Al-Rahi Calls on Christians to Confront Attack on Islam
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Tuesday that Christians should help Muslims to confront the assault against Islam by terrorists.
“The developments in the Middle East are not related to ethics or humanity in any way,” al-Rahi said during his visit to the state of Victoria in Australia.
He pointed out that the “terrorist acts carried out by some sides under the name of Islam are not related to the religion of Muslims.”
The Patriarch headed to Australia on Thursday on a two-week pastoral visit.
Al-Rahi described terrorism as the “result of regional and international interests.”
“We realize that not all terrorists are Muslims... but there's a scheme to distort the image of Islam, which compels Christians to help Muslims confront the campaign against their religion,” al-Rahi noted.
The rise of the Islamic State group has destabilized the region and had a negative impact on the security situation in Lebanon.
The Lebanese army engaged over the weekend in a four-day deadly battles with Islamist gunmen in the northern coastal city of Tripoli.
Militants have carried out repeated attacks against the army, accusing it of cooperating with Hizbullah.
The battle between the Lebanese army and extremists in northern Lebanon was widely expected after members of the IS and al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, launched several attacks over the past weeks in areas on the border with Syria.
H.K.
G.K.
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