Religious leaders of Lebanon: end this "useless" war
After an emergency meeting, leaders of Lebanon's religious communities issued a seven-point statement: both sides should lay down their arms and exchange prisoners. They also expressed support for Beirut and condemned attacks like the one at Qana.
Beirut (AsiaNews) A joint appeal to end hostilities in Lebanon and full support for Siniora's government were expressed by the leaders of 17 Lebanese religious communities. The leaders meet for an extraordinary meeting today in Bkerke, the winter seat of the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. There was only one item on the agenda: "Studying the tragic development of the situation in Lebanon and facing the aggravated humanitarian crisis after the exodus of more than 700,000 displaced people from the south of the country and from Beirut."
The meeting went on for more than two hours and was attended by many religious leaders, led by Card.Sfeir, the Grand Mufti of the Sunni Muslims of Lebanon, Sheikh Mohammad Rachid Kabbaniand the vice chairman of the Council of Shiite Muslims, Sheikh Abdel Amir Kabalan. At the end of the extraordinary meeting, the participants issued a message with seven points in which they expressed hope that a ceasefire would be reached, with the end of military reprisals on both sides.
According to the joint statement, the religious leaders are asking for: an immediate ceasefire and unconditional respect by Israel of the Blue Line. They asked the government of Tel Aviv to withdraw immediately from Shebaa Farms and from the Kfarchouba heights. They further called on those responsible for the "useless and unjustified war" to exchange kidnapped troops and to open humanitarian corridors so aid can reach displaced people. At the same time, the leaders renewed their appeal to all religious institutes to offer hospitality and they reiterated their unconditional support for the plans of the Lebanese government, presented by the prime minister, Fouad Siniora, to participants of the Rome meeting, calling for the immediate intervention of UN forces to put an end to a war that has been destroying Lebanon for 19 days.
Finally, the document condemned the massacres across Lebanon, especially the one on Sunday at Qana that led to the death of 60 civilians. The leaders offered their prayer to the Almighty God that he may stop the war and violence.
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