Monday, April 30, 2012

No to the Maronite Patriarch in Canada

The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC)

Press Release From Elias Bejjani
April 30/2012

As was previously scheduled, in my capacity as a Canadian Lebanese human rights activist and Chairman for the LCCC, I discussed today with the Honorable John Baird, Canada's Minister Of Foreign Affairs, our opposing stand regarding all political stances adopted by His Beatitude the Maronite Patriarch Bchara Al Raei who is paying a pastoral visit to Canada next month.

The discussion revolved on the contents of our letter addressing Al Raei’s political stances in question that was sent to Minister Baird, as well as to the Honorable Jason Kenny, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and all Canadian provincial Ministers and MPs. His Beatitude’s political Stances does not represent many Lebanese communities in both Canada and Lebanon.

It is worth mentioning that Al Raei's declared and documented positions concerning the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the Syrian revolution, the Arab Spring, and Syria's al-Assad regime totally contradict all of Canada's foreign policies and standpoints.

We conveyed to Mr. Baird our full support for the Canadian Government's clear and courageous foreign policy towards global terrorism, equality, freedoms, human rights and peace, and extended to him our gratitude for listening to our concerns and stances.

Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com/
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.



N.B: Click on the link Below to read the release in both Arabic and English
http://www.10452lccc.com/elias%20arabic11/elias.bayan30.4.12.htm





Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Syrian Ambassador in Lebanon: A Mafioso Par Excellence

By: Elias Bejjani

In a scary and scandalous report that journalist Hamid Gheriafi published today in the Kuwaiti daily, Al Syiasi, he quoted prominent Syrian opposition figures in New York and Paris calling for an urgent human rights need to stop the horrible criminal atrocities the Syrian ambassador in Beirut, Ali Abdul Karim Ali, is openly carrying out all over Lebanon.
They described Ali, an ex-secret security officer, as evil, vindictive, blood thirsty and merciless, and orchestrating and conducting all the notorious kidnapping and assassination felonies in Lebanon against both Syrian citizens and opposition leaders, as well as against Lebanese intellectuals and politicians who oppose Assad’s bloody Syrian regime.
One of these Syrian opposition leaders living in New York informed Al Syiasi daily yesterday that it is not acceptable under any given circumstances to turn a blind eye on the brutalities that this man, Ali, is inflicting savagely on many Syrians, citizens, politicians and military personnel, who were forced to take refuge in Lebanon in a bid to escape the crimes al-Assad regime is committing against its own people who oppose al-Assad’s dictatorship and call for his resignation.

According to the report, Ambassador Ali has converted the Syrian embassy in Beirut to a major headquarters for pro-Syrian killers, assassins, spies, mercenaries and secret intelligence activities. Among those merciless hitmen and criminals that Ali hired and leads are tens of Lebanese security men serving the al- Assad regime and not their own country, Lebanon, or its military leadership.

Lebanese Internal Security officer, Salah Al Hajj (son of the former Lebanese director of Internal Security Forces, General Ahmed Al Hajj, a major suspect in the ex-Lebanese Raffic Al Harriri assassination in 2005) is one of these hitmen.

Hajj, has been involved in blatantly smuggling weapons into Syria, kidnapping many Syrians and Lebanese and transferring them to Syria where they are liquidated. This officer and many others who serve Ambassador Ali are loyal to the two Shiite terrorist and pro-Syrian-Iranian organizations, Hezbollah and Amal Movement.

The Syrian ambassador is replicating the notorious and oppressive era of Syria’s occupation of Lebanon that had ended in 2005. He practically runs a professional Mafioso gang of well-trained killers and assassins. For the last year Ali has been unashamedly terrorizing and intimidating all Syrian refugees who fled their country to Lebanon in fear for their lives. The UN has estimated that there are about 25,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

An active Syrian diaspora opposition leader told Al Syiasi that Hezbollah, the Iranian Shiite terrorist organization that actually and practically occupies Lebanon and fully controls its government and most of its security bodies, has made the country's communication data available for Ali and his assassination team around the clock. Through this data Ali and his Syrian-Lebanese spies have full accessibility for surveillance all over Lebanon. Accordingly, Ali monitors the activities and phone calls of all the Lebanese politicians, officials and many others.

Ali also runs in Beirut, its suburbs and the Bekaa Valley a number of detention and torturing centers that are used to detain, and torture the victims before either being killed or transferred to Syria.

One might wonder and ask why the Lebanese security forces are not doing anything to stop Ali and his assassination team? The answer is because Hezbollah runs the country and serves the Syrian and Iranian expansionism and terrorism schemes and not the Lebanese people.

Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition is calling on the Lebanese authorities and the UN to put an end to Ali's atrocities and close the Syrian embassy in Lebanon or otherwise they are threatening to resort to military action against the embassy building.

In conclusion, Ali is using Lebanon to entrap and hunt all free Syrian citizens and dignitaries who flee to Lebanon. At the same time he is using all evil criminal and spying means to intimidate the Lebanese politicians and intellectuals who support the Syrian revolution. Sadly, Lebanon is an occupied country and accordingly its government which is a Syrian-Iranian puppet is not going to solve this problem. The UN and Arab league are required to step in and take action against Ali and the gangs that he runs.



Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.



N.B: To read in Arabic journalist Hamid Gheriafi's report that was published today in the Kuwaiti daily, Al Syiasi, Click Here
http://10452lccc.com/h.geriafi07/hamid25.04.12.htm









Sunday, April 22, 2012

When Spears confuses readers on Taqiyya

When Spears confuses readers on Taqiyya By: Elias Bejjani* April 23/12 Wayne Spears in his article dedicated to the events in Norway, committed an intellectual fraud inspired by the Jihadist propaganda. He wrote that the well known scholar Professor Walid Phares has been one of those who developed and disseminated the so-called "Taqiyya thesis," and went on to describe it "as the idea that all Muslims are terrorists bent on world domination, required by their religion to lie about this essential fact." Spears is accusing a scholar of the opposite of his scholarship, which discredits Spears and harms the credibility of his piece, initially seeking a good cause. Here is why: First Professor Phares didn't develop the thesis of Taqiyya, let alone disseminate it. This doctrine existed for centuries and is well known in Arab and Islamic history literature. A simple Google or research in Arabic, and now in all other languages, shows clearly that this concept comes from the Middle ages and it has been discussed and debated by modern scholarship for the last century. Spears unfortunately misleads his readers by claiming that a leading scholar on Jihadism, Professor Walid Phares, is actually the developer of a doctrine that existed for centuries. The claim is so absurd that it should warrant an apology by Mr. Spears to his readers and to Professor Phares. Second, the explanation provided by Spears of Taqiyya is even more absurd. He claims that it is an "idea that all Muslims are terrorists bent on world domination, required by their religion to lie about this essential fact." Taqiyya was a theological and tactical notion originally invented by Shia to flee the persecution by Sunnis. Where did Spears get his education from? Does he actually know anything about Middle East and Arab history. His sources seem to have fooled him so that in turn he fools his readers and embarrass his publication. There is no source whatsoever on historical Taqiyya that calls on all Muslims to "act like Terrorists" and lie about there goal of world domination. This is an insulting notion advanced by Spears and makes him part of producing Islamophobia. If there is a concept that espouses what Spears is claiming it is precisely the Salafi Jihadi ideology which indeed, according to documents captured and now available online, asks supporters to practice deceit in order to establish the Caliphate. Not only Phares but most national security experts in the West and the in the Muslim world are fully aware of the Jihadi Taqiyya. Hence Phares in his historic book Future Jihad has been a pioneer in identifying the Taqiyya practice by the Jihadists, not by Muslims, as uninformed Spears claims. Third, Phares has published the only book that predicted the Arab Spring in which he projects that Arab Muslim civil societies are and will be rising against dictatorships in the region. Phares furthermore predicts that Muslim liberals will also rise against the Islamists and the Jihadists. For that reason Phares was targeted by pro-Jihadist lobbies in the West since last year, as a retaliation to his intellectual contribution to the understanding of the massive change taking place in the region. No wonder how propaganda arguments framing Phares into what he isn't, and manufactured by Islamist lobbies are circulated among sympathizers of the Islamists in the West. The Islamist lobby in North America is attempting to confuse the public by putting two types of literature in one pool to sink one with the other. There are those who believe that all Muslims (one billion) are identical, and follow fundamentalism to the letter, and hence every Muslim is a Taqiyya practioner. This school of thought is prevalent and we often respond to its promoters. But then there are those in the opposite thinking school, like Walid Phares, Bernard Lewis, and most seasoned and learned Western intellectual who clearly knows how to distinguish between the Jihadists and the non Jihadists in the Muslim world. When this school mentions Taqiyya, it clearly underlines that this concept, borrowed from history, is now used by the Jihadists for their terror agenda, not by Muslims. Irony is that Jihadists uses it against other Muslims worldwide. But the Jihadist propaganda in the West, in order to deflect attention from this Terror tactic, adopts a reverse psychology with their public. Islamist groups and their apologists in North America claims that Lewis and Phares, among others are talking about all Muslims when they analyze Taqiyya, while in fact they are clearly pinpointing the Jihadists only. What the propagandists are aiming at, is to discredit all discussion of Taqiyya, so that the Jihadi Taqiyya is safe and operational. Of course Muslims in general aren't followers of Taqiyya, but of course that Jihadists are practicing it fully. This is why uninformed bloggers like Wayne Spears are acting indirectly as a shield to the Jihadists. For when he lumps Walid Phares the leading expert on Jihadism with those who concentrate on theological issues, he is confusing the public and serving the interests of the Jihadi propaganda machine. Wayne's unintellectual "spear" becomes part of the Jihadi swords aimed at the West and moderate Muslims. *This above piece was sent to the National Post on April 19/2012 N.B: Click Here To Read Wayne K. Spear on Anders Breivik: Not mad, but definitely a failure/National post, April 17/12 http://www.nationalpost.com/m/opinion/blog.html?b=fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/04/17/wayne-k-spear-on-anders-breivik-not-mad-but-definitely-a-failure *Elias Bejjani *Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator *Email phoenicia@hotmail.com *Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com *Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/. Below is Mr. Spears Response to my above comments Dear Mr. Bejjani, Thank-you so much for your thoughtful and fulsome criticism of my Post piece yesterday. You've put effort into writing me, so I think I am obliged to return the favour. I suspect my actually-held positions have been misconstrued, and I think I can see why. The core of your objection seems to me that I mischaracterize professor Phares. This is a fair criticism, to be sure. I hadn't actually set out to characterize him at all, but the grammar of my introduction of his name suggests otherwise. I only mentioned him in passing, and only in the limited sense that he introduced a concept which was picked up by others and turned into an anti-Islam thesis. (I certainly never even suggested he invented the concept, only ways of applying it.) As you must have noticed the bulk of what I had to say on this matter concerned not his work but Anders Breivik and Serge Trifkovic, both of whom misrepresent taqiyya in exactly the ways you articulate. (I expect you'd agree with that much.) You ask if I actually know anything about Middle East and Arab history. I would never claim to be an expert on either, but since most Muslims are neither Arab, nor living in the Middle East, I doubt such expertise would suffice even if I indeed had it. In any case, the civil war currently going on across the Muslim world (the better term for the so-called war on terror) matters to me, and I know which side I am on: the side of women's rights, and political freedoms, and human dignity. That is my chief motivation for trying to learn as much as I can about the world. I am well familiar with the history of the term taqiyya, as well as with its uses and abuses within the Muslim world. But I admit I have much to learn, and that I am eager to learn. My critics play an important role here, and I'm glad to have them. There's nothing particularly special by the way in lying about one's beliefs for the purpose of survival or advantage: human beings have been doing that for centuries. But as you know there is a pernicious effort underway to present the term taqiyya in a way that suggests it is normative behaviour among Muslims – that all Muslims want to impose Sharia, but that they lie when they say they do not. The viral video Three Things About Islam is a case in point of what has been done with this concept: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib9rofXQl6w . Just to be clear, I am aware that Mr. Phares does not consider all Muslims as Jihadists. I do think his work is instrumental to people who do think this way, and that there is an inherent weakness in his approach which led to this. In my estimation, Jihadi Taqiyya is a highly dubious and dangerous analytic tool. Why? Because it is circular and self-confirming. If I say, "I reject terrorism," I must be guilty by definition because this is exactly what I would say if I practice taqiyya. Think of the awful and impossible position this puts Muslims in. It's been terribly destructive, and has paradoxically led to Muslims in North America as being treated all the same, subject to the same suspicion. I've written more lengthy criticism specific to this approach elsewhere. In retrospect though I probably should have left Walid Phares out, or better yet discussed the place and nature of his contribution, because his contribution as I'm sure you'll agree is very important. I hope this clarifies the core point you raise. I feel I must stand by the article as a whole, because it states my rejection both of jihadism and the hateful, authoritarian anti-jihadism of Breivik and others who are clearly unable or unwilling to see Muslims as neighbours and friends and fellow citizens and, in short, as human beings. All the best to you. Peace, -Wayne K. Spear. 20/04/12

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Resurrection: Life, Faith And Death

By: Elias Bejjani*

Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here (Mark 16/05)

Do not be afraid, “Don’t be amazed", with these reassuring and soothing words The Angel spoke to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They had came to the tomb on Sunday morning to mummify and anoint Jesus' Body as the Jewish tradition required. They thought death had defeated Jesus and ended His life as it does to every human being. On their way, they were sadly thinking and wondering who will roll for them the stone away from the tomb's entrance so they can get in and perform the mummifying and anointing process. While halfway from the tomb, they saw that the enormous stone had been rolled away. When they entered the tomb they found that Jesus' body was not there. They found only the shrouds that His body was wrapped with on His burial after the crucifixion.

Saint Mark's (16/01-13) Gospel describes thoroughly what has happened with these three loyal and faithful women: "When the Sabbath was, past Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back. Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’” They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid. Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved. After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either."

Lord Jesus who died on the cross, had risen from the dead on the third day just as He has said while proclaiming His message. He triumphed over death, defeated the forces of darkness, overcame pain, abolished anguish and brought despair to an end. He rose from the tomb to be constantly with those faithful to Him throughout their lives, and to never abandon them. He shall empower forever those who believe in His message and observe His commandments with the spirit of truth, knowledge, wisdom and solidarity with His Father, Almighty God.

Christ is the Way, Christ is the Truth, and Christ is the actual eternal life that we long for. We strongly believe with full conviction that Christ dwells in His Holy Church, and exists in its Mysteries (Sacraments). He is always present in the Holy Eucharist that we receive during every mass. Christ at all times is ready, willing and delighted to help us in our burdens when we call on Him and ask for His mercy. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew11:28)

The miracle of resurrection is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. This pivotal liturgical fact was strongly stressed by Saint Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians, (15/12-26): " Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming. Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death".

Through Crucifixion and resurrection, Christ has overcome death, broke its thorn, and granted us His eternal forgiveness from the original sin. With His death and resurrection, death in its traditional earthly human concept has been abolished forever and Sin since then has become the actual death that leads the sinners to Gahanna into the unquenchable fire.

When our bodies die, we sleep in the hope of resurrection. On Jesus' return on the Day of Judgment, the dead will be the first to rise and escort Him. "Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed", (Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15 / 51-52).

Easter Sunday is a holy feast of love, humility, forgiveness, brotherhood, tolerance and repentance. Religiously we are not to participate in any of these feast prayers or make any offerings or receive the Holy Communion unless we replace hatred with love, grudges with forgiveness, rejection of others with tolerance, arrogance with humility, greed with contentment, deception with transparency, and evil with righteousness.

If we do not learn how to tame our selfishness, anger, hatred and forgive others for whatever evil deeds they commit against us and reconcile with them, than we do not qualify to be called Jesus' followers. Our prayers will not be heard or responded to, if we do not practice the grace of forgiveness as did He who was crucified for our salvation.
“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift". (Matthew 5/23-24).

Meanwhile our true faith in Jesus and in His Sacrifices won't be complete unless we adopt in our thinking, deeds and language the pure components of sacrifice, honesty, truth, self respect, meekness and decency. "Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4/29-32)

For our prayers to be looked upon and heard by Almighty God, we are required to reconcile with ourselves and with all others on whom we have inflicted pain and injustice, and treated with an evil manner. To please the Lord we are required to genuinely, heartily and overtly perform all required acts of repentance for all our mischievous conducts and wrongdoings. Mark 11/24-26: "Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions"

Almighty God has endowed us with His love talent, (minas) and expects us to faithfully invest it in helping others who are in need. He expect us to observe all the teaching of His Bible so that He will reward us on the Day of Judgment and put us on His Right Side.

On this Holy Day of Resurrection, we must be aware that Jesus' Holy blood was shed on the Cross for our sake. Remembrance of His death and resurrection is a Godly consignment that we are entrusted with. It’s up to us either to honour this trust or betray it. In regards to what is committed to us, Saint Paul conveyed to his disciple Timothy the following advice (6/20-21): "Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith".

Halleluiah! Jesus has risen! Indeed He has risen.



*Elias Bejjani
*Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com

*Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.


NB. First published on 21 April/2011

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Holy Mysteries Thursady

By: Elias Bejjani*

The Maronite Catholic Church celebrateD today, "The Thursday of the Holy Mysteries", (Khamies Al Asrar), which is also known as the "Washing Thursday "(Khamies Al Kesiel), the "Covenant Thursday", and the "Great & Holy Thursday". It is the holy day feast that falls on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His 12 Apostles as described in the gospel. It is the fifth day of the last Lenten Holy Week, that is followed by the, "Good Friday", "Saturday Of The Light (Sabet Al Nour) and "Easter Sunday".

Luke 22/1-30: "Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover, drew near. The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people. Satan entered into Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered with the twelve. He went away, and talked with the chief priests and captains about how he might deliver him to them. They were glad, and agreed to give him money. He consented, and sought an opportunity to deliver him to them in the absence of the multitude. The day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover must be sacrificed. He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters. Tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.” They went, found things as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles. He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!” They began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing. There arose also a contention among them, which of them was considered to be greatest. He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am in the midst of you as one who serves. But you are those who have continued with me in my trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Thursday of the Holy Mysteries (Secrets-Sacraments) is the heart of the last Lenten holy week, in which the Maronite Catholic Church lives with reverence and devotion the Lord's Last Supper spirit and contemplation through prayers and deeply rooted religious rituals and traditions:

*The Patriarch prays over and blesses the chrism (Al-Myroun), as well as the oil of baptism and anointing that are to are distributed on all parishes and churches.

*During the mass that is held on this Holy Day, the priest washes the feet of twelve worshipers, mainly children (symbolizing the apostles numbers)
Jesus washed His disciples feet and commanded them to love each other and follow his example in serving each other. “So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13/12-16).

*Worshipers visit and pray in seven Churches. This ritual denotes to the completion of the Church's Seven sacraments (Secrets) : Priesthood sacrament, Eucharist sacrament, Holy Oil sacrament, Baptism sacrament, Confirmations sacrament, anointing sacrament and Service sacrament.
This tradition also denotes to the seven locations that Virgin Mary's went to look for Her Son, Jesus, after she learned about His arrest. The detention place, The Council of the Priests, twice the Pilate's headquarters, twice the Herod Headquarters, till She got to the Calvary.
Some Christian scholars believe that this tradition was originated in Rome where early pilgrims visited the seven pilgrim churches as an act of penance. They are Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls, Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem, and traditionally Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls. Pope John Paul II replaced St. Sebastian with the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love for the jubilee year of 2000.

*The Mass of the Lord's Supper is accompanied by the ringing of bells, which are then silent until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers used to kneel and pray the rosary in front of the Eucharist (Blessed Sacrament) all Thursday night. The Blessed Sacrament remains exposed all night, while worshipers are encouraged to stay in the church as much as they can praying, meditating upon the Mystery of Salvation, and participating in the “agony of Gethsemane” (Garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives) in Jerusalem where Jesus spent his night in prayer before His crucifixion on Good Friday.

*After the homily washing of feet the service concludes with a procession taking the Blessed Eucharist (Sacrament) to the place of reposition. The altar is later stripped bare, as are all other altars in the church except the Altar of Repose.

Thursday of the "Holy Mysteries", is called so because in His Last Supper with the 12 disciples, Jesus Christ established the Eucharist and Priesthood Sacraments when "He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” "He took bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me. And when He Likewise, took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you".

Jesus ordained His disciples as priests of the New Testament when he said to them during the Last Supper: "But you are those who have continued with me in my trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Before Celebrating the Resurrection Day (Easter) worshipers live the "Paschal Mystery" through the Thursday Of the Sacraments, Good Friday and Saturday Of The Light (Sabet Al Nour).

Because He loves us and wants us to dwell in His Fathers' Eternal Heaven, Jesus Christ for our sake willingly suffered all kinds of torture, pain, humiliation and died on the Cross to pave our way for repentance and salvation.

Let us pray on this Holy Day that we always remember Jesus' love and sacrifices and live our life in this context of genuine, faith, love, meekness and forgiveness.

*Elias Bejjani
*Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
*Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.

First publish on April 21/2011

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

الياس بجاني يستنكر محاولة اغتيال الدكتور سمير جعجع

الياس بجاني يستنكر محاولة اغتيال الدكتور سمير جعجع
تورنتو/كندا في 04 نيسان/2012

نستنكر وندين بشدة محاولة اغتيال الدكتور سمير جعجع التي وإن دلت على شيء فعلى الهمجية المستمرة لأعداء لبنان الدولة والكيان والهوية والتاريخ والرسالة والحقوق والحريات والإنسان.

إنها همجية وتيمورلنكية مجرمة وحاقدة منذ 40 سنة بإبليسيه فاقعة على كل القيادات اللبنانية السيادية من الأشراف والوطنيين.

هؤلاء الأعداء البرابرة بثقافتهم الرافضة للأخر والتابعين مباشرة ومواربة للنظامين السوري والإيراني ولباقي مكونات محور الشر الإرهابي المحلي والدولي والإقليمي لا يفهمون إلا لغة القتل والدمار والغزوات والجهل والفوضى والدكتاتورية.

لن نطالب الدولة في لبنان القيام بواجباتها بما يخص محاولة الاغتيال الدنيئة هذه لأن لا دولة في لبنان بل احتلال إيراني وسوري وهيمنة كاملة على كل مفاصل البلد، إلا أننا نطالب الشعب اللبناني في الوطن الأم وبلاد الانتشار الوعي والجرأة في اتخاذ المواقف الوطنية والأخلاقية الواضحة والعلنية وعدم الانجرار وراء الأعداء والمرتزقة والإسخريوتيين هؤلاء المتلطين تحت شعارات المقاومة والممانعة والتحرير والإصلاح والنأي بالنفس الكاذبة والاحتيالية وتطول قائمة شعارات الدجل والنفاق.

يبقى أن الإنسان موقف ومن لا موقف له فهو مجرد من إنسانيته ومتنازل عن حقوقه وكرامته.

صان الله لبنان وشعبه وحمى كل القيادات الوطنية.

*معلق سياسي وناشط لبناني اغترابي
*عنوان الكاتب الالكتروني
Phoenicia@hotmail.com
رابط موقع المنسقية العامة للمؤسسات اللبنانية الكندية
http://www.10452lccc.com