Field tension in Lebanon is met with another type of unrest among the Lebanese population, stemming from the ongoing repercussions of the kidnapping and murder of Lebanese Forces coordinator in Jbeil, Pascal Suleiman, and the subsequent targeting of Syrian refugees or centers of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. This situation has led to calls and efforts for restraint and alleviating the unrest.
Yesterday was a sad day in Lebanon, as Suleiman was buried in the city of Jbeil and surrounding villages. During the funeral mass, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai urged officials to understand the motives behind the crime and those responsible, praising the role of the army and security agencies. For his part, the leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, emphasized the importance of not escalating the situation, stating that "confrontation should not be through revenge or reaction, and it is neither sectarian, regional, nor ethnic, but rather a transition from a painful and bitter reality to a desired position."
Former MP Mario Aoun noted in a call with the "Anbaa" electronic newspaper that "the calming rhetoric exhibited by the Lebanese Forces since the occurrence of Suleiman's crime to the day of his farewell is due to an awareness of the potential consequences of heightened tension in the country if they were to use a different language." Aoun expressed hope for continued rationality, warning that resorting to incendiary and provocative rhetoric would lead Lebanon closer to destruction.
This critical phase requires Lebanon to avoid mobility toward strife and the bleak fate that could ensue, while the priority is to find a way out of its political crisis and avoid slipping into war, in order to reach a safe harbor, according to "Anbaa" electronic newspaper.
