Al-Rahi Meets Sarkozy: Change Must Not Be Hastily Introduced to Arab World
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Monday the church’s opposition to war and violence, saying that it supports regimes that respect human rights that ensure that citizens can live in peace.
He made his statements after holding talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace as part of his ongoing trip to France that he began on Saturday.
The Patriarch said that the meeting tackled the “deep friendship” between Lebanon and France, adding that the French President supports the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon’s mission in southern Lebanon.
Sarkozy condemned the various attacks that have been committed against the peacekeeping force, stressing that it will continue its mission, al-Rahi quoted the French official as saying.
“France will always condemn any attack against any peacekeeping soldier,” he stated.
Earlier on Monday, al-Rahi told France 24 television that the international community should not to be hasty in its decisions to introduce change to Arab regimes, warning that their policies could risk the establishment of extremist regimes or the fragmentation of the Arab world.
He said: “International policies should pave the way for the people to live in peace.”
On the developments in Syria, he said: “The church wants regimes to protect the people’s rights … and they should not be reached through war and violence.”
“Are we headed to a Sunni-Alawite civil war in Syria?” he asked.
“Genocide is taking place there and not democracy or reform,” al-Rahi stressed.
“The international community should follow up on the developments in Syria and it should follow through with developments there until the very end,” the Patriarch added.
“It’s not enough to bless wars, but we should be aware of the results they will yield,” he noted.
“We should aid the international community politically in order to protect the minorities whether they are Christian or Muslim because people have the right to live in dignity,” he emphasized.
Al-Rahi stated: “The church is not biased towards any regime, but it backs any regime that respects human rights, peace, and justice.”
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