Al-Rahi Slams 'Insulting of Dignities': Evil Being Plotted against Church, Shepherds
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday voiced regret over the proliferation of “corruption” in Lebanon, warning that “evil is being plotted against the church and its shepherds.”
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of corruption, malice, injustice and insulting of dignities and reputations through lies and fabrications,” the patriarch said in his sermon.
He hoped “the Arab Spring will meet the aspirations of the people by being the spring of democracy, respect for the human’s freedom, enhancing public freedoms and incorporating democracy into the Arab political systems.”
“We have voiced our commitment to the rise of a Christian spring that would continue to carry the genuine Christian message in this Levant,” al-Rahi reiterated.
Al-Rahi’s remarks in the wake of the so-called Arab Spring sweeping the region have sparked controversy in Lebanon.
He has voiced concerns over a possible Sunni-Alawite civil war in Syria that “might lead to displacing the Christians from the region, like in Iraq.”
He has voiced his support for “democratic reforms” in the Arab countries, but stressed that change should not happen through “violence.”
Al-Rahi has also hoped the Arab Spring will be maintained through “dialogue, not conflict and civil wars.” He has also warned against “all foreign meddling” in popular uprisings.
“It won’t be an Arab Spring should violence and war drag on, as they reap numerous innocent victims and minorities would usually pay the price,” al-Rahi has warned.
“It won’t be an Arab Spring should anyone of the children of this nation die; it won’t be an Arab Spring should we end up with civil, religious or sectarian wars,” the patriarch has cautioned.
However, al-Rahi has stated that “we are looking forward to an Arab Spring during which Muslims and Christians would live together, as we belong to one nation, one fate, one culture and one civilization that we have built together year after year.”
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has recently slammed al-Rahi’s stances on the Syrian crisis, saying his remarks “put all the Christians in the region in danger.”
“I can’t hide the fact that his statements had infuriated me, as they support the regime and contradict with our entire history and I cannot be proud of this rhetoric,” Geagea has announced.
“Doesn’t Patriarch al-Rahi know that the majority of Christians are against the Syrian regime? What regime is more hardline than the Syrian regime? What regime has committed only 1% of the Syrian regime’s acts against us? It is illogical to support a killer regime?” Geagea has said, calling on the patriarch to “quickly act in order to clarify Bkirki’s stance.”
“Is it reasonable for the patriarch of the Maronites to be like (Arab Tawhid Party leader) Wiam Wahhab, (Lebanon’s Baath Party leader) Fayez Shukur, Russia and China? How can we justify this position?” Geagea has wondered, comparing al-Rahi to Syria’s allies in Lebanon and the world.
Source: Naharnet
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