Rahi Says Sale of Lebanese Land is 'Crime,' Calls for 'Mandatory' Election of President
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi warned on Tuesday that the sale of lands in Lebanon was tantamount to committing a “crime” and “treason,” stressing the “mandatory” election of a new president on time.
“Our land is the land of coexistence … It gave us our identity,” al-Rahi said in his traditional Christmas message.
“We will not commit treason against it,” he said.
“We should preserve our land and leave it as a legacy for others,” he said. “Selling it or plotting against our land is a crime and treason for the (Lebanese) identity and history.”
“Peace building in Lebanese territories and the Orient is our responsibility,” he said.
“Our land is priceless … We preserve it for being sacred … We reject to turn it into the land of hatred and killing,” al-Rahi stressed.
“The church rejects that any Lebanese sells his land. We help him through our institutions to invest his land and live from it,” he said.
Al-Rahi urged big investors to preserve their lands to protect their historic identity and invest them for development projects to contribute to the country's economy and the people's livelihoods.
The patriarch urged the authorities to control the sale of land owned by the Lebanese to foreigners.
Turning to Lebanon’s political crisis and the government deadlock, al-Rahi said the officials should form a constitutional cabinet capable of guaranteeing the real peace, which he said is based on honesty between the rival parties.
Al-Rahi also called for controlling illegitimate weapons and suppressing assaults on the Lebanese.
He said peace in Lebanon calls for the lawmakers' “mandatory” attendance of parliamentary sessions to elect a new president within the constitutional deadline.
The patriarch said the president should have a clear agenda to reach a capable centralized state with a wide range of decentralization and resolve the gaps in the post of the presidency.
The new head of state should bring the views of the rival parties closer, revive loyalty to Lebanon and distance it from regional conflicts, he said.
Addressing kidnapped bishops and nuns in Syria, al-Rahi said: “You are our Eid and Christmas ... Don’t be afraid. We are proud of your Jihad.”
Al-Rahi urged warring parties to reach comprehensive peace, warning that the fire could spread quickly and burn the region.
24 December 2013, 09:54
44
Al Rahi, how do you answer that Hezbollah is buying HUGE chunks of land with iranian money? I got offers from Hezbollahi Chias trying to buy some of my properties in order to colonize my city. that's the way they operate Patriarch. and why didn't I give in? because I have strong principles. I wish we could say the same about some clerics from all sects...
And of course, this iranian money buys lands instead of feeding starving iranian families.... that's how evil they are.
24 December 2013, 10:00
44
They also tried to buy my chalet in Kaslik for reasons unknown to me. They claimed they wanted it for Rest and Relaxation for their fighters coming back from Syria.
24 December 2013, 10:09
35
ha ha,good one. why am i not suprised!
listen icey, today will be my last day commenting, the system is no longer working for mem talking to kids and terrorists doesn't do it anymore. I wish you and my other friends here a good continuation and a merry xmas and a better 2014 for lebanon. perhaps if the system evolved, i'd get involved again but untill then it's a sayonara!
thank-you for the good times and your ongoing support and joyeux noel tout le monde which includes the discreet naharnet staff ;-)
24 December 2013, 10:25
22
Benzona: No, don't go.....! I know how things have deteriorated with their fake accounts and disgusting comments. However, don't give up. This forum is just a perfect example for what we have to deal with in real life. I am of the opinion we need to divide the country and have held this view for at least the last 10 years. I will be sad to see you go, and I mean that. I will miss you my friend.....
I am going to mass tonight with my family. I will pray for Lebanon and for "less" HA casualties in Syria.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.
24 December 2013, 10:28
00
HA's tactics are so transparent that it boggles my mind how they can have any Christian apologists whatsoever. They propagate the problems that Lebanon is facing, then claim to be the only saviors who can rid Lebanon of these problems. It's a vicious cycle of self-justification.
Anyway, HA is not part of the future. They're sending their own young to die on foreign soil, they've made their own neighborhoods vulnerable to terrorist activities, and any agreement on Syria that's ultimately reached will surely encompass a crippling of HA's capabilities. Hopefully war can be avoided, but if it does occur, the following words spoken long ago will ring true: "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword."
24 December 2013, 17:36
10
To Frata!!! Not Your Iranian Masters, Nor your Blood thirsty filthy Bachar Followers ,, I have the right to say also that Kaminai sucks, Hasan Nasrala of Ghizbola criminal, filthy and biggest terrorist afte binladen.
Who cares about Saudi Arabia as they are not helping anyone in Lebanon... unless you are talking about supporting the government when it was time to help for the war that you Ghizbola started against Israel in the 2006?
I guess you know that the people that attacked the embassy came from Lebanon ...so smartA.. keep immigrating the fighters to syria .. I am happy that it is for good.. :)
24 December 2013, 10:35
00
You will be missed benzona.. Ihave been reading your posts for quite sometime.. I wish you a merry xmas bro..
24 December 2013, 10:36
00
until rahi defines illegal weapons as the weapons of hezbolah his nice speeches mean nothing...
24 December 2013, 11:41
62
This is clearly directed at the Saudi/Khaliji invasion and mass purchase of lands/properties in predominantly Christian areas. Al Rahi won't fall for it and is calling them out.
God bless Al Rahi for protecting Lebanon and for lashing out at the February 14 Saudi-Wahabi terrorist coalition.
24 December 2013, 12:20
23
Karim,
Your blind view of the world is dangerous. You will wake up one day to the ugly truth that you were cheated by the very people you support.
You know Iran is buying up more land for Hezbollah than anyone else connecting various regions in the country. It's only a matter of time until they cut us off and lock us in. Most of the land scandals are Hezbollah related !
24 December 2013, 13:32
32
Alea iacta est, no more talking with terrorism apologists. You should spare your saliva, they're spinless and will never understand you guys.
24 December 2013, 14:37
12
@benzona : As you say, it's useless to talk to "terrorist apologists". But these comments are not addressed to them. They are addressed to others who read these comments and might be convinced by them, or not.
Karim is insinuating that al Rahi is attacking Saudi purchase of lands in lebanon when it is clear his attack is directed to Hezbollah. Typical twisting of words to manipulate public opinion.
24 December 2013, 14:44
22
they are obviously manipulators, but do you think people fall for their lies?
24 December 2013, 14:17
52
No Karim, this is directed at everyone trying to buy Christian land. To be perfectly honest with you, this is one thorn in my heart when it comes to you my Shiite siblings, I just don't like that habit of yours, buying our lands will you to nowhere, it will only exacerbate the feeling that's all. But the traitors are those Christians who have no problems to sell land that belongs to us. Let me assure everyone concerned, that sooner or later, Lebanon will be divided along sectarian lines and this time it will be for good, what is happening in Syria and Iraq is the division of the Middle East, breaking all the conventions of the colonials, drawing a more real maps, that is commensurate with the realities on the ground. So buying or no buying, some things will simply revert back b use of force, that simple, Saudi, Iranian, Shiite, what is God's is God's and what is Caesar's is Caesar's.
24 December 2013, 12:06
52
Al rahi means christian lebanese land only i wish for a secular lebanon to not allow people like this man to spread their racism lebanon is for all lebanese al rahi not just christians why don't you teach understanding and inclusion not ignorance and exclusion.
24 December 2013, 15:15
12
Alona and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May the Lord keep you and Lebanon safe, healthy, and prosperous.
24 December 2013, 17:50
31
sure that is why the majority of people speak phoenician and follow phoenician traditions and culture! i guess in dahiye they still wear the phoenician dress don't they! LOL
24 December 2013, 18:09
21
what a fun each time people still say lebanon is phoenician... like if french say they are gauls or the british they are celts!
i guess you still pray all the phoenician gods and godesses? wahahaha!
you are then surely ashamed to speak the same language as the cannibals! and have it as the official language!!
yes, sure, you must be really suffering....
poor people...
24 December 2013, 18:51
22
You're not my nightmare darling. We tolerate and coexist but it's your cannibalism that's a problem.
25 December 2013, 00:51
10
Please explain to me who does Al rahi represent because he certainly does not represent all lebanese
25 December 2013, 00:53
10
All i was stating was keep religion out of politics , religion is a personal choice and should not be involved in government.
25 December 2013, 04:21
00
The Land Of Jesus, Ibraham and Jacob and Ismael, The Land Of Mohamad and the Land of all their companions.
Keep your voice and head down and respect the desert that brought your " Lost farsi empire" DOWN that Iran is trying to revive!
