MASHGHARA, Lebanon — As you arrive in this town in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, one of the first things you notice is a poster of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, plastered across a concrete wall.
Usually about 25,000 people live here, and many support the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Church bells ring out, but there is hardly anyone in the streets. Stores are shuttered. Most people have heeded evacuation orders as Israel continues its aerial assault in southern Lebanon. Recorded hymns echo from the church down the empty streets.
This is the hometown of Ayman Mohamad Ghazali — the suspect who, on Thursday, attacked the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Mich., ramming his car into the building and opening fire.
The FBI says the 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was confronted by the synagogue’s security officers.
Ghazali had lived in the United States for more than a decade but kept strong ties with relatives back home. Four members of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike just as the war involving Iran began.
Ghazali was born and raised in Lebanon, along with his two brothers. He also had a niece and a nephew. All were killed in the airstrike. On March 5, as the sun set, they were gathered at the home of Ibrahim Ghazali — the attacker’s younger brother — breaking fast for Ramadan.
The house is now a pile of rubble. The roof is caved in. Water leaks from a severed pipe. Clothes are strewn on top. Children’s toys are covered in dust.
Fouad Qasem, Ghazali’s maternal uncle, lives down the street. He says he helped pull the bodies of his nephews and the children from the rubble that night.
“I held my own flesh and blood in my hands,” Qasem says tearfully.
Qasem, like many here, says he is heartbroken over the loss — and angry at Israel’s relentless bombing. “What did the children do to deserve this?” he asks.
The Israeli military did not respond to NPR’s questions about why the family’s house was hit. Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah after the militant group launched rockets into Israel at the beginning of the war involving Iran. On Sunday, Israel’s military said Ghazali’s brother Ibrahim was a Hezbollah commander, “responsible for managing weapons operations within a specialized branch of the Badr Unit. The unit is responsible for launching hundreds of rockets toward Israeli civilians throughout the war.”
Qasem remembers Ayman Mohamad Ghazali as a kind, well-mannered and gentle person and says his nephew avenged the children’s deaths because they were so dear to him.
U.S. officials say they are investigating why Ghazali attacked the synagogue in Michigan. But many in this town say they believe it was revenge. Several said anyone would want to avenge the killing of their entire family.
Ibrahim Zeih, a soccer coach of one of the killed brothers, says he understands the anger but that it’s not an excuse to kill other innocent people so far away.
“We’re not against Jews as Jews,” Zeih says. “We are against the Israelis who are killing us daily.”
Mashghara’s mayor, Iskander Barakeh, says he worries about the cycle of violence. He also fears that Lebanese Americans from the town who live in the United States could face retaliation.
“Everybody,” Barakeh says, “deserves to live in peace.”
Jawad Rizkallah contributed to this report from Mashghara, Lebanon.
Transcript:
ADRIAN MA, HOST:
The man who rammed his car into Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, was born in southern Lebanon. After ramming his car, he started shooting. And the FBI says he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was confronted by security officers. The 41-year-old naturalized citizen lived in the U.S. for more than a decade but kept strong ties with family in Lebanon. Four members of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike as the war with Iran began. NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi traveled to his hometown in southern Lebanon and filed this report.
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: As you arrive in Machghara (ph) in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, one of the first things you see is a poster of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, plastered on a concrete wall. Usually, about 25,000 people live here. Many support the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHURCH BELLS RINGING)
AL-SHALCHI: Church bells ring out, but there’s hardly anyone in the streets. Stores are shuttered. Most have heeded evacuation orders as Israel continues its aerial assault in Lebanon’s South.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing in non-English language).
AL-SHALCHI: Recorded hymns also ring out from the church, echoing down the empty streets. The Michigan synagogue shooter Ayman Ghazali was born and raised here, along with his two brothers. He had a niece and a nephew. All were killed in an Israeli airstrike. On March 5, as the sun set, they were all gathered at Ibrahim Ghazali’s house, the attacker’s younger brother, breaking fast for Ramadan.
(SOUNDBITE OF CAR PASSING)
AL-SHALCHI: A car passes by that house, which is now just a pile of rubble. The roof is caved in. I can see water leaking from a severed pipe and clothes strewn on top. Children’s toys are covered in dust. Fouad Qasem, Ghazali’s maternal uncle lives down the street. He says he helped pull the bodies of his nephews and the children out of the rubble that night.
FOUAD QASEM: (Non-English language spoken).
AL-SHALCHI: “I held my own flesh and blood in my hands,” he says tearfully. The Israeli military did not respond to NPR about why they hit the family’s house. Israel says it’s targeting Hezbollah after the militant group launched rockets into Israel at the beginning of the war with Iran. Qasem, like so many here, says he’s heartbroken for all the loss and also angry at Israel’s relentless bombing.
QASEM: (Non-English language spoken).
AL-SHALCHI: “What did the children do to deserve this?” he says. U.S. officials say they’re investigating why Ayman Ghazali attacked the synagogue in Michigan. But many in this town say they believe it was revenge. Several said anyone would want to avenge the killing of their entire family. Ibrahim Zeih, a soccer coach of one of the killed brothers, says he understands the anger, but that’s not an excuse to kill other innocent people so far away.
IBRAHIM ZEIH: (Non-English language spoken).
AL-SHALCHI: “We’re not against Jews as Jews,” he says. “We’re against the Israelis who are killing us daily.” Machghara’s mayor is distressed by this neverending cycle of violence. Iskander Barakeh says he’s now worried about Lebanese Americans from here who live in the U.S. facing retaliation.
ISKANDER BARAKEH: Because revenge will bring more revenge from the other side and will not finish.
AL-SHALCHI: Everybody, he says, deserves to live in peace. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Machghara in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley.
