June 9, 2010. From his 90 years, the Patriarch is
unwavering, like a Millennium cedar
|
The
Lebanese must be secular Democrats, defending the notion of separation
between the State power and religions. But when a people is in agony and
distress, the Maronite Patriarch, who is moderate and respects the idea
of a secular State, continues to be the corner stone of the defense of
free and democratic Lebanon. Facing the resignation and opportunism of
Lebanese politicians and international organizations, who deal with the
racist extremists, who are exploiting the carrying of arms and the
Shiite, Sunni and Druze religious indoctrinations in order to sell
Lebanon to neighboring countries, Patriarch Nasrallah SFEIR remains a
bright star in the darkness of the Middle East. And we hope to see
courageous and moderate Muslim Clergy to mobilize to gather all the
Lebanese and help build a Modern, Neutral, Democratic, and Peaceful
State. |
Here
is a worthy newspaper article:
The view of Khaled Asmar – Beirut. Link:
Khaled Asmar - Beyrouth.
The Syrian regime attempts to interfere
in Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch official visit to France.
But weeds will never reach the peaks of Millennium
cedar.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 - 4:13 p.m., by Khaled ASMAR –
Beirut.
The head of the Maronite Church, the
patriarch Nasrallah SFEIR, arrived in Paris next week for an official visit of
several days at the invitation of President Nicolas SARKOZY who will receive him
on June 15.
To parasitize this highly symbolic
visit, Syria has called the Lebanese president for a summit on the same day in
Damascus, while the Foreign Affairs Minister, who is a pro Hezbollah Shiite
calls the Lebanese Embassy in Paris to cancel the reception hosted in honor of
the Patriarch.
Historically, the
Maronite Church is the main pillar of the independence of modern Lebanon. And as
such, it is always in the sights of Syria, whose ambitions to annex the Cedar
country are already demonstrated. Today, as yesterday, the Syrian regime is
attacking the Maronite Church, his leader, Patriarch Sfeir and all Maronites who
had chosen the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon as their second religion!
After taking strategic positions and had posted
Maronite servants under the occupation (1990-2005), after the withdrawal of its
army from Lebanon (April 2005), Damascus resumed
maneuvers
to divide and weaken the Maronites to
submit them, including through some inconsistent careerists who violently
attacked the Patriarch (such as General Michel
Aoun, or Suleiman Frangieh ...). Link:
La Syrie tente une
nouvelle manœuvre pour soumettre le Patriarcat maronite libanais et prend le
tombeau de Saint Maron en otage; Link:
autoproclamé patriarche
politique des Chrétiens d’Orient
Having boycotted the ceremonies organized to commemorate
the 1600 anniversary of the of Saint Maroun death, in Syria, and claiming
systematically rebalancing bilateral relations between Beirut and Damascus, and
the release of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons, the Patriarch has angered
the regime, in
point that the opposition media, under
Damascus orders, tried to ignore Sfeir recent visits, to Jordan, to northern
Lebanon, to Bekaa, and to Cyprus. But at the
top of his 90 years, the Patriarch is unwavering as he represents a millennium
cedar in the eyes of his community.
This pastoral and diplomatic activism of the Patriarch,
used to defend the independence of Lebanon, irritates Syria. This irritation
reached its climax when the Patriarch went on an official visit to France, the
country which is traditionally close to Lebanon, which has historically been the
defender of the Maronites, as evidenced by the letter addressed to them by King
Louis XIV in 1250 (see
the letter at the bottom of the page).
Since the announcement of the intense Patriarch program in Paris (meeting with
President Sarkozy at the Elysee, the president of the Senate, the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the Senate, the Archbishop of Paris, the Quai d'Orsay, and
medias. ..), attempts to parasitize this visit have increased.
Indeed, to reduce the
scope of the visit to the Lebanese living in France who are preparing to welcome
their leader, the Foreign Affairs Lebanese Ministry, headed by a minister from
the Shia opposition (Amal), has asked the Lebanon
Embassy in Paris to cancel the reception
organized in honor of Sfeir, at Dauphine Pavilion, under the pretext of
reducing expenses! The embassy has refused. Invitations had already been
launched. The financial contribution of Maronites in France led the embassy to
keep the reception.
Another attempt to
parasitize the visit is to empty it from any sovereignty content. That is why
Damascus convenes a summit between the presidents of Syria and Lebanon in
Damascus, the same day the Patriarch will be received at the Elysee. The
message is clear. After launching its pro Syrian
Lebanese agents on the heels of Sfeir, after declaring Michel Aoun as a
political patriarch and after receiving Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary
General at the summit in Damascus with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
last February, Damascus seeks to convince France
that Nasrallah Sfeir no longer
represents Lebanon. For Damascus, while in Paris Sfeir defends the sovereignty
and independence of Lebanon, Michel Suleiman, the Lebanese President (former
commander of the army during the occupation and the Syrian tutelage) is located
in Damascus and opted for Lebanon submission to " the brother country"!
Thus Syria seems to gratify France for having out of its
isolation and Bashar Al-Assad, who was a guest of honor of Nicolas Sarkozy in
the parade of 14 July 2008, thanked the tenant of the Elysee.
After exploiting SARKOZY, ASSAD will literally drive him out of Lebanon.
But there is so blind as those who don’t want to
see. Apparently, ASSAD wants more!
Link:
L’honneur perdu d’un 14 juillet
Link:
« Le 14 juillet à Paris, Assad retrouvera sa « virginité ». Se contentera-t-il
de flirter avec la France - »
by Khaled Asmar, MediArabe.info
..................
The
letter of Louis XIV, King of France, to Maronites Emir in Mount Lebanon and the
patriarchs and bishops of that nation.
"Our
heart was overjoyed when we saw our son Simaan come to us, with 25,000 men,
bearing witness from your feelings of friendship, and giving us these wonderful
gifts. In truth, our sincere friendship that we have begun to feel toward the
Maronite house during our stay in Cyprus, where they are located, has more
doubled today. And we believe that this nation, which we find established under
the name of St. Maron, is a part of the French nation, for his friendship for
the French is like the friendship that the French are doing between themselves.
Accordingly, it is fair that you and all the Maronites enjoy protection like the
French have near us, and you be admitted in jobs as they are themselves.
"We
therefore urge you, O noble Emir, to make every effort to make the Lebanese
people happy and take care to establish noble among men that you find most
worthy, as is the usual in France. To you, sirs, patriarch and bishops, clergy
and Maronite people, and your great emir, we have seen with great joy your
continued commitment to the Catholic religion, and your reverence for the
Catholic leader, the successor of Saint Peter in Rome: we urge you to keep this
veneration, and to remain steadfast in this faith.
"For
us and our successors on the throne of France, we promise to give you, to you
and all your people, our special protection, as we give to the French
themselves, and we will work in all circumstances to contribute to your
prosperity.»
Charter of St. Louis, King of France, given to the Maronites, in Saint-Jean
d'Acre, May 24, 1250.
_________
The source
http://www.mediarabe.info/spip.php?article1847
Links from this
text belong to MediArabe.info.
