Berri Says Spiritual Summit ‘Responds to Sedition at Critical Stage’

Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday expressed relief over the closing statement of the Christian-Islamic spiritual summit that stressed the importance of the historic and current cooperation between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon.

Berri told As Safir newspaper that the closing statement is important especially “at this critical stage.”

He said: “It’s the best way to respond to the attempts of creating sedition and strife” in Lebanon.

The spiritual summit that was held on Tuesday highlighted the historic role Christians have played in the East, saying that they have and still play a central role in the region.

“The country’s stability is based on the principles of mutual coexistence, as well as respecting the constitution and sovereignty of the state,” the statement said.

The summit was headed by Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani and attended by Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hassan, and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.