“Lebanon Debate”
In recent hours, social media platforms have witnessed a growing debate between political parties and religious authorities, in a remarkable development that goes beyond the limits of traditional debate, and re-highlights the problem of freedom of expression and the limits of responsibility in public discourse, amid fears of possible repercussions on internal stability and civil peace in Lebanon.
A wave of tension erupted after a special report was broadcast on the “LBCI” channel, in which Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem appeared alongside fighters from the party in a style inspired by the characters of the game “Angry Birds,” which sparked widespread angry reactions.
Anger over the content of the report quickly turned into a counter-campaign, as comments condemning the station poured in, and activists considered that what was presented constituted a direct insult to the party’s leadership.
However, what was striking in the course of events was the shift in tension to a more severe level, with the launch of a campaign on social media platforms targeting Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, by publishing offensive pictures and comments that went beyond the limits of political or media criticism, and took on a personal and religious nature.
According to observers, the insult to Sheikh Naeem Qassem was linked to what some supporters considered a parallel insult to other religious authorities, which led to escalatory reactions that increased the tension.
In this context, the position of the “Maronite League” emerged, which was quick to issue a strongly worded statement, in which it placed this campaign “in the jurisdiction of the competent judiciary,” considering that what happened went beyond freedom of expression to reach the level of incitement and insult to religious symbols, and constituted a direct threat to civil peace, calling for rapid action to prosecute those responsible and hold them accountable in accordance with applicable laws.
The Association stressed that the Maronite Patriarchate represents a unifying national pillar, and that attacking it cannot be considered a mere opinion, but rather an attack on one of the most prominent symbols of national balance, calling on the judicial and security agencies to be strict in dealing with these phenomena, warning of the dangers of their exacerbation if they are not deterred.
The campaign against Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai also called for positions from other religious authorities and a number of parliamentary blocs, which expressed their strong rejection of this campaign and their denunciation of any abuse targeting the Patriarch or any of the religious symbols in the country.
These authorities and parliamentary blocs stressed that targeting spiritual authorities would exacerbate tensions and threaten civil peace, stressing the need to control public discourse and not slide into defamation or incitement campaigns through social media.
Today, with the case of Patriarch Al-Rahi becoming the “talk of the hour,” a fundamental question arises: Does this incident constitute a turning point towards controlling digital chaos and setting clear limits to freedom of expression, or will it join a series of crises that will pass without accountability, leaving communication platforms an open arena for all forms of escalation and chaos?
In the same context, Monsignor Abdo Abu Kasem, Director of the Catholic Media Center, confirmed in an interview with “Lebanon Debate” that the campaign against which the Patriarch was subjected exceeds the limits of normal expression and leads to a state of chaos and tension, stressing that what happened is considered an attack on spiritual shrines, which is completely unacceptable whether it affects the Patriarch or any other religious authority.
It is considered that attacking the person of the Patriarch, as the head of the Maronite Church and head of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon and the East, does not only affect the sect, but also all Lebanese, because Lebanon is based on pluralism and partnership, not on sectarian divisions.
He stresses that Lebanon is a missionary country that brings together various sects under one roof, and therefore any abuse of spiritual shrines is considered a dangerous matter, because it may lead to sectarian tension, and sectarian tension in turn opens the door to strife that threatens the stability of the country more than any external war.
He adds that what is required is to call on everyone, especially social media activists, to stop this type of discourse, because it harms national unity and constitutes a moral “suicide” against the Lebanese, considering that whoever carries out these actions harms Lebanon and its cause.
He says: “We will not remain silent on this issue after the blatant attack on the Patriarch, and we declare our strong denunciation of it, and we call on the discriminatory public prosecutor to take action, and to consider this statement as information to expose the perpetrators.”
He stresses that this attack is not only a violation of the dignity of the Patriarch, but it is also a violation of the dignity of the Maronite community and all Christians, stressing that the matter will not pass without accountability, and that there will be action at the beginning of the week by the Christian and Maronite authorities.
He points out that the state has a fundamental role in prosecuting any abuse that affects religious symbols or personal dignity, because the law punishes these actions that threaten civil peace.
Abu Kasem concludes by stressing that the media must remain in its natural position of conveying the truth and promoting stability, away from any speech that might inflame divisions or excite people.
