CC Meeting in Villa Nuova

The President of the Consular Corps of Warsaw, the Consul of Lebanon, Mr. Kabalan Frangieh invited the Consuls and Honorary Consuls in Warsaw to a dinner in the restaurant Villa Nuova on the 21th of April 2008.

The Guest of honour for this evening was the Executive Director of Frontex Mr. Ilkka Laitinen accompanied by Mr. Rick Weijermans, the External Relation Officer of Frontex. Among the participants was Mr. Soufiane Adjali, senior UNHCR liaison officer to Frontex.

33 Consuls attended the meeting which started by an opening speech of Mr. Frangieh in which he welcomed the participants and introduced the speaker Mr. Laitinen, who is heading one of the most important EU agencies.

In his address to the Consular Corps, Mr. Laitinen explained the work of Frontex, its objective and mission. He spoke about the relation of Frontex with EU member states and non EU member states and its role as an independent EU agency in assisting states in the monitoring of their borders.

Mr. Laitinen then answered few questions from the participants.

Below are some photos taken during the dinner.

CC Meeting in Villa Nuova

CC Meeting in Villa Nuova

Cooperation Agreement Between Łódź and Tripoli

On Thursday 3 April 2008, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Lebanon Mr. Kabalan Frangieh made an official visit to the Central Poland Chamber of Commerce of Łódź to participate in a conference entitled “Syria and Lebanon nearer to Łódź” which was organized by the President of Chamber of Commerce Dr Witold Gerlicz.

The purpose of the visit was to sign a cooperation agreement between the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Tripoli and North Lebanon and the Central Poland Chamber of Commerce of Łódź.

Among the dignitaries attending the conference were the Governor of Łódź Ms. Jolanta Chelminska and the Deputy Mayor of Łódź Mr. Jaroslaw Wojcieszek.

The Chargé d’Affaires a.i. gave an address at the conference in which he praised the activities of the Chamber of Commerce of Lodz which led to the signing of this Cooperation Agreement.

Below is the text of the Cooperation Agreement, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. address and some pictures taken during the conference.

Read more: www.uw.lodz.pl

*****

Address delivered by the Charge d’Affaires a.i. of Lebanon
Kabalan Frangieh
At the Chamber of commerce of Lodz 3 April 2007

Doctor Witold Gerlicz
President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce of Lodz
H. E. Ms. Wissal Issa Chargé d’Affaires of Syria
Excellencies
Businessmen and women
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a pleasure and an honor for me to have been invited to the historic city of Łodź by the Regional Chamber of Commerce of Łodż to speak about Lebanon, the Lebanese economy, and the possibilities of cooperation in the economic, commercial and trade fields between Poland in general, the region of Łodź in particular and Lebanon. But let me first express my warm thanks to Mr. Witold W. Gerlicz, President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce of Lodź, for organizing this very important conference and for inviting us. Your presence today reflects an interest in Lebanon of which I am greatly appreciative. Thank you all for coming. My presentation will start with an overview of Lebanon and then an introduction of the Lebanese economy. I will speak later about the potential of economic relations between Lebanon and Poland.

Overview of Lebanon
Lebanon is a small country on the Eastern Mediterranean sea. Its area is 10.452 square kilometers and it is located at the meeting point of three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa and for centuries, it has been at the crossroads of a great number of civilizations. Although small in area, Lebanon is known for the diversity of its geography, landscape, culture and history. The contrasts between the high snow-capped mountains and the arid hills, the cool and dry climate of the interior and the humid heat of the coast, signify the richness of the country. The population of Lebanon is about 3.750.000 inhabitants, with about 12.000.000 of Lebanese origin living abroad.

Before the civil war that erupted in 1975, Lebanon was known as an attractive tourist destination. Lebanon had a fine reputation as a commercial and financial center for the Middle East. With the civil war ending in October 1989 by an agreement signed by all the factions, Lebanon has started rebuilding its infrastructure and reconstituting its institutions. With amazing speed, Lebanon was able to regain its role in the region and most of the reconstruction projects were finalized in record time. Now Lebanon is again an active democratic country with a stable economy.

The current political events overshadow a naturally beautiful, hospitable and historic country, the small size of which is not at all related to the accomplishments it has achieved over time. It is worth knowing that Lebanon is a parliamentary republic. Our parliament is elected by citizens who are 21 years old and above. Women have had the right to vote in Lebanon since 1952. The 128 members of the Parliament are elected for a period of 4 years and the parliament elects a President of the Republic whose term of service is 6 years non renewable. We have in Lebanon a total of 18 Moslem and Christian religious sects officially recognized by the constitution. Therefore there is a delicate balance of power whereby seats in the Parliament and the Cabinet as well as high-level posts of the administration are equally divided between Christians and Moslems. According to a National Pact adopted in 1943 on the eve of our independence, the President of the Republic is a Christian Maronite, the Speaker of the Parliament is a Shiite Moslem and the Prime Minister is a Sunni Moslem. This confessional equilibrium prevails only in the public sector while the private sector is completely free of any religious power sharing.

The Lebanese Economy
Lebanon is and has always been a free market economy. Private property has always been respected and protected. And since Lebanon is such a small country, we do not have significant natural resources and our economy is not based on heavy industry. Let us see how the three sectors, Agriculture, Industry and Services contribute to our GDP that totals around 20 billion US dollars. The per capita income in Lebanon is around 5,000 US dollars per year.

1: Agriculture:
Agriculture constitutes around 12% of our GDP. The high mountains and deep valleys of Lebanon leave only about 20% of arable land. The most important agricultural products of Lebanon are citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables of all kinds, potatoes, olives and wine, the latter of which is exported to many countries and which has received many international awards. Lebanon is also a producer of tobacco and herds of sheep and goats are seen throughout the country.
Lebanon’s agricultural exports go primarily to the Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

2: Industry:
The contribution of Industry to the Lebanese GDP reaches around 21%. As I mentioned earlier, Lebanon does not rely on heavy industry but only on light industry. Our main industrial products are: cement, jewelry, textiles, chemical products, furniture products and oil refining. Lebanon is also a producer of a variety of agro-industrial products like canned food, olive oil, chocolate etc…

3: Services:
Services are the major sector in the Lebanese economy. This sector constitutes around 67% of our GDP. Lebanon is known for the quality of the services that it provides to the consumers in banking, international trade, and tourism.

The banking system in Lebanon is known to be one of the best in the world. It is strong, reliable, well developed, efficient and customer friendly. There are around 85 banks in this small country, each one having multiple branches in different towns and villages. Since Lebanon has no currency restrictions, customers can open accounts in the bank and currency of their choice. The only limitations on international transactions are those imposed by international organizations in order to control money laundering and drug money. Other than that, you can transfer into and out of Lebanon any amount in any currency to and from any country in the world with no questions asked. Another reason Lebanon’s banking system is attractive to clients is bank secrecy which was established by law in 1956. In compliance with this law, banks are not allowed to disclose information about the identity of account holders and their bank transactions to any person or any entity, including the government itself. The only exception to this rule is when there is a judgment by a tribunal in a criminal case. In addition to bank secrecy, there is a very low tax rate on interest earned from deposits. So it is easy to see why banking is such an important part of our services sector.

Tourism
Another vital aspect of the Lebanese economy in the services sector is Tourism. Lebanon is known for being a country that attracts tourists. Since the end of the civil war in 1990, the Lebanese government and the private sector have been very active in reconstructing the tourist infrastructure, including the hotels, restaurants, summer resorts etc… In Lebanon, tourism is very well developed and most types of tourism are available:
– Sightseeing tourism:
Lebanon is a beautiful country with high mountains covered with snow most of the year. Our highest peak reaches 3088 meters. We also have deep and gorgeous valleys with rivers that flow from the mountains down to the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon also enjoys a nice and moderate climate with 4 seasons of the year. Summers are hot and humid on the coast but dry and cool in the mountains. Visitors who come to Lebanon are always taken by the splendor of the landscape.
– Sports Tourism:
In Lebanon, a variety of sports are practiced all year round. Modern ski stations attract ski lovers in winter and the blue sea on the coast draws hundreds of thousands of swimmers in the summer period. All kinds of international sport competitions take place in Lebanon. In February and March, people can ski in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean in the afternoon of the same day.
– Religious Tourism:
In Lebanon, there are many pilgrimage sites for Christians as well as for Muslims. A fact that is not commonly known is that Jesus Christ made many miracles between the two cities of Tyre and Sidon in South Lebanon, the first of them being the transformation of water into wine in the city of Kana. Monasteries and churches attract every year a great number of tourists from many parts of the world.
– Archeological Tourism:
Archeological sites in Lebanon constitute an important attraction for thousands of tourists. Cities like Byblos, considered the oldest city with continuous recorded history in the world, or Baalbeck known as Heliopolis during the time of the Romans, or Tyre and Sidon are destinations for many people who study history and archeology. These historic sites offer a display of traces of past civilizations that have ruled Lebanon in ancient times.
– Business Tourism:
Lebanon’s reputation as a business center leads many international businessmen to fill our five stars hotels in pursuit of the many business opportunities in Lebanon.
– Medical Tourism:
Thanks to a network of modern hospitals and an excellent quality of medical care, Lebanon is becoming a centre for treating patients from different countries of the Middle East.

These were in brief the most important features of our economy.
I would like to add that Lebanon is an open and free country and Lebanese businessmen can establish trade and economic relations with their counterparts anywhere in the world.

The role of the government is limited to concluding economic agreements with other countries in order to provide for the Lebanese nationals a framework for their commercial activities. It is in this framework that the Association Agreement between Lebanon and the European Union was signed in June 2002. In accordance with this agreement, products can flow freely between Lebanon and the countries of the European Union. About 45% of Lebanese imports come from EU countries while 27% of our exports go to EU countries. Poland can benefit from this Agreement since it became a member of the EU in May 2004.

Areas of Potential Economic Cooperation
(Tourism, investment and trade)

Although the relations between Lebanon and Poland are excellent on the political, cultural and social levels, there is much work to be done in the economic and commercial areas. Hopefully both Poland and Lebanon can take advantage of the European Union structures to increase exchanges in different areas.

1-Investments:
I will speak about the potential of Lebanese investments in Poland and the Polish investments in Lebanon:

-Lebanese investments in Poland: With their extensive and worldwide experience in tourism, Lebanese investors can find very good opportunities in the region of Łodż as well as in many other parts of Poland, by developing tourist infrastructure like hotels, restaurants and different kinds of attractive resorts. Joint ventures, between Lebanese investors and Polish businessmen should be encouraged in this respect.

As I mentioned before, Banking is also another field where Lebanese bankers are strongly encouraged to look into. The Lebanese banking system is one of the best in the world, and Lebanese bankers have opened either directly or through joint ventures, branches to their successful banks in many countries of the world. With the entry of Poland in the European Union, more opportunities are open for Lebanese bankers to invest in this lucrative field. Some of them are already negotiating with Polish prospective partners.

-Polish investments in Lebanon:
I firmly believe that Polish and especially businessmen and investors from Łodż should take part in the many projects of the rehabilitation of our infrastructure. Although most of the reconstruction projects had been finalized between 1991 and 2000, I should unfortunately say that thanks to the repeated Israeli aggressions and air raids targeting mainly power plants, highways and bridges, namely in the war in the summer of 2006 there are always tenders worth tens of millions of dollars for different kinds of reconstruction projects.

Poland has a large experience in this field with the Arab world and Polish firms are welcome to participate in these lucrative projects. I would like also to mention that through the hundreds of Lebanese companies working in most of the Arab world and especially in the Gulf countries, Polish firms can also reach those rich Arab markets where huge tenders are always announced. This is an opportunity that should not be overlooked.

1) Trade: I will speak first about the bilateral trade between Poland and Lebanon and then the international trade in which Poland can take part through Lebanese connections.

a): Bilateral Trade:
The trade balance between our two countries is very limited and does not reflect at all the good level of our political and cultural relations. I would like to draw your attention here on two important elements, the first being that the Lebanese economy is a market economy where the government has a very limited role; and the second is that Lebanon is a net importer since it imports ten times more than it exports. Our imports include almost everything, from food products, to raw materials, to finished products including cars, tractors and equipment and electric appliances, you name it.
It should also be noted that people do not look at Lebanon as a small market of less that 4 million consumers. In fact, a good proportion of Lebanese imports are destined to be re-exported to Arab and Gulf countries, which makes the Lebanese market equivalent to more that a hundred million consumers. It is up to the Polish producer and exporter to explore this promising market for their numerous products, by organizing trade delegations to Lebanon in order to meet their Lebanese counterparts. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports these kinds of delegations and they finance a good proportion of their expenses. Our embassy in Warsaw always helps in preparing a program of visits and meetings with the Lebanese through our local Chamber of Commerce. The level of trade exchange between Lebanon and Poland has increased by 25% in the last three years partly thanks to the involvement of the embassy. We are always ready to provide you with all kinds of information you might need about doing business in Lebanon.

b): International Trade:
The other important aspect in the services sector of our economy is international trade. Since ancient times, Lebanese have been known to be traders.
Lebanon is very well known for its centuries-old traditions and experience in international trade. We call it in Lebanon triangular trade. By that, we mean that a Lebanese businessman, from his office in Lebanon with his telephone, fax machine and now internet connection, buys products from one country, say Argentina for example and sells them to another country, like Japan, without ever seeing the merchandise. This kind of trade can be done thanks to the presence of millions of Lebanese people in different countries of the world. This network of Lebanese connections is used by many foreign companies to reach markets that would be otherwise difficult for them to penetrate. West Africa, Latin and North America including Canada, Western Europe, Australia and especially the Arab countries are areas where Polish firms are strongly encouraged to connect with Lebanese counterparts in order to open new markets for their Polish products.

One practical example of this triangular trade in Poland is the export of Polish crystal and glass products to Cameroon through a Lebanese company established in that West African country. Another example not far from us is a Lebanese company, established in Tallinn, Estonia that sells wood and forest products to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. I think that the Lodż business community should take advantage of these facts. And since it is not possible to give you all the details of the possibilities and the potential of economic exchange between Lebanon and Poland in the scope of a conference of a few minutes, please be assured that our embassy in Warsaw will always be available for any additional information anyone of you might need about Lebanon. I strongly encourage you to call the embassy whenever you think that you need to, and to visit our website at www.lebanon.com.pl which provides interesting links to all the economic sectors of our country.

Finaly, it is with great satisfaction that my Government received the news of the signing of an Agreement of Cooperation between the Regional Chamber of Commerce-Łodż And the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Tripoli and North Lebanon and for this reason it has designated me to Participate in the ceremony and represent the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Tripoli and North Lebanon which is the region I come from.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Consular Corps Discussion and Dinner

The President of the Consular Corps, the Consul of Lebanon Mr. Kabalan Frangieh invited together with the Consul of Slovenia Ms. Greti Borojevic acting under the presidency of the European Union, the Consuls of the Embassies in Warsaw to a discussion with the Director of the Department of European Union and International Cooperation in the Ministry of Interior and Administration over dinner in the restaurant AleGloria on 19 February 2008.

In his speech Mr. Frangieh welcomed the participants and observed that the interest in these dinners is growing and that a big number of Consuls are attending the discussions.

Mr. Frangieh seized the opportunity to bid farewell to the Consuls of Ireland, Ecuador and Iran who are leaving Warsaw soon. He then introduced the speaker for this evening Ms. Małgorzata Kutyła who is responsible for the adaptation and negotiation to the accession of Poland to the European Union.

Ms. Kutyła gave a presentation about the work of the Department she heads that constitutes more than half of the Ministry of Interior and Administration and explained how Poland is implementing the new regulations following its entry in the Schengen Area. At the end Ms. Kutyła answered questions about the preparations and the final date of the full accession of Poland in Schengen Area. Below are some photos taken during the dinner.

Consular Corps Discussion and Dinner

Consular Corps Discussion and Dinner

Screening of the Movie Caramel

On 24 January 2008, the Ambassador of Lebanon H.E. Mr. Hikmat Aouad invited some prominent personalities and dignitaries as well as members of the Lebanese community in Poland to a screening of the film “Caramel” by the director Nadine Labaki followed by a vin d’honneur offered by the Lebanese Restaurant “Le Cedre”.

More than 200 people showed up at cinema “Kinoteka” to watch” Caramel”, or “Sukkar Banat” as the movie is titled in Arabic, which revolves around the lives of five Lebanese women, each burdened with her own social and moral problems.

The movie focuses on modern social themes, its main setting is a beauty salon in Beirut, where women talk frankly about men, love, marriage and happiness. Their conversations are interspersed with touching and comical scene.

“Caramel” had its world premiere this year at the Cannes Film Festival where it was hugely popular with both critics and audience. It has received many awards including the Quinzaine in Cannes and the public award at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Statement issued by the President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon H.E. Mr. Fuad Siniora

STATEMENT ISSUED
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF LEBANON
H.E. Mr. FUAD SINIORA 28 MAY 2007

– On Sunday, May 20th, Fateh al Islam attacked army positions in Tripoli brutally killing 32 soldiers most of whom were off-duty at the time. According to our investigations and confessions from suspects in custody, Fateh Al Islam was behind the terrorist bus bombings in Ain Alaq on February 13th in which innocent civilians lost their lives. They were also responsible for a number of robberies. The recent clashes have coincided with the three bombings in Beirut and Aley the past week and preliminary investigations point to the same group.

  – This is not a war between Lebanon and the Palestinians. It is a war that was launched against both the Lebanese and the Palestinians. We are fighting a fringe group called Fateh al Islam, composed of a number of terrorists of various nationalities, who have illegally infiltrated into Lebanon and assembled in the Palestinian Nahr Al Bared refugee camp, using it as a base for its operations effectively hijacking it against the will of its residents. In fact, the Palestinian population taken hostage inside the camp has repeatedly requested their departure. Both the Lebanese and the Palestinians are the victims of this group’s malicious acts and ideology whose ends and ambitions are neither connected nor related to Islam or Palestine.

  – The Palestinian Authority has publicly condemned Fateh Al Islam and asserted that it bears no connection to the political organizations in Palestine. Also, the various Palestinian factions have all publicly disassociated themselves from this terrorist group condemning the attack against the Lebanese army from the start. They have also committed to assist the Lebanese government in putting an end to this phenomenon.

  – The Arab League and the UN Security Council also released very strong statements of support for our efforts, concurrently and accurately identifying the group we are facing as terrorists whose ends and ambitions are completely disconnected from and unrelated to Islam or the Palestinian cause.

  – With the help of local Palestinian groups, we have urged Fateh Al Islam to surrender in order to face a fair and judicial legal process as opposed to further confrontation and violence.

  – We remain fully committed to the just Palestinian cause and stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Since its inception, this government has made concerted efforts to improve the livelihoods of the Palestinian refugees living in the camps. It has worked hard to rally support for our plan for improved camp conditions from a number of countries in the international community. Unfortunately, Fateh Al Islam is clearly thwarting these efforts by destabilizing and aggravating the dire conditions in the camps.

  – We are also concerned about the humanitarian situation and have taken steps to address the issue in securing a cessation of hostilities to allow civilians to exit the camp. We are being as cautious as possible in the hope of sparing unnecessary loss of life. It should however be noted that Fatah Al Islam are firing from civilians areas, targeting by sniper fire any civilians trying to flee. Their obvious aim is to use the helpless refugee population as a human shield, which is both immoral and illegal under all international human rights and humanitarian law.

  – According to our sources and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the vast majority of the camp’s residents have in fact left and are being well taken care of at nearby camps and locations. We are also working on sending humanitarian supplies into the camp for those who remain.

  – Now more than ever, the international community has a responsibility toward Palestinian refugees and refugee camps and is called upon to fulfill it. We greatly appreciate all humanitarian support being dispatched, helping to alleviate the humanitarian conditions of the innocent people who have been affected by these troubling events.

  – We are fighting terrorists to protect Lebanon and the safety and security of all the people, Lebanese, Palestinian, and others living here. No country in the world would allow for such attacks against their own soldiers and citizens to occur within their borders, especially at the hands of foreign fighters who entered the country illegally. The Lebanese government and army are doing their utmost to deal with this threat decisively yet cautiously. The alternative would be very dangerous, sending a message to outlaws and terrorists around the world that Lebanon would be easy and fertile ground for their operations. Lebanon rejects and fully condemns terrorism and will not tolerate it under any circumstances.

  – The Lebanese army, fully backed by the entire population, remains the sole entity with the right to legitimately exercise the use of force, as a last resort, in defending its citizens’ security. Lebanon will not be a land of lawlessness and impunity. It has suffered a lot from irresolution, permissiveness and interventions over more than forty years. We will stand firm and insure that our country remains a land of liberty, sovereignty and stability, where citizens are safe and protected by the rule of law. We will continue to be the responsible member of the Arab and international community, respectful of its laws and resolutions. Lebanon has always stood for the noble principles of coexistence, plurality, freedom, democracy, tolerance, openness and moderation. We will live up to our legacy.


Conference on “Forced Migration in the Middle East after WWII” in Warsaw

On 19 May 2007, “Collegium Civitas” and “Ibn Khaldun Institute” organized a Conference on Forced Migration in the Middle East after World War II in which many officials and scholars participated. The Embassy of Lebanon was represented by the Charge d’Affaires Mr. Kabalan Frangieh who gave a speech about the Lebanese experience in this field. The Conference was organized to shed the light on issues of migration in the Middle East and namely the migration of Polish people to the Middle East during and after World War II. Below is the text of the speech given by Mr. Frangieh on this occasion.

* * *

* * *

Conference on Forced Migration in the Middle East after WW II

Speech by Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Lebanon Kabalan Frangieh
in “Collegium Civitas”
19 May 2007

Distinguished President of Collegium Civitas,
Distinguished Director of Ibn Khaldoun Istitute,
Distinguished Professors and Students of the Collegium,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to have been invited today by Ibn Khaldoun Institute and Collegium Civitas to speak about the migration in the Middle East and Lebanon in particular. Allow me first to thank Professor Zagórski and his entire staff for organizing this conference which will shed the light on the problems of migration in the Middle East.

Raising the consciousness on problems has always been part of the solution. I will first speak on the Migration from Lebanon and the different waves of emigrants from it and then of the migration to Lebanon, namely the polish immigrants who came to Lebanon during and after World War II.

Lebanon’s image in the world, especially in the aftermath of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005 has not been a bright one.

This tragedy and the resulting political upheaval are indicative of Lebanon’s continued transition after a prolonged civil war. The current political events overshadow a naturally open, beautiful, hospitable and historic country, the small size of which is not at all related to the accomplishments it has achieved over time.

Lebanon has made significant contributions to world civilization.

Our forefathers the Phoenicians are very well known for developing navigational skills more than four thousand years ago that allowed them at the time to reach areas far away from their bases.

Throughout history, Lebanese people were known to have migrated extensively both under the form of voluntary migration and involuntary migration. Indeed that explains why the population of Lebanon is now about 3.750.000 while there are more than 12.000.000 people of Lebanese origin living abroad.

IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT THE LEBANESE EMIGRATION IS A PHENOMENON IN ITSELF.

In fact, Lebanon has witnessed four main waves of emigration:

1_ The first one was in the late 1800s, during the rule of the Ottoman Empire which occupied Lebanon and the whole Middle East from the 16th century until the end of World War I in the 20th century, when many thousands of Lebanese Christians began their emigration from the Middle East to the Americas and to West Africa and Australia in order to escape the persecution and oppression.

2_The second wave was due to the hard economic conditions imposed on the region before and during World War I which prompted Lebanese from all religions to emigrate. And then The new favorable conditions of life encountered by the emigrants encouraged more to emigrate to the new world.

3_The third one was after the end of World War II, when a new wave of emigration took place because of economic hardships and especially because of the creation of Israel in 1948 and the wars launched by Israel and the political instability throughout the region. It is estimated that in the first half of the 20th century, almost one third of the population of Lebanon left. And Lebanese people now constitute an integral component of the populations of Latin America, the United States, Canada and Australia.

4_ The fourth wave was due to the civil war that occurred in Lebanon between 1975 and 1990 which caused a new flow of Lebanese emigration which included people from all religious affiliations. The Arab Gulf and Saudi Arabia in particular were the favorite destination for tens of thousands of Lebanese emigrants.

Thanks to their remittances, the balance of payements of Lebanon was always positive throughout the civil war and the Lebanese economy was and still is able to overcome a lot of its hardships.

Today, every country in the world has Lebanese or people of Lebanese origin living on its soil, be it in Europe, Africa, America or the most remote island. And as I speak there are a lot of young Lebanese men and women thinking or planning to emigrate to one of the corners of this world.

Of course there are a few hundred Lebanese community members who live now in Poland. Most of those are graduates of Polish universities and are married to Polish women. They are well integrated in the Polish society and they also are an important pillar in the relations between our two nations.

On the other hand, Lebanon has also received immigrants throughout history who have settled down and formed communities that constitute now the diverse social and religious tissue of Lebanon which is considered for some the country of minorities living together side by side.

In the last century most immigrants to Lebanon came from countries in the Middle East such as Palestine and Syria and from more far away countries such as Armenia and Poland.

Lebanon has been known to Polish travelers and pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land since the Middle Ages. Among them were Polish Princes and Poets the likes of the famous poet Juliusz Słowacki .They all wrote on how they were well received by the people in Lebanon.

Lebanon has also well received Polish immigrants.

In 1939 at the start of the Second World War when Poland was occupied, the Soviet army deported millions of Polish people to Siberia. The survivors of these deportation camps, who were released when the Soviet Union joined the Allies, were led by the Free Polish Army to many countries including Lebanon.

The most enduring and significant influx of Poles to Lebanon occurred between 1942-1952.

First to arrive were Polish students who attended various academic institutions and later in 1945-46, at the end of World War 2, polish families coming from Iran arrived in Lebanon. All in all, about 5000 Polish nationals took refuge in Lebanon. They were soon integrated into the Lebanese society. The Polish community comprised scientists, professors, artists and musicians who enriched Lebanese cultural life. Many of them achieved prominent posts in the Lebanese administration. Today there is an active and integrated Polish community in Lebanon and it constitutes an excellent bridge between our two countries.

To give you an idea on how well polish immigrants were received in Lebanon,

I will read you an extract from Irena Juchniewicz memoir: a polish student who migrated to Lebanon

“There is no greater tragedy for a child than to loose its home, its country, all the things safe and familiar and to be uprooted and taken across the wilderness, taigas and steps to barren and hostile lands. I lost both my parents and sister there. The whole world of a child came about to an end.

And then, as if by a miracle, I found myself in an oasis, in paradise, where people were kind, hospitable and friendly; the sea was blue and warm; the orchads full of familiar and exotic fruit. Peace and harmony everywhere. It was almost unreal especially because I knew that in my own country and right across Europe, in contrast to Lebanon, the war was raging and there was devastation and ruins everywhere.

Lebanon gave us, the orphans of war, a much needed solid foundation of a civilized family life and believe in human kindness and generosity of heart”.

From the eyes of this little girl I want you to see the hospitable and warm Lebanon that I know, this is one example on how Lebanon has made significant contributions to humanity.

I wish to conclude by reiterating my sincere congratulations to the organizers of this conference and by stating that, with the long list of important participants in this event, the Conference will no doubt constitute a significant contribution to the discussions about the problems emmigrants are facing with the hope that no migration in the world be a forced migration.

Thank you for your attention.

Dinner in Honour of the Polish-Lebanese Parliamentary Group

On 25 April 2007, the Ambassador of Lebanon, Mr. Massoud Maalouf, hosted a dinner in his residence in honor of the Polish-Lebanese Parliamentary Group. The guest list included the President of the Group, Deputy Janusz Kołodziej, Senator Piotr Andrzejewski and Deputy Tadeusz Wita.

  Also present were the former Director of the Department of Africa and the Middle East in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Krzysztof Płominski, the former Ambassador of Poland to Lebanon, Mr. Waldemar Markiewicz, Ambassador Tomasz Niegodzisz from the Development Department in the MFA, and the President of the Polish-Arab Friendship Association Mr. Bogusław Zagórski.

  Journalists in attendance included the well-known Polsat journalist, Mr. Bogusław Chrabota and the journalists who accompanied the Polish Official Delegation to Lebanon in early March 2007. This delegation donated 55 prefabricated houses for the refugees of the July 2006 Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

  We were also honored to have the Vice President of the Polish Press Club for Foreign Affairs, the well-known veteran journalist Zygmunt Broniarek and Mr. Stanisław Błaszczyk, members of the Lebanese Community in Warsaw, the General Manager of Hotel “Le Regina”, Mr. Stefan Rädström, and the First Secretary of the Embassy Mr. Kabalan Frangieh.

  Ambassador Maalouf announced the status of the embassy’s initiative to establish a sister-city liaison between Zabrze, Poland and Zahle, Lebanon. The President of Zabrze, Ms. Małgorzata Mańka-Szulik, will be visiting Lebanon on 28 April to meet with her counterpart in Zahle. She will be accompanied during this visit by two of her assistants including Mr. Marcin Lesiak who attended the embassy dinner.

  In early May, Deputy Tadeusz Wita, a member of the Polish-Lebanese Parliamentary Friendship Group will also visit Lebanon accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Marcin Kornas. Meetings are planned with the President of the Lebanese-Polish Parliamentary Group, Mr. Antoine Andraos, the President of the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Abdellatif Zein, and other political leaders in Lebanon.

  During the dinner, Ambassador Maalouf, speaking in Polish, highlighted the activities of the Polish Parliamentary Group and expressed his appreciation for their efforts to intensify bilateral relations between Poland and Lebanon.

Dinner in Honour of the Polish-Lebanese Parliamentary Group

Dinner in Honour of the Polish-Lebanese Parliamentary Group


Full text of Ambassador Maalouf’s speech.

Przemówienie Ambasadora Massouda Maaloufa dn.25.04.2007

  Pragnę wyrazić wobec wszystkich moje ogromne zadowolenie, że są dzisiaj z nami. Jest to wielki zaszczyt dla Ambasady Libanu, że zbieramy się tego wieczora, aby uhonorować Polsko-Libańską Grupę Parlamentarną pod przewodnictwem Pana Posła Janusza Kołodzieja.

  Proszę mi pozwolić, że powitam szczególnie serdecznie Pana Senatora Piotra Andrzejewskiego, a także Pana Posła Tadeusza Witę, również sekretarza Grupy, aktywnego przyjaciela, Pana Michała Madaja.

  Cieszę się niezmiernie, że jest wśród nas były dyrektor Departamentu Afryki i Bliskiego Wschodu w polskim Ministerstwie Spraw Zagranicznych Ambasador Krzysztof Płomiński i były ambasador Polski w Libanie Pan Waldemar Markiewicz, jak również Jego Ekscelencja Pan Tomasz Niegodzisz – jeśli Bóg zechce – przyszły ambasador w Libanie, a też prezes Towarzystwa Przyjaźni Polsko-Arabskiej profesor Bogusław Zagórski i nasz drogi przyjaciel z Telewizji POLSAT Pan Bogusław Chrabota, przyjaciele Pan Zygmunt Broniarek i Pan Stanisław Błaszczyk i nasz wielki przyjaciel, Dyrektor Generalny wspaniałego Hotelu “Le Regina”, Pan Stefan Radstrom i wszyscy przyjaciele z szacownej libańskiej społeczności w Polsce, i oczywiście, mój kolega, pierwszy sekretarz w Ambasadzie, aktywny dyplomata, Kabalan Frangieh.

  Szanowni Państwo!

  Niektórzy niesłusznie uważają, że parlamentarne dwustronne grupy przyjaźni to tylko listy nazwisk posłów z obydwu zainteresowanych krajów, że podobne grupy faktycznie nie prowadzą żadnej działalności, aby zaktywizować i umocnić dwustronne stosunki. Być może to przekonanie bierze się stąd, że parlamentarne grupy nie są częścią władzy wykonawczej albo stąd, że niektóre z nich nie są ani aktywne ani skuteczne. Mówię otwarcie, że nie podzielam tego poglądu, a co więcej, że nasze doświadczenie z Polsko-Libańską Grupą Parlamentarną można uznać za bardzo udane.

  Od czasu powstania Polsko-Libańskiej Grupy Parlamentarnej siódmego czerwca (2006) dwa tysiące szóstego roku, jej przewodniczący i członkowie prowadzą działalność, która stała się jeszcze bardziej widoczna, kiedy w niedługim czasie od jej powstania, Izrael dokonał barbarzyńskiej agresji na Liban, a grupa z przewodniczącym na czele, mając za sobą bardzo mocne wsparcie senatora Piotra Andrzejewskiego i senatora Ryszarda Bendera zaczęła starać się o ochronę Libanu, jego narodu i jego infrastruktury. Senator Andrzejewski opracował w tej sprawie wniosek do przedłożenia w Senacie, popierający Liban. A potem polskie władze podjęły decyzje o udzieleniu Libanowi pomocy humanitarnej oraz przeznaczeniu na odbudowę naszego kraju sumy miliona euro podczas konferencji w Sztokholmie, w której osobiście wzięła udział pani minister spraw zagranicznych – korzystam z tej okazji, aby jej przekazać pozdrowienia i podziękowania. Polska postanowiła również zwiększyć swój udział w Doraźnych Siłach Zbrojnych Narodów Zjednoczonych UNIFIL stacjonujących na południu Libanu. Także Jego Ekscelencja Zastępca Minister Spraw Zagranicznych Witold Waszczykowski złożył oficjalną wizytę w Libanie, aby wyrazić poparcie Polskiego Rządu dla naszego kraju w owych ciężkich okolicznościach.

  Realizując decyzję podjętą na Konferencji w Sztokholmie, delegacja polskiego Ministerstwa Spraw Zagranicznych wraz z grupą dziennikarzy udała się do Libanu, gdzie przekazała wioskom na południu kraju kontenery mieszkalne przeznaczone dla uchodźców z domów zburzonych przez izraelskie naloty.

  Pragnę powitać tutaj dziennikarzy z tej delegacji, którzy są dzisiaj z nami, Panów: Macieja Worocha, Jarosława Olechowskiego i Jacka Czarneckiego. Dziękuję im wszystkim za pracę wnoszącą coraz większy wkład w umacnianie stosunków między naszymi krajami.

  W ramach swojej działalności Polsko-Libańska Grupa Parlamentarna podjęła godne uznania kroki, kiedy Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT postanowiły zawiesić rejsy do Bejrutu. Władze libańskie poleciły mi śledzić sprawę, więc poruszyłem ten temat z Dyrektorem Departamentu Afryki i Bliskiego Wschodu w Ministerstwie Spraw Zagranicznych Panem Michałem Murkocińskim, który wnet udzielił pomocy i wsparcia, a następnie skontaktowałem się z naszą drogą Grupą Parlamentarną; przyjął mnie wtedy Pan Poseł Kołodziej i podjął wszelkie możliwe wysiłki. Także Senator Andrzejewski przyjął mnie niejednokrotnie i rozpoczął pośpieszne działania. Zachowam w pamięci mocne słowa, jakie wygłosił w Senacie na ten temat. I mimo że ta sprawa nie została jeszcze dotychczas załatwiona, jestem całkowicie pewien, iż nasi przyjaciele zrobią wszystko, co można zrobić, by skutecznie rozwiązać problem.

  Specjalne pozdrowienia kieruję do posła i nowego członka Grupy Parlamentarnej Pana Tadeusza Wity, który zaprosił mnie do Zabrza. Z pomocą dyrektora jego biura Pana Marcina Kornasa, obecnego tutaj z nami, przygotowano dla mnie w tym znanym mieście udaną wizytę, podczas której spotkałem się też z Prezydent Zabrza Panią Małgorzatą Mańką-Szulik i zwiedziłem kilka przedsiębiorstw przemysłowych oraz słynny na świecie Instytut Kardiologii. W rezultacie tej wizyty podjęliśmy kroki na rzecz podpisania umowy o miastach bliźniaczych między polskim Zabrzem a libańskim miastem Zahle a także na rzecz zwiększenia wymiany gospodarczej między Śląskiem a regionem Bekaa w Libanie. Dwudziestego siódmego kwietnia – za dwa dni – Prezydent Zabrza z dwoma współpracownikami udaje się do Libanu, aby omówić sprawę miast bliźniaczych. Towarzyszyć jej będzie delegacja gospodarcza, która – według przygotowanego przez nas programu – spotka się w Federacji Izb Przemysłu, Handlu i Rolnictwa w Bejrucie z libańskimi przedsiębiorcami. Wizyta ta przyczyni się też zapewne do rozwoju turystyki w obu kierunkach. Pierwszego maja Pan Poseł Tadeusz Wita, wraz z dyrektorem swojego biura, uda się do Bejrutu, gdzie odbędzie spotkania z przewodniczącym i członkami Libańsko-Polskiej Grupy Parlamentarnej oraz z libańskimi działaczami państwowymi w celu umocnienia stosunków politycznych między naszymi krajami. Przy tej okazji pragnę podziękować libańskiemu obywatelowi, który od trzydziestu dziewięciu lat mieszka w Polsce, Panu Johnowi Quyumjianowi, za wysiłki, jakich nie szczędził, uzgodniając techniczne szczegóły wyjazdu polskiej delegacji do Libanu.

  Cała ta działalność miała miejsce w ciągu kilku miesięcy od czasu powstania Polsko-Libańskiej Grupy Parlamentarnej, tak więc można tylko pochwalić polskich parlamentarzystów za aktywność. Jeżeli ktoś wątpi w efektywność działania podobnych grup parlamentarnych, niech się do mnie zwróci i porozmawia na ten temat.

  Jeszcze raz witam wszystkich gości na kolacji wydanej na cześć naszej drogiej grupy parlamentarnej.

  Bardzo serdecznie wszystkim dziękuję.

Conference on “Christian Arabs in the Middle East” at Collegium Civitas in Warsaw

On 19 April 2007, “Collegium Civitas” invited the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia H.E. Dr. Nasser Al-Braik and the Ambassador of Lebanon H.E. Mr. Massoud Maalouf to participate in a panel within the framework of lectures on the Islamic Civilization. Professor Boguslaw Zagorski, the organizer of the panel, asked the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to speak about Islam as a religion and as a culture and about the contribution of Islam to the world civilization. The Lebanese Ambassador was asked to make a presentation about “Christian Arabs in the Middle East”.
Attached is the complete text of the conference that Ambassador Maalouf presented on this occasion. Professors and students from the “Collegium Civitas” as well as scholars attended the event. Former Ambassador of Poland to Lebanon H.E. Mr. Tadeusz Strulac was also present.

* * *

* * *

CHRISTIAN ARABS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
CONFERENCE IN “COLLEGIUM CIVITAS”
BY
AMBASSADOR MASSOUD MAALOUF
19 APRIL 2007

Mr. President of Collegium Civitas,
Excellency, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia,
Professor Boguslaw Zagorski,
Distinguished Professors and Students of the Collegium,


When Professor Zagorski invited me to participate in this panel together with the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, in the framework of lectures about Islamic Civilization, and to make a presentation about the Christian Arabs, I felt very honored to have the chance to speak about the Christians in our region, not because I personally am an Arab Catholic from Lebanon, but more importantly to clarify some misconceptions and misunderstandings about the very existence of Christian Arabs.

However, when I started to focus on the topic, I came to realize the challenges as some important questions came to mind:
– Does it not sound awkward to speak about the Christians in the Arab World when we are conducting a series of lectures on the Islamic Civilization?
– Is the topic of Christian Arabs subject to misinterpretation when the purpose of this panel is to showcase the great contributions of Islam to the world?
– Would the audience even be interested in listening to a presentation about Christian Arabs when the main focus of this event is about Islam?

With strong encouragement from Professor Zagorski, the host of this panel, and despite these reservations, I will accept the challenge in an effort to give you an objective picture of the Christian Arabs in the Middle East. The essence of this presentation is not to try to counterbalance the important and the extensive contributions of the Islamic civilization to the world by speaking about the Christian Arabs, but to focus on the existence of ethnic Arab Christians throughout the Middle East.

First of all, let me clarify some definitions and set some parameters for this presentation:
– This conference is about Christian Arabs, meaning the ethnic Arabs who follow the Christian faith; it is not about the Christians from different nationalities and countries who happen to live in the Arab world such as the Italians or the French who reside in Tunisia or Egypt, for example.
– Although there is a slight nuance between Christian Arabs and Arab Christians, I will use these two terms interchangeably.
– This is not a presentation in religious terms where I discuss the difference between the Christian and Moslem faiths, or between the different Christian Arab denominations such as the Orthodox, Catholic or Melkite etc. I only intend to provide background on the existence and cultural traditions of Christian Arabs in the various Arab countries.
– Finally, I want to make clear from the outset that the Christian Arabs do not constitute a united community or a society dispersed in different Arab countries. There is not a specific entity called Christian Arabs, but there are the Egyptian Christians, the Lebanese Christians, the Syrian Christians, etc…and taken altogether, they constitute what I refer to as the Christian Arabs.

Having set these parameters let me begin with a brief historic overview.

Many people in the West are not aware that there are Christians who are ethnically Arabs. To them, the words Arab and Moslem are synonymous. In fact, not all Arabs are Moslems and not all Moslems are Arabs. Although the great majority of Arabs follow the Islamic faith, there are some Arab countries the populations of which are comprised of a sizeable proportion of Arab Christians.

By the same token, there are many non-Arab countries, where the majority of the population practice the Islamic faith such as Iran, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

As we know, the Holy Koran descended on the Prophet Mohammed in the year 622 A.D., and the conversion of the Arab tribes to the new Islamic faith began then. At that time, the Arabs were either Christian, pagan or Jew. We should remember here that Jesus Christ was born and lived in Palestine and that Christianity began in what came to be known as the Arab world. Many Arab tribes had adhered to Christianity since the first century including the Nabateans and the Ghassanids. A significant number of the Arabs on the eve of the arrival of the Islamic faith were Christian. With the Islamic conquests and the establishment of Islam in the Arab lands, a sizeable proportion of the Christians converted over time to Islam while others decided to maintain their pre-existing beliefs. So the Arab Christians are first and foremost Arabs who did not convert to Islam, but who continued to practice their Christian religion with relatively few conditions alongside their Moslem Arab brothers. They were known as the “people of the book”.

As I said earlier, the majority of the Christian Arabs are concentrated in the countries of the Middle East. The thousands of Christian Arabs who live in the Gulf countries and those who reside in North Africa are not nationals of these countries, but, rather are immigrants or temporary residents coming from Middle Eastern countries. So when we talk about Arab Christians, we are referring to those who are an integral part of the populations of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq.

It is difficult to have an exact number of those Christian Arabs because of the lack of statistics and because the estimates are not always objective. However, according to most specialists, it has been estimated that Christian Arabs make up around 10% of the total population of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq.

Egypt contains the largest number of Arab Christians. According to the official estimates, over 4 million Egyptians follow the Christian faith. Their church is called the Coptic church and they are known as Copts. The great majority of the Copts are Orthodox Christians, while a smaller number of them are Catholic and Protestant. Although we hear about occasional conflicts in remote Egyptian villages between Christians and Moslems, the Copts do coexist with their Moslem brethren without any kind of segregation or separation. Many have attained very high political levels, the most prominent of them being Boutros Boutros Ghali, who was the Minister of State in charge of Foreign Affairs in Egypt, and later became the Secretary General of the United Nations, and subsequently the Secretary General of the Francophone Organization.

In Syria, the last census was conducted in 1960 and it revealed that the Christians represented fewer than 15% of the total Syrian population. There have been no other censuses after that date, and the current estimates put the proportion of Christians at around 10% which is about 2 million citizens. In Syria, the Christians enjoy the same legal and social status as their Moslem brethren and many of them occupy ministerial posts. It is worth noting that the Greek Orthodox and the Greek Catholic Patriarchates of the whole Middle East have their official headquarters in Damascus.

In Jordan, it is estimated that Christians number around 400,000, which is about 7% of the population, most of them being Orthodox with a small minority of Catholics and Protestants. They are well represented in the Parliament, in the government, and in the military. They also enjoy a high level of freedom and a respected economic and social level.

In Palestine, it is said that Christians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank now make up less than 2% of the total population although this proportion in the past was much higher. There are four times more Christian Palestinians in the Diaspora (outside Palestine) than in Palestine as a result of the long-standing conflict with Israel. Many Christian Palestinians have played a prominent role in the Palestinian national movement, including George Habash, Nayef Hawatmeh and the eloquent and famous scholar and political activist Mrs. Hanan Ashrawi.

In Iraq the number of Christians has decreased over the last decades with many of them having immigrated to North American and Scandinavian countries. The prevailing situation in Iraq in the last few years has significantly increased that exodus. The current numbers are estimated at around a few thousand. Most of them are Assyrians and Chaldeans of the Orthodox and Catholic affiliation.

Having given you a general overview of the Arab Christian population in the Middle East countries, I will speak now in more detail about the Christian Arabs in my country, Lebanon. Of course it is impossible to relate the two thousand year history of Christian presence in Lebanon in just a few minutes. I will focus on the most important aspects of this topic.

In Lebanon, the last actual census was conducted in 1932, which means that today, there are no accurate statistics relating to the Lebanese population. The current estimates are that Christians represent between 30% and 40% of the total Lebanese population which puts the number of Lebanese Christians at between 1,100,000 and 1,300,000. The 1989 Taef Accords which put an end to the civil war insured an equal power-sharing between Christians and Moslems. The seats in the Cabinet and in the Parliament as well as the high posts of the civil service are divided fifty-fifty between Moslems and Christians. According to an unwritten pact adopted on the eve of our independence in 1943, the President of the Republic must be a Maronite Christian, the Speaker of the Parliament must be a Shiite Moslem and the Prime Minister must be a Sunni Moslem.

The majority of the Christians in Lebanon belong to the Maronite Church. There also exists a significant proportion of Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic and a minority of Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic and Protestant Lebanese.

The Armenians who live in Lebanon and who constitute 6% of the total population of Lebanon cannot be considered ethnic Arabs. They migrated from Armenia to Lebanon in the wake of the tragedy they suffered at the hands of the Turks in 1915 and although they are well integrated in the Lebanese society and well represented in the Parliament and the Cabinet they are not Arabs from a pure ethnic point of view. However, they are considered as an important Christian component of the Lebanese society. Those of you who would like additional information about the Armenians in Lebanon can read about the conference I presented on this subject in 2006 by visiting our embassy’s website at www.lebanon.com.pl .

In general, Christians have been present in Lebanon since the beginning of Christianity. Many of them are descendants of the Ghassanid tribe who migrated over the centuries from Yemen to Syria and then to Lebanon. Beautiful convents are found throughout Lebanon, especially on strategic hills where Christians took refuge to escape persecution during the Middle Ages and when Lebanon was occupied by the Ottoman Empire from the 16th until the 20th century.

Speaking of convents, I would like to mention here that the famous Polish poet, Juliusz Slowacki, visited Lebanon in 1837 and lived in a convent in a village called Ghazir. From there he wrote many letters to his mother in Poland telling her that he was residing in “this convent above the clouds” and also describing the beauty of Lebanon. In 2002, a Juliusz Slowacki museum was inaugurated inside this convent. Other connections between Poland and the Christians of Lebanon also exist. On three occasions in the 19th century a Polish Jesuit Father named Maksymillan Ryllo was sent by the Vatican to Lebanon. He established the “Collegium Asiaticum”in 1841. This collegium was to become in later years the French University Saint Joseph of which I am proud to be a graduate. Also, the Polish Cardinal Rubin, a close friend of Pope John Paul II, spent the last two years of his life in Lebanon.

Religious affiliation in Lebanon is the basis for many civil procedures including birth, marriage, divorce and death, and as such, the church plays an important role for the Christians. Indeed, all acts of civil status, like birth, marriage, divorce or death have to be registered first and foremost in the records of the religious authority to which the citizen belongs. More and above, Lebanon does not have a system of civil marriage. When Lebanese citizens get married, they must do so either in their church or through an Islamic religious authority if they are Moslem. It is worth noting that each religious denomination has its own rules and conditions for celebrating a marriage. Once the marriage has been celebrated religiously, the married couple will process the official registration in the civil status department of the government. The same procedure applies for other matters of civil status.

Public schools in Lebanon are open to all citizens, irrespective of their religious affiliation. However, the different religious denominations also have their own private schools to which their followers can send their children if they chose to do so. This includes Catholic, Orthodox, Sunni, Shiite and Druze private schools that follow their respective religious doctrine in addition to the official curriculum.

In spite of the Lebanese civil war that lasted from 1975 until 1990 and which was often incorrectly portrayed as a religious war, Christians and Moslems in Lebanon live in harmony. The vast majority of neighborhoods in Beirut reflect a mix of religious affiliations. There are of course some exceptions where people of the same religious affiliation are preponderant in one area while others are the majority in another area.

The dialogue between Christians and Moslems in the world which was so strongly promoted and encouraged by Pope John Paul II has a completely different implication in Lebanon. In fact, we do not need institutions and structures for a multi-religious dialogue in Lebanon because we live together and we interact with each other very well. It is worthy of note that some of the best scholars on Islam in Lebanon are Christian, including priests and monks who devote their time to studying the Islamic religion in addition to Christian theology. When a Surat of the Holy Koran is mentioned, all Lebanese Christians know immediately what it is about. Christians and Moslems in Lebanon are well versed in the religious obligations and traditions of each other’s religion. The holy month of Ramadan and the Christian Lent are key examples. In many Lebanese villages where Christians and Moslems live together, it is not exceptional to see Moslems helping their Christian brethren ring the church bells on special occasions.

On a different level, although there are some political parties whose members in their great majority belong to one single confession because the goals and aims of that party are to promote the followers of that specific confession, a great number of the political parties in Lebanon are multi-confessional and they include members of all religions. Even the political alliances in Lebanon are not formed according to religious affiliation, but rather on the basis of political interest. In the current political standoff in Lebanon, we can see a number of Christians allied with some Moslems while other Christians are allied with Moslems from the opposite side of the political spectrum.

I have spoken in detail about this tolerance and conviviality between Christians and Moslems in Lebanon in an effort to dissipate any preconceived notion that the Lebanese civil war was a religious war and also in order to not leave you with the impression that the Christian Lebanese constitute a separate entity that lives in our society separate from another Moslem entity. Christians and Moslems in Lebanon do not live on the side of each other but they rather live with each other. They do not coexist, but they live together.

Before concluding this overview of Christian Arabs in the Middle East, I will say a few words about Christian Arabs in the Diaspora. As I mentioned earlier, the Ottoman Empire occupied and ruled Lebanon and the whole Middle East from the 16th century until the end of World War I in the 20th century. This occupation was marked by the oppression of the Christian populations of the area, and in the late 1800s, Arab Christians began their emigration from the Middle East.

In fact, many thousands of Christians emigrated to the Americas and to West Africa and Australia in order to escape the persecution and oppression. The hard economic conditions imposed on the region before and during World War I prompted even more Christians to emigrate, mostly from Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Although most of the populations of the Middle East suffered under the Ottoman rule, the Christians were the subject of specific religious persecution and for this reason, the majority of emigrants from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine in this period were Christian. The new conditions of life encountered by the emigrants encouraged more Lebanese to emigrate to the new world, and it is estimated that almost one third of the Christian population of Lebanon left in the first half of the 20th century. Christian Arabs from Lebanon, Syria and Palestine now constitute an integral component of the populations of Latin America, the United States, Canada and Australia. They were joined lately by more emigrants from all religions due to difficult economic conditions in the Middle East and also because of the wars with Israel and the political instability throughout the region. This explains the fact that the current Middle Eastern residents of the different countries receiving immigrants represent a variety of religious affiliations whereas the first generations are mostly Christian.

The civil war that occurred in Lebanon between 1975 and 1990 caused a new flow of Lebanese emigration which included people from all religious affiliations. The Arab Gulf and Saudi Arabia in particular were the favorite destination for tens of thousands of Lebanese emigrants. Thanks to their remittances, the Lebanese economy is able to overcome a lot of its hardships. I would like to express the deep gratitude of the Lebanese people to Saudi Arabia for treating all Lebanese residents, including the Christians, with great generosity and warm hospitality.

I will conclude this presentation by speaking briefly about the challenges that Christian Arabs in the Middle East are facing today.

Christian Arabs have lived in peace and harmony with their Moslem brethren over the centuries and the only periods where conflicts arose were during the times of foreign occupation or foreign intervention. Christian Arabs have always been and still are an integral part of the Arab society. When the Crusaders invaded the region in the 11th and 12th centuries, although some Christian Arabs allied themselves with the Crusaders, most of the Christian Arabs fought alongside the Moslem Arabs against the invaders because they were all Arabs fighting foreign forces. It is a reality, however, that the number of Christians in the Arab world and especially in Lebanon continues to decline. So what will be the future of the Christians in the Middle East and what are the main challenges that lie ahead?

The three kinds of challenges are economic, political and religious.
– Economic challenges: The difficult economic situation in the Middle East in general and particularly in Lebanon is encouraging many people, including Christians, to emigrate. High unemployment, inflation and the ongoing economic crisis make emigration a viable alternative particularly for the youth in search of a better future.
– Political challenges: Tied to the economic challenges are the political challenges. This includes the continuing Israeli-Arab conflict, political instability in Lebanon and Palestine for instance and the war in Iraq, to name a few. Threats of more conflicts in the region and in Lebanon prompt Christians to find a future for them and for their children in more stable countries.
– Religious challenges: The growing fundamentalism among Moslems as well as Jews and Christians is a source of grave concern for the Christians. The Christians are already a small minority in a mostly Islamic majority in the Middle East. The Islamic fundamentalists, for political reasons, consider the Arab Christians as allies of the West, and the Christian fundamentalists of the West consider them allies of the Arabs. And as Arabs themselves, the Christian Arabs consider Israel as their natural enemy. So we can see how the Christian Arabs are facing very difficult religious challenges.

Is emigration the only way out of this difficult situation? I definitely do not think so. I strongly believe that the Christian Arabs and particularly the Christian Lebanese, thanks to their traditional links with the western world, constitute a viable and useful bridge for the relations between East and West. At a time when the Ottoman Empire was trying to suppress the Arabic language completely, the monks of Lebanon preserved this language by introducing the first Arabic language printer in 1610. By the same token, Christian Arabs of today, particularly those of the Diaspora, can play a significant role in bridging the gap between the Moslem Arab world and the Christian West. For example, Mr. Nick Rahall, a prominent Christian Lebanese-American U.S. Congressman participated in Ms. Nancy Pelosi’s Congressional Delegation when it met with President Bashar Assad of Syria earlier this month. Subsequently, another Lebanese-American member of Congress Mr. Daryl Issa met with President Bashar Assad on a later visit. These are only very recent examples of what actions Arab Christians are taking in order to bring the Christian West closer to the Moslem East.

These challenges are not insurmountable and I am confident that the Christian Arabs will remain an integral part of the Arab society, working with their Arab Moslem brothers for world peace. Fundamentalism in any religion is only a temporary stage, and all religions if their teachings are not misused, preach peace and understanding. So let us hope for the best, in the Middle East and throughout the world.

I want to conclude this presentation by thanking the President of this prestigious “Collegium Civitas” Professor Edmund Wnuk-Lipinski and Professor Boguslaw Zagorski for giving me the opportunity to participate in this thought-provoking panel.

I also want to thank you all for your kind attention.

Diner en l’honneur de son Excellence le Maréchal du Sejm Monsieur Marek Jurek

A l’occasion de la semaine de la Francophonie en Pologne, l’Ambassadeur du Liban M. Massoud Maalouf a organisé un dîner dans sa résidence à Wilanów en l’honneur de Son Excellence le Maréchal du Sejm Monsieur Marek Jurek.

Parmi les nombreux invités, on comptait les Ambassadeurs des pays francophones à Varsovie, ainsi que le Directeur des Affaires Internationales du Sejm S.E.M. Rafal Karpinski, le Directeur du Protocole Diplomatique S.E. l’Ambassadeur Tomasz Orlowski, le Directeur du Département Afrique et Moyen-Orient M. Michal Murkocinski et le Vice-Directeur du Département Europe au Ministère des Affaires Etrangères de Pologne M. Tomasz Kozlowski. On remarquait aussi la présence du Président du Club de la Presse le célèbre Zygmunt Broniarek, ainsi que M. Boguslaw Chrabota de Polsat.

Au cours du dîner, l’Ambassadeur Maalouf récita un poème qu’il avait spécialement composé pour cette occasion. L’Ambassadeur de Roumanie, dont le pays est le président en fonction de la Francophonie, et l’Ambassadeur de France firent de brefs discours en l’occasion. La soirée fut couronnée par les éloquentes paroles du Maréchal du Sejm M. Marek Jurek, qui parla de l’importance historique de la France pour la Pologne et des relations de son pays avec le Liban. Les invités ne manquèrent pas d’exprimer leurs remerciements pour cette initiative de l’Ambassadeur du Liban.

.


video 1 (5min0s 5,00Mb) video 2 (2min33s, 2,5Mb)

Poème composé et récité lors du dîner
par l’ambassadeur Massoud Maalouf
en l’honneur
du  Maréchal du Sejm Monsieur Marek Jurek
à l’occasion de la semaine de la francophonie

Résidence du Liban, 15 Mars 2007

Chers Collègues et Amis de la Francophonie,
D’être venus ce soir, je vous en remercie.

La Suisse se chargeait de cet événement.
Cette année, c’est le tour de la Suisse d’Orient.

Bienvenue ; je le dis vraiment de tout mon cœur,
Pour les Chargés d’Affaires et les Ambassadeurs.

Un salut chaleureux j’adresse à la France,
Car la Francophonie lui doit son existence.

Et je salue aussi, bien sûr, la Roumanie,
Président en fonction de la Francophonie.

Je me sens très heureux et honoré aussi,
De recevoir Monsieur Rafal Karpinski,

Et Monsieur Kozlowski, en charge des Affaires
Du continent Europe au sein du Ministère.

Et notre grand ami, Michal Murkocinski,
Expert en langue Arabe aussi bien qu’en Polski,

Et notre Directeur du Protocole unique,
Cher Tomasz Orlowski, brillant et sympathique.

Mais le plus grand honneur pour nous c’est d’être avec
Le Maréchal du Sejm Monsieur Marek Jurek.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Monsieur le Maréchal, soyez le bienvenu.
Votre gentillesse nous est déjà connue.

Vous avez en effet la personnalité,
Qui se fait distinguer par son honnêteté.

Vous êtes admiré pour votre intégrité
Et car vous possédez tant d’autres qualités.

Vous maîtrisez si bien la langue de Molière,
Que la Francophonie se sent de vous très fière.

Vous avez accepté cette invitation
Malgré vos très nombreuses préoccupations,

Que ce soit au sujet de la Constitution,
Ou de l’avortement, ou de la conception.

Quant à moi je vais dire un mot des relations
Si bonnes, grâce a vous, entre nos deux nations.

Lorsque le Liban fut l’objet d’une agression,
Et en Juillet dernier est montée la tension,

Je suis venu vous voir a cette occasion.
Vous m’avez écouté avec grand’ attention,

Massoud Maalouf