Verbal Violence in Political Discourse is Unacceptable
Minister of State Nasib Lahoud said that the efforts of the Maronite League accompanied a new atmosphere of reconciliation in Lebanon. “I think that a major part of the tensions within the Christian community is due to an accumulation of grievances from the previous historical phase, that of bloody war, which left wounds at the level of the Christian leadership as well as within the wider public,” Lahoud said.
After meeting with the Maronite League delegation led by Joseph Tarabay on Saturday, Lahoud said that there was unacceptable verbal violence within political discourse. He said that it was a natural democratic practice to have different political opinions however he said all efforts should be taken to maintain high standards of political debate.
Tarabay said that reconciliation was courageous and was measured by the willingness of different parties to integrate. He said that the league was not asking for political alliances to be disregarded in order to reach a unified stance, because Lebanon and the Maronite community are diverse.
Tarabay said that the league called for the normalization of relations between Christian leaders, especially because parties were currently preparing for the upcoming 2009 parliamentary elections. Tarabay said that it was necessary for this competition to take place according to political ethics and civilized behavior. “This is what we are seeking, and it demands everybody’s contribution, including the Maronite Patriarch and the president,” he said.