Suleiman Supports al-Rahi's Visit to Damascus, Calls against Politicizing it
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
President Michel Suleiman expressed support on Saturday for Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's expected visit to Syria.
The president called against “politicizing” al-Rahi's visit as it shouldn't be take out of its context.
Al-Rahi will head on Sunday to Damascus to take part in the inauguration celebration of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Levant and Antioch Youhanna al-Yaziji.
“The Maronite patriarch is the guardian of the Christians rights in the east and I support his visit to Syria, he knows what he's doing,” Suleiman said after a mass held on St. Maroun day in Gemmayzeh.
The expected visit of al-Rahi would be the first for a Maronite patriarch since Lebanon's independence in 1943, after the visit carried out by the late Patriarch Antoun Arida during the French mandate.
The March 8 and14 alliances are split over the revolt in Syria that began in March 2011 with the opposition backing the revolt in Syria while a ruling coalition supports the Damascus regime.
Concerning the new electoral law, Suleiman stressed on the importance of “adopting an electoral law that relieves everyone.”
The electoral subcommittee is currently discussing a hybrid draft-law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems proposed by AMAL's Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc, which is led by Speaker Nabih Berri.
09 February 2013, 13:46
26
It is his right but considering his status, it will be used by the assad regime as a propaganda tool. This makes it political.
09 February 2013, 14:08
15
In our world , where perception is a lot more powerful than reality, the visit of the patriarch to Syria will surely be perceived as a clear support to Assad by the Christians.
Now with more extremists among the rebel ranks this might mean disastrous attacks against the Syrian Christians.
The patriarch should have stayed neutral and his visit to damascus under the current circumstances is tremedously wrong.
09 February 2013, 14:13
13
First we get Aoun, and now this? Well done Lebanese Christians
09 February 2013, 16:10
23
The Maronite patriarch is the guardian of the Christians rights in the east and I support his visit to Syria........
With all due respect Mr. President (and I mean that), I do not believe in individual regardless of his religious rank can be the guardian of anyone's rights. Everyone's rights should be guarded by Civil Laws and by the Constitution. And any Nation that does not practice that is a backward and doomed nation, hence the disaster we call today the Middle East.
It is my dream that Civic-minded Lebanese of all religions unite to create such a Lebanon and make Lebanon a beacon for other retarded neighboring countries to emulate and strive to become like.
09 February 2013, 17:30
35
Josh - you know nothing about history and you do not reference it. You are a racist and a regime lover (or a mossad agent) in syria. Your argument is always sunni bad (no matter what sunnis do), alawis are good (no matter what alawite do) and christians as victims of sunnis. Sometime you reference the Baath as a saviour, a party that you know nothing about. What did the current regime do to the founders and intellectual drivers of the party? Michel Aflaq (a christian and the main intellectual behind the party) was sentenced to death in syria and whose burial was destroyed by the same government that support your regime in syria. Most lived their lives in jail or in exile. Do you know what their major crime? Most opposed the breakup of the union between Egypt and Syria, the ascent of military men to rule in Syria and the militirization of the country.
09 February 2013, 17:30
24
Continued from previous -
The MB (despite my dislike of any sectarian party and that also include the hizb) has not and is not involved in attacks against christians. The takfiris (and likely the government mukhabarat) are. Once Bashar decided to kill his people rather than truly reform the system, he opened the gates of hell. Josh, of course, does not care about the victims in syria who are overwhelmingly sunnis. After all, they are the enemies as far as he is concerned.
09 February 2013, 17:33
25
In addition, there has been no evidence that christians are been speciifically targetted. There has been isolated incident but many christians live in fsa - controlled areas. I suspect that many more christians were killed by the indescriminate artillary bombings by regime forces.
09 February 2013, 17:59
23
Josh - I think much wrong happened when you were recruited by the Mossad. In addition Samir (love that name! Damn - now I know why my mom wanted it for my son) was jailed by the same regime you defend and was released when the syrian army was forced to withdraw. I am not a fan of any civil-war militia leader but since his release he has shown himself to be a national leader of stature. Many in the Sunni community love him because when the mustaqbal was cowed at one point of time by the power of hizb arms (and entered into too many compromises), he spoke what many people were thinking.
09 February 2013, 18:43
00
this mistake will be paid cash....everything in lebanon is politicized from top to bottom...i hope he is not thinking of bringing the syrian chistians to lebanon to equalize another sect who is receiving daily supplies of refugees..popcorn plse,the picture is clearer by the day.
10 February 2013, 02:36
01
Democracy is nice. We can debate and disagree and we do not have to fear al mukhabarat or be disappeared - something that is denied to many in the arab countries.
