Sheikh Al-Aql of the Unitarian Druze community, Sheikh Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, conducted an inspection tour of several villages in the Western Bekaa region, accompanied by a delegation of sheikhs, the Druze Judge Sheikh Gandhi Makarem, and members of the Confessional Council and advisors.
Al-Mraijat
In his first stop in the town of Al-Mraijat, the Sheikh Al-Aql was received by sheikhs and dignitaries. A speech was delivered on their behalf by the head of the Al-Masri Family Association, Hossam Al-Masri, and the head of the Communication Committee of the Confessional Council, retired Major General Shawqi Al-Masri, spoke welcoming Sheikh Abi Al-Muna and affirming "standing with him in his unifying path for the sect and the nation."
Sheikh Abi Al-Muna responded with a speech in which he expressed his gratitude for the reception, saying: "I am visiting today these good villages which are called the peripheries, but they are in the heart, in the heart of our concern and affection. What is the difference between a son of Al-Mraijat and a son of Shanay, for example, as long as he carries the same creed, the same values, and the same national spirit? These good villages are a model for diversity and the coexistence that you experienced during the days of war and adversity, and you were at a high level of stature in bringing together and preserving this Lebanese national environment."
He added: "I carry within me a rich heritage of this Unitarian Maronite sect. Therefore, when I visit and meet the primary authorities at the national level, whether political, official, or religious, I meet them carrying within me this great heritage that gives me strength and a confident, powerful word. We are proud of our history and our Arab national heritage and our Unitarian Maronite heritage, and this heritage empowers us to be in a position of strength. Glory is not measured by numbers, but by honorable stances, and our stances are honorable and our history is honorable. Therefore, we are in a strong, cohesive position, uniting all sects. Our mission is to gather and unify the Lebanese sects and components, and we are proud of this mission. The house of the Unitarian Druze community is a house of gathering, not a house of division."
He continued: "The Unitarian Druze will not be the tip of the spear in confronting any of our partners in the nation. To be true partners in a homeland of the Lebanese formula based on diversity, we must be strong in our internal unity. A strong partner is an effective partner, so we must be strong in our internal unity, strong in our Unitarian creed, cultivating it in our children and in all our families, fortifying them with this noble creed that brings us closer to God Almighty and grants us safety and reassurance, just as we fortify ourselves and our families and strengthen them with the ethical, humanitarian, spiritual, and social Maronite values."
Maksah
Sheikh Abi Al-Muna then moved to the town of Maksah. After welcoming words and appreciation for the visit from poet Nadim Ghannam—who recited a poem for the occasion—as well as Mukhtar Akl Saeed and Sheikh Abu Suleiman Fayez Saeed, the Sheikh Al-Aql delivered a speech in which he greeted the people of the town and said: "We were named Banu Ma'ruf because we carry these Maronite values: the values of virtue, generosity, chastity, integrity, uprightness, and courage, which is the courage of the heart, recognition, faith, and confrontation—confrontation with truth and justice before it is the courage of the arm, the sword, or weapons, and the courage of humanity before it is any other courage."
He added: "We must fortify ourselves with these values just as we fortify ourselves with the Unitarian creed, as well as by our steadfastness in this land, whether in Al-Mraijat, Maksah, Khirbet Qanafar, Ain Zebdeh, or in Aley, Baakline, or anywhere else. The land is the land and steadfastness is steadfastness. We must be steadfast on our land, hold onto it, love it, and build it through coexistence with our people and partners, and know how to live with them with love, refinement, morality, loftiness, courage, and faith, and by holding onto our rights without infringing on the rights of others. These are the Maronite qualities."
He continued: "We are patriots, we are Muslims, we are authentic Arabs in our patriotism, authentic in our Islam, and authentic in our Arabism. This is the title; as for how to preserve it, this is the challenge. How do we preserve our identity and existence, and how do we guarantee the future? This requires effort, work, perseverance, and unity of ranks, the internal unity. A strong internal unity is a guarantee for participation in national unity. But if we are weak in our internal unity, we are weak in our national partnership, and this is what we do not want. We want to be strong. How do we become strong? We become strong if we preserve these constants, if we preserve our Tawhid (monotheism), our creed, our faith, our relationship with God Almighty, our adherence to commands and refraining from prohibitions: 'Let there be a community among you who call to what is good, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; those are the successful ones.'"
Khirbet Qanafar
Sheikh Abi Al-Muna and the accompanying delegation subsequently visited the town of Khirbet Qanafar, heading first to the religious Khalwa (prayer hall) and then to the new hall, where welcoming speeches were delivered by Sheikh Walid Azzam, Mr. Adnan Al-Amouri, and Mr. Fadi Azzam.
The Sheikh Al-Aql delivered a speech of gratitude and appreciation to the town's people, sheikhs, and families, during which he called for adherence to our authentic Maronite constants and the foundations of our existence in the sect and the nation. He said: "We are strong in the nation because we adhere to our Unitarian and national values, and breaking the law is not in our dictionary. We will not be strong if we break the law and despise our partners in the nation, and we will not be strong if our internal unity is not strong. This has been my message since I took on this task, and this is what I discuss with my brothers and my Unitarian people and others: that we should be strong in our unity. That is an honor for us. To be strong in our unity and our partnership, that is the equation: strength in unity is strength in partnership; weakness in unity is weakness in partnership."
Then there was a visit of condolence for the late Farid Sami Azzam in the other hall, where he was welcomed by Mr. Suleiman Azzam and the relatives.
Ain Zebdeh
The Sheikh Al-Aql concluded his tour in the town of Ain Zebdeh, where a reception was held for him in the public hall by the town's sheikhs, dignitaries, and residents. During it, Adel Al-Amouri and Major General Shawqi Al-Masri delivered speeches of praise and appreciation. In his speech, Sheikh Abi Al-Muna greeted "the people who are attached to the land and the roots, which must remain fixed, whereas the branches are open to openness and adjustment. The result is the good, ripe fruit from those fixed roots; otherwise, we become like a leaf in the wind, and this is what we do not accept. Therefore, we say: May God make you steadfast in your faith, your religion, your values, and your land, and God willing, we will always be in touch with you, even if not physically, but in thought and heart."
The Sheikh Al-Aql ended his tour in the town by visiting the religious council and the homes of the late Sheikh Abu Wajih Kamel Al-Amouri and Naseeb Al-Amouri. On his way back, he stopped in Maksah again to visit his advisor, Sheikh Daniel Saeed, and Sheikh Abu Yahya Issam Saeed.
