after arriving from his first official visit to Europe, President
Michael Aoun of Lebanon declared that Christians are “no longer in
direct danger” in the Middle East, adding that whatever persecution they
may be facing is also experienced by Muslims as well. Aoun told Aleteia in
an interview that during his visit to the Vatican, he brought the
message to Pope Francis that Lebanon has recovered from recent wars and
is now a sophisticated model republic where Christians and Muslims live
in harmony, respecting freedom of belief and political balance. Aoun
explained that they have overcome one of the most dangerous phases of
their country’s history and that the Lebanese people have left fear
behind. Any threats to their security like car bombs, he went on, are
isolated compared to the violence during the 1975–1990 civil war.
The
Catholic president also described terrorism in the Middle East as a
disaster which has nothing to do with the fundamental principles of
Islam, the reason why it is failing. Despite its failure, he believes
extremism will have a major impact and leave the region in ruins. On
his statement that Christians are “no longer in direct danger,” he
expounded that the danger remains in terrorist cells that target
everyone including Muslims. “Everyone has been affected, both
mosques and churches have been attacked in Syria,” he said. “Christians
are connected to the resistance movement in Syria, they have resisted
with the Muslims.” Aoun also mentioned the plight of Syrian
refugees who he said must return home once the situation in their
country normalizes. Up to two million Syrians have sought refuge in
Lebanon, more than a quarter of the country’s 4.5 million people,
making it the world’s highest refugee population per capita.
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more at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-no-longer-in-direct-danger-in-middle-east-declares-president-of-lebanon-179123/#j2Y7phd0PJhaxk4W.99
