Baladi News (Mona Ali)
During Sunday sermon, the Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi addressed the president of the Lebanese republic saying, “Mr. President, we are aware of your good intentions and great wishes. What makes people steadfast in their hope for success is their belief that you feel their economic, living, security, and social sufferings as well as their future concerns. These sufferings and concerns have been growing and growing in the presence of two million refugees and displaced people taking the living out of their mouths, throwing them into poverty and deprivation, and forcing our emerging generations to emigrate. With our humanitarian solidarity with these refugees and displaced people, the Lebanese hope that your Excellency will correct the path of their return to their country away from the political differences that hinder the desired solutions."
The blatant intervention and the incitement of al-Rahi against the Syrian refugees in Lebanon caused angry and indignant reactions, because the Church usually limits itself to religious positions that that advocate peace, which was the declared position of the Pope, who focused on the issue of Syrian refugees, taking some of them to the Vatican to receive care there in a symbolic step that indicates to the world, especially the Christians, the need to embrace the refugees and pay attention to them.
The famous Lebanese journalist Eyad Abu Shakra commented, “Your Grace, if it is not an incitement, what is incitement?”
Whereas Lara Saqr wrote in a long message to the patriarch, “If our generation is thinking of immigrating from this country (Lebanon) for good, that is not because of the Syrian displacement and taking the living out of our mouths by them, but because of the corruption and the failure of politicians to build a state (…) we will immigrate because we feel that we are living in a farm…”
According to what sources reported to al-Hayat Newspaper, it is anticipated that Hezbollah may wage a massive attack against Arsal in synchronization with the visit of the Lebanese Prime Minister "Saad Hariri” to Washington next Saturday, and the victim is as usual the Syrian refugees there.
The incitement of the Maronite Patriarch Beshara Al-Rahi against the refugees is in harmony with his declared positions in favor of Bashar al-Assad and his regime.