The Sectarian Council: A Call for National Unity Around the State and Vigilance Against the Dangers of Divisions

The Board of Directors of the Sectarian Council of the Unitarian Druze Community held its regular meeting at the Community House – Verdun, chaired by His Eminence the Sheikh of Reason, Council President Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, and issued the following statement:

First: The Council appreciates the efforts of the Lebanese state to stop the Israeli aggression, and affirms its full support for the path out of the furnace of war as an absolute sovereign priority, which calls for full national unity around the state, hoping that any negotiation will aim to secure an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories, the recovery of prisoners, and ensuring the safe and dignified return of the displaced to their villages and cities, and enabling them to launch the reconstruction process.

Second: The Council affirms its absolute support for the constitutional authorities and pillars of the state, as they are the title of national legitimacy that represents all Lebanese without exception, considering that any betrayal, doubt, or infringement on the prestige of the state and its symbols is a condemned and rejected act, and a direct stab at the heart of the pact and coexistence. The Council believes that the pivotal stage the nation is going through requires rising to the level of national responsibility, so that it is necessary to be vigilant about the dangers of divisions that threaten coexistence and serve projects of sedition and the fabrication of internal crises to obstruct the work of the state.

Third: The Council salutes the steadfastness of the Lebanese, and affirms the importance of national solidarity in the face of aggression and their adherence to their land and their attachment to their comprehensive national identity based on civilizational pluralism. It strongly warns against rhetoric of intimidation and incitement and the dissemination of the poisons of sectarian and regional division, for history is a witness to the depth of the spiritual partnership that shaped Lebanon's identity. It calls on all forces to moderate political discourse and commit to national responsibility, to enhance internal unity in the face of challenges.

Fourth: The Council condemns the offensive and suspicious targeting of spiritual authorities, which has no connection to the values and authenticity of the Lebanese, and constitutes a serious infringement on the religious and human values protected by the Lebanese constitution. It calls on the heads of Islamic and Christian sects to take joint and urgent action, to prevent the exploitation or employment of any disparity that could threaten common living and contradict Lebanon's identity and mission.