Patriarch Al Raei Can't give what he does not Possess

By: Elias Bejjani

Our Lebanese people in general, and our Maronite brothers in particular are some times very bizarre in their thinking, acts and unrealistic expectations.
In this context many Lebanese journalists, politicians, activists and citizens, mainly Maronites are crying loud today and bitterly criticizing the Maronite Patriarch Bchara Al Raei because in his sermon at the Bkerki Patriarchate this morning he totally ignored Hezbollah's vicious attack on Lebanon’s President, Micheal Suleiman who holds the first Maronite position in the Lebanese state hierarchy.
Personally we are not surprised at all by Al Raei's on going non Lebanese and non Biblical stances because we know who is he politically and where he stands and to whom he is totally subservient.
Based on his past, relations, allies, rhetoric and countless derailments, no sane Lebanese should expect from Al Raei any thing that is Maronite, patriotic or mere Lebanese.
Sadly, this man of the cloth is politically totally subservient to the Syrian-Iranian Axis of Evil from his day one as a Patriarch. During the past three years, he has been very loud in both Lebanon and abroad in defending the Syrian Al Assad Dictatership and the illegal status of Hezbollah, the Iranian military proxy in Lebanon.
If the politically derailed  Maronite Patriarch Bchara Al Raei is afraid and extremely hesitant on take mere patriotic Lebanese stances because he is heart, mind and soul pro the Syrian-Iranian Axis of Evil, let him give up his clergy garment and go home. We, Maronites do not need a subservient Patriarch. The Maronites need a courageous, modest, patriotic, honest and faithful religious leader.
Sadly Al Raei is not honestly and faithfully serving his people or Lebanon, the Land of the Cedars, and those who appease him (politicians, officials, clergymen, and citizens) are his partners in all his anti Lebanese rhetoric and stances.
Quite, frankly We do not have at the present time actual and patriotic Maronite leaders in Lebanon or in the Diaspora, we have unfortunately third class cheap politicians who are selfish, mean, with no consciousness, opportunists, liars, chameleons and a punch of temple merchants who are hungry for personal gains and power.
They all focus on the presidency post and not on the welfare of the Lebanese or the future and the fate of the country. With no shame they appease and cajole Al Raei because they are cut from the same cloth. There is no hope from these derailed false leaders.
In conclusion, all positive expectations from Al Raei are futile because Lebanese wise he is a hopeless case. The only solution to free Bkerki that is currently occupied by Al Raei is to call on Pope Francis to force this Patriarch to resign. All other solutions are a waste of time.

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
Face Book https://www.facebook.com/elias.y.bejjani
Twitter Elias Bejjani@phoeniciaelias

Background

Hezbollah takes swipe at Sleiman over defense formula

March 02, 2014/The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Hezbollah over the weekend took an unprecedented swipe at President Michel Sleiman, saying the Lebanese leader required “specialized care,” a day after the head of state implicitly slammed the party’s “army, people, resistance” formula as hindering the release of the Cabinet policy statement.  “With all due respect to the office of the president ... the latest speech we heard makes us believe that Baabda Palace in the days left [of the presidency] needs specialized care because its occupant cannot differentiate anymore between gold and wood,” Hezbollah said in a statement Saturday.  During a speech at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) Friday, Sleiman implicitly urged Hezbollah to cede ground over the divisive tripartite “army, people, resistance” formula, saying all sides needed to avoid clinging “to wooden [inflexible] equations that hinder the birth of this [ministerial] statement.” Shortly after Hezbollah’s comments, Sleiman reiterated in a Twitter post the need for adherence to the Baabda Declaration, a pact between rival political leaders to distance Lebanon from regional turmoil, particularly in Syria.  “ Baabda Palace needs that the decisions that have been taken unanimously, namely the Baabda Declaration, be recognized,” Sleiman tweeted.  The 2012 agreement reached at the Presidential Palace was breached when Hezbollah acknowledged sending fighters to Syria to back forces loyal to President Bashar Assad. Lebanon’s political rivals have yet to reach a deal over the new Cabinet’s policy statement. The March 14 camp rejects including the “army-people-resistance” formula, which their March 8 rivals insist upon. Hezbollah’s criticism of the president drew swift reactions from various parties and officials who voiced support to Sleiman.

In a statement Saturday, the Kataeb Party said it rejected “considering the presidency as a [political] side and waving political weapons at it, whether directly or through employing the services of pens and stances.”

“The Kataeb Party stands by the president and supports his national and courageous stances that aim at preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty and its independence,” the statement said.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi also said via a Twitter post Saturday evening that he had contacted the president and supported the “national principles” Sleiman spoke of in his speech at USEK.

“I condemn the affront to the president and the post of the presidency,” Rifi said in another post.  Telecoms Minister Boutros Harb also said he was surprised at Hezbollah’s comments.

“It is forbidden to refer to the president as the occupant of Baabda Palace because President Michel Sleiman is the president of all Lebanon,” Harb said in a statement.  Voicing a similar stance, Information Minister Ramzi Joreige said Hezbollah needed “to drop this rhetoric of confrontation.” Deputy Speaker Farid Makari also decried what he described as a “provocative statement” by Hezbollah. “Such statements are not only offensive to the president and the post of the president but also to the positive, calm atmosphere that led to the formation of the Cabinet,” he said. “What we have in Baabda Palace today is a golden president,” said Makari, adding that Sleiman’s “name will be remembered in Lebanon’s modern history” because of the Baabda Declaration which he said had “helped set the future path” of the country.

Report: Hizbullah Seeks to Block Extension of Suleiman's Tenure

by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 March 2014/Hizullah is seeking to prevent any attempts to renew the tenure of President Michel Suleiman by targeting him directly in its statements, media reports said on Sunday. Sources said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper on Sunday that the strong rhetoric that Hizbullah used in its statement on Saturday to reply to Suleiman's remarks was “unprecedented.” The sources said that the positivity that loomed over the formation of Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet is not expected to be applied on the rest of the constitutional deadlines, including the presidential elections. The sources expressed fear over the “possible vacuum at the presidential post if the political arch-foes failed to agree on the cabinet's policy statement.” Suleiman’s tenure ends in May 2014, but the constitutional period to elect a new head of state begins on March 25, two months prior to the expiration of Suleiman’s mandate. On Saturday, Hizbullah and the president were at loggerheads over Suleiman's recent statement concerning the cabinet's policy statement.

Suleiman said Friday that the land, people and common values formed the country's “permanent equation,” describing that the people-army-resistance equation as “wood.” Hizbullah's slammed on Saturday Suleiman's comments, accusing him of not being able to differentiate between “what's golden and what's wooden.” The party said that Baabda Palace has come to require “special care." Suleiman replied via twitter saying that what Baabda Palace needs is acknowledging the unanimous consensus over the Baabda Declaration that was reached inside its premises. Presidency sources told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that “differences between the political foes already existed before the debate between Suleiman and Hizbullah.”The sources stressed that consultation between the rival parties over the ministerial statement are ongoing without ruling out the possibility or consensus over a “general and brief policy statement,” which would exclude the controversial details and matters. The panel drafting the ministerial policy statement failed during its sixth session on Wednesday to reach agreement over the main points of contention. The rival ministers bickered anew over the Baabda declaration and the resistance-people-army equation, failing to make any progress. If Prime Minister Tammam Salam's government, which was announced on February 15, fails to attain the parliament's confidence it will become a caretaker cabinet.

Sami Gemayel Voices Solidarity with Suleiman, Says 'Campaign against him Not Fair'

Naharnet Newsdesk 02 March 2014/Phalange Party Central Committee Coordinator MP Sami Gemayel contacted on Sunday President Michel Suleiman, voicing solidarity with him over his national stances.

Gemayel expressed resentment over the “unfair campaign” against the President during the telephone conversation. “The party supports you and all our capabilities are at you disposal in order to fortify the state and return to it,” Gemayel told Suleiman. He expressed hope that the upcoming stage will include more cooperation.  On Saturday, Hizbullah and the president were at loggerheads over Suleiman's recent statement concerning the cabinet's policy statement. Suleiman said Friday that the land, people and common values formed the country's “permanent equation,” describing that the people-army-resistance equation as “wood.”Hizbullah's slammed on Saturday Suleiman's comments, accusing him of not being able to differentiate between “what's golden and what's wooden.” The party said that Baabda Palace has come to require “special care."

Suleiman replied via twitter saying that what Baabda Palace needs is acknowledging the unanimous consensus over the Baabda Declaration that was reached inside its premises.

بكركي محتلة والراعي تابع لمحور الشر السوري-الإيراني ونقطة ع السطر!
الياس بجاني/02 آذار/14/تضج صفحات التواصل الاجتماعي منذ ساعات الصباح بانتقادات للبطريك الراعي الذي أغفل في عظته اليوم هجوم حزب الله على المركز الماروني الأول في دولة لبنان الذي هو رئاسة الجمهورية ولم يدافع عنه في وجه هجمات حزب الله السافلة والقذرة عليه. لهؤلاء نقول صح النوم!! هل الآن عرفتهم من هو هذا الراعي الذي يفترس رعيته ويترك محور الشر يفترس لبنان ويحيط نفسه بجماعات هم من أيتام مخابرات النظام السوري من رجال دين شاردين وإعلاميين وسياسيين مرتزقة استيقظوا من غيبوبتكم لأن الراعي فالج لا تعالج والشوك لا يثمر لا عنباً ولا تيناً. طالبوا الفاتيكان بعزل هذا الرجل وكل ما عدا هذا الطلب هو مضيعة للوقت. الراعي تابع لمحور الشر السوري-الإيراني منذ أن وقع في شباك المخابرات السورية والقصة لم تعد سراً. هذا الرجل وهو أصلاً راهب عليه أن يستقيل ويعتزل في دير ليمضي فيه بقية حياته مصلياً ومستغفرا ...وسامحونا