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TO FOREIGN, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
Former Lebanese President Warns of "Crisis of Pluralism" in Middle
East
ZURICH, March 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amine Gemayel, the
former President of Lebanon, warned on Wednesday that the Arab world
is experiencing a "crisis of religious pluralism" driven by "the rise
of religious extremists," which threatens "any community which does
not constitute the majority" - including Druze, Shiite Muslims,
Alawites, Baha'is, and "Sunni Muslims living in Shiite-dominated
areas."
Speaking last night at a Christian Solidarity International (CSI)
event, Gemayel paid particular attention to the plight of Middle
Eastern Christians, who he said are fleeing the region "in an exodus
approaching biblical proportions." Gemayel cited "church burnings,
physical assaults and killings" in Egypt, "an onslaught of murder" in
Iraq and "a bloody-minded reign of terror" from "ultra-radical
Islamists in regions of Syria where they have imposed their rule."
Calling for an international response to the crisis, the former
president declared that "preserving religious pluralism in the Middle
East is a vital imperative." Gemayel welcomed the U.S. State
Department's recent condemnation of extremist persecution of Syrian
Christians, but called for the U.S. to back up its "eloquent words"
with action.
Regarding Syria, Gemayel said "the most urgent priority" is to reach a
"negotiated settlement" to the Syria conflict, and to "create a
power-sharing agreement that preserves core state institutions while
also dismantling the pervasive machinery of repression."
At the regional level, Gemayel backed CSI's appeal for the creation of
high-level interagency task forces in Washington and European capitals
to prepare strategies aimed at securing religious freedom and
diversity in the Middle East. Gemayel also called for an "Arab
Marshall Plan" to aid the region's transition to democracy.
Gemayel cited encouraging pro-pluralism initiatives by King Abdullah
of Jordan, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, Saad
Hariri of Lebanon, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and the Tunisian
National Assembly as signs of hope for the Middle East. Gemayel
rejected the "old, discredited model of social peace through political
dictatorship," and declared that "despite the negative trends, the
Arab Awakening remains one of the great hope-inspiring developments of
early 21st century history."
Amine Gemayel served as president of Lebanon from 1982 to 1988, and is
the leader of Lebanon's Kataeb party. His proposed "Charter for Arab
Democracy" can be found at www.aminegemayel.org/charter.
A video of President Gemayel's lecture, entitled "Preserving Religious
Pluralism in the Middle East: An Option or an Imperative?" can be seen
at www.middle-east-minorities.com.
Contact: Joel Veldkamp joel@csi-usa.org 515-421-7258
SOURCE Christian Solidarity International (CSI)
-0- 03/14/2014
/Web Site: http://www.csi-int.org
http://www.middle-east-minorities.com
CO: Christian Solidarity International (CSI)
ST: Switzerland Middle East
SU: FOR
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