Al-Rahi: State Should Assign Security Duties to Official Authorities
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped on Sunday that the state would bolster trust in the armed forces.
He said during the Christmas mass that was held at Bkirki: “The state should assign all security and defense duties to the political authorities.”
“The state is obligated to guarantee the people’s safety, gather all arms, and limit security duties to the state, which will therefore ensure an arms-free Beirut and arms-free Lebanon,” he noted.
On Monday, Beirut MPs had demanded that the Beirut be stripped of all armed groups in order to avert armed clashes that had erupted in the capital in recent years,
In addition, al-Rahi said that the judicial authority should act independently and away from external meddling.
It should be fortified and protected in order to ensure that all sides are treated equally, he stressed.
“We look forward to justice that can be exacted by brave and honest judges,” said the patriarch.
“No one can obstruct justice or politicize it,” he continued.
Al-Rahi also hoped that amnesty would be granted to Lebanese citizens who were forced to flee to Israel, saying that the Lebanese should all be reunited.
The mass was attended by President Michel Suleiman, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, and other officials.
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