Aoun: The Lebanese People Agree… Disagreement is Limited to Politicians

Lebanon Today

President “Joseph Aoun” received a delegation from the Jaafari Cultural Complex for Interfaith Dialogue, where he was briefed on the activities and efforts made by the complex to promote a culture of dialogue and communication among the various segments of the Lebanese people.

“Aoun” expressed his deep appreciation for “the efforts made by the Jaafari Cultural Complex in order to establish dialogue and the principle of convergence among the Lebanese,” stressing “the importance of the language of dialogue in preserving the homeland.” He also pointed out that “there is no division among the Lebanese except at the level of the political class.”

President “Aoun” affirmed that “we do not see this sharp division at the popular level, but on the contrary, and the best evidence of this is the communications we received from various parties who wish to help prepare for the Pope’s visit to Lebanon at the end of next month, because of the dimensions of this matter at the level of national solidarity.”

He added, “This does not mean that we do not need dialogue, as it is essential to remove the remnants of the sectarian and sectarian war that destroyed Lebanon. We rely on the role of the media as well as on your role, and we commend you to continue this message.”

President “Aoun” referred to a saying by Imam “Musa al-Sadr”: “Imam Musa al-Sadr used to say that our problem in Lebanon lies in the fact that we work for personal interests, not public ones, and I say that no matter the problem, its type and size, it cannot be solved except through dialogue and discussion, and this is what I always emphasize.”

He continued: “We all live under the shadow of the Lebanese flag and carry one identity, and the right to disagree is sacred, but the right to dispute is not permissible. Our loyalty must be to Lebanon and to Lebanese interests, and everyone to his religion, God help him. This difference is a wealth for Lebanon, which Pope John Paul II described as a homeland of the message, and if we lose this model in it, be sure that it will be lost in the region as a whole.”

President “Aoun” concluded his speech by emphasizing that “dialogue is the choice of all Lebanese, and we all live under one roof, so either this roof collapses on all of us, or we work to restore Lebanon to its golden age.”