Al-Rahi Says Won't Stop Calling for 'Neutrality'

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi emphasized Friday that he will continue calling for Lebanon's "neutrality."

"We have all become poor, without dignity and beggars. This is not Lebanon and this is not the image of neither Muslims nor Christians. Lebanon's neutrality would benefit everyone and it is for the sake of everyone and we will not back down from this demand," al-Rahi said during a visit to the Qannoubine Valley.

"Neutrality is not my idea and it is not a luxury. It is (the essence of) the Lebanese entity. When Lebanon was neutral after the National Pact, it declared its neutrality towards the West and the East, that's why all Lebanese lived in prosperity, growth and affluence, while today we are living in poverty and deprivation," the patriarch added.

He also said that when Lebanon turned into a "biased country" it became "isolated from the entire world."