BEIRUT: Involving children in the local decision-making process might seem unusual but some municipalities have been working to do just that …

  The Islamic State handed to Lebanese authorities the corpse of a soldier, who was killed in last year’s battle in Arsal, …

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Cardinal Bechara Rai tells UNESCO that Christians are 'irreplaceable peacemakers' and, without them, 'Islam will fall into the hands of fundamentalists'

The exodus of Christians from the Middle East — due to wars, conflicts, socio-economic crises and persecution — will weaken moderate Islam “which, thanks to the Islamic-Christian conviviality, is so far the vast majority of Muslims in the Middle East,” said Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai.

Speaking at UNESCO in Paris on April 25, the cardinal said Christians were “irreplaceable peacemakers” and, without them, “Islam will fall into the hands of fundamentalists.” He called on Europe and the international community “to ensure that Christians remain in their countries.”

The first condition to save this presence, he said, is “the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

By Emily Jacquard

More than 200,000 killed. Nearly 4 million refugees. Four years since its onset, the Syrian Civil War has become one of the most destructive conflicts in the world, with a devastating effect on the entire Middle East.

Lebanon is bearing one of the heaviest burdens of the crisis, as civilians flow out of Syria and flee for safety.  Since the start of the war, 1.5 million refugees have crossed the border that the two nations share. Before the conflict, the population of Lebanon was about 4.5 million; in just 4 years, it has ballooned and now roughly 25 percent of the overall population of the country is actually made up of displaced Syrians. The challenges posed by the huge population influx are many, and the obstacles for the Lebanese government and the international community can seem insurmountable. As the world watches the continuing crisis in horror, it must focus on the increasing, urgent needs in Lebanon as a key component of reducing suffering and increasing stability in the region.