Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: The return of the hero Etienne Sakr-Abu Arz to his homeland, Lebanon, is a national, religious, and moral duty. Elias Bejjani/August 28/ 2025
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing..” (02 Timothy 04:07-08)
Is it not shameful that Lebanon, after decades of sacrifices and blood, remains estranged from its true heroes?
Is it not disgraceful that the great Lebanese fighter and patriot, the historic leader Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz, still lives in exile, far from the homeland he loved, defended, and to which he gave his every effort, alongside the blood of his comrades and martyrs?
Who is Abu Arz?
Etienne Sakr was born in 1937 in the southern town of Ain Ebel. Educated in French schools in Tripoli and Beirut, he came from a deeply rooted Maronite family. He adopted the name “Abu Arz” – Father of the Cedar – as a symbol of his unshakable belonging to Lebanon’s eternal cedar tree and all that it represents in the nation’s identity.
In 1975, he founded the Guardians of the Cedars, a movement that swiftly rose to become one of the most prominent nationalist forces in Lebanon during the wars imposed on the country by others – most notably the Syrian Baathist Assad regime, Palestinian armed organizations, and their allies among leftist and pan-Arab extremist movements.
His party was marked by clarity of vision, uncompromising sovereignty, and fierce determination. Abu Arz stood courageously against every form of occupation – Palestinian, Syrian, jihadist, leftist, or pan-Arabist – raising the bold slogan: “No Palestinian will remain in Lebanon.” Under his leadership, the party sacrificed hundreds of martyrs in defense of Lebanon’s land, identity, and independence.
He personally commanded decisive battles against Palestinian terrorist organizations and the invading Syrian army, as well as their Trojan collaborators at home. He played a key role in the Battle of Zahle (1981) and the East Beirut battles (1978), proving beyond doubt that Lebanon would never be a land for foreign domination or a substitute homeland for anyone. True to his principles, he withdrew from the Lebanese Front the moment some of its factions accepted Syrian tutelage, refusing any compromise on sovereignty.
Exile and Unjust Sentences
When the Syrian army stormed Baabda Palace in 1990 and toppled General Michel Aoun’s government, Abu Arz was forced to flee Beirut for his safety. He took refuge in South Lebanon, where he remained until the Israeli withdrawal in 2000, after which he relocated to Israel and later settled in Cyprus.
In the absence of genuine justice, the Syrian-controlled Military Court issued an unjust, arbitrary, and politically motivated sentence against him in absentia: seven years of hard labor on charges of “collaboration with Israel.” This sentence was a farce – void of legal or constitutional legitimacy. That so-called military court was nothing more than an instrument of occupation, designed to crush Lebanon’s free men.
His Political and Intellectual Legacy
Despite decades in exile, Abu Arz remained a towering voice of freedom, warning of the dangers of sectarianism and affirming that Lebanese identity transcends religious and sectarian divisions. In every interview and article, he remained unshakably committed to one eternal principle: Lebanon first, last, and always – free, sovereign, and independent.
What Is Required Today
Today, after all the collapses and tragedies Lebanon has endured – after the total exposure of the false narrative of so-called “resistance and liberation”; after Iran’s decline and the crushing defeat of its terrorist proxies, foremost among them Hezbollah – the time has come to restore honor and justice to one of the bravest, most patriotic, and most selfless Lebanese leaders: Abu Arz.
It is first and foremost the duty of His Excellency the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, himself a son of the South, to exercise his constitutional authority by granting a special pardon to Abu Arz. This would allow him to return to his homeland and spend the remainder of his life among his people and on his soil. It is the least Lebanon can offer to a man who dedicated his very existence to its cause.
It is also the duty of all so-called Christian “sovereignist” political parties – those who claim to defend freedom and independence – to adopt this demand openly and to press for his honorable return, instead of turning a blind eye to his case, as they did in the past. The same applies to the Maronite Church and most political forces that once benefited from his struggle, only to later abandon him.
Honoring Abu Arz and bringing him back to Lebanon is not only a national and moral duty, but also a message to every struggler and every free Lebanese: that Lebanon – the land of holiness, saints, and mission – does not forget its heroes, nor does it bury their sacrifices in the graves of denial. A nation that does not honor its heroes is unworthy of leadership.
Let us, then, raise our voices loud and clear:
The time has come for Abu Arz’s return.
The time has come for his vindication.
The time has come for Lebanon to embrace one of its most loyal and heroic sons.
