by Asisa news – BEIRUT: The words of the great Mufti Abdel Latif Derian are “more than courageous”, they are a “valuable” act that fits “with the spirit” of the Apostolic Exhortation A hope for Lebanon by John Paul II of 1997, said Mgr Maroun-Nasser Gemayel, bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of […]

by zawya.com— For the first time, Forbes measures the success of globally-recognized Arab celebrities Mohamad Salah, the Egyptian king tops the sports category. Karim Kharbouch, known as French Montana from Morocco is the best singer in the Arab world. Nadine Labaki who hails from Lebanon is one of the famous filmmakers in the Arab World. […]

Muammar Gaddafi with wife Safia and sons: Saif al-Arab, Khamis and Muotasim Bellah (Getty Images) by aawsat.com — Cairo – Jamal Jawhar A recent court order banning Hannibal, son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, from leaving Lebanon for a year, brought back the discussion of the “mysterious fate” of Gaddafi’s family. Some want Hannibal released […]

by ncregister.com — Doreen Abi Raad — BEIRUT — For the fifth consecutive year, Lebanon and all of the Middle East has been consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The consecrations were in response to a request of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East held in the Vatican in October 2012 under Pope Benedict XVI. Building up momentum for the first consecration in June 2013, the “Mother of Light” statue toured Lebanon, visiting 333 Lebanese villages and cities over 40 days. Since then, Lebanon has grappled with crises, including the ominous threat of the conflict in neighboring Syria spilling over; the strain of hosting some 1.5 million Syrian refugees; and a presidential vacuum that dragged on for more than two years. Meanwhile, the country suffers from a continuous economic downslide and severe unemployment.

Still, Cardinal Bechara Rai attested in his homily at the new consecration this year, which took place June 3, how, “for all these five years, Mary, with her invisible hand, has kept our homeland safe from collapse, every time it reached the brink.” “With this need for mercy in our homeland and in the countries of the Middle East, we have come to renew our devotion and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” he said. Despite the instability in the region, there is hope that the fruits of the consecration of Lebanon and the entire Middle East to the Immaculate Heart of Mary will prevail. “We believe that with the intercession of the Virgin Mary, wars can stop,” Maronite Bishop of Tyre Shukrallah Nabil El-Hajj, who heads the patriarchal committee for the consecration, told the Register. “We don’t always know how the Virgin Mary works and protects, but surely there are graces for all the Middle East, and she is saving souls. We won’t know to what extent until we reach heaven.” In his homily for this year’s consecration, Cardinal Rai also reiterated how the Virgin Mary appeared to the three shepherd children in the Portuguese village of Fatima and told them, “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” Last year, the consecration occurred in Fatima, commemorating the centennial of the apparitions.

Cardinal Rai and Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan led a delegation of bishops and some 30 priests. Thousands of faithful from the Middle East as well as the Lebanese diaspora from around the world also made the pilgrimage for the June 25, 2017, consecration, which was preceded the evening before with the recitation of the Rosary and a candlelit procession. In his homily at Fatima, Cardinal Rai said, “We have come to ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima for peace in the Middle East region and for stability in Lebanon, to preserve our country’s mission and model of coexistence among religions and cultures, especially among Christians and Muslims.” About 40% of the approximate 4 million Lebanese citizens residing in Lebanon are Christian. “We have come to renew the dedication of Lebanon and the countries of the Middle East to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, according to her wishes. This dedication is to repent, to stop wars and to consolidate peace,” Cardinal Rai added.

by AFP — The Lebanese parliament will soon review legislation to legalize medicinal marijuana, Speaker Nabih Berri announced on Wednesday, as authorities seek ways to jumpstart the country’s struggling economy. With public debt at 150% of GDP, the third highest rate in the world, Lebanon charged consulting firm McKinsey & Company with setting out a […]

Dubai – WEBWIRE –  Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, celebrated its 5 million passenger mark at Beirut Rafic Al Hariri International Airport. The airline has been operating in Lebanon for more than 27 years and in celebration of this milestone, a handful of passengers were treated to Business Class upgrades to Dubai. “Emirates’ 27 years of service and growth in Lebanon is a testament to our commitment to the country. We proudly connect Lebanese nationals to and from Beirut on our 21 weekly flights with their friends and family, and we hope that our operations continue to grow from strength to strength,” said Tamador Kouatly, Regional Manager Levant. Emirates launched its service to Beirut in 1991, operating 3 weekly flights. Since then, Emirates has expanded to offer three daily flights utilising a mix of Boeing 777 aircraft, connecting travellers to destinations across the Far East, Southeast Asia and Africa via its Dubai hub. Emirates connects Lebanese residents and nationals to over 160 global destinations through Dubai, with cities in Australia, Far East, South Asia, Indian Ocean and Africa being amongst the most popular destinations. Since 2015, the airline has also transported over 54,000 tons of cargo to and from the country, supporting businesses and exporters. Main commodities exported from Lebanon bound for the UAE and beyond to the Emirates network include fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.

by lebaneseexaminer.com — The ancient relics of Saint Marina the Monk have landed at the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, the state-run Lebanese National News agency reported. Saint Marina’s preserved body arrived in a glass box, and was transported to the Maronite Patriarchate in Dimane. According to Christian teachings, Marina lived in Lebanon’s Kadisha Valley […]

by indcatholicnews.com — The Middle East will no longer exist, if the exodus of the Christians continues, Sheikh Abdel Latif Darian, Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, said yesterday, during the graduation ceremony for 350 students from the Makased institutes, the Lebanese Islamic private schools. “We live in the same country with Christians, we share the […]

by dailystar.com.lb — Relatives of Lebanese citizen Nizar Zakka, who is imprisoned in Iran, requested that officials ask an Iranian representative due to visit Lebanon why a deal signed in June on Zakka’s release was not implemented. Assistant to the Iranian Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hussein Jabri Ansari will travel to Lebanon for […]

by Nazeer Rida — aawsat.com —  Hermel (eastern Lebanon) –  A few meters separate a Syrian regime military member from Lebanese workers operating a tractor in a Lebanese field. In contrast to the noise of the tractor, the situation in the northeastern-most border region in Lebanon is quiet. Only members of the Russian-commanded 11th troop of the regime military occupy the sand barriers separating the two neighboring countries. Four soldiers man each barrier, which are 150 meters apart from each other. Inside Lebanon, the residents only harbor bitterness. “Our livelihoods are at risk and we are living under siege,” complained one local to Asharq Al-Awsat. “We have not presented 128 martyrs to be choked by the Russians,” complained another. “If the borders are not opened, then we will not hesitate to resist those barring us from accessing our livelihood.” The residents of this border region were taken by surprise when Syrian troops, under Russian orders, began setting up a barbed wire fence along the border. They started, without prior warning, to plant mines, in a Russian attempt to control the border with Lebanon and shut illegal and smuggling routes to Syria. In upheaval, the residents informed the Russians through indirect channels that such a move was not welcome and unwanted in the region, said the locals. The Russians consequently withdrew and kept the members of the 11th troop. Days later, the barbed wire fence and mines were removed and the troops remained, deployed in an area of over 30 kms.

The residents do not hide the fact that the closure of illegal border crossings with Lebanon has dealt a blow to the transit along these routes that have been regularly traveled since the 1970s. The closure has also drawn up new rules of engagement that call for separating the peoples of the two neighboring countries, a move that contradicts the long uttered official statements of the Lebanese and Syrian people living united in two countries. The Lebanese locals now have to travel 70 kms to reach the legal Joussieh crossing to reach their agricultural land that lies only 200 meters away from a sand barrier on the other side of the border. Eight illegal border crossings have been closed and the closest legal one lies in the al-Qaa town near Syria’s Joussieh in the southern Aleppo countryside. The fact is that the Syrian war, which erupted seven years ago, has never prevented thousands of Lebanese people residing in the region bordering the southwestern Aleppo countryside from traveling to nearby Syrian territory.

Residents of al-Qasr, of a population of some 15,000, said that Lebanese people own agricultural property in the villages of Syria’s al-Qusayr region. Moreover, 30,000 Lebanese people live in the Syrian towns and villages of Matraba, Zeita, al-Fadelieh, Hawik, Jermash, Wadi al-Arayesh and al-Samaqiyat. The Lebanese “Hezbollah” party intervened in the Syrian war in 2013 under the pretext of “protecting” them. The war in that area ended in summer 2013 and the regime once against imposed its control. Al-Qasr residents told Asharq Al-Awsat that the 11th troop deployed in the area last week and shut all illegal crossings and routes. They set up the barbed wire fence and planted mines along the border. The locals protested to the Russians, adding that the regime forces were informed of their objection.

A prominent source in the town said that the regime “took the objection into consideration and Damascus held talks with the Russians.” Two days later, the Syrian forces began removing the mines and barbed wire fence. The regime forces remained deployed there and they were made to open a small pedestrian crossing that would grant Lebanese residents access to al-Quasyr countryside. From there, they would take Syrian taxis to reach their properties and source of livelihood in Syrian villages. This was the second such measure taken by the Russian military command in the region. Last month, it ordered a deployment along the border with Lebanon. This was, however, met with “Hezbollah’s” opposition, saying that the move was “not coordinated” with it. The dispute was resolved through Damascus’ mediation that culminated with regime forces deploying at three positions near al-Qusayr town in the Homs province. This last step directly affects Lebanese interests, smuggling routes and illegal crossings. The only legal crossing is located in al-Qaa in eastern Hermel. Al-Qasr lies 30 kms away from al-Qaa, meaning locals who want to access their property in Syria must travel 70 kms to reach them.

Two points of contention

The real reasons for their opposition go beyond Lebanese property owned in Syria. The Lebanese believe that closing the border has Russian political purposes to cut “Hezbollah” arms smuggling routes. Smuggling operations in this area are much easier than they are elsewhere due to the smooth terrain along the Assi River. Other illegal crossings in the eastern Baalbek region are mountainous, making smuggling a treacherous undertaking. Russian and allied regime forces have not deployed there. “Russian excuses that the crossings are used by terrorists are invalid. The region has been safe since 2014 and, therefore, there are no terrorists here,” said the locals. The second reason for their objection lies in economic factors. The locals declared: “We will not allow them to choke us. We will not allow them to isolate and besiege our region.” The Lebanese region is located far from local services and the residents often head to Syria to buy groceries and access medical services, all at a lower cost than Lebanon. One Qasr resident stated: “I used to buy my groceries from Syria at a cost of 2,000 Syrian pounds. I would have to spend 30 dollars if I were to make the same purchases in Lebanon.” “If my child falls sick, I take him to Homs by traveling only 20 minutes. I would need more than an hour and a half if I were to seek the closest medical clinic, which is located in Baalbek. Moreover, a doctor’s visit in Syria would cost me 500 Syrian pounds (a dollar and a half), while I would have to pay some 50 dollars for in Lebanon.” “They have suffocated us,” he lamented.