HARDIN, Lebanon: The fictional story of Jack and Rose on the ill-fated Titanic has been known to millions ever since the 1997 Hollywood blockbuster movie came out, but for a village in North Lebanon, the tragedy at sea was real – and it involved native sons Antony Yazbek and Selini Dagher.

Sunday’s mass in the Batroun village of Hardin will be different from those held the rest of the year because it will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which resulted in the deaths of some 1,500 out of the 2,200 people on board and became one of the most famous events of the 20th century.

Among the passengers were 93 people from Lebanon, says Bakhos Assaf, the mayor of Hardin, who recalls that his village had the largest share of Lebanese passengers, with a total of 20.

While the village of Kfar Meshki in Rashaya is believed to have lost 13 of its residents, Hardin lost 11 adult men, while one man and eight women and children managed to survive.

“I want to shed light on the story of director James Cameron,” says Assaf, claiming that the director of Titanic based the love story of the film’s protagonists, Jack and Rose, on the story of a girl from Hardin, Seleni Dagher.

Selini had not yet turned 16 when she married a Lebanese-American boy, Anthony Yazbek, in the village, says Assaf.

Three weeks after they were married in the village church, the newlyweds set out on their journey to America, first stopping in Marseille.

The mukhtar of Hardin, Hamid Dagher, and his brother Joseph, are relatives of Selini, who was their paternal great aunt.

“She [later] sent letters to Lebanon about her new marriage and new life and family,” Hamid says, and these letters contained the details of her tragic loss of her husband Antony.

As the ocean liner began to sink, Selini was placed in a life boat. She tried repeatedly to leave the boat to rejoin her husband and finally in succeeded in doing so – but the sailor in command of the life boat refused to let them both of them board, and managed to drag only Selini into the craft.

Mayor Assaf chokes up as he relates a tale known widely in the village.

“He cut the rope, dropping the boat into the icy waters below. She fainted, only to regain consciousness to discover she was alone,” he says.

While it’s known that two groups of musicians played onboard as the Titanic sunk, the passengers of Hardin, according to the mayor, launched into their own performance.

“While she was sinking, they were holding each others’ hands, forming a dabke circle and singing a traditional dabke song and dancing. Other passengers looked on in amazement at their joy,” Assaf says.

“They were all calling out to [Hardin native] Saint Neamatallah Hardini, until they were swallowed by the sea.”

Only one male adult passenger from Hardin survived – Deacon Mubarak Assi, who served under Patriarch Elias Howayek, and went on to live for another 40 years.

The deacon had a lovely voice and was singing as the ship was sinking, says Assaf, prompting the women from Hardin to hide him in a life boat. After the ordeal, he told his relatives that Howayek had warned him against making the voyage.

The Hardin villagers were traveling at the invitation of their relatives, who had emigrated to the U.S. in the 19th century and established communities in Pennsylvania.

Some of the Titanic survivors from Hardin lived for over 60 years in America. During the last parliamentary elections, the names of a handful of survivors who were small children when the Titanic went down were still on the village’s voter lists, the mayor adds.

Meanwhile, more than 20,000 people in the U.S. can trace their roots back to Hardin, Assaf continues.

But as Sunday’s commemoration approaches, Assaf laments that government officials haven’t played a role in marking the anniversary, which affected Lebanese beyond the borders of this northern village.

“It bothers me that an invitation was addressed to me from Ireland, to attend a conference that was held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship,” Assaf says.

“The invitation was sent in honor of three Irish citizens who died. What did the [Lebanese] Foreign Ministry do for our people?” he asks.

“We haven’t seen any action from the government,” Assaf continues. “Sunday, we’re holding a mass in Mar Shaina Church at 11 a.m. and will observe a minute of silence for the souls of the villagers who were lost on the ship. With that, we will be sharing the commemoration with the community of people from Hardin in the United States.”

Le ministre Khoury qui s’est prononcé au nom du Premier ministre Najib Mikati, a appelé les Libanais à faire prévaloir les intérêts de leur patrie, sur les intérêts politiques et partisans.

“Le Liban serait capable de traverser cette période difficile par l’éloignement des responsables et des forces politiques des polémiques qui accentuent la tension interne” a-t-il dit.

Le ministre qui a salué les efforts des membres du forum du Batroun, visant à préserver le patrimoine et la culture dans une région connue par la mouvance culturelle, a affirmé que toute société qui ne préserve son histoire, ne peut édifier son avenir et ni développer son présent.

“L’histoire riche en expériences et en leçons devrait nous inciter à apprendre et à évoluer, sans tomber dans les erreurs du passé” a-t-il conclu.

Minister Bassil spoke during the inauguration of the Batroun- Bejdarfil- roundabout and unveiling ceremony of the Lebanese army martyrs’ memorial tablet.

The ceremony took place in presence of MP Sleiman Franjieh representative as well as other ranking social and political figures.

Bassil voiced appreciation for all those who contributed to the accomplishment of the roundabout and pledged carrying out developmental projects in Batroun as well as all Lebanese regions.

L.W.

وطنية – 2/3/2012 – افادت مندوبتنا في البترون لميا شديد ان الثلوج بدأت تتساقط ابتداء من ارتفاع 300 متر من دون أن تشكل أي تراكمات. أما الطرق ابتداء من ارتفاع 550 مترا فأقفلت بسبب كثافة الثلوج، وفي بلدةجبلا بلغت سماكة الثلوج 20 سنتمر وعلى ارتفاع 1150 تجاوزت المتر في بلدة حردين وكفور العربي وفي بشعله بلغت سماكة الثلوج المتر. وفي بلدة كفرحلدا بلغت السماكة 30 سم على ارتفاع 650 متر، فيما بقيتالطرقالداخلية ابتداء من 600 متر مقفلة وتعمل الجرافات على فتح الطرق الرئيسية.

وناشدالاهالي الجهات المعنية لفتح الاوتوستراد الذي يربط وسط البترون بالجرد لتأمين الوصول من والى مستشفى تنورين الحكومي حيث بلغت سماكة الثلوج ال40 سم.

اما في تنورين التحتا فبلغت سماكة الثلوج ال60 سم فيما أقفلت الطريق من تنورين التحتا صعودا باتجاه تنورين الفوقا حيث تجاوزت طبقة الثلوج المتر ونصف المتر واحتجز المواطنون في منازلهم وأقفلت المدارس ابوابها في الجرد والوسط والساحل باستثناء عدد من المدارس في مدينة البترون ولم يسجل حضور كامل للطلاب بسبب وضع الطرق.

كما أحدثت العاصفة أعطالا في الشبكات الكهربائية والهاتفية وغرقت معظم القرى بالظلام، وعملت فرق الصيانة في مركز أوجيرو في البترون على صيانة بعض الاعطال تحت الثلوج ولكن سوء الطقس واستمرار تساقط الثلج حال دون انجاز المزيد من أعمال الصيانة.

Le ministre de l’Energie a espéré que les travaux dudit chemin commencent dans des proches délais, qualifiant ce projet d’un des plus importants dans le monde au niveau du tourisme religieux.

” Il n’existe pas dans le monde entier un chemin qui mesure 12 km et qui relie 4 Saints” a-t-il ajouté.

” Ce chemin était un rêve batrounien” a souligné le ministre Bassil qui plantait un olivier durant l’inauguration comme symbole de fermeté et de bonté.

Dans son sermon, le nouvel évêque élu Khairallah a affirmé avoir l’honneur d’être ordonné évêque de Batroun et qu’il est conscient de la responsabilité majeure qu’il doit assumer. Le Mgr Khairallah a mis en relief son engagement à la rénovation spirituelle, ecclésiastique, éducative, culturelle, sociale, économique, politique et médiatique au 21ème siècle, confirmant qu’il élaborera des efforts majeurs pour accomplir sa mission.

Prenant la parole, le chef de l’Eglise maronite a finalement prié Dieu pour qu’il éclaire le chemin de l’évêque ordonné.

In his sermon, Bishop Khayrallah said it was a great honor for him to become head of the Batroun diocese but he acknowledged that his new position as head of the Parish involved a high responsibility. He paid tribute to his predecessor outgoing Bishop Boulos Saadeh and listed his three point-program for the renovation of the Maronite Church in the 21st century.

Patriarch Rahi who took everybody by surprise thanked Church hierarchy and welcomed newly-ordained Bishop Khayrallah for his services to the diocese. He also thanked outgoing Bishop Saadeh who in his turn, prayed the Lord to illuminate the path of newly-ordained Bishop Khayyrallah in his sacred mission.