His Eminence the Sheikh Aql of the Unitarian Druze Community, Sheikh Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, and His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholics, emphasized the "importance of national solidarity and spiritual coordination in light of the difficult circumstances Lebanon is going through and the existential challenges it faces, including military threats at the borders and internal political, economic, and social crises, which require everyone to be aware of the sensitivity of this stage, to prioritize the supreme interest above all else, and to look toward what fortifies the country, preserves the constitution, and supports institutions."
Following the reception of His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian by His Eminence the Sheikh Aql at the Druze Community House in Beirut, the two dignitaries affirmed the "necessary cooperation between all officials to reach national understandings, address outstanding issues, make serious efforts to end the current presidential vacancy, and work to restore lost trust in order to put the country on the path toward the necessary solutions and the hoped-for relief."
His Eminence the Sheikh Aql and His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian also stressed the "constant communication between spiritual authorities and the exertion of all possible efforts to strengthen spiritual faith and safeguard the foundations, values, and principles that are the basis of the nation's distinctiveness and the guarantee of its existence."
Patriarch Minassian was accompanied by Father Karo Taniosian and the Patriarchate's Public Relations Officer Charbel Bastouri, in the presence of Sheikhs: members of the Mazhabi Council Sami Abdel Khalek and Mohammed Ghannam, administrative advisor Dr. Ramzi Sarieddine, media advisor Amer Zeineddine, General Director of the Mazhabi Council Mr. Mazen Fayyad, and Director of the Sheikh Aql Mashyakha Mr. Rayan Hassan.
Wronecka
His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna also met with the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Ms. Joanna Wronecka. They discussed a number of general issues and topics and the UN's position on them. Following the meeting, Coordinator Wronecka affirmed "the United Nations' position in standing by Lebanon and supporting the Lebanese government in its efforts to preserve the country amidst the harsh difficulties and crises it is undergoing, especially regarding the unstable situation on the border with Israel and internal crises at various political, social, and economic levels, and ensuring the maintenance of stability."
Wronecka also emphasized "the importance of activating internal consultation between all political parties and supporting the reaching of agreements on fundamental issues between them to preserve the state and its institutions, and to enhance cooperation with the international community and donor agencies to develop projects that contribute to strengthening economic and social resilience."
Visitors
Among the visitors to His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna was a delegation including: Director General of the Ministry of Culture Dr. Ali Al-Samad, Director General of the Ministry of the Displaced Engineer Ahmed Mahmoud, Director at the Ministry of Telecommunications Bassel Al-Ayoubi, and Advisor to the Minister of Finance Mrs. Alia Abbas, accompanied by Prince Tarek Al-Nasser Al-Din. They discussed general issues and those related to the duties of their respective ministries.
He also received a delegation from the Faculty of Technology at the Lebanese University in Abey, which included the Faculty Director Dr. Taan Abu Matar, former director Dr. Osama Ghabar, Dr. Yousef Ajeeb, Dr. Walid Al-Shaar, and Dr. Sheikh Ramzi Sarieddine. The delegation briefed His Eminence on the current situation and activities of the faculty, and the Sheikh Aql expressed interest in supporting and developing it.
Chanieh
His Eminence the Sheikh Aql also met at his residence in Chanieh with a joint parliamentary and municipal delegation from the Aley district, which included MPs Razi El Saad and Nazih Metta, a representative for MP Akram Chehayeb, heads of municipalities in the Aley highlands area, and the management of the "Green Hand" association, to discuss development projects related to the needs of the villages and towns in the district.
He also received the advisor to the Syndicate of Nursery Owners, Abdullah Ghanem, who explained the situation of the syndicate and the efforts to amend some of its articles. He also received the writer and author Ghureid Al-Sheikh Mohammed, accompanied by Mr. Hikmat Bishnak and in the presence of Mazhabi Council member Sheikh Fadi Al-Attar, who presented His Eminence with a valuable collection of her books published by Dar Al-Nukhba and a dictionary on "Linguistics, Grammar, Morphology, Parsing, and Punctuation."
Baakline
His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna participated in the extensive religious evening at the shrine of the late Sheikh Abu Muhammad Jawad Wali Al-Din in Baakline, alongside the presence of the honorable Sheikhs: Abu Saleh Mohammed Al-Andari, Abu Ali Suleiman Bou Diab, Abu Zein Al-Din Hassan Ghannam, Abu Fayez Amin Makarem, Abu Mahmoud Saeed Faraj, and a gathering of Sheikhs from the town and the region.
In his speech on the occasion, the Sheikh Aql recalled the fragrant life led by Sheikh Wali Al-Din in his spiritual path, which was inspired by the lives of the prophets, in accordance with the holy verse: "...And to Madyan [we sent] their brother Shu'aib. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and the weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you should be believers.'"
He emphasized "the importance of following the approach of the righteous predecessors and the message of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Jawad Wali Al-Din, especially in terms of good conduct and preserving social values and faith-based principles, which are the foundations and pillars of a spiritual society."
