March 14 bloc launches fierce campaign against Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi over Syria comments

They used to say that the Maronite Patriarch was Lebanon’s conscience, and that when the Patriarch speaks, everyone has to listen and only listen…

They used to say that the Maronite Patriarch was above all politicians, and that no one can has even the right to question his ideas and motives…

However, what was applicable under Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir doesn’t seem to be the same under Patriarch Beshara Rahi in their eyes, for a simple and convincing reason: Patriarch Rahi’s opinions are different!

Thus, during the last few hours, Patriarch Rahi turned to be the new target of the so-called March 14 forces. The “crime” he committed was that he warned against the negative repercussions of overthrowing the Syrian current leadership, and that he noted that Hezbollah weapons were the result of the ongoing Israeli occupation.

Yet, this was enough for the March 14 officials to criticize the Patriarch and assail him.

Lebanese Forces MP George Odwan claimed that the patriarch’s remarks seek to justify the rise of what he called a mini-state outside state control and provide cover for the presence of weapons other than those of the army and security forces. “Approaching the issue of weapons in this manner undermines all the foundations of the Lebanese state,” he went on to say.

For his part, Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said the patriarch’s remarks on Hezbollah weapons “contradict with the principle of keenness on building the State and its authority, as liberating Lebanon and supporting the Palestinian rights should be done by the State, not by an armed party that is breaching the State’s jurisdiction and contesting its authority over the Lebanese territory.”

March 14 General-Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soaid said in turn that the patriarch’s remarks “contradict with all of the church’s historic principles, especially that he took part in drafting the text of the Synod for the Middle East which only mentions the support of the State.”

The Future party was also involved in the anti-patriarch campaign.

MP Khaled Daher, who did not hesitate to assail the Lebanese national army a few days ago, was the first Future lawmaker to condemn Rahi’s national stances. He claimed in this regard that the Syrian president “has dispatched envoys to meet with the patriarch in Lebanon in order to rally the support of Lebanese minorities for his regime.” He voiced surprise over the patriarch’s statements, saying they “contradict with the history of Christians and Bkirki, which has always supported freedom and stood by people and their rights.”

That’s it… In the March 14’s logic, when the patriarch adopts their opinions, he becomes a red line and it’s prohibited to disagree with him. But, when he has different opinions, then launching war against him becomes more than legal!