His Eminence the Sheikh Akl of the Unitarian Druze community, Sheikh Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, met at the Community House in Beirut with His Beatitude the Armenian Catholic Patriarch, Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, who extended an invitation to His Eminence to participate in the national celebration to be held at Martyrs' Square on September 12, on the occasion of receiving the remains of Cardinal Patriarch Krikor Bedros XV Agagianian.
The meeting was an occasion to discuss spiritual and national issues and developments in the region, including Lebanon. In this context, His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian and His Eminence the Sheikh Akl emphasized "the importance of national and spiritual solidarity, in light of the precision of the current stage, and what it requires of prioritizing positive outcomes over internal differences or conflicting visions that do not address the magnitude of the fateful challenges facing Lebanon, and the growing risks resulting from the Israeli aggression and the occupation government's schemes, which refuse to comply with international appeals to stop the war and are indifferent to all international and humanitarian resolutions, norms, and laws in this regard."
The two religious leaders called on "everyone to rise to the level of historical responsibilities in a way that saves the homeland, which is threatened in the foundations and components of its existence and entity, and to demonstrate the reason and wisdom required by this stage regarding the proposed approaches. They also called for rallying around legitimacy, especially the Lebanese Army and other security forces, which bear the responsibility of providing security and stability, and for joint efforts to be combined to alleviate these difficulties, in consolidation of human and moral values and the recommendations of social solidarity, considering that if the war expands – God forbid – it will not be limited to one sect or region over another."
Patriarch Minassian was accompanied on the visit by the Armenian Catholic Bishop of Beirut, Krikor Badisha, and the media officer Charbel Bastoury, in the presence of advisors Sheikh Dr. Ramzi Sarieddine and Amer Zeineddine, the General Director of the Druze Council Mazen Fayyad, and the Director of the Sheikh Akl Office Rayan Hassan.
His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna also received: the Head of the Legislation and Tax Policy Department at the VAT Directorate in the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Salam Al-Hamidi, in the presence of Sheikh Dr. Sarieddine; Dr. Antoine Messarra and the President of the "Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace," lawyer Rabih Qais, to discuss the preparations underway for holding a conference for the foundation; and the Director of the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut, Mr. Rami Rayyes.
He had previously received a member of the Higher Islamic Sharia Council, Sheikh Ziad Al-Saheb; a member of the Constitutional Council, Judge Riad Abu Ghida; and both the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Sami Azar, and Dr. Suhail Matar from the University of Balamand, as well as Mr. Nader Abu Fakher.
Chanay
His Eminence the Sheikh Akl received at his residence in Chanay the delegate of the Sheikh Akl office in Toronto, Canada, Sheikh Mohammed Abu Hamdan, accompanied by the principal of Al-Irfan Secondary School - Al-Samqanieh, Afif Rasbieh. He followed up on the developments and reconciliation efforts regarding the Druze Council elections next Sunday with a number of sheikhs and candidates, emphasizing in this regard "the importance of understanding and positive competition to serve the community and the homeland."
