Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said on Wednesday that Arab Spring demonstrations are legal means for people to demand their political, social and economical rights, but these protests were hijacked and turned into violent conflicts. In a speech he gave during the General Bishops Synod in Rome, al-Rahi explained that “some countries took advantage of ongoing protests and supported one side or another with money and arms, encouraging violence and triggering wars in these nations”. "What could have been settled in diplomatic efforts has now been transformed into sectarian conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Egypt,” al-Rahi added. [Link]