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Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch reaffirms friendship with GCC

April 15, 2016 at 4:10 pm

The Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi yesterday reaffirmed the friendship between Lebanon and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), expressing regret for the soured atmosphere between Beirut and a number of the council’s members. “We are keen to protect the common treasure that we carry together, Muslims and Christians, with a historic responsibility which is to live together on the land that has our Christian and Muslim sacred sites for 1,400 years,” Al-Rahi said.

“In light of our coexistence, we face a single destiny that brings us together, and a joint culture that we have built together. It is not possible to continue to allow the destruction of everything,” he added.

The Maronite patriarch pointed out that Christians and Muslims must refer to their “common self” in order to end wars and conflicts, find political solutions, build a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Arab region and unify their voices.

“What concerns us today is to reaffirm the friendship between Lebanon and each of your noble countries,” he said addressing members of the GCC.

He also expressed the “gratitude of the Lebanese people” who work in Arab Gulf countries. They are “proud to be contributing to the GCC’s economic, commercial and reconstruction’s growth,” he said.