أي معیار تنطلق منه عملیة تشكیل الحكومة یتوجب تطبیقه على جمیع المكونات السیاسیة ولیس على فریق دون الآخر رأى عضو تكتل "التغییر والإصلاح" النائب د. فرید الخازن أن شبه الإجماع الذي ناله الرئیس  لمكلف تم اّم سلام خلال الإستشارات النیابیة الملزمة، ناتج عن كون سلام شخصیة معتدلة ومنفتحة ولا تشكل تحدیا لأي من الفرقاء اللبنانیین، ناهیك […]

 U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly considered on Friday the nomination of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam “a positive first step in efforts to form a new government.” During a meeting with Salam at his residence in al-Msaitbeh, Connelly stressed that the formation of the cabinet “must be a Lebanese process,” said a statement issued by the U.S. […]

  BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman said Thursday that recent Syrian airstrikes on north Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley were unjustified as reports had shown the targets were nonmilitary, hours before a new round of strikes targeted areas near the town of Arsal. Arsal’s Deputy Mayor Ahmad al-Fliti told The Daily Star a Syrian aerial strike […]

KNOXVILLE, TN (Catholic Online) – In an endless cycle of meaningless violence, Muslims have attacked their Coptic Christian neighbors yet again. It seems there is no rhyme or reason in Egypt these days, only rumors and violence, shadows and blood born out of ignorance and hatred.  Of course, there are always explanations each time violence erupts. Some of the explanations for this latest round of violence are as follows: According to reports, it began around April 5 in the Khosous district just outside Cairo. Swastikas had been drawn on a mosque. Some Muslims blamed Christian children, but Mohamad Yousry, the local security force manager, said two Muslim children did it, and that the mosque Imam had confronted the Muslim children about it. Nevertheless, rumors about Christians defacing the mosque created a stir within the Muslim community.

As a result of the rumors, a mob of Muslims gathered near Saint George’s Coptic Church. Copts responded to the threatening mob by forming a human shield to protect the church. Then people heard the gunshots. When it was over, four Copts and one Muslim lay dead in front of the church. Security forces arrived about five hours later. Fighting could be heard throughout the night, and some Christian buildings were set on fire. Father Sourial Younan believes another reason may have sparked the violence. He said that some Muslims had sexually harassed some Coptic girls. A Coptic activist, Nader Shoukry, believes the incident was instigated by a neighboring Muslim religious institution in order to "purify the region of Christians."

  Maronite Wakfs of the Khazen family Despite being very wealthy, The Khazen family never built a castle but instead built an impressive number of 27 covenants and schools, among which: – St Antoine Church founded by Abou-Nader el-Khazen in 1600. – Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, offered by Abou-Nawfal in Ajaltoun 1647. – […]

  Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Wednesday held talks with former prime minister Saad Hariri in the French capital Paris. Earlier in the day, al-Rahi said the presence of Christians in the Middle East “protects Islam from bigotry and extremism,” during a lecture at the Catholic institute in Paris.   “It is our duty, we the […]

  Lebanon’s hosting of a key Cypriot Cabinet minister this week must have optimists in both countries hoping that in politics, at least, there really is no such thing as coincidence. Both sides have long experience with the various discomforts associated with being buffeted by outside forces, but only rarely – if ever – have […]