Lebanon

Audi: The World Watches the Genocide of People as if It Were a Play
Audi: The World Watches the Genocide of People as if It Were a Play

The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Bishop Elias Audi, led a poignant Christmas service on Monday, deploring the lack of humanity among world leaders in the face of the killing of civilians in the raging Gaza war, in its third month. "I raise a prayer for the entire world to understand that the message of the Lord's birth is a call for ...

Rai Calls for 'Internal Revolution' at Christmas Mass
Rai Calls for 'Internal Revolution' at Christmas Mass

Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai blamed Lebanese officials for the woes plaguing Lebanon and its people, and called for a “spiritual revolution” that would lead to the election of a president of the republic and put Lebanon back on track. At his Christmas Day sermon in Bkerke on Monday, Rai said, “Let this Christmas bring about a ...

Unrelenting Violence in South Lebanon, Latest Developments
Unrelenting Violence in South Lebanon, Latest Developments

Israel carried out several airstrikes on southern Lebanese border towns on Monday morning, following heavy overnight clashes that did not taper off despite Christmas celebrations. A series of air raids targeted the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab and Tal al-Raheb, as well as Aitaroun, as of 7:00 AM this morning. The sound of exploding missiles ...

Dilemmas of Truce and the Unfinished War 
Dilemmas of Truce and the Unfinished War 

The moral and strategic equivocations of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, far from being incidental, are inherent to the political narrative and the military purview that underlie the massacres of October 7, 2023. The nihilistic attack reflects Hamas's political vision and concurs with the strategic objectives of Iranian power politics: ...

In Tripoli, a New Christmas Tree Installed
In Tripoli, a New Christmas Tree Installed

A new Christmas tree has been installed in the square of the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Tripoli's Zahiriya region. It is meant to replace the first tree, which was completely burnt down by flames caused by a Molotov cocktail thrown at it by unknown assailants at dawn on Sunday. The reinstallation of the Christmas tree was entirely ...

Audi Denounces a World Built on 'Interests'
Audi Denounces a World Built on 'Interests'

The Greek-Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Archbishop Elias Audi, denounced the behavior of a large portion of people who value "social rank," respecting only "the rich, feudal, and bourgeois" and "rejecting the poor, needy, and weak." “The world is now built on interests, and man is driven by his instincts, desires, and self-centeredness," he ...

The Pedagogical Legacy of Imam Chamseddine (2/2)
The Pedagogical Legacy of Imam Chamseddine (2/2)

In memory of Layan, Talin, and Remas Mahmoud Hejazi, killed on November 6, 2023, in South Lebanon. In this second part of the article concerning the educational and social legacy of Imam Mohammed Mehdi Chamseddine, This Is Beirut revisits the main institutions set up by the Charitable and Cultural Association (CCA), founded in 1966 by Imam ...

Christmas Tree Burned in Tripoli, Outraging Elected Officials
Christmas Tree Burned in Tripoli, Outraging Elected Officials

At dawn on Sunday, unknown assailants threw a Molotov cocktail at the Christmas tree set up in St. George's Church Square in Tripoli's Zahiriya region. The flames destroyed the tree. The region's political and religious leaders denounced this "suspicious act," which damaged Tripoli's image. Achraf Rifi, deputy of the region, called for the ...

Christmas in South Lebanon: A Glimmer of Enduring Hope
Christmas in South Lebanon: A Glimmer of Enduring Hope

The residents of southern Lebanon are gearing up for an unusual Christmas, given the difficult times that the region is going through. Yet, in this land that bore witness to the passage of Christ, hope remains. While it’s true that this holiday season may be particularly somber, there are still small things, small gestures, that persist in ...

Rise Up and Return to Lebanon
Rise Up and Return to Lebanon

"From the cradle to the crucifixion, God reveals to us a profound mystery." I woke up this morning with this familiar Christmas refrain. The mystery here isn’t a detective's puzzle. It’s a reality beyond reason. Or rather, both beyond reason and within reach, as God became man and, as a human being, cannot be incomprehensible. Not ...

MP Halima Kaakour Rescued After Near Drowning
MP Halima Kaakour Rescued After Near Drowning

MP Halima Kaakour nearly drowned while she was swimming in the sea in Jiyeh during the stormy weather. The MP lost consciousness after ingesting a substantial amount of water. This prompted a swift response from civil defense personnel, who rushed her to Labib Abou Daher Hospital in Saida. Close associates of Kaakour confirmed that she was ...