Al-Rahi Fears Possible Syria Civil War, Displacement of Christians
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Friday voiced concerns over a possible Sunni-Alawite civil war in Syria that “might lead to displacing the Christians from the region, like in Iraq.”
At a press conference ahead of talks with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon in New York, al-Rahi added: “We are not with the ruling regimes, we are with the reforms that are essential for the Arab peoples, but we are also with the democratic life.”
He voiced his support for “democratic reforms” in the Arab countries, but stressed that change should not happen through “violence.”
The patriarch noted that the Christians “are not minorities,” highlighting the fact that they “have existed in the region since 2,000 years.”
Commenting on the controversial issue of Hizbullah’s arsenal of weapons, al-Rahi said that the Shiite party’s possession of arms is “justified, as Israel is still occupying Lebanese territory and violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
He stressed that the international community can play an effective role in resolving the issue by “pressuring Israel into pulling out (its troops) and ceasing its violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Addressing the Palestinian cause, al-Rahi emphasized the need that the United Nations help implement the relevant U.N. resolutions “so that the Palestinians can have their state in which they would live in peace.”
Earlier on Friday, al-Rahi hoped the so-called Arab Spring sweeping the region will be maintained through “dialogue, not conflict and civil wars.”
He also warned against “all foreign meddling” in the ongoing popular uprisings.
“It won’t be an Arab Spring should violence and war drag on, as they reap numerous innocent victims and minorities would usually pay the price,” al-Rahi warned, at a reception thrown in his honor at the Lebanese consulate in New York.
“It won’t be an Arab Spring should anyone of the children of this nation die; it won’t be an Arab Spring should we end up with civil, religious or sectarian wars,” the patriarch, who is on a pastoral visit to the U.S., cautioned.
However, al-Rahi added that “we are looking forward to an Arab Spring during which Muslims and Christians would live together, as we belong to one nation, one fate, one culture and one civilization that we have built together year after year.”
The patriarch stressed that “it will be an Arab Spring should the Arab peoples realize their demands and right to a decent living and should all reforms be implemented,” hoping the new regimes will be built upon the principles of justice, public freedoms and democracy.
21 October 2011, 21:24
16
I am trying to understand what the Patriarch is saying! peaceful removal of the bloody Arab dictators! How is that possible? please tell us? Assad and Saleh of Yemen are now killing their people...Khadafy is dead after killing 20,000 or so...Saddam Hussein even killed some of his own family and the list goes own. Look at our own country, M14 is peaceful and Hizb took over Lebanon...with all due respect please open your eyes.
21 October 2011, 23:16
03
You worry about the minorities in an ME dominated by Sunni fundamentalists, does that include the Jews and Christians in the holy land or do you support the brotherhood offshoot hamas and their Islamic state like hassan does?
22 October 2011, 09:42
04
Another reason why religious folk should shut up and get back to whatever they do. There is no place for them in politics. All they do is cause more hatred towards other sects. Lebanon has proven to be a failed state, and it's day on the Arab Spring calendar will one day come, ousting the syrian and iranian spies and traitors
22 October 2011, 11:32
33
Guys what the Patriarch is saying, that after the "Dictators" and their system gets removed, NATO has to control the situation and organize the mess and fill the gaps left form the old "Arab" style of ruling...... like in Egypt, lot of Christians are dying because of barbaric acts of other Sects and Gangs...... Remember his job is to protect his people and this is what he is doing.....
Please stop Criticizing people like him, because trust me you are nowhere near what they know or value....... with all due respects,
22 October 2011, 16:06
11
major minor, facts are that it was jews who expelled christians from palestine since 1948, not muslims. It was jews who turned chruches in to bars, nightclubs, toilets and other insulting things. It was and is jews who restrict Palestinian christians from traveling, working and from a decent living. Its the jews who spit on christians DAILY in jerusalem, a problem that their police does nothing about, even the zionist media have reported on this. Ask jews who converted to christianity if they are safe from the hate jews have for christians and christianity in so called israel, they will tell you NO as they are constantly harassed, beaten or insulted by jews. I think your comment was totally uncalled for.
22 October 2011, 16:26
02
To A Christian from Lebanon:
Before you go ahead and assume that Christians were better off under the old Arab regimes, perhaps you should review the status of Christians in the country that you gave as an example: Egypt.
Christians in Egypt were not better off under Moubarak. The law severely limiting the right to build churches in Egypt and which is at the root of the current Muslim-Christian problems was drafted by the old regime. Many churches in Egypt were sacked and vandalized during Moubarak's time, not forgetting frequent deadly attacks and riots against Christians in upper Egypt.
So before telling people that the Patriarch is more knowledgeable than they are, perhaps you should sit with him for a history lesson. Than both of you could put things in the right historical perspective and make logical decisions instead of sweeping statements.
22 October 2011, 17:59
10
I never compared "the old regime" to the "the new regime" simply because there is no structure in these fallen countries yet......... What I am saying is that instead of letting these "Sects" kill each others and try to dominate, NATO should protect everyone and conduct a complete restructure before other mess-ups happen and more extremists get slaps on the wrists from the west again.......and this is what our Patriarch is doing... this has nothing to do with history btw
