Hizbullah’s burden of hope
Nasrallah revives hopes of families of missing
Missing’s mother: Nasrallah to me is as precious as my own son

Khadijeh Wehbi has renewed hope of learning the fate of her son, who was kidnapped 24 years ago.
After being bed-ridden for over two months following a government decision to consider those kidnapped during the war as dead, Wehbi is grateful that a “more credible source” ­ Hizbullah ­ has come to the rescue.
Following the resistance party’s capture of three “Israeli” soldiers two weeks ago, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the soldiers, and an “Israeli” colonel whose capture was announced last week, would be swapped in return for Arab detainees in “Israel”, bodies of those captured by “Israel” and information about the fate of the missing and kidnapped during the war.
The announcement revived hope among hundreds of families who have yet to recover from the shock of the government decision, issued late in July, to consider the missing and kidnapped as dead.
The government’s report, which declared the missing and kidnapped dead, based its decision on information received from the families and meetings its members held with head of political parties who participated in the war.
The report said that its efforts to obtain evidence to prove that those missing and kidnapped were dead was impossible, little consolation to Wehbi.
Her son, Ahmad Hirbawi, was 16 when he was taken by the Phalange from Achrafieh as he was crossing to West Beirut with his mother and sister.
“He was taken right in front of me. I kept shouting that he was Lebanese and that I was told that all militiamen were allowing the Lebanese to cross,” she said.
Wehbi looks much older than her 60 years. Her eyes reflect the same pain felt by all parents of the kidnapped and missing.
She continued to recount the story of surviving 24 years since her son’s abduction when she began weeping uncontrollably. Minutes later, as she attempted to calm down, Wehbi spoke: “I haven’t cried for you in awhile, my son.”
But when asked again about the government decision, she became angry.
“I reject every word Hoss said because my heart tells me Ahmad will come back. And I’ll continue to believe this until the last minute of my life,” she said.
Wehbi’s justification for refusing Hoss’ decision was that the government, through the committee appointed to discover the fate of the missing and kidnapped, did not provide any evidence of her son’s death.
Now, she is clutching onto Nasrallah’s words. “You know, I used to hate Nasrallah because I hated political parties. But after what he has done for us, I will listen to nobody but him,” she said.
Wehbi sent Nasrallah a letter on Wednesday telling him about her new hopes following his announcement that he wanted “Israel” to reveal the fate of those missing and kidnapped during the war.
Although Wehbi has no evidence that her son may actually be in “Israel”, she still hopes.
In its final report issued in July, on which the government based its decision, the committee said that 216 kidnapped were believed to be in “Israel”.
The responsibility Hizbullah is bearing by shouldering the issue of the kidnapped, in addition to that of the detainees, is undoubtedly huge.
While Wehbi would only believe a government decision if it provided convincing evidence, she expressed her readiness to believe “whatever Nasrallah says, even if he didn’t give us evidence.”
“I will believe him because I know that he only speaks the truth,” she said. “Nasrallah to me is as precious as my own son Ahmad.”
According to Wadad Halwani, a spokeswoman for the families of those missing and kidnapped during the war, Wehbi’s sentiments reflect those of many other families in the same situation, whose hopes were revived after Nasrallah’s comments.
Although Halwani decided to accept the government decision, by announcing the death of her husband Adnan who has been missing for 18 years, other families continued to reject it.
“I decided to make peace with myself and announce that, but I will continue to stand by these families because I understand their persistence. Evidence should be provided to satisfy their hearts,” Halwani said.
Halwani is still struggling for what she believes the state still owes detainees’ families.
Following the government decision, the Committee of the Families of those Missing and Kidnapped during the War demanded that the government hold an official mass funeral for those it declared dead.
Despite President Lahoud’s promises, the date for such a funeral has not yet been set.
Halwani said she was horrified upon learning that the government was considering organizing a wide-scale festival to honor the war-time kidnapped and dead, an idea that now appears to have been dropped.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said, angrily. “We wanted a funeral. Imagine us participating in a festival that would most probably include officials who were responsible for our sons’ kidnapping in the first place.”

The Daily Star, 23-10-2000.