A gathering of Lebanese Christians, known as “the Lady of the Mountain," met Sunday with the aim of mapping out the role that Christian’s should play in preserving coexistence in Lebanon and the region.
The protection of Lebanon requires Christians to work towards preventing sectarian strife between Shiites and Sunnis, which in turn would protect Muslims, Christians and the Lebanese entity as a whole, a statement released after the meeting said.
The statement also said that presidential elections should be carried out through a national approach, not a strictly Christian one.
The gathering agreed on the need to reemphasize the unique Lebanese model of coexistence, especially with regards to the Muslim-Christian and Sunni-Shiite partnership in governing a single state.
The statement noted that a return to the Taif Accord would bring an end to attempts to unsettle the foundations of Lebanese coexistence, saying that the agreement that ended Lebanon’s civil war serves as a model for religious coexistence in the region.
The convened also agreed that protecting Lebanon during this turbulent phase requires a set of initiatives, such as supporting the efforts of the Maronite Church in pushing lawmakers to end the year-long presidential vacuum.
Another proposed initiative involved coordination between the Maronite Church and Islamic and Christian spiritual leaders in an attempt to prevent the use of religion as a justification for extremism and violence.
The statement also called for the Arab League to issue a statement expressing the need to protect religious and ethnic diversity in the region, the statement said.
The participants, mainly of politicians and activists allied with the March 14 coalition, also suggested the formation of a committee that would coordinate with other Arab Christians in order to form a strong line of communication between the region’s Christian minorities.
