In Harissa, Independent Christians Agree to Draft 'Plan for the Future'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A group of independent Christian figures on Sunday held a meeting at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa to “discuss the national and political affairs and the outcome of the alignments and conflicts in Lebanon, inside and outside state institutes, and in the Arab world,” state-run National News Agency reported.
The conferees also discussed “the situations the Christians are going through, especially in the hotspots, and the repercussions of the sudden changes on their freedoms and existence.”
The meeting with attended by head of the basilica, Father Khalil Alwan, ex-ministers Elias Saba, Joseph al-Hashem, Suleiman Trabulsi, Karim Pakradouni, Naji al-Bustani, George Qurum, Yacoub Sarraf, Elias Hanna, Jack Jokadrian, ex-MPs Elie al-Ferzli, Jebran Touq, Elias Skaff, Fares Boueiz, Marwan Abu Fadel, George Najem, Pierre Daccash, Abdullah Farhat, Salim Habib, ex-Phalange Party chief Munir al-Hajj, lawyer Rashad Salameh, ambassador Fouad al-Turk, Shadi Masaad, Charles Ghostine, Fouad Abu Nader, Joe Edde, economist Joseph Yachoui, retired Brig. Gen. Michel Karam and Claude Boueiz Kanaan.
“Given what Lebanon is going through and the dangerous developments in the region, and the concerns they raise, as (recently) expressed by (Maronite) Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, especially over the fate of the Christians, we believe, as independents, that we have to shoulder the responsibility of drafting an unchained national plan for the future,” the conferees said in a statement issued after the talks.
The plan in question would “tackle the main central issues away from the mentality of alignments, for the sake of a pluralistic civil state and the drafting of a new social contract,” they said.
The Christian figures added that they will hold another meeting on January 20 to discuss a paper that is currently being drafted by a specialized committee.
08 January 2012, 17:00
05
We don't need another Christian front. That's not what's required at this phase. Enough with position papers and philosophy. While others are consolidating powers, we are creating more splinter groups....
08 January 2012, 17:36
24
Lebanese Christians come together and unite!
The Jews and the Muslims will work to wipe us out unless we plan ahead. They have already planned ahead, and the Muslim plan is succeeding because the christians are too afraid to speak the truth.
Stop wasting time and speak the truth!
08 January 2012, 18:31
34
As long as there is an FPM stabbing the Christians in the back the Christians will grow weaker.
08 January 2012, 18:58
11
elielebnan ur commetn is quite accurate that it drove to comment on naharnet which i usually don't like to do as i find myself only hitting walls. seriously enough stupid fronts and most of all, look at the names of who sthere, who r they to com lecture us about a new social contract in a pluralist civil society? all corrupted bigots, wake up lebanon! wake up....cedar wake up as well pls u and ur stupid bigotry getting us bak to 1000 yrs ago, i just get so pissed with xtrem generalisations, muslims r 1.4 bill in the world, christians 1.7 and u hav also around maybe 15-20 mill jews...not all of them behave like the bigots we are (we as in people like u cedar)
08 January 2012, 19:21
01
The fact that the Christians in Lebanon have been polarized for so many years now, others are prospering and the country is in chaos. Christians need 1 leader not 10 and I would suggest that he/she wouldn't be from the list of current leaders especially the ones that were part of military conflicts..
just my 2 cents
08 January 2012, 19:48
00
agree with Marc. adding my 2 cents for a total of 4 ;-).. we are a penny short of a Nickel!! any other Christian with an idea??
08 January 2012, 20:02
01
I agree with elielebnan. We don't need any more splinter groups like this that won't mean much cause they won't have any power to change anything.
08 January 2012, 20:22
00
marc your 2 cents notwithstanding, don't you think that all the Lebanese should find new leaders that were not part of military conflicts or only the Christians.
08 January 2012, 20:25
11
Some of the participants are recycled and sell outs who have been part of the downfall.
A new line of thought is needed including members from all sects who put could put a secular agenda for lebanon regardless of their sectarian belonging.
08 January 2012, 21:10
90
thze filthy zionist informaiton war department is trying to play on former kataeb type anti-muslim, anti-palestinian and pro-zionist policy.
one of their biggest problem is that world changes around them, they don't follow.
08 January 2012, 21:26
18
@Jabalamel
Your filth is NOT welcome in Bkirki. Go back to the sewers of Dahyie were you belong.
08 January 2012, 21:26
12
jabalamel you are right brother, get the motorbikes ready we'll teach them a lesson and Attack Jerusalem via Jounieh and down with imbirialism!!!!!!!
08 January 2012, 21:50
70
the fitlhy zionist information war department is trying to provoke me, still not realizing that i don't speak to snakes, worms and them
08 January 2012, 21:56
16
Change and Reform bloc 27 MP not Failed Pathetic Meatheads
Jbeil (Hezballah vote)
Baabda (Hezballah vote)
Jezzine (Hezballah vote)
Matn (partly Hezballah vote)
Baalbek/Hirmel(Hezballah vote)
Beirut 1 (According to Aoun he returned the Christian their rights) LOST
Batroun (Majority Christian vote) LOST
Koura (Majority Christian vote) LOST
Bcharre (Majority Christian vote) LOST
in the municipal elections that followed the voters handed Aoun his ass, draw your conclusions
08 January 2012, 22:15
51
the filthy zionist information war department believes that shia votes elected FPM mps because they are unable to concieve that christians in lebanon are not their friends anymore
08 January 2012, 22:19
20
In 2009 elections for parliament, 52% of Christians voted for M8 as compared to 47% to M14 (1% independent). If it was not for Sunni Hariri vote and Druze PSP vote, M14 Christians would not have won in Koura, Zahle, Akar, Minie-Dinya, Chouf, Aley, and Western Bekaa. In local elections in 2010, M14 Christians did worse.
09 January 2012, 01:02
30
the filthy zionist information war department cannot believe that naharnet editors do have some criteria and cannot endlessly tolerate their so called "language"
09 January 2012, 05:29
11
the filthy iranian information war department is trying to convince naharnet readers that the lebanese people like iran so they flood this forum with senseless posts by jabalamel and sweating_demon but naharnet readers know better
09 January 2012, 06:25
02
@Breakdownthiswall (guest)
big·ot-noun- a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.
I am not being intollerant, i am speaking the truth, and the truth is backed up by history and current demographic situation. So if the world operates like you speaking the truth will give you a label of some sort... well frankly i dont care. Your label of being a Bigot is plain wrong.
@Jabalamel,
The Kataeb has never been pro zionist, because zionism means the greater nation of Israel. Kataeb has always been pro Independent and Neutral Lebanon.
Unfortunately when people ask to be independent of Islamic influence and independent of Jews you get labels like being a biggot, or being a zionist or some other rubbish...
The international plan is to remove christians from lebanon because christians in control of Lebanon prove that peace can be achieved in the middle east under christian control and the muslims and the jews dont like it.
This is the truth.
09 January 2012, 06:58
03
Federal Lebanon or Regionalism is a near to perfect solution for the Christians and this is why the other partner in Lebanon - the Muslims - just cannot accept this solution. No one realy has any clue why, especially that a person is the making of his own particular environment.
Abbas will continue to be Abbas and Anthony will continue to be Anthony, etc. Two culture that have not and will never meet on how they view God, Lebanon, female/males, etc.
09 January 2012, 11:39
30
the filthy zionist information war department is halucinating about the existance of iranian information war department because they think everybody is like them.
they also want to revive the idea of federalism and cantons which is just another language for dividing lebanon
09 January 2012, 12:35
50
the filthy zionist information war department believes that i cannot lie to all the people all the time, but somehow they can
09 January 2012, 12:55
06
A brief profile of MarTadella on wikipedia: 1) a hard-core supporter of the Failed Patriotic Movement, the "only secular" political bloc in lebanon.2) considers Berri a Mafioso, but Bassil and Aoun reformists.3) studied Greek Mythology when most people were still in diapers. 4) watched the movie 300, but NOT in Dahiyeh. 5) owns his "own business", a hight tech start-up Basterma & Falafel stand in Bourj Hammoud, and another more private business selling "lingerie" to russian girls in Maameltein. 6) a self-proclaimed "perfectionist" who only owns "original" DVDs and books.7) can read & Write…… hardly. 7) supports democracy in the Arab World, but also supports the Syrian regime coz he is afraid about minorities' future like shia (but he is not shia….). Last but not least 8) a founding and **distinguished** member of the International Association of Certified Idiots (IACI).
09 January 2012, 13:18
60
the filthy zionist information war department is so confused that they cannot distinguish who is working for them and who against them.
they also keep putting profile of sweating demon, now under different nickname, on naharnet comments section. they work on "we know who you are" tactics thinking that will scare anyone.
generally, they are so out of touch with the real world that it's really hard to guess where is the source of their halucinations. is it drugs? is it natural stupidity? or is it that zionism as a concept have a devastating effect on human mind?
13 January 2012, 14:37
00
Christians should all join together in lebanon with a leader for the people
