Al-Rahi Urges March 14 to Take Part in Dialogue on 'Changing Govt.'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Tuesday called on the opposition March 14 camp to accept President Michel Suleiman's call for national dialogue, stressing that "we cannot cripple the state and dialogue upon every crisis."
"I repeat my condolences over the assassination of (Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head) Maj. Gen. (Wissam) al-Hasan and all the victims," said al-Rahi at the Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport, upon his arrival from a visit to Rome.
"I tell our brothers in the March 14 camp that their wound is our wound, but things must be confronted in a calm manner," he added.
The patriarch stressed that "things can only be resolved through dialogue, because the martyrdom of Maj. Gen. al-Hasan is not a simple issue as it indicates the presence of conspiracies aimed at dragging Lebanon into the unknown."
"March 14 must accept the president's call for dialogue in a calm manner and all world powers are afraid of a vacuum in Lebanon," al-Rahi went on to say.
The patriarch noted that he has approved Suleiman's call for a "peaceful change of the government, through understanding and dialogue and without causing a power vacuum."
"Nothing is 'sacred' and let us think of a transitional process," al-Rahi added.
He pointed out that the president's call is "the best in order to replace the government."
"We must shoulder our responsibilities and confront the regional and international difficulties," al-Rahi said.
Asked about his stance on the electoral law, the patriarch reiterated his rejection of the 1960 law.
On the issue of being promoted to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, al-Rahi said: "This honoring is the result of the pope's visit to Lebanon and the result of the spontaneity and love of the Lebanese people."
"The Vatican's secretary told me that the pope decided to honor Lebanon, the Christians and the entire Orient by promoting me to a cardinal," he added.
30 October 2012, 18:30
45
once more!
what dialogue are you talking about, where the criminals sit on the table to threaten m14?
which dialogue are you talking about where criminals and traitors refuse to hand over wanted criminals.
whic dialogue are you talking about where the only subject on the table is not up for discussion?
what dialogue are you talking about where all what was agreed upon was never executed, and worse hixbushaitan has been spreading weapons to their traitor allies all around?
.....
30 October 2012, 18:54
53
Geha, you have not stopped cursing the batrak since he was promoted. You have claimed that the pope and the vatican were disappointed with our Batrack and were working on removing him! You also claim to be a Maronite from jounie!
All have been proven to be lies!
The cardinal el Rahi is asking for Lebanese patriotic politicians, to come together and talk to each other! Something that you and hariri believe are impossible. Why? Hariri is living in Riyadh, Saudi arabia! What does he know about lebanon and Lebanese? If the Barack can make it to a meeting... Why not saadadine hariri?
30 October 2012, 19:10
23
instead of criticising in the air, why don't you comment on my comment? because it is all true? :)
30 October 2012, 20:05
01
Geha, since we're asking questions-- were you or were you not a Syriam ally for 30+ years? Were you or were you not from the camp that called the Syrian occupation a "presence", and do you or do you not condone the fact that there were Syrian flags throughout your nonsense protest at the Serail after the Hassan funeral? Answer these, thanks in advance.
30 October 2012, 19:20
63
What's true? You deny 30% of the Lebanese community! We want to build trust and relieve them of their arms! You want to continue to attack and undermine 30% of our Lebanese community by declaring them evil and enemies! Shame on your attempts to side against your own people! If you think that hezballah is not our own people then you are dillusional! Through dialogue and trust they will disarm... Not by your traitoures values on the side foreigners!
30 October 2012, 19:28
34
you are pathetic, and still have not replied on my comments!
anyone who follows and executes the orders of foreign forces is a traitor in my book, especially when they jeopordize our country's security.
why is hizbushaitan arming factions in the north? because they are afradi? or because they want to take ver the country after they drive all of us out?
you are dillusional if you think these guys are Lebanese...
30 October 2012, 20:07
00
Did you or did you not support Hariri Senior and this so-called M14 when they legalized the Hezb's arms since 1992 in every government policy statements? Did you or did you not take orders from Damascus for 30+ years? Let's call things for what they are, Hezb is scum and you are no different-- don't give us lessons on patriotism.
30 October 2012, 21:28
16
@ado.australia
Please distinguish between the Lebanese Shiites in general and HA. To believe even for a fleeting moment that HA will ever disarm as a result of dialogue is foolhardy. HA espouses a dogma that does not believe in a win-win dialogue that you and I believe in. Their's is a totalitarian theocratic philosophy anchored solidly in the premise of win-loose proposition.
In HA's book, win-win is weak and any other view besides their own is heretical.
The Shiites are Lebanese and one can live with them on that bases provided they feel secure. Core HA partisans cannot be swayed. Let's not fool ourselves, past history and performance are clear on this.
The same can be said about Salafis and we oppose those as well.
31 October 2012, 01:49
01
I did not suggest anything to the contrary. What I am implying is that there is a core set of Shiite HA followers that cannot be persuaded in any shape or form. The rest of the Shiites follow HA because of many reasons but not necessarily ideological ones. Provide for them and let the state embrace and be fair to them and they will have no more reasons to follow HA.
31 October 2012, 01:51
01
Oh, and by the same token, there are as many or more Sunnis that follow Future or hate HA. Anyone who tells you otherwise is just as delusional.
31 October 2012, 11:30
01
"HA are backed by at least 80% of lebanese shiaa." yes easy to have supporters when you coerce them! hezbos in the zone they control know everything about everyone so if you show signs that you are agaisnt hezbis you may have little pb in your daily life...
the majority of germans were with hitler, like the majority of russians followed staline... easy when you make people fear them, you become with them to avoid problems...take the arms from hezbis and you ll see the number of supporters drop drastically....
so funny and blind FT....
30 October 2012, 19:43
11
- - Who needs a dialogue and with whom or what for !! This strong government is here to stay till after the elections in 2013 because they will win the elections and the majority will not shift sides . Welcome back to your country Lebanon your Eminence Cardinal Bechara el Rahi and maybe the future Pope of the Roman Catholic Church !!! We are very proud of you and very proud of having you on the head of our church .
30 October 2012, 20:07
24
There will be no dialogue even if they sat to have dialogue because we all know that HA will NOT disarm and the only way Lebanon will see peace is when NO ONE bears arm accept the Lebanese armed forces - PERIOD! So everyone should realize that when HA is disarmed (which will only happen when hells gates open) we will see legitimate control by a government placed in power by and for the people! Bottom line a simple equation; HA out of the picture will allow for true dialogue.
30 October 2012, 20:12
72
Shiites are more than half of the community, according to Noam Chomsky and a blog on foreignpolicy.com recently.
Even Edward Luttwak believes it.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/12/07/revenge_of_the_sunnis
"In Lebanon, likewise, the Shiites have long been more numerous than the Christians or the Sunnis, but they were altogether weaker politically -- indeed, for most of Lebanon's history, they were more ignored than opposed. Today, by contrast, it is the emphatically Shiite movement Hezbollah -- which modestly calls itself the "Party of God" -- that is by far the most powerful party in the current Lebanese government, and its armed militia is stronger than the national army."
He neglects to mention the Taif Accord, which in 2009 gave M.8 45% of Parliament for its 55% of the popular vote.
30 October 2012, 21:19
14
@ chrisrushlau
What is your point? if it is that the Shiites have significant numbers in Lebanon, Iraq etc., then you need not reference the article in foreign policy. That article's premise, which you intentionally ignored in your comment, specifically predicts that the Sunnis are going to win this confrontation:
"... And as Assad does not have the mettle of his father -- who silenced his own Sunni-Islamist opponents by massacre -- it is easy enough to predict the victor. Democracy may not be the winner, but the Sunnis certainly will be."
The article has no bearing on your comment whatsoever, nor does your comment have a coherent point to it.
30 October 2012, 20:13
00
I don't believe that geha is lebanese, I could never see in his comments any indication that he even know lebanese arabic dialogue!
30 October 2012, 20:19
42
"For instance, the survey found a really disturbing and widespread belief in most Arab countries that Shias are not real Muslims. Interestingly, in Iraq (82 percent) and Lebanon (77 percent), countries with Shia majorities but notably torn by sectarian strife, Sunnis are significantly more likely to say that Shias are Muslims than are Muslims in Arab countries with small Shia populations. But 53 percent of Egyptians, 50 percent of Moroccans, 43 percent of Jordanians, and 41 percent of Tunisians -- all countries with very small Shia populations -- said that Shias are not Muslims. In Indonesia, 56 percent said they were "just a Muslim" and rejected identification as "Sunni."
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/09/how_muslims_really_think_about_islam
30 October 2012, 20:24
42
That survey result, that Sunnis in Shiite-majority countries have more respect for Shia than where Shiites are in the minority, suggests that if you put the question to the people of Lebanon: should all persons get equal voting power, even if Shiites choose to vote as a bloc and elect a Shiite government?: they would be willing to trust their Muslim brothers and sisters, more than in a place like Saudi Arabia, which apparently did not allow (who exactly?) the survey to be taken.
The absence of democracy in Lebanon under the Taif Accord does not just hurt Shiites, it hurts all the people, who are all oppressed by the foreign-financed warlord elite which is such a tiny minority of the population.
31 October 2012, 04:42
01
That survey result, that Sunnis in Shiite-majority countries have more respect for Shia than where Shiites are in the minority,..............
conclusion? I conclude that they respect themselves while others do not respect them ????
And fyi, the Taef accord hurts no one,l but H.A. weapons hurts the whole of Lebanon.
31 October 2012, 01:54
13
@karim_m1
Reading your comments one cannot help but wonder if you are able to distinguish between your front and rear ends...
31 October 2012, 05:52
00
no one is traitor, neithr 14 nor 8 but rather bunch of egocentric parties with no intellectual capabilities. discussion is the only way but a true one which means bring on the table caliber people who have the capabilities in putting a plan into execution.
31 October 2012, 07:57
00
Proud of all the posts ..i signed up specifically to say that
