Berri Slams Opposition’s Verbal Attack on Maronite Patriarch

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed discontent on Tuesday over the violent verbal attack against Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi by the March14-led opposition.

“His eminence realizes what’s happening in Syria and the region, and his only aim is to protect the Christians and all the Lebanese,” Berri told An Nahar newspaper.

He said the opposition would turn against those they “worship” when their interests change.

“I have already said it and today they are implementing it,” Berri stressed.

Earlier this week, al-Rahi’s statements from France created controversy in Lebanon when he said: “Syrian President Bashar Assad must be given a chance because he is implementing reforms in Syria.”

He also called on the international community to force the implementation of resolutions issued by the U.N. Security Council in order to strip Hizbullah of excuses to possess arms.

“The international community must pressure Israel to withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territories … and fulfill the Palestinians’ right of return, and consequently Hizbullah will have to lay down its arms,” he told al-Arabiya television on Thursday.

He also warned that the Christians will pay the price if the Muslim Brotherhood succeeded Syrian President Assad.

“If the regime changes in Syria, and the Sunnis take over, they will form an alliance with the Sunnis in Lebanon, which will worsen the situation between the Shiites and the Sunnis,” al-Rahi noted.

However, he asserted on Sunday that his statements “were taken out of context and therefore they were misinterpreted.”