01/16/2006, 00.00
LEBANON - SYRIA
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Sfeir: "Danger is at our door, let's stop terrorism"

by Youssef Hourany

From Bkerke, the Maronite Patriarch denounced the "terrorist acts which revive memories among the Lebanese of events already seen in the past". The government crisis in Beirut is in full swing, while Damascus prepares to welcome Ahmadinejad.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – In one of his most meaningful homilies, delivered yesterday during Mass celebrated at the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, admonished those responsible for the "danger which is at the door" after last week's events in Lebanon.

Expressing his "strong denunciation" against "terrorist acts which have revived in the memory of the Lebanese people events already witnessed in the past", the patriarch turned to the encyclical of the deceased Pope John Paul II, the Sollicitudo rei socialis. Cardinal Sfeir highlighted the basis of the Church's social teaching, "based on justice, just compensation and the spreading of social peace based on the worthy life of each human being."

The cardinal harped on issues which "create sorrow in the hearts of many" because of war, social discrimination and division due to ethnic and religious differences.

Talking about the current situation in Lebanon, the patriarch could not hide his concern "about the latest incidents in the country", from those between Palestinians and Lebanese last week in the township of El Nahemeh to Saturday's demonstration, when 11 people were wounded, among military and civilians, outside the government headquarters during the visit of the American delegate. Sfeir condemned these acts which "destroy the image of Lebanon and increase tension."

The patriarch also had harsh words about recent announcements in the Lebanese and international press, which, between the lines, threatened political and religious leaders with possible attacks.

In the meantime, tension is on the rise in Lebanon and the shadows of a crisis in the government are increasingly taking shape: members of the "Party of God" of Hassan Nassrallah and those of the "Movement of Amal" of the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri continue to pit themselves against the Druze leader, Walid Joumblatt, and all his allies.

The latest moves in the stand-off were Joumblatt's statements as he persisted in forcefully calling for the application of Resolution 1559 of the United Nations and, from the pages of Lebanese newspapers, he keeps urging American military intervention in Syria. The response of filo-Syrian leaders has been to reiterate their proposal to freeze participation in government meetings of Beirut.

For its part, Syria is preparing to welcome the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: the visit, slated for 20 January, should be two days long and is aimed at studying the latest developments in the regional and international situation, especially in the light of the stand taken by the UN vis a vis both regimes.

Today, the Syrian press reported the latest statements of President Assad, who stood firm his position against the accusations of the former president Khaddam and expressed his rancour against the stand taken by some Arab countries "who have not learnt anything from the experience of the American invasion of Iraq."

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