Al-Rahi Urges Govt. to Respect International Obligations

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi criticized on Sunday the government’s “hesitation” in adhering to international legitimacy, especially regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

He said during his Sunday sermon: “We warn against failing to respect international obligations and we hold the officials responsible for the dangerous repercussions Lebanon and its people would incur as a result of this failure.”

He stressed that Lebanon is obligated to respect the tribunal, justice, and the truth.

Furthermore, the patriarch noted that Lebanon is one of the founding members of the United Nations and therefore it would wrong to neglect its resolutions and agreements.

Addressing local developments, al-Rahi condemned the murder of Lebanese woman Myriam al-Ashqar, 28, who was found dead Tuesday in a forestland located between the Keserwan towns of Sahel Alma and Harisa.

She was killed by the janitor of the Our Lady of the Annunciation monastery in Baqloush, where she went to pray on Monday and where she used to pray several times every other week.

Security forces arrested the prime suspect, Syrian janitor Fathi Jabr al-Salatin, who is well-known in the town, where he had been residing over the last year and a half.

The patriarch praised the security forces for uncovering the murderer, demanding that arms possession in Lebanon be controlled.

“The security forces should assume their responsibilities, starting with protecting the citizens against the violation of their rights,” he stressed.