Beirut |
July 10, 2007
Government Snaps Back at Maronite Bishops
Beirut, July 7, 2007
The government on Saturday retorted to the Council of Maronite Bishops, saying the acquisition of land by foreigners has not surpassed the ceiling set by the law.
"The Lebanese government has absolutely not sidestepped the law," Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said at the end of a cabinet meeting.
His remarks were a retort to the Bishops who issued a statement on Wednesday criticizing the acquisition by foreigners of more than seven million square meters of land in Lebanon. They said the Lebanese will one day feel they are outsiders in their own country.
"The overall acquisition (of land by foreigners) is 0.1% percent and is much less that the ceiling set by the law," which is 3%, Aridi said.
The minister also said that the percentage of Christians serving with the Internal Security Forces has increased during the current government's term.
He said there are now 33.04% of Christians in the ISF, an increase from 28.85% during previous governments.
The bishops have expressed fears that canceling the "contest" for recruiting new staff for the ISF puts the performance of the institution at risk.
About a draft law submitted to parliament which allows Lebanon to join the "Children's Rights in Islam" accord, Aridi said: "the government expresses its readiness to take into consideration concerns and reservations."
The Bishops had also referred to the issue in their monthly meeting statement and Jbeil Maronite Archbishop Bishara Raii said in remarks published Friday that the agreement disregards the Christian presence in the country and makes Lebanon an "Islamic state and an Islamic society."
"We reject this and we condemn the government's move which is working on dividing (Lebanon) rather than uniting the country," he said in an interview with As Safir daily.
Raii also accused Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government of wanting to "Islamize" Lebanon.
"Accusing the government of working towards Islamizing Lebanon is fabrication and has no basis," Aridi said.
The government on Saturday retorted to the Council of Maronite Bishops, saying the acquisition of land by foreigners has not surpassed the ceiling set by the law.
"The Lebanese government has absolutely not sidestepped the law," Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said at the end of a cabinet meeting.
His remarks were a retort to the Bishops who issued a statement on Wednesday criticizing the acquisition by foreigners of more than seven million square meters of land in Lebanon. They said the Lebanese will one day feel they are outsiders in their own country.
"The overall acquisition (of land by foreigners) is 0.1% percent and is much less that the ceiling set by the law," which is 3%, Aridi said.
The minister also said that the percentage of Christians serving with the Internal Security Forces has increased during the current government's term.
He said there are now 33.04% of Christians in the ISF, an increase from 28.85% during previous governments.
The bishops have expressed fears that canceling the "contest" for recruiting new staff for the ISF puts the performance of the institution at risk.
About a draft law submitted to parliament which allows Lebanon to join the "Children's Rights in Islam" accord, Aridi said: "the government expresses its readiness to take into consideration concerns and reservations."
The Bishops had also referred to the issue in their monthly meeting statement and Jbeil Maronite Archbishop Bishara Raii said in remarks published Friday that the agreement disregards the Christian presence in the country and makes Lebanon an "Islamic state and an Islamic society."
"We reject this and we condemn the government's move which is working on dividing (Lebanon) rather than uniting the country," he said in an interview with As Safir daily.
Raii also accused Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government of wanting to "Islamize" Lebanon.
"Accusing the government of working towards Islamizing Lebanon is fabrication and has no basis," Aridi said.
