Christians in the Middle East should not be bystanders to events that are happening in Syria, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said, denouncing the Lebanese government’s support for its neighbor’s policy toward civilian protesters.
On the occasion of a tribute to the martyrs of the Lebanese Forces at the Fouad Chehab stadium in Jounieh Saturday, Geagea said Christians in the Middle East should “engage in the heart of the suffering peoples of the region without fear,” and said the need for this can be seen in the suffering of Syrian villages every day.
The LF leader added that it was the responsibility of Christians in the Middle East to ensure they do not slide into isolationism.
His speech followed the controversial statements made by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai earlier this month in which he said Syrian President Bashar Assad should be given more time to implement reforms and warned that the uprising in Syria could threaten Christians in the country.
During the ceremony, Geagea denounced the Lebanese government’s support for Syrian government policy in light of the ongoing uprising.
He said that when a government "kills our brothers at home, or in Syria or in the region, or in the world, without mercy or pity, it is not a party to the common good …”
Geagea said that the attitude of the current Lebanese government does not reflect Lebanon’s commitment to freedom.
The LF leader also voiced his support for the Palestinian bid at the United Nations, and criticized “illegal weapons” in Lebanon.
“Our joy in the Arab Spring would not be complete until the completion of the Lebanese and Palestinian springs. The Palestinian spring is on the verge of blooming, asking for recognition by the United Nations for full membership,” he said.
“The Lebanese spring has continued to suffer since the [2005] Cedar Revolution, under the weight of illegal weapons… The survival of the illegal weapons in Lebanon is no longer justified or acceptable,” he added.
