His Eminence the Sheikh Akl of the Unitarian Druze community, Sheikh Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, extended his congratulations to the Lebanese people in general and Christians in particular on the occasion of the glorious holidays and the New Year.
On the other hand, His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna, accompanied by a delegation of sheikhs and members of the Confessional Council, visited the town of Ain Zhalta and met with its sheikhs and spiritual, social, and civil dignitaries, beginning with a religious meeting at the town council in which sheikhs from the town and the region participated.
After welcoming remarks, His Eminence the Sheikh Akl spoke, expressing his gratitude and emphasizing the inclusive Unitarian principles and the unifying approach followed by the righteous predecessors, which remains a legacy we follow to close our ranks, unite our community, and strengthen our voice in light of the difficulties our public life faces—difficulties that may become even more severe given their escalating indicators.
This was followed by a round of visits conducted by His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna to the town’s sheikhs and dignitaries, concluding with a general meeting at the town hall, with the participation of the parish priest, Father Antoine Antoun, and the municipal and mayoral councils. After welcoming speeches from Mayor Naim Saad, Mukhtar Salah Karameh, Professor Salim Saad, and poet Issam Al-Hamidi, His Eminence the Sheikh Akl reiterated his gratitude for the warm reception, saying:
We visit this good town, the town of Ain Zhalta, we visit the sheikhs and our people, we check on them by being close to them, and we hold fast to the formula of brotherhood and love that unites us with our brothers in living together in this Mountain. Our repeated visits here and there are to affirm our relationship with all our people across the Mountain and across the nation. We visit you not as a favor, but as a duty we owe to meet you always, our people in every village and every region. Our task is a task of gathering, spreading the good word, and approaching social and spiritual issues. Our mission is moral, spiritual, and social, not political, but it affirms a clear national message and path that unites and does not divide. Through it, we emphasize the importance of diversity in unity—a cultural, religious, and sectarian diversity, yet a national unity. This is Lebanon, and this is the Mountain, the model for all of Lebanon. If Lebanon is the homeland of diversity in unity, of this mix, this integration, and this partnership, then the Mountain is the finest model. If the Mountain succeeds, the homeland succeeds, and if the Mountain is safe, the homeland is safe. The Mountain is the heart of Lebanon, and Lebanon will not fall because the Mountain will not fall again. This Mountain has firm pillars of brotherhood, love, national spirit, and faith, and the stories of coexistence throughout history are much stronger than any painful story or distressing incident that has occurred in this Mountain. Therefore, we say that Ain Zhalta is also a model within this model Mountain, because Ain Zhalta is diverse and rich. Here we are today visiting the sheikhs, seeking blessings from them, and blessing this unity among our Unitarian people, as they have one house of worship and one town hall, as well as one shared life with their Christian brothers. This is the feature of Ain Zhalta: one council and one shared life. We live and build together and fortify the reconciliation together. Reconciliation is not merely a meeting of love, a written document, a handshake, or an act of candor; it is also a joint effort. Today, we are proposing, at the level of our relationship with His Beatitude Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, with all their Eminences and Excellencies, and with all monastic orders, especially the Maronite Order, a type of economic reconciliation. We are trying to invest in Christian and Druze endowments and build economic projects for our children and youth that root them in their land, establishing the Christian-Druze relationship through these projects, not just through social and cultural meetings.
He added: This is a task we undertake and work on, and hopefully, we will succeed. That is why I say that whenever we visit a town, we emphasize this spirit. Our mountains are strong with our unity and our joint work, and the pact of love we forged together in this Mountain. The recent visit of His Beatitude the Patriarch to the Mountain, to our home in Chanieh, and to Moukhtara, Baakline, and Beiteddine, falls within this unity and this message. We affirmed together during this tour that the message is one and that we must preserve this coexistence together, practically and through the youth, who are the hope of the future and who expect us to complete projects for them that enable them to remain in this land. They expect much from us because they love this land, and we must root their presence in it.
He concluded: I thank you for this reception, and we congratulate our Christian brothers on their blessed night; the night of the glorious Christmas, affirming that the Unitarianism to which we belong is inclusive and comprehensive, as it is a message of peace, love, and brotherhood. It is the truth of religions and laws, as it is a journey of ascension toward its goal: the human truth linked to the Almighty Truth. The truth is one, even if appearances multiply and rituals vary. We are all, God willing, Unitarians and united. We must consolidate this Unitarianism and this unity through human elevation, effective partnership, integration, and action. Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings.
His Eminence the Sheikh Akl paid a visit in Barouk to Sheikh Abu Ghazi Youssef Mahmoud to offer condolences on the passing of his wife's mother; in Agmid to the late Umm Muhanna Insaf Wahib Abu Ghader, wife of Sheikh Youssef Ali Abu Ghader; and in Al-Azzouniyeh to the struggler Abu Amin Ghassan Salman Salim.
He also made a phone call to the family of the late former MP and Minister Mohammed Youssef Beydoun, "Abu Youssef," to offer condolences on his passing, and delegated Confessional Council member Sheikh Sami Abdel Khaleq to participate in his funeral.
