Israeli Army Occupies Lebanese Village, trashes Christian Church

Source: NPR - National Public Radio
Date: August 25, 2006
Program: All Things Considered
Reporter: Jamie Taraday

"The tiny hilltop village of Qawza is home to a small Christian community. In the first days of August the Israeli army moved into Qawza and occupied buildings, homes, and the local church. Many of the occupied buildings, including the church, were vandalized. We speak to a couple of residents who stayed in the village while the Israelis were there."

Some rough notes, and paraphrases:

One elderly couple in the village were greatly impressed with the first Israeli soldiers they came in contact with shortly after the war came to their village. The husband thinks maybe there were ten or twelve soldiers. He asks the squad if anyone speaks either Arabic or English, and one soldier answers that he speaks English and another that he speaks Arabic. By the time this unit moves out, the couple is very grateful to the Israeli Army, and refers to the soldiers as gentlemen.

But this raport changes dramatically when a new unit came into the village. The second group of soldiers rummaged through everything in their house.

Israeli troops also vandalized the village church ... a large portrait of the the Virgin Mary .. the religious ikons are in pieces. Israeli soldiers turned the church into their sleeping quarters.

"Translators note" (heh, heh): While I may think I got the gist of all this, who knows? Being deaf in one ear and unable to hear out of the other has its limitations!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5711515