Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai denounced accusations of treason issued against him after announcing the concept of “active neutrality” to dissociate Lebanon from regional disputes and save it from the deteriorating economic and political crises.
He said he was “waiting for those, who had any reservations about my proposal, to give convincing and legal proofs, instead of accusing me of treason.”
In comments on Wednesday during his tour of churches, parishes, and centers that were damaged as a result of the Beirut port explosion, Rai said: “The Constitution is the basis of everything.”
“If we want to overthrow the Constitution and the laws, nothing will remain in the country,” he warned.
“We are not used to being agents of anyone. Rather, the Patriarchate says the clear white truth. We are not associated with anyone inside and outside the country, and the only salvation for the Lebanese is Lebanon’s neutrality,” Rai underlined.
“Do two people disagree that weapons are uncontrolled in Lebanon?” He asked, stressing that the solution is to “tell the state that weapons must be removed.”
The Patriarch said that he “did not go into the talk about [Hezbollah] and its weapons,” but added: “I spoke of principles, and today there is no sovereignty of the state in Lebanon.”
He continued: “We are losing our youth, so the state must extend its sovereignty. They are mini-states in the heart of the State… Let the judiciary carry out its work independently and define the responsibilities.”
Talking about the Lebanese politicians, Rai said: “Before Aug. 4 is not the same as after it; they are still the same, especially in their dealings with the new government and its formation. They do not give importance to what happened to Lebanon in order to hide their neglect. The Constitution is their path, so let them follow it.”
The Maronite Patriarch reiterated his call for dissociating Lebanon from regional axes.
“Neutrality is the only solution for Lebanon; it is not the Patriarch’s project. Rather, it derives from the core of the Lebanese political entity and the Lebanese nature,” he emphasized during an earlier radio interview on Wednesday.
