Qana

Infobox Settlement
name = Qana
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native_name =قـانـا
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settlement_type =Village
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flag|Lebanon
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population_total =10,000
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latd=33 |latm=12 |lats=33 |latNS=N
longd=35 |longm=17 |longs=57 |longEW=E
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Qana also spelled Cana (in _ar. قـانـا) is a village in southern Lebanon located convert|10|km|mi southeast of the city of Tyre and convert|12|km|mi north of the border with Israel. The 10,000 residents of Qana are primarily Shiite Muslim"Lebanese Town Lays Claim To Jesus Christ's First Miracle", "Associated Press", January 12, 1994.] although there is also a Christian community in the village.

Biblical controversy

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is said to have performed his first miracle of turning water into wine at Cana in Galilee. Some Christians, especially Lebanese Christians, believe Qana to have been the actual location of this event. However, a tradition (a tradition and not at all a jewish propaganda) dating back to the 8th century identifies Cana with the modern village of Kafr Kanna, about convert|7|km|mi northeast of Nazareth, Israel ["Catholic Encyclopedia", 1914] .

In 1994, Nabih Berri, Lebanon's Parliament Speaker and leader of the secular Shiite Amal movement, wanted to establish a Christian shrine at a cave in Qana to attract tourists and pilgrims. The government sent a 100-man company of troops to Qana to prevent potential religious conflict. This proposal was revived in 1999 ["Lebanon to develop Qana into Christian tourist site", "Agence France-Presse", December 7, 1999.] .

Attacks in Qana

Qana is known internationally for two separate incidents in which the Israeli Defense Forces caused civilian deaths during military operations in Lebanon.
* 1996 shelling of Qana: On 18 April 1996, amid heavy fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah fighters during Operation Grapes of Wrath, a Fijian UNIFIL compound in the village was shelled by Israeli artillery, killing 106 civilians and injuring around 116 others who had taken refuge there to escape the fighting. Four UNIFIL soldiers were also seriously injured.cite web|url=http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.nsf/2ee9468747556b2d85256cf60060d2a6/c2a9efb804d4155685256e5a006d2c41!OpenDocument|title=Question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine: written statement submitted by the Hariri Foundation|date=11 March 2004|accessmonthday=13 July|accessyear=2006|publisher=United Nations Commission on Human Rights|work=United Nations] [cite web|url=http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/62d5aa740c14293b85256324005179be?OpenDocument |title=Letter Dated 7 May 1996 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council |date= 7 May 1996 |accessdate=2007-07-05|publisher=United Nations Security Council]

* 2006 Qana airstrike: On 30 July 2006, during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Israeli airstrikes hit an apartment building. The Lebanese Red Cross originally stated that at least 56 people were killed, 32 of whom were children. Human Rights Watch later announced that at least 22 people escaped the basement, and 28 are confirmed dead, of which 16 were children, with 13 more still missing [ [http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060802/3/2nycw.html Human Rights Watch puts Qana death toll at 28] , "Reuters", August 3, 2006.] Women were dressed in black and wept over the graves on October 23 2006, which marks the Eid ul-Fitr-holiday.cite news|url=http://cbs4boston.com/worldwire/Mideast-MuslimHoliday_a_i_-----/resources_news_html|title=Violence casts shadow on normally festive Muslim holiday in Mideast|date=23 October 2006|publisher=CBS]

After both attacks the residents of Qana built memorials to commemorate the deaths. In subsequent years, Qana has seen more visitors to the martyrs memorials than it has to its biblical ruins.

References