The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC)

His Beatitude the Maronite Patriarch Bchara Al Raei and is upcoming pastoral visit to Canada

By Elias Bejjani (Bio and Archives)  Monday, April 30, 2012 | Print friendly | Subscribe | Email Us

As was previously scheduled, in my capacity as a Canadian Lebanese human rights activist and Chairman for the LCCC, I discussed today with the Honorable John Baird, Canada’s Minister Of Foreign Affairs, our opposing stand regarding all political stances adopted by His Beatitude the Maronite Patriarch Bchara Al Raei who is paying a pastoral visit to Canada next month.

The discussion revolved on the contents of our letter addressing Al Raei’s political stances in question that was sent to Minister Baird, as well as to the Honorable Jason Kenny, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and all Canadian provincial Ministers and MPs. His Beatitude’s political Stances does not represent many Lebanese communities in both Canada and Lebanon.

It is worth mentioning that Al Raei’s declared and documented positions concerning the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the Syrian revolution, the Arab Spring, and Syria’s al-Assad regime totally contradict all ofCanada’s foreign policies and standpoints.

We conveyed to Mr. Baird our full support for the Canadian Government’s clear and courageous foreign policy towards global terrorism, equality, freedoms, human rights and peace, and extended to him our gratitude for listening to our concerns and stances.