The following are summaries of today's major stories published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.
- Gemayel: Rai’s concerns in line with Bkerke’s historical principles
Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel told Al-Akhbar newspaper that Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai’s concerns over the fate of Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East do not contradict Bkerke’s historical principles. “More than anyone, the Maronite Church is aware of the difficult living conditions for minorities in the East”.
“The Lebanese Christians’ conditions were not at all easy over the past few years”, Gemayel said, adding that Bkerke voiced these concerns similarly to any other spiritual leader or politician.
Asked on Rai’s positions on Hezbollah’s weapons and Syria, Gemayel stressed that his stance on this matter has become firm and clear, adding “the Patriarch’s remarks on these two issues do not go beyond general analysis”.
“The Maronite Bishops Council’s last call confirmed Bkerke’s principles”, Gemayel added.
- Charbel: ESCWA employees concerned by their security situation
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told An-Nahar newspaper that in a recent meeting held with the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams, a U.N. official present at the meeting informed him that the ESCWA employees were very concerned by their security situation, especially after the blast that ripped through the U.N. headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria on August 27, killing 18 people.
“When I knew that some employees decided to leave Lebanon, I arranged a meeting between Williams and the head of the traffic police in Beirut, Colonel Mohammad El Ayoubi”, Charbel said, adding that they both agreed on kicking off a week-long trial of heightened security measures.
“If citizens get used to taking roads other than those surrounding the ESCWA building,these measures will be adopted permanently; however, if they disrupt the traffic flow, a re-assessment will be made in five days”, Charbel said.
In the same context, An-Nahar reported that Qatar offered to host the ESCWA and provide the necessary buildings and facilities.
- Mikati: I cannot foresee Assad’s possible successor
According to The Wall Street Journal, PM Najib Mikati expressed his fear over the situation in Syria. “If the situation in Syria goes out of control, Lebanon will be in a critical position”, he said.
Mikati also voiced concern over what could happen following the Syrian regime’s downfall. “I know President Bashar Assad very well, even though we haven’t been in contact for months”,he said, adding that he cannot foresee Assad’s “possible successor”.
On the fact that Lebanon did not take an official stance on the Syrian regime’s crackdown,Mikati said that taking such a stance would be useless, and may shake Lebanon’s already vulnerable stability.
- Ghosn: Desired wage increase to target public and private sectors workers
Labor union chief Ghassan Ghosn told As-Safir newspaper that the desired wage increase will target workers in both private and public sectors. “As long as a solution is not reached before the nation-wide labor strike scheduled for October 12, the strike will take place, and there is no turning back”, he said.
According to the newspaper, many employee representatives explained that the skyrocketing real estate prices Lebanon witnessed during the last few years and the high interest rates that often exceeded the profits represent more of a production cost than wage adjustment in general. They also refused the unjust bargain of increasing working hours in exchange of increasing the minimum wage.
- Ghayad: Rai cut short U.S. hesitation to host him at White House
Bkerke spokesman Walid Ghayad told Acharq al-Awsat newspaper that during the last two weeks, a lot of media confusion surrounded Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai’s agenda in the U.S.
“No official meetings or appointments were set in Washington”, he said.
Ghayad added that Rai did not ask for any official appointment in Washington; he cut short the U.S. hesitation to host him at the White House by refusing to hold any political meetings with American official figures during his current visit to the U.S.
Ghayad did not deny the Lebanese diaspora in Washington’s assiduous efforts to arrange meetings between Rai and political figures and to make sure Rai includes Washington in his visit; “but the Patriarch chose to keep his visit within the context of a pastoral one”, Ghayad added.
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