War of words erupted since Monday over Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi statement concerning Syria

War of words erupted since Monday over Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi statement concerning Syria the latest of which was from Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who lashed out at Rahi and Aoun’s reactions to his criticism.

Geagea had lambasted Rahi’s stance on the Syrian crisis, accusing the patriarch Monday of defending the Syrian regime and putting all the Christians in the region in danger.

Patriarch Rahi lashed back late Tuesday at Geagea who criticized his stances on Syria, saying Geagea had failed to read his statements in their entirety. “Those who read the statement ‘There is no god but Allah’ as simply 'There is no god' are ignorant," said Rahi.

But Geagea said he read the entire statement, but one sentence does not omit what precedes it.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun condemned Geagea’s rebuke against Rahi. “I’m not surprised with the campaign against the patriarch, but even at the peak of our dispute with the Maronite patriarchate, we did not launch such remarks against this spiritual post. Personal accusations against the patriarch are rejected and unacceptable and we stand by His Eminence”. Aoun stressed that “it is not for Geagea to judge the value of the patriarch’s remarks.”

Geagea criticized on Wednesday MP Aoun, saying that his “disastrous” tenure in rule has been rife with corruption. “Aoun is the last person who is entitled to speak about honor,” he said. “He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones at others,” said Geagea who accused Aoun of occupying Bkirki in 1989.

President Michel Sleiman defended Rahi Tuesday, saying the head of the Maronite Church was striving to preserve the presence of free Christians in the Levant in the face of wind of change sweeping the Arab world. Sleiman praised Rahi’s support for “democracy free of unilateralism, violence and extremism.”

Commenting on the statements that erupted after his stance on Syria, Rahi said: “I think President Michel Sleiman, Gen. Aoun, Archbishop Boulos Matar and Wadih al-Khazen read the text of what I said in its entirety and those who read the text in full will have all the answers they seek.” Rahi said.