Al-Rahi Fears Possible Syria Civil War, Displacement of Christians
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Friday voiced concerns over a possible Sunni-Alawite civil war in Syria that “might lead to displacing the Christians from the region, like in Iraq.”
At a press conference ahead of talks with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon in New York, al-Rahi added: “We are not with the ruling regimes, we are with the reforms that are essential for the Arab peoples, but we are also with the democratic life.”
He voiced his support for “democratic reforms” in the Arab countries, but stressed that change should not happen through “violence.”
The patriarch noted that the Christians “are not minorities,” highlighting the fact that they “have existed in the region since 2,000 years.”
Commenting on the controversial issue of Hizbullah’s arsenal of weapons, al-Rahi said that the Shiite party’s possession of arms is “justified, as Israel is still occupying Lebanese territory and violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
He stressed that the international community can play an effective role in resolving the issue by “pressuring Israel into pulling out (its troops) and ceasing its violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Addressing the Palestinian cause, al-Rahi emphasized the need that the United Nations help implement the relevant U.N. resolutions “so that the Palestinians can have their state in which they would live in peace.”
Earlier on Friday, al-Rahi hoped the so-called Arab Spring sweeping the region will be maintained through “dialogue, not conflict and civil wars.”
He also warned against “all foreign meddling” in the ongoing popular uprisings.
“It won’t be an Arab Spring should violence and war drag on, as they reap numerous innocent victims and minorities would usually pay the price,” al-Rahi warned, at a reception thrown in his honor at the Lebanese consulate in New York.
“It won’t be an Arab Spring should anyone of the children of this nation die; it won’t be an Arab Spring should we end up with civil, religious or sectarian wars,” the patriarch, who is on a pastoral visit to the U.S., cautioned.
However, al-Rahi added that “we are looking forward to an Arab Spring during which Muslims and Christians would live together, as we belong to one nation, one fate, one culture and one civilization that we have built together year after year.”
The patriarch stressed that “it will be an Arab Spring should the Arab peoples realize their demands and right to a decent living and should all reforms be implemented,” hoping the new regimes will be built upon the principles of justice, public freedoms and democracy.
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