The statement issued on Tuesday in the wake of the Ministerial Consultative Meeting in Diman invited the Lebanese to protect the country’s formula by cementing its national identity, working to strengthen unity through diversity, and refraining from repudiating others. ‘Nowadays, we are faced with official and unofficial rhetoric donned in the guise of modernity, freedom, and human rights, contradicting the religious and moral values at the core of our psychological, spiritual, and social composition,’ the statement read. “This discourse clearly violates the spirit and text of Articles 9 and 10 of the Lebanese Constitution. The responsibility to confront this rhetoric lies with everyone, without exception, including religious authorities, political, judicial, educational, and media institutions, as well as civil society forces,’ the statement added. Attended by Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, the meeting concluded with the following points: First: The pressing need to elect a president who’s capable of leading the rescue and recovery process, as no work can progress at the absence of a head of state. Second: Political forces must adhere to the Taif Agreement, the charter of coexistence, as well as abandon anything that may undermine Lebanon’s unique formula. Third: All the authorities, educational and media institutions, civil society, and the Lebanese people with all their affiliations must to cling to the country’s national identity, general customs, inherited ethics, and religious values, particularly familial values. Fourth: Citizens must engage in a constructive dialogue among themselves so that each citizen seeks to reassure their partner in the homeland about their beliefs, presence, rights, and active national membership. Fifth: Sincere cooperation among all the Lebanese components to reach a unified stance on the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon and to cooperate with the Syrian state and the international community to resolve this matter in a way that best preserves Lebanon’s unity and identity. For his part, the Maronite Patriarch reiterated his appreciation of all the efforts exerted by the Prime Minister and cabinet members navigating through this challenging phase whilst preserving the constitution.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon