
خلال الاصوات
المبدعة و على
رأسهم شاعرة
الصوت فيروز
التي غنّت
القمر, رمز هذه
التحفة
السماوية.
اكتشفت
ابداعها من
خلال أهل
الأدب و الشعر
الذين خلّدت
أسماؤهم في
قلوبنا
كالأستاذ
ايميل رفّول.
اكتشفت
ذكاءها و سرعة
بديهتها من
خلال رياض
شرارة و طوني
بارود أبطال
التعليق
التلفزيوني و
أوّلهم نجاحا
اكتشفت
طيبتها من
خلال أهلها
الذين
يحيطونك
بالمحبّة
والكرم,نعم
فهذه هي علامة
تمييز لكي
تستطيع
رؤيتهم في
جميع أنحاء
العالم. شكرا
يا رب لانّي
ولدت في هذه
التحفة
السماوية,
منبت رسلك و
على رأسهم
المطران سليم
الغزال ولو
انّي لم أكن من
مشغرة
لاخترتها
عمدا أن تكون
بلدتي ........نايلة
نزيه حجار
13 Mar 2002
Marhaba...My greeting is to all Machghara families...
I thank all who share to make this site ,so now we have a chance to communicate
with them easily.
My name is Nidal Abbas Charaf,
e-mail: fast_lion@hotmail.com
Phone: 03/911574, Machghara. 14 Mar 2002
HOPE
When by my solitary self I sit....
Hateful thoughts engulf me a bit.
When the world around me is moonlit ....
It’s so cold that my fingers are frostbit.
Then the bare basics of life presents no bloom....
It’s a constant reminder of a doomed tomb.
When I’m told a fearful tale of sorrow....
Anger, cries, and tears soak into my pillow.
When the day is done and darkness sits in....
I see the lights of my village grim.
Hope, Future, Happiness, and pain....
A mere Imagination of the brain.
By all logic may not be understood....
But to me it’s the beacon of human good.
Sadness, Illness, Poverty and Age....
Will always be remembered with rage.
Hope is always there to save....
The despaired inching towards the grave.
Hope can make you feel just....
A future unknown but humbled in the dust.
Hope is a test of patience under the pain....
But, lost once we begin to complain.
Hope is the nourishment that feeds the mind....
It has always been the refuge of mankind.
Hope for years, a thousand times have died....
To blossom again like a flower on a river side.
Sweet hope I look up to you with pride....
For all the comfort you will always provide.
Thank You for reading....Joseph Charara ohiousaman@aol.com
14 Mar 2002
Nothing specific to say, but my Dad (Chawki
Ghazal) is from Machghara and we went back there and he told me to have a look
at the site, and it's great...
Amanda Ghazal amanda.r.gazal@csfb.com
Australia. 15 Mar 2002