Inkuru ivuga ibyabaye mu mibereho

Umucyo wo mu buryo bw’umwuka umurikira mu Burasirazuba bwo hagati

BYAVUZWE NA NAJIB SALEM

Mu kinyejana cya mbere I.C., umucyo w’Ijambo ry’Imana wamuritse uhereye mu Burasirazuba bwo Hagati maze ugera mu mpande zose z’isi. Mu kinyejana cya 20, uwo mucyo wongeye kumurikira ako gace k’isi. Reka mbabwire ukuntu ibyo byabayeho.

NAVUTSE mu mwaka wa 1913, mvukira mu mujyi wa Amioun uri mu majyaruguru ya Libani. Uwo ni wo mwaka wa nyuma waranzwe n’umutekano n’ituze mu rugero runaka mu isi, kubera ko Intambara ya Mbere y’Isi Yose yarose mu mwaka wakurikiyeho. Igihe intambara yari irangiye mu mwaka wa 1918, Libani, icyo gihe yari izwi ko ari ikirezi cyo mu Burasirazuba bwo Hagati, yari yaranegekaye, haba mu by’ubukungu no mu bya politiki.

Mu mwaka wa 1920, igihe amaposita yongeraga gukora muri Libani, abantu babonaga amabaruwa y’Abanyalibani babaga mu mahanga. Muri abo harimo ba marume Abdullah na George Ghantous. Bandikiraga se, witwaga Habib Ghantous, akaba yari sogokuru, bamubwira ibihereranye n’Ubwami bw’Imana (Matayo 24:14). Byonyine kuba sogokuru yarabwiraga abaturanyi be ibyari bikubiye mu mabaruwa abahungu be bamwandikiraga, byatumye bamugira urw’amenyo. Abantu bo mu mujyi twari dutuyemo bakwirakwije ibihuha by’uko abahungu ba Habib bamuteraga inkunga yo kugurisha isambu ye akagura indogobe, maze akajya kubwiriza.

Umucyo Utangira Gukwirakwira bwa Mbere

Mu mwaka wakurikiyeho, mu wa 1921, Michel Aboud, wari warahoze aba i Brooklyn, New York, ho muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, yagarutse i Tripoli ho muri Libani. Yari yarabaye Umwigishwa wa Bibiliya nk’uko Abahamya ba Yehova bitwaga icyo gihe. N’ubwo abenshi mu ncuti za  Aboud na bene wabo batitabiriye ubutumwa bwa Bibiliya, abantu babiri bari bazwi cyane barabwitabiriye, abo akaba ari umwarimu wo muri kaminuza witwaga Ibrahim Atiyeh n’umuganga w’amenyo witwaga Hanna Shammas. Mu by’ukuri, Muganga Shammas yatanze inzu ye yavuriragamo kugira ngo ijye iberamo amateraniro ya Gikristo.

Nari nkiri umwana muto igihe Umuvandimwe Aboud n’Umuvandimwe Shammas bazaga mu mujyi wa Amioun, aho nari ntuye. Kuba baraje aho ngaho byangizeho ingaruka mu buryo bwimbitse, ku buryo natangiye kujya mperekeza Umuvandimwe Aboud mu murimo wo kubwiriza. Mu gihe cy’imyaka igera kuri 40, buri gihe twembi twabaga turi kumwe mu murimo, kugeza igihe Umuvandimwe Aboud yapfiriye mu mwaka wa 1963.

Hagati y’umwaka wa 1922 n’uwa 1925, umucyo w’ukuri kwa Bibiliya wakwirakwiriye mu midugudu myinshi yo mu majyaruguru ya Libani. Abantu bari hagati ya 20 na 30 bateraniraga mu mazu y’abantu kugira ngo bige Bibiliya; urugero ni nk’abateraniraga mu nzu yacu i Amioun. Abakuru ba kiliziya bajyaga bohereza abana ngo bahonde ku ngunguru, basakuze cyane kandi ngo bavuze induru kugira ngo bagerageze kurogoya amateraniro yacu, bityo, rimwe na rimwe twajyaga duteranira mu ishyamba rya pinusi.

Igihe nari nkiri umusore, umwete nagiraga mu murimo​—hamwe no kujya mu materaniro ya Gikristo yose​—watumye bampimba Timoteyo. Umuyobozi w’ishuri nigagaho yantegetse guhagarika kujya mu byo we yitaga “ayo manama.” Igihe namutsemberaga, nirukanywe mu ishuri.

Tubwiriza mu Bihugu Bivugwa Muri Bibiliya

Nyuma gato y’aho mariye kubatizwa mu mwaka wa 1933, natangiye umurimo w’ubupayiniya, nk’uko umurimo w’igihe cyose witwa mu Bahamya ba Yehova. N’ubwo icyo gihe twari bake, ntitwabwirije mu midugudu hafi ya yose yo mu majyaruguru ya Libani gusa, ahubwo twageze n’i Beyrouth no mu nkengero zaho dukomereza mu majyepfo ya Libani hose. Muri iyo myaka ya mbere, ubusanzwe twagendaga n’amaguru cyangwa tukagenda ku ndogobe nk’uko Yesu Kristo n’abigishwa be bo mu kinyejana cya mbere babigenzaga.

Mu mwaka wa 1936, Yousef Rahhal, Umuhamya w’Umunyalibani wari warabaye muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika mu gihe cy’imyaka myinshi, yagarutse muri Libani aje gusura abantu. Yazanye ibyuma birangurura amajwi harimo ibyuma bibiri bifata amajwi bikanayasohora byitwa phonographe. Izo ndangururamajwi twazishyize ku modoka yo mu bwoko bwa Ford yakozwe mu mwaka wa 1931, maze tukajya tunyura muri Libani na Siriya hose, tujyanye ubutumwa bw’Ubwami mu turere twa kure. Indangururamajwi zashoboraga kumvikanira mu birometero icumi. Abantu buriraga ku bisenge by’amazu yabo kugira ngo bumve ibyo bavugaga ko ari amajwi yaturukaga mu ijuru. Ababaga bari mu mirima barekaga imirimo yabo bakigira hafi kugira ngo batege amatwi.

Rumwe mu ngendo za nyuma nakoranye na Yousef Rahhal ni urwabaye igihe twajyaga i Aleppo, ho muri Siriya, mu itumba ryo mu mwaka wa 1937. Nanone kandi, mbere y’uko asubira muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, twajyanye muri Palesitina. Tugezeyo twasuye imijyi ya Haifa na Yerusalemu, hamwe n’imidugudu imwe n’imwe yo mu giturage. Umwe mu bantu twahuye yitwa Ibrahim Shehadi, tukaba twari twaramenyanye mbere y’aho binyuriye mu kwandikirana. Ibrahim yari yaragize amajyambere mu bumenyi bwa Bibiliya, ku buryo igihe twamusuraga yatangiye kwifatanya natwe mu murimo wo kubwiriza ku nzu n’inzu.​​—Ibyakozwe 20:20.

Nanone kandi, nari mfite amatsiko yo guhura n’Umwarimu wo muri Kaminuza witwaga Khalil Kobrossi, akaba yari Umugatolika w’ikigugu wiganaga Bibiliya n’Abahamya ba Yehova binyuriye mu kwandikirana. Ni gute yari yarabonye aderesi y’Abahamya bo muri Libani? Igihe yari mu iduka mu mujyi wa Haifa, nyir’iduka yapfunyikiye Khalil utuntu yari aguze mu rupapuro yatanyuye muri kimwe mu bitabo by’Abahamya ba Yehova. Urwo  rupapuro rwari ruriho aderesi yacu. Twaramusuye turishima, maze nyuma y’aho mu mwaka wa 1939, aza i Tripoli kugira ngo abatizwe.

Mu mwaka wa 1937, Petros Lagakos hamwe n’umugore we bageze i Tripoli. Mu myaka mike yakurikiyeho, uko twari batatu twabwirije amafasi hafi ya yose yo muri Libani na Siriya, tugasura abantu mu ngo zabo tubashyiriye ubutumwa bw’Ubwami. Igihe Umuvandimwe Lagakos yapfaga mu mwaka wa 1943, Abahamya bari baragejeje umucyo wo mu buryo bw’umwuka mu mijyi hafi ya yose yo muri Libani, Siriya na Palesitina. Rimwe na rimwe, twatangiraga kugenda nka saa cyenda z’ijoro turi abantu bagera kuri 30 tugafata imodoka cyangwa bisi kugira ngo tugere mu turere twa kure.

Mu myaka ya za 40, Ibrahim Atiyeh yahinduye Umunara w’Umurinzi mu Cyarabu. Nyuma y’aho nandukuraga n’intoki kopi enye z’iyo gazeti maze nkazoherereza Abahamya bo muri Palesitina, Siriya na Misiri. Muri iyo minsi, mu gihe cy’Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose, umurimo wacu wo kubwiriza wararwanywaga bikomeye, ariko twakomeje kubonana n’abantu bose bakundaga ukuri kwa Bibiliya bari mu Burasirazuba bwo Hagati. Jye ubwanjye nashushanyaga amakarita y’imijyi hamwe n’imidugudu iyikikije, maze tukishyiriraho intego yo kuzageza ubutumwa bwiza ku bantu baho.

Mu mwaka wa 1944, mu gihe Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose yari igikomeza, nashyingiranywe na Evelyn, akaba yari umukobwa w’umupayiniya mugenzi wanjye twakoranaga umurimo, Michel Aboud. Amaherezo twaje kugira abana batatu, umukobwa umwe n’abahungu babiri.

Dukorana n’Abamisiyonari

Nyuma gato y’aho intambara irangiriye, abanyeshuri ba mbere bahawe impamyabumenyi mu Ishuri rya Galeedi ry’abamisiyonari bageze muri Libani. Ibyo byatumye hashingwa itorero rya mbere muri Libani, maze mba umugenzuzi urihagarariye. Hanyuma mu mwaka wa 1947, Nathan H. Knorr hamwe n’umunyamabanga we Milton G. Henschel, basuye Libani maze batera abavandimwe inkunga cyane. Bidatinze, haje abandi bamisiyonari badufashije cyane mu birebana no gushyira umurimo wacu kuri gahunda no kuyobora amateraniro y’itorero.

Igihe kimwe tugiye mu karere kitaruye utundi ko muri Siriya, twarwanyijwe n’umwepisikopi w’aho. Yadushinje ko twakwirakwizaga ibyo yitaga ibitabo by’Abasiyoni. Igishekeje ariko, ni uko mbere y’umwaka wa 1948, akenshi abo bakuru ba kiliziya batwitaga “Abakomunisiti.” Icyo gihe twarafashwe  tumara amasaha abiri duhatwa ibibazo, muri ayo masaha tukaba twaraboneyeho umwanya wo gutanga ubuhamya bukomeye.

Amaherezo, umucamanza wari wakurikiranye ikibazo cyacu yagize ati “n’ubwo mvumye buriya bwanwa [iyo ni imvugo yo kuzimiza yerekezaga kuri uwo mwepisikopi] bwabareze, ngomba kubushimira kubera ko bwatumye mboneraho umwanya wo guhura namwe no kugira icyo menya ku nyigisho zanyu.” Hanyuma, yadusabye imbabazi ku bwo kuba yari yadutesheje igihe.

Hashize imyaka icumi nyuma y’aho, ubwo twari mu nzira twerekeza i Beyrouth muri bisi, natangiye kuganiriza umugabo wari unyicaye iruhande, akaba yari yaraminuje mu by’ubuhinzi. Nyuma y’iminota mike aduteze amatwi yumva ibisobanuro twamuhaga ku bihereranye n’imyizerere yacu, yavuze ko yari yarigeze kumva ibintu nk’ibyo bivugwa n’incuti ye yo muri Siriya. Iyo ncuti yari nde? Ni wa mucamanza wari warakurikiranye ikibazo cyacu mu myaka icumi mbere y’aho!

Mu myaka ya za 50, nagiye gusura Abahamya bo muri Iraki, maze nifatanya na bo mu murimo wo kubwiriza ku nzu n’inzu. Nanone kandi, incuro nyinshi nagiye muri Yorodaniya no mu karere ka West Bank. Mu mwaka wa 1951, nari umwe mu bari bagize itsinda ry’Abahamya bane bagiye i Betelehemu. Aho ni ho twizihirije Ifunguro ry’Umwami rya Nimugoroba. Uwo munsi mu gitondo, abari bahari bose bari bafashe bisi bajya ku Ruzi rwa Yorodani, aho 22 muri bo babatirijwe bagaragaza ko biyeguriye Yehova. Igihe cyose habaga hagize abantu baturwanya muri ako karere, twarababwiraga tuti “twazanywe no kubabwira ko umwe mu bahungu bavuka mu karere kanyu bwite azaba Umwami w’isi yose! Ni iki gituma murakara? Mwagombye kubyishimira!”

Tubwiriza mu Gihe cy’Ingorane

Muri rusange abantu bo mu Burasirazuba bwo Hagati bigirira umutima mwiza, bicisha bugufi kandi bakunda kwakira abashyitsi. Hari benshi batega amatwi ubutumwa bw’Ubwami babishishikariye. Mu by’ukuri, nta kintu na kimwe gishobora kugarurira umuntu ubuyanja kuruta kumenya ko vuba aha iri sezerano rya Bibiliya rizasohozwa, isezerano rigira riti “Imana ubwayo izabana [n’abantu bayo], ibe Imana yabo. Izahanagura amarira  yose ku maso yabo, kandi urupfu ntiruzabaho ukundi, kandi umuborogo cyangwa gutaka cyangwa kuribwa ntibizabaho ukundi.”​—Ibyahishuwe 21:3, 4.

Naje kubona ko abantu benshi barwanya umurimo wacu babiterwa n’uko mu by’ukuri baba badasobanukiwe umurimo dukora hamwe n’ubutumwa dutangaza. Abakuru b’amadini yo muri Kristendomu nta cyo batakoze ngo baduharabike! Bityo, mu ntambara yashyamiranyije abaturage muri Libani mu mwaka wa 1975, ikamara imyaka isaga 15, Abahamya bahuye n’ingorane nyinshi.

Igihe kimwe, nayoboreraga icyigisho cya Bibiliya umuryango wari warahoze ugira ishyaka ryo kujya mu kiliziya. Bagize amajyambere ashimishije mu gihe bigaga ukuri kwa Bibiliya, maze birakaza abakuru ba kiliziya. Ingaruka zabaye iz’uko igihe kimwe nijoro, agatsiko k’idini ryo muri ako karere kashishikarije abayoboke baryo gutera iduka rya wa muryango, maze batwika ibicuruzwa byose byari bifite agaciro k’amadolari y’Amanyamerika nibura 10.000. Muri iryo joro, baje kunjyana. Icyakora, nashoboye kumvisha umuyobozi wabo ko agomba gutekereza, musobanurira ko niba mu by’ukuri bari Abakristo batagombaga kugira imyifatire ya kinyamaswa. Maze kumubwira ntyo, yategetse umushoferi guhagarika imodoka, maze antegeka ko nsohoka nkagenda.

Ikindi gihe, nashimuswe n’abantu bane bitwaje intwaro. Nyuma y’ibikangisho byinshi, umuyobozi wabo wari wavuze ko ari bundase, yahise ahindura ibitekerezo, maze barandekura. Ubu babiri muri abo bagabo bafungiwe ubwicanyi no kwiba, naho abandi babiri baranyonzwe.

Ubundi Buryo Bwabonetse bwo Kubwiriza

Akenshi nagiye mbona uburyo bwo kugenda mu ndege njya mu bihugu binyuranye. Igihe kimwe turi mu ndege tuvuye i Beyrouth tugiye muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, nicaranye na Charles Malek, wari warahoze ari minisitiri w’ububanyi n’amahanga muri Libani. Yanteze amatwi abyitondeye, akishimira umurongo wose namusomeraga muri Bibiliya. Amaherezo, yambwiye ko yari yarize i Tripoli, aho yigishijwe na Ibrahim Atiyeh, umugabo databukwe yari yaragejejeho ukuri kwa Bibiliya! Bwana Malek yavuze ko Ibrahim yari yaramwigishije kubaha Bibiliya.

Ikindi gihe turi mu ndege, nicaranye n’intumwa ya Palesitina mu Muryango w’Abibumbye. Naboneyeho uburyo bwo kumubwira ubutumwa bwiza bw’Ubwami bw’Imana. Amaherezo yaje kumpuza n’umuryango wa murumuna we wari i New York, nkaba narawusuraga incuro nyinshi. Nanone kandi, nari mfite mwene wacu wakoraga mu nzu y’Umuryango w’Abibumbye i New York. Igihe kimwe naramusuye mu biro bye tumarana amasaha atatu, nshobora kumubwiriza ibihereranye n’Ubwami bw’Imana.

Ubu mfite imyaka 88, kandi ndacyashobora kugira uruhare rugaragara mu kwita ku nshingano z’itorero. Umugore wanjye Evelyn, turacyafatanya gukorera Yehova. Umukobwa wacu yashyingiranywe n’uwari umugenzuzi usura amatorero y’Abahamya ba Yehova, ubu akaba ari umusaza mu itorero ry’i Beyrouth. Umukobwa wabo na we ni Umuhamya. Umuhungu wacu w’umuhererezi hamwe n’umugore we na bo ni Abahamya, kandi umukobwa wabo na we ari mu kuri. Naho umuhungu wacu mukuru, ukwizera kwa Gikristo kwacengejwe mu mutima we, kandi niringiye ko bizagera aho akakwakira.

Mu mwaka wa 1933, nabaye umupayiniya​—nkaba ari jye wa mbere wakoreye mu Burasirazuba bwo Hagati. Nta kindi kintu cyiza mbona nari gukora cyaruta gukorera Yehova ndi umupayiniya muri iyi myaka 68 yose ishize. Kandi niyemeje maramaje gukomeza kugendera mu mucyo wo mu buryo bw’umwuka utangwa na we.

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Najib mu mwaka wa 1935

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Dufite imodoka iriho indangururamajwi mu Misozi ya Libani mu mwaka wa 1940

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Ahagana haruguru ukurikije uko inshinge z’isaha zigenda uturutse hejuru ibumoso; Najib, Evelyn, umukobwa wabo, Umuvandimwe Aboud n’umuhungu mukuru wa Najib, mu mwaka wa 1952

Ahagana hepfo (umurongo wa mbere): Abavandimwe Shammas, Knorr, Aboud, na Henschel bari kwa Najib, i Tripoli, mu mwaka wa 1952

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Najib n’umugore we Evelyn