- First, the Lebanese Diaspora always welcomes gestures by religious leaders for meetings, with the hopes of addressing head on the root cause problems facing Lebanon today. Such a directed interest in these big issues will be productive towards the Sovereignty, Freedom and Independence of Lebanon.

- The attempt by the Patriarch for dialogue instead of fighting is a step that is appreciated. The Patriarch is fighting for "the glory of Lebanon", and this will carry with it the responsibility to maintain its glory and not to compromise on the principles in which to build the homeland, regardless of the severity of the conditions and difficulties we face.

- The summit must address the most pressing of issues – mainly the issue of weapons and the International Tribunal. Without such discussions, the interpretation will be that Lebanon is neither capable nor willing to address the root cause problems – of which all others of equal or lesser importance are linked.

- The concept of Lebanon being used as a “lawless open arena for militias" must be tackled at the summit with the intention of putting an end to this concept once and for all. The rule of law must be upheld as the supreme authority and neither person nor group can exist above the law.
 
- In past meetings and agreements the Lebanese have already laid the path in rejected war and armaments.
 
- The problems of Lebanon date back many years and are very well known to the Lebanese and the international community, including the UN. These problems have been addressed in UN Resolutions. Lebanon must face these problems directly and overcome them for Lebanon to achieve a lasting unity with peace.

-  Preventing Lebanon from continuing to be a “lawless open arena for militias" in which international terror is directed and wars started must be agreed upon by all parties and vigorously pursued. This will stop the migration and the return of the Lebanese and prevent further conflict.

- Our appeal to the Patriarch, whom we deeply admire and respect, and to all the religious leaders, should be to strive for a permanent fix and not a temporary fix. The road to Peace and Unity in Lebanon can only be achieved by taking bold steps in addressing the main issues griping the nation and laying out a clear strategy with defined steps and a timeline of implementation.

- We support the initiative of the Patriarch, who has always reflected a clear vision with consistency in decisive matters. The Patriarch has pursued the principles of sovereignty, justice and equality under the state law to maintain a true democracy and enjoys the support of the international community.
 
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=466104
http://www.almoharrer.net/details.aspx?id=966Please see attached press release in Arabic: [ HERE ]