Bishop Samir Mazloum to Al-Ahed: West Does Not Protect Christians, Only Defends its Interests
Latifa al Husseini
Photography: Mousa al Husseini
Nothing disturbs the peace of Bkirki. Its bishops are carrying on the church affairs despite the intense political crisis in Lebanon; however, the internal and external affairs enforce them to keep up with everything that happens around them. The Maronite Patriarch stays up-to-date with all the new events as Lebanon is filled with complicated problems.
Bishop Samir Mazloum to Al-Ahed: West Does Not Protect Christians,
Only Defends its Interests
With great anger and regret, General Patriarchal Vicar Bishop, Samir Mazloum, talked about the failure of the deputies in voting for a president of the country. In his view, the failure of the "happy deputies" to recognize the seriousness of their national responsibilities, led to the extension of the parliamentary mandate. Bishop Mazloum believes that, "The solution lies in strengthening state institutions and supporting the Lebanese army."
He added that, "The Takfiri danger that threatens the whole region is a part of the international conspiracy which aims at fragmenting the Arab countries into confessional and sectarian states so that "Israel" would find peace in watching them in constant struggle."
He also said that, "Even though Arab Christians are threatened today, the West does not always intervene to protect the Christians but, in reality, to serve their own benefits. That is why the West is not the saviour we resort to."
The General Patriarchal Vicar understands Hizbullah's presence in Syria and is completely convinced that its fight there is not the reason behind the Takfiri movement found in Lebanon. He added that, "The Takfiris appeared way before the outbreak of the war in Syria."
As the attack on the army continues in the media by some prime ministers, Bishop Mazloum criticized Khaled el Daher's campaign against the military institution. He said that, "Even though Khaled el Daher is able to make his own decisions unlike the extremist groups, his interests require that he remains affiliated to a large parliamentary bloc."
Al-Ahed's Interview With Bishop Mazloum:
In light of the intense situation that the Arab region is witnessing due to the Takfiri threat, especially in Iraq and Syria, to what extent is the Christian church in Lebanon affected by the surrounding events?
The church in Lebanon is affected by all the surrounding events in the region because the Christians are spread in the whole area. Whatever happens to Christians whether in Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, or Syria, is considered a serious threat to their original presence in the region especially as they are the basis of the foundation of its civilization. What they are going through today is deemed a violation to their rights and is considered an impoverishment to the Arab world of a human, cultural and religious presence. If the region loses it, it becomes poor because it will then become limited to a one-sided cultural perspective losing its diversity.
As Christians and Muslims, we are both concerned in everything that occurs in Syria and Iraq because the ongoing wars in these countries are disintegrating. Also, these wars are a threat to Lebanon and we are in constant anxiety in the Arab world.
The questions being asked today are: Why are all these events happening to Christians? Why are Christians being expelled from their homes? Where is the dignity and rights of a person? There are some groups that believe they only have the right to live and that all the other people should be under their command or else they should be killed. This completely violates human rights. What did the Iraqi Yazidis commit in order to be persecuted in this manner? Is it because they are a minority and are unable to defend themselves? This is the mentality of groups that give themselves the privilege of abolishing other people! What is the jungle law that we live in today?
When you mention the present danger which threatens Christians, we question the role played by the West. How did the West protect the Christians of the East, especially that they consider themselves as their custodians?
Christians were present in this region before the intervention of the West and before alleging that it is the protector of the minorities. They are an original people in this region and have been living before Islam and with Muslims for more than 1400 years. Together, they built the common Arab civilization.
The west has intervened in the region for its own personal benefits and even Americans intervened in order to protect "Israel". They want to destroy and abolish everything for the sake of "Israel". The West doesn't interfere in the region for the sake of protecting the Christians, and neither does it care currently about the Christian presence or minorities. On the other contrary, they are working on fragmenting the Arab world into confessional and sectarian states so it remains in a constant struggle and "Israel" can then be at ease. The West is not the saviour we resort to. The intervention of the West is in most cases for its own benefits, not the benefits of the Christians.
Aside from the Western political regimes, what have the Vatican and international churches done to protect the Christians of the Middle East?
The Vatican is a spiritual and moral reference to Christians in the world, in addition to being an international reference in morals, the behavior of people with each other and human rights. This reference has its status, role, and word as it does not have personal benefits. Whenever an affair occurs for the sake of protecting people or principles, the Vatican interferes as a result of its beliefs in religious and human principles and not for any personal benefit. The relation with the Vatican is a religious, spiritual and preliminary one. Moreover, the Vatican doesn't have any tanks or missiles, and neither does it interfere to impose its presence in the region or defend people with weapons. We have to distinguish between the role of the Vatican and the role of the Western countries.
Do you have numbers concerning the percentage of Christians that have emigrated or left Lebanon?
Modern emigration from Lebanon is an old issue that goes back to the middle of the 19th century. Wars that broke out in Lebanon forced people from all Lebanese sects to emigrate. They migrated for the sake of preserving their presence and in order to live. For example, 65 Christian villages were emptied of its people as a result of the Mountain War, and churches were demolished.
Despite the fact that there are no official statistics, there are some estimations that reveal that the number of Christians that have migrated from Lebanon since the civil war in 1975 up until today have reached 800 thousand Christians- reaching almost a million. These have migrated permanently, heading towards America, Australia, Canada, and Europe. However, the Lebanese emigrants in the Gulf and Africa are considered temporary emigrants. What hurts the Lebanese today is permanent migration, which leaves no chances of returning back to their homeland. Statistics reveal that Christians from the different sects that are still present on the Lebanese territory have reached one million and 200 thousand Christians. We hope that they remain in spite of the turbulent conditions today.
Based on what is happening to Christians in Iraq and Syria, what do you think of the destruction of monasteries in Maaloula and Saidnaya? Are you in contact with the supervisors of the churches over there?
Of course, we are in constant contact with the church officials in Syria. Among the assaults that the Christians faced in Syria was what happened in Maaloula by the takfiri group, which believees they have the right to impose their opinions on the people. This falls within an international project that aims to fragment the region and countries which form in its unity and strength a source of nuisance to the ‘"Israelis".
Each alliance between "Israel" and the West aims at preserving the state of "Israel" and making it the priority. For that reason, they work on weakening the neighboring countries. For example, in Lebanon they caused a war among the people and weakened the economy and army. Despite all the attempts today at diverting its attention to takfiris in Syria, the Lebanese army still stands to this day against "Israel". In fact, it seems like there is a secret alliance between the conspiring countries and the takfiri groups. All of this touches upon the Christians in both Syria and Lebanon.
As a result of the takfiri groups today, we hear that people in some Christian areas on the border with Syria hold arms in anticipation of any terrorist attack that may occur. Do you encourage that and what is your opinion concerning the matter?
We are with whatever protects the homeland and the Lebanese. Only the Lebanese state government can play that role. If every group wanted to protect itself by itself, what role would be left for the government? If the government doesn't provide safety for its citizens, everyone would become at risk, not only Christians. That is why we say all Lebanese are being threatened with no exception. We demand the state to enforce its power and strengthen the Lebanese army and to provide it with all the necessary security measures. We do not encourage self-security in any area because that would lead to the fragmentation of the state and disunity among the Lebanese. We have witnessed what militias can lead to during the war and that is why we don't encourage it. We call for a support of the Lebanese army so the state can impose its power.
Today, we live in an era of takfiris. Every single day, we hear of the arrest of a certain terrorist group. Do you think that all of that goes back to Hizbullah's fight in Syria?
Of course not, those terrorists were found in Syria way back before the war broke out. They initially started in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Iraq. However, in Syria, they were faced with a long front in which they put in all their strength. By the way, they didn't enter Syria because Hizbullah was there. We can only recall that Hizbullah's presence in Syria goes back to a general strategic perspective, even though many oppose their presence there and find that it threatens Lebanon.
Are you convinced of Hizbullah's involvement in Syria?
Hizbullah has his own strategies. It decided to be in Syria in order to fight the terrorist groups there, even though this step didn't have any positive consequences concerning its relations with the other Lebanese parties that are against the Syrian regime. We did hope that the events never happened from the beginning in the region. With all that is happening, the Lebanese state should remain strong and the resistance should be ready to deter any "Israeli" attacks under any circumstance. In this framework, we state that the Lebanese government should not be fragmented as it is today.
Moving back to the internal political file, the main subject is the Lebanese parliamentary extension. What can you tell us concerning this subject?
Bkirki's stance is to provide a normal lifestyle to the Lebanese state and its constitutional institutions so that it can play its required role. Anything that prevents or delays this aim is considered a threat to the future of all Lebanese. From the beginning, we were with the agreement on a just electoral law that truly represents all the Lebanese people. However, that didn't occur, which lead to the parliamentary extension once. We demanded for the election of a new president within the constitutional term that the law prescribes; however, the term ended in May 25 and we still live with no president up to this day, which increases the fragmentation and weakness of the state.
Today, the parliament is being affected by this shortening and economical life in Lebanon. The question is, why did we reach this? The council extended its term once and is now extending once again! At first, they weren't able to vote, but why didn't they run their duties during this whole period which is a year and a half? Even with the security situation in the past, they were able to run the parliamentary elections after agreeing on the just electoral law; however, they failed to do so.
From your place in Bkirki, what do you intend to do as to the Christian division, especially that every party elects an individual? Will you take any serious step that can have any real effect?
We are trying to bring the opinions of the different Christians and Lebanese closer. However, we have no intention of imposing our own perspective. We are able to remind and advise them and even criticize them if the need be so. Even though the Christian parties are competing for the presidential post, the presidential election is not restricted only to Christians but to all Lebanese. The Lebanese sects should work on establishing this matter and we in turn always call for a presidential election.
In your opinion, who do you thing is the character that should reach Baabda despite the competition between the political blocs? If you don't support any of the current candidates, would you encourage a neutral president?
We are only concerned about the presidential election which requires the vote of 128 MPs. In any democratic system, there is competition. However, this competition should not disrupt the whole institution. The church does not nominate anyone and will not put anyone to veto. In the Maronite sect, there are great potentials in addition to efficiencies. It is up to the officials to look for the right presidential individual. We will constantly demand for that.
Do you have any plan for a Christian meeting any time soon?
The patriarchate is open to everyone and it is always in contact with all parties. However, the role of the Islamic and Christian references is significant in giving a good image to the Lebanese society and its common coexistence. However, we have no objection to that if necessary.
What about the Muslim-Christian summit? Is there any in the near future and what would its role be?
It hasn't been a long while since the last Muslim-Christian summit was held. However, the role of the Islamic and Christian references is significant in giving a good image to the Lebanese society and its unity. We are always in contact with all spiritual references. Holding a summit requires an aim and it isn't that easy.
Concerning the constant media attacks on the Lebanese army, especially with what is going on in Tripoli; we hear constant seditions by the Future MP Khaled el Daher against the military institutions. At a time where the official discourse of his party talks about its support for the Lebanese army, how is it possible to stop and prevent these attacks oriented towards the army?
Everyone knows that within the Sunni sect, there are many divisions. That is, there is a moderate party that was and will always play a role in easing state matters, while on the other hand, there are many takfiri and extremist parties that are found in Tripoli for more than 10 years. The takfiris haven't appeared yet in Tripoli because they are found in limited numbers and their influence is weak as the state and most of the Lebanese are against this terrorist movement. However, today, with the rise of "Daesh" in the region, the other terrorist groups in Tripoli have gotten more encouraged. All of these events had their effect on Lebanon, in general, and on Tripoli, in particular. It isn't only about the Future party anymore as other parties emerged.
There are people like Khaled el Daher that have a double-sided speech. He could be personally closer in thought to the terrorist groups, but his benefits require that he be a part of a big parliamentary bloc which can preserve his role. This harms the army and the common coexistence and we are certainly against it. We call on all Lebanese to support the army in doing its job.
One last question: It is said that the Maronite Patriarch, Bechara al-Rahi, is always travelling and has a lot of stances. What do you say to that?
It is true that he is always abroad, but this goes back to the importance of his religious position as he is the patriarch of all the Maronites in the world and not only in Lebanon. While there are one million Lebanese Maronites in Lebanon, there are around 8 million of them around the world. His external tours are not political or entertaining ones. The fact is that he heads to places where he should run the affairs of Maronites, particularly in regions that witness turbulences. In addition, the Maronite Patriarch is a member of several committees within the Vatican and has a lot of responsibilities which impel him to go to Rome even more than 5 times per year.
In regards to the fact that the patriarch has several opinions, this goes back to the unstable situation in the region. So, logically, it would be impossible to hold on to one opinion for 100 years. Changes and events happen every day which enforces any official to give their opinion as to what is happening. However, this does not mean that the patriarch does not hold on to his principles.
