“Had we committed to the resolutions of the national dialogue including the international tribunal, the weapons and the Baadba Declaration, maybe we could have avoided the worst”
“There is no solution outside the confines of the state… and he who fights extremism, does not fight moderation”.
Michel Moawad, the head of the Independence Movement confirmed that “igniting sectarian conflicts between the different Lebanese parties is eminent, and that it would surely bring Lebanon closer to its end, as no one will come out victorious”.
Moawad stressed that “the only way out of the prevailing crisis is to go back to rational thinking as well as to the national charter and principles; to go back to the Constitution and the state” adding “we can’t have the Lebanon we know and want to live in, the democratic multi-sectarian country, become a victim of blood traders, explosions and regional messages because we all know that the temple will come tumbling down on us all; we will all fall victims and the country will collapse.”
He said that “Tripoli has been a target for a while now; it all started with the threats of Mufti Malek Al-Chaar; but Tripoli was left to face its conflicts alone, in the absence of the Lebanese state. Had we committed to all the resolutions of the national dialogue, be it the international tribunal, the Palestinian weapons outside the camps, and the Baabda Declaration, we might have been able to spare our country many catastrophes.”
Moawad’s statement came during his visit to Tripoli’s leaderships, heading a delegation from the Independence Movement including former Parliament Member Jawad Boulos, and a number of the Movement’s officials in Tripoli. Mouawad had also made two phone calls to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and caretaker Finance Minister Mohamed Al-Safadi, both unavailable at the time of the visit for previous commitments.
Moawad ended his visit at Major General Rifi’s home. He said “Our visit to Major General Rifi is that of a brother, a friend and a partner. I was shocked after seeing the damages to his home. Most importantly, this visit is meant to a partner who shares our belief in moderation and Muslim-Christian coexistence; a moderation that Tripoli, the capital of the north, embodies with its diversity and openness; a moderation that best describes the Lebanese state, the one and unified state which bears no duality in weapons and rejects any attempt of depriving it from its powers. We stand today at a dangerous crossroad, with big responsibilities to shoulder. That’s why we need to get out of the spiteful, vengeful politics of axis. The slippery path to internal conflicts is the easiest way out, but where would this road lead us eventually? No one will come out victorious, as this road will doom us all, including our beloved Lebanon. The latest developments have confirmed once again that intervening in external affairs will not protect Lebanon or the Lebanese from dangers. Self-security will not protect Lebanon or the Lebanese; neither will the disempowerment of the state, and preventing it from fulfilling its role. The only solution is to go back to reason, to the national consensus and its principles; to go back to the Constitution and the state. These are the foundations and principles we share with Major General Rifi. The unfortunate attacks on Tripoli and the southern suburb should reinforce our will to hold on to those founding principles because they’re our only way out; any other solution would be an attempt at suicide.”
Rifi replied with an official statement, saying: “I was very pleased with this visit today, both as a Tripoli resident and as a Lebanese. At the end, we all live under the Lebanese flag and support the Lebanese state and nothing else. We refuse to accept any claims for self-security as we all need to believe and respect the Lebanese state. Our motto is no principality, no self-security and no districts; we are the sons of one state and we will remain in one state.”
He added: “Being a resident of the North, Tripoli is my capital. I spent a large part of my childhood in Zgharta and I am keen on the Tripoli-Zgharta bonds. He who doesn’t know history needs to listen well: we will not let go of this relationship and we are proud of it and proud of the Islamic-Christian coexistence and the Sunni-Shiaa coexistence. We regard the Tripoli massacre just as we regarded the southern suburb massacre, as black days in our history. That’s why we stand here today, thankful and willing to save the country from this hell that will burn us all.”
From his end, Jawad Boulos said that “when innocents were targeted, no one asked about their political identity. These people did not target a specific identity or a specific sect or the sons of a specific area. They targeted the human being in Lebanon. We cannot face such a sick mindset which trades with people’s blood unless we return to the logic of the state. The state is the only entity that can protect all citizens. That’s why we will keep up our struggle towards building a strong and capable state to protect everybody.”
At Dar Al Iftaa
Moawad started his tour by visiting Dar Al Iftaa where the delegation was greeted by Dar Al Fatwa secretary, his eminence Sheikh Mohamad Imam and the head of the religious section Sheikh Firas Ballout in addition to a number of Sheikhs and Tripoli Mayor Dr. Nader Ghazal. Sheikh Imam greeted the Independence Movement delegation and praised this move which asserts the importance of coexistence and the tight relationships between Tripoli and Zgharta Al-Zawiya.
Following the visit, Moawad said: “Our presence here today with our comrades from the Independence Movement is to confirm that we, as Zgharta Al-Zawiya inhabitants are affected by what is happening to Tripoli, which actually affects North Lebanon as a whole. This is how we were raised; this is how we lived; and this is how we would like to carry on. The target of both Tripoli explosions was not only the mosques, nor the martyrs that were brutally murdered, nor the wounded for whom we wish quick recovery. The target was Tripoli’s pluralism and the North’s diversity. Our only reply to what happened is to reconfirm our unity, our coexistence and our diverse identity that is open onto Tripoli and the North.”
Moawad added: “With all our thanking to his eminence Sheikh Imam for his hospitality in this Dar, as well as for the mayor of Tripoli for his presence and our love to all those present with us, nonetheless we would have wished to be greeted by his eminence Mufti Sheikh Malek Al-Chaar. When Tripoli’s Mufti, the Mufti of moderation and national cause, finds himself forced to exile, it means that targeting Tripoli was not a yesterday’s job, but rather a premeditated plan that started a few months ago, when Tripoli was left to face its destiny alone, fighting on various internal fronts in the absence of the state. Since he who seeks moderation cannot participate in exiling the moderation Mufti; and he who wants moderation does not contribute in exiling moderate forces in Tripoli and Lebanon; then he who wants to fight extremism must support the state, since confiscating the state and trying to turn it into institutions that follow a double-standard policy, where people are divided into sons of ladies and sons of maids, is a path that leads to the state’s destruction. He who wants to fight extremism must support the Lebanese state that encompasses everyone under its roof.”
Moawad concluded: “That was the message that we wanted to highlight as inhabitants of Zgharta Al-Zawiya. Together with the residents of Tripoli are with the state option and we support Tripoli’s choice for moderation and coexistence. What happened, though painful, will bring us closer and will confirm once again our willingness to live together in Tripoli and the North.”
Mass in Mar Maroun Cathedral
After that, Moawad participated in the holy mass at the Mar Maroun cathedral in Tripoli which was headed by Monsignor Nabih Moawad and attended by the President of the Bar in Tripoli Michel Khoury.
Moawad said after the mass: “On our way here from Ehden, we passed through all the villages and towns of Zgharta Al-Zawiya district where inhabitants asked us to extend their sincere feelings of solidarity and love to the wounded and the inhabitants of Tripoli, Christians and Muslims alike. But what really caught my attention were some people’s reactions on the social media platforms whereby I read a post by a young Maronite man from Tripoli who said “if the explosions targeted those who are praying and meant to destroy mosques, then our churches are open for the prayers of our Muslim brothers”. Tripoli was and always will be the city of coexistence between Muslims and Christians. And I, as a Lebanese, a Maronite and a Zgharta resident want to say from Mar Maroun cathedral that he who targets any Lebanese citizen in Tripoli, the southern suburb or any other Lebanese area, is targeting us all; he who targets Lebanese mosques is targeting our churches and he who targets churches is targeting all mosques in Lebanon. The choice of booby trapped cars is one of cowards and moderation is the choice of braves. The choice of selling oneself to another nation and to trade with Lebanese blood is a coward’s choice; and the choice of hanging on to Lebanon and the Lebanese state is the choice of the free, patriotic Lebanese. And the majority in Tripoli chooses Lebanon, the moderation and the coexistence.”
Karami’s house
After visiting Faisal Karami, the Minister of Youth and Sports, in his house, Moawad said: “Our visit today to Minister Karami is a visit to a dear brother; the history of Abd El Hamid Karami’s house is part of Lebanon’s history and part of our own house history. In my childhood memories, I don’t recall my father crying except on the day when President Rachid Karami martyred.”
He added: “We might have differences in stands or political approaches on some topics; however, this is a natural thing in a democratic state with functional institutions. And the Lebanon we want is the diverse Lebanon and not the one based on Al Baath party. But diverging opinions is one thing, and explosions are another. That’s why the multifaceted and democratic Lebanon we know and in which we want to live, must not fall under the mercy of blood traders, explosions and regional messages, because we all know that the temple will then collapse on everyone’s head and no one will come out victorious. The cause to bear today is not that of March 8th or 14th, but the very essence of Lebanon’s existence. We should be aware of the dangers surrounding us and we should realize the magnitude of the problem and the atrocity of the crime that took place, claiming so many martyrs and wounded, whether in Tripoli or the southern suburb. If we do not all agree to rally our forces within the confines of the state, this sad reality would only be the beginning of something worse. We don’t mean to scare anyone, but we should be up to the responsibility. On the emotional side, this visit is to confirm the principles that we should unite around to face blood traders and booby trapped cars to confront this attempt at reaping chaos and disorder.”
And he met Kabbara and Jisr …
Finally, Moawad dropped by Parliament Member Mohamad Abdellatif Kabbara’s house where he confirmed that “Tripoli is the North’s capital. It is linked to all regions and cannot be left behind.” He insisted on refusing the logic of self-security, which all political, civil and religious factions in Tripoli agreed upon.
As for Kabbara, he reiterated the refusal of the self-security concept by all political and religious factions and thanked the delegation for “its visit which enhances brotherhood and solidarity bonds among Northern inhabitants.”
Moawad continued his tour whereby he met the Future Movement coordinator in Tripoli Parliament Member Samir Al-Jisr and stated after the visit: “I met our allies in the Future Movement to extend my condolences following the Tripoli tragedy. The visit came as a confirmation on the basic choices adopted by the Future Movement which are Muslim-Christian coexistence, moderation and the true state that would equally reinforce the law without the duality of the weapons and its external decision, since these choices can save the country. We’re not here to point fingers. This is the time to pick up our wounds and the city’s wounds as well as to confirm the state’s role. We choose coexistence and moderation in the North and believe in the strong bonds that tie Tripoli, the North’s capital, to all Northern districts including Zgharta Al-Zawiya”.
He added: “Didn’t we go to a national dialogue table to discuss major national matters including Palestinian weapons outside the camps, the international tribunal and the Baabda Declaration? Couldn’t we have fortified the country against such catastrophes? Did we work on a defense strategy under the state’s roof or within it? Couldn’t we have prevented Lebanon from being exposed and accessible to all kinds of illegal weapons which turned into booby trapped cars? Had we adhered to the Baabda Declaration and parted Lebanon from this bloody struggle, wouldn’t we be able to protect our country better? All the Lebanese are worried because there are no real solutions, away from self-security or extremism. Our solution is to return to the state, a choice confirmed by Tripoli which refused to adopt self-security as a way out of crisis.”
Moawad also visited former Parliament Member Misbah Al-Ahdab and Mr. Ahmad Safadi before checking the damages surrounding Al-Salam mosque. He concluded his tour by visiting Major General Rifi at his house before moving on to pay his condolences to all martyrs at the solace council that was held at Rachid Karami exhibition venue.
العربية