Report: Bkirki Urges Appeasement, Says Christian-Druze Reconciliation Must Be Stabilized

Following the Qabrshmoun shooting incident, Bkirki emphasized that it will spare no effort to stabilize the Christian-Druze reconciliation, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

“Bkirki refuses any imbalance between the same members of the Druze community or between the Christians and the Druze. Bkirki will spare no effort to stabilize the reconciliation and stop any attempts to destabilize it,” unnamed Bkirki sources told the daily.

“Bkirki believes that any defect in any region of Lebanon also affects it in the core. National unity and understanding between all the Lebanese, within a single sect or between different sects and religions, is required today more than ever before,” added the sources.

Sunday’s deadly shooting in the Aley town of Qabrshmoun, triggered tension between the Progressive Socialist Party of Druze leader Walid Jumblat, and the Christian Free Patriotic Movement of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

Concerns arose that the tension would “shake” a historic 2001 recociliation between the Christians and Druze.

On Sunday, PSP supporters closed roads in Qabrshmoun to prevent Bassil from touring the region. Moreover, an armed clash erupted between the convoy of Saleh al-Gharib, the minister of state handling refugee issues, and the people who were closing the road to prevent Bassil from passing. Two guards were killed and one person was critically injured.

Sunday’s move reportedly came as a reaction to Bassil’s “provocative” political rhetoric.

Reconciliation between the Druze and Christian communities came to fruition on August 8, 2001, when the Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir made a historic visit to the Chouf and met with the Druze and Chouf leader, Walid Jumblat.