Druze council | Doha Magazine
Friday 29 March 2024 - 19 Ramadan 1445
His Eminence Sheikh Naeem Hasan met with Minister and former MP Ghazi Al-Aridi, a delegation from the Progressive Socialist Party Women's Union and a delegation from the Druze community in Argentina

2019-09-24

His Eminence Sheikh Aql of the Druze monotheistic faith (Tawhid), Sheikh Naeem Hasan met in Dar al-Taifa - Verdun today, minister and former MP Ghazi Al-Aridi, where issues related to the economic, social and financial conditions were discussed, and the issue of recent arrests was also presented. Al-Aridi said, “I reviewed with his Eminence the general reality in the country as well as the tense economic, social and financial situation, and the urgency to implement the agreed corrective measures quickly to give a signal of confidence in Lebanon and its officials, and the readiness to keep up with efforts done by major countries and institutions to help Lebanon”.
He added, "we displayed the political reality in Lebanon and the recent developments that have caused resentment with the citizens, which is inconsistent with what we have mentioned in terms of institutional efforts that inspire confidence for the Lebanese, both at home and abroad. On the topic of the arrests that came upon some of the people of our region, our clan and our environment, the firm position which was expressed by his Eminence in a wise and reasonable attitude contains the highest level of respect for the state institutions and the application of law and justice without covering up on anyone’s error or mistake regardless of its severity. Thus, when we call for staying under the state’s sovereignty, we hint that the law has to be applied with justice and firmness that reaches all citizens since we are in a governed state and not in the wild. We support the legitimacy of the state and its law and order. We are against chaos and we reject any system which acts in a way that offends the dignity of our people and the sanctity of their homes. The way in which the arrests were performed was completely rejected and perhaps if there was a counter reaction by our people, then things could have developed to a more serious situation which no one desires, and we would have reached a boiling point that was totally ominous.
He added: "We hope that the state would exercise its authority over all Lebanese regions and would apply law and order to guarantee justice, which must be the roof that shades all Lebanese, but also that the concerned officials of such critical law enforcing institutions would realize that we as Lebanese citizens have the full rights and dignity that doesn’t accept any abuse from any person, entity or institution, and this was indicated by his Eminence, which we seek with him and stand by his side, and which was met with a supportive and clear position by the national leader Walid Jumblatt. Therefore we hope that things will take their natural path based on the concepts which we explained.
His Eminence also met with a delegation from the Progressive Socialist Party Women's Union, headed by its president, Manal S’aid, who presented a proposed law which includes limiting the age of marriage as well as awareness-raising steps to reduce the phenomenon of family disintegration and under-age marriage. The delegation was accompanied by member of the Progressive Socialist Party's leadership council lawyer Nashaat Al-Hassanieh, in the presence of the secretary of the sectarian council, lawyer Nizar Al-Baradhi.
S’aid said after the meeting, "We were honored today to visit his Eminence Sheikh Aql of the Druze monotheistic faith (Tawhid), Sheikh Naeem Hasan, during which we raised the issue of marriage of under age girls and the family issues and social problems linked to it, which has the biggest effect on the increase in divorce cases, and on the increasing rate of marital problems and family disintegration, as well as the disorientation of adolescents from their parents' homes under various excuses and names, and we explained to his Eminence about the health dangers and the psychological and social risks of under-age marriage in general, and its impact on wives - the female children in particular. His Eminence showed openness to our suggestions, praising the role of collaborative awareness and blessing us in every step of the way which falls under the awareness framework against under-age marriage that lacks consciousness and maturity”.
She added, "this visit to his Eminence is the first of a series of visits that we intend to make to all spiritual authorities in order to raise the issue of determining the minimum age of marriage, in conjunction with the continuing quest towards the adoption of a civil law to set the minimum age of marriage at 18 years. In this context, we demand the Parliamentary Administration and Justice Committee to increase the efforts to pass this law which represents the only way to guarantee the necessary protection for the female children and to ensure justice and equality between Lebanese female and male citizens under the barriers of the law nomatter which religion or sect they belong to”.
His Eminence also received a delegation from the Druze community in Argentina, which included the Commissioner of his Eminence in Argentina Sharif Al-Qantar, the President of the Druze Association Dr. Nabil Al-Attar, the representative of the Diaspora Office in the Progressive Socialist Party Akram Ghosn, and diaspora community figures. The delegation discussed matters related to the reality and conditions of the Lebanese abroad.
His Eminence then headed a meeting of the Awqaf Committee in the sectarian council to discuss issues related to the development of its work process, as well as another meeting of the Board of Trustees of the College of Prince Abdullah Al Tannoukhi.
Beirut on: 24/9/2019
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