The Minister of Culture in the caretaker government, Mohammad Wissam Al-Murtada, emphasized that "the first rule in the study of preserving diversity is that each one of us must accept the other as he is, not as we want him to be, and love him as he is, not as we wish for him to become. By adhering to this rule, we protect ourselves first, based on the principle of mutual treatment at the very least and the principle of general social good, which can only be achieved through peace and harmony stemming from accepting the other and from our acceptance of him, and loving one another as members of one body, this great nation." He recalled what was rooted in our consciousness by the "great Imam of the nation, Musa al-Sadr," that there is no justification for Lebanon's existence unless it is both Islamic and Christian simultaneously, and thus, there is no fear for it as long as there is one church that rings its bells.
He addressed the residents of the town of Al-Ma'aysera in the Kesrouan district, saying: "Your presence here, O people of Al-Ma'aysera, like the presence of others in various regions with diverse religious, partisan, and intellectual affiliations, makes every call made to promote separation among people, no matter how it is adorned for marketing, a call with no future and no chance for existence and continuity. How, for example, can federalism deal with your presence here and with the presence of others in mixed Lebanese areas?"
Minister Al-Murtada's remarks came during his patronage and attendance at the symposium and exhibition "Inspired by Unified Living and Common Values," at the invitation of the Family Charity Association for the Al-Amro family, in cooperation with the Fine Arts Forum, in addition to the opening of a public library, and were attended by a crowd of political figures, regional deputies, and a group of cultural personalities, mayors, and notables.
