Suleiman Warns on Future of Christians in Orient, Sounds Upbeat Note on Kidnapped Bishops
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
President Michel Suleiman warned on Saturday that Christianity would be in limbo if Lebanon’s free Christians disappear due to the changes in the region but he voiced confidence on the fate of two bishops kidnapped in Syria.
“If Lebanon’s free Christians disappear, then the religion will crumble in the Middle East, Asia and Africa,” the president warned during a speech at the first Conference on the Christians of the Orient in the Metn town of Rabweh.
He said “coexistence means engaging in continuous dialogue with the other and preferring the nation's identity on the religious one.”
“Coexistence does not only mean Christians and Muslims living together ... it means a coexistence in politics, in the sense of vertical ties between the governor and the governed,” Suleiman told the conference.
It also means the participation in governance as part of mutual consent, he said.
Suleiman rejected the rule of the absolute majority and refused the minority's hegemony, which he said leads to dictatorship.
“If Christians at any moment suffer from the complex of minority,” then they consider themselves that they have disappeared, he said.
“The future of Christians does not come through isolation or Western military protection, which is a provocative project,” he said.
Suleiman stressed that their future comes through moderation and openness.
“The project of the Christians in the Orient is the plan of every citizen that longs for freedom, justice and growth to matter to which sect he belongs to,” he added.
The president lamented that the number of Christians in the Orient dropped from 25% to 6% due to wars and mainly the Arab-Israeli conflict.
“Dangers threatening the Christians in the Orient are known. Mainly they are changes in demography, emigration and backwardness in their participation in decision-making except for Lebanon,” he said.
Suleiman used the occasion to announce to the participants of the conference that he has received a message from Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim ben Hamad Al Thani, informing him that Doha was exerting strong efforts to free Bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi.
The two bishops were kidnapped by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo at the end of April while on humanitarian work.
Qatar is a main backer of the rebels seeking to overthrow the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad since the uprising that started in March 2011.
26 October 2013, 12:56
518
Mr. President, don't worry. We are already seeing them kill each other with chemical weapons. Wait until Iran gets their first nuclear bomb.
26 October 2013, 20:21
05
This is really not about M-8 or M-14. This has regional implications that, unfortunately, Lebanon was made a part of when the civil war started. I prefer to rely on my M-16 :(
26 October 2013, 13:14
717
If Suleiman is worried about the fate of Christians he should be worried about the plans of the KSA for the region and specifically Lebanon.
26 October 2013, 13:26
513
Rest assured, we have no worries about the "fate" itself. It is the KSA and Iran who are overreaching their boundaries beyond their own comfort level which will directly be cause their demise.
26 October 2013, 15:29
195
just give us 1 example when KSA threatened christians in Lebanon ? facts non legends please. Also explain us why they employ so many on its territory ?
26 October 2013, 20:31
19
Sir, we are no just concerned about the Christians in Lebanon. I want a Christian Church in Makkah where Muslims go for haj, and build a community of about 100,000 thousand living and praying as they wish. If you can make it possible, I'll give up everything and devote all the energy, time and money I have and/or raise to further KSA interests in the region.
28 October 2013, 12:45
11
wolf you might want to check facts to at least hide the fact that you are completely ignorant.
Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar all have churches.. most built with money donated from the princes and sheikhs themselves..
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the gcc which doesn't..
now breath in and hold it...
28 October 2013, 12:47
10
and Vincent.. you want a church in Makah? well I am sure some Muslims want a mosque in the Vatican.. let us see who gets it first.. hahaha
28 October 2013, 12:50
10
and Vincent.. you want a church in Makah? well I am sure some Muslims want a mosque in the Vatican.. let us see who gets it first.. hahaha
26 October 2013, 13:56
31
As long as the Christians are fragmented into several parties where each one cares for its own interest, I bet you there would be no christian in Lebanon in the near future. The Christians have proven to be self-centered, self-absorbed and nut heads. So, they deserve anything that happens to them. I am a Christian and see no future for the Christians in Lebanon as long as we have the nut heads Aoun and Franjeih representing us.
26 October 2013, 15:07
513
Ya fakhamto, No one is in limbo. Neither Christians nor other minorities are not in limbo. Noone cares about your adoring Jesus Christ or Imam Ali.
You are so unpragmatic...
Our problem today is a huge growing public debt and government deficit. Our problem is that Lebanese choose leaders who have foreign allegiances, and that the regimes around us are imperialistic. And our problem is that the biggest war of the 21st century is on our doorstep.
26 October 2013, 17:45
28
wolf. if lebanon has money, we would create better job opportunities for those gunmen, and they would become part of society instead of being outcasts who fight for a salary...
If you dont understand the gist of my message, maybe you should read it 3 or 4 times before judging.
27 October 2013, 09:32
20
Ft. i agree on your theory of crappy genes (or bad upbringing). But statistically why would all crappy genes be in tripoli?
One army commander said, when confronted about why he doesnt deal with Tripoli like he would with Jounieh for example: In Jounieh, you have 2 criminals. In Tabbaneh, you have 2 awadim. That cannot be explained by statistics. It can be explained by lack of job opportunities.
26 October 2013, 15:27
174
Translation of Sothern : Please Christians, join alawites and shias in our fight against sunnis in Syria and Lebanon...
26 October 2013, 16:01
163
@ wolf : we're speaking about LEBANON, KSA internal affairs are none of christian matters...
26 October 2013, 16:44
175
It does not play a major role in our internal affairs, it does help us now and then to reconciliate, invest in our economy billions, employ lebaneses of all confessions, but that's it...
KSA is a country with weak political and military power on the region. Their strength come from their wealth and the fact that Muslim holy cities are on their territory.
Some shias propagandists benefit from trying to establish a link between KSA, sunnis or terrorists. But KSA beheads takfiris every year.
And btw neither KSA nor Hariris represent the sunnis...
26 October 2013, 17:01
417
@ cedre
If the KSA does not play a large role in Lebanon then why do Lebanese politicians have to fly to Riyadh to get anything done?
26 October 2013, 17:30
132
FT cant u understand i'm not benzona ? i dont have enough self derision or low esteem to call myself benzona...
26 October 2013, 17:47
162
just like iranian ayatollahs call the christians "evil religion of the west".... christian churches are targets, bibles are burnt, muslim converted to christianity face death sentences, priests are in jail...
and M8 still support this regime and shout that they defend christians of the middle east! double standard cowards LOL
26 October 2013, 19:44
122
"Suleiman Warns on Future of Christians in Orient"
Orient ? Does he mean the whole of the Middle East ?
Let him tell of the whipping of Christians in Iran because they have Communion wine. Let him tell of the burning of Coptic Churches in Egypt.
Let him tell of the undisturbed lives of the Christians in Israel.
26 October 2013, 20:19
111
Phillipo,
While your statements are true, the lasst one is NOT.
Israelis are happy to see the demise of Christians in the Orient because they were their competitors in winning the hearts and minds of Western nations, competing with Israel in commerce and Tourism and in the world's public opinion. Israel did its best to ensure Christian Palestinians and extinct and wishes the same for Lebanese Christians. Any tears by Orthodox Jews are Crocodile tears.
26 October 2013, 23:44
10
Here is a sampling of what Christians have to endure under a regime that according to some here is supposed to protect Christians:
Four Christians sentenced to 80 lashes in Iran for drinking ceremonial wine during communion service. These men were also found guilty of possessing a satellite radio antenna
27 October 2013, 03:25
26
The Christians must come together and take the lead in bringing the nation back on it´s feet as they are the most divided part in lebanon. All the political parties should pull back from m-14 and m-8 and instead form a war government. Such government should include all to be able saving lebanon from large-scale war.
