The media office of Culture Minister Mohamed Mortada responded to MP Mark Dou without naming him, stating in a released statement: "Tell the one who writes to you that the rules for interpreting legal norms dictate that when there are both general and specific texts, the specific text takes precedence in application; and when there is a conflict between a constitutional text and a treaty or charter, the former supersedes the latter. Moreover, when legal rules collide between national and international ones, the conflict resolution discards the rule that contradicts the internal public order principles built upon various foundations, including moral values and public decency... Tell this to whoever wrote to you, or perhaps to both 'him' and 'her,' as we do not know if the one who wrote is 'he' or 'she' or contains both states simultaneously, meaning 'both.' Tell 'him/her' - as a precaution - this and ask 'him/her' for explanation and interpretation to enlighten you, dear 'Legislator of Oblivion,' and also tell 'him/her' that applying texts according to their numerical order is ignorance itself." The statement added: "May God protect us from the troubles of this time which has produced 'aberrant calamities' like you, spawned by an aberrant electoral law. It's astonishing that someone like you can sit in a position once occupied by Kamal Jumblatt... And by the way, if the Minister of Culture could ask the great martyr in His Heights about his opinion of you and what you wrote and proposed, he would undoubtedly reply, 'Do not pay attention to him. Since when do the treasures of culture concern the frivolity and injured legislative oblivion of those who enact aberrations?'" The statement concluded: "Let your rage kill you, O oblivious deputy and legislator of aberration and the fruit of the strange law; we shall not care about you and will not respond to your trivialities."
MP Mark Dou replied to Mortada by writing: "He hides behind his desk and takes shelter in the stature of Kamal Jumblatt to give himself a point of value, skirting through clumsy wording of the constitution like a first-year rights student who answers him with accusations, insults, and malicious and invalid labels, revealing the true 'ugliness and filth' within him when an official lowers himself to this lowly state. Watching Barbie becomes better than wasting time on him." Dou had previously written on the "X" platform in response to Minister of Culture Mohamed Wissam Mortada: "It is an insult to culture for such a person to hold the title of Minister. It is an insult to the judiciary that he holds a judicial position. He thinks he is the minister of ordaining good and forbidding evil, believing we live in a religious state and not a civil one. This minister fears the Barbie movie and some colors; it is an insult to the Lebanese people for such a person to claim representation of culture." Dou added, "The Lebanese constitution clearly states in its preamble that Lebanon adheres to international treaties and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and as a minister, he must comply or resign. Those treaties, contrary to what the culture usurper claims." The preamble of the constitution states that "Lebanon is a democratic parliamentary republic, founded on respect for public liberties, primarily freedom of opinion and belief, among all citizens without distinction or preference." The preamble of the constitution, O pretender of the judiciary, states: "The people are the source of authority and sovereignty, exercising it through constitutional institutions." It is not a religious republic governed by Sharia.
Before Articles 9 and 10, which he misinterpreted, there are Articles 7 and 8, which respond to your claims, stating in Article 7: "All Lebanese are equal before the law, enjoying equal civil and political rights and bearing public duties and obligations without any distinction." Article 8: "Personal freedom is inviolable and protected by the law, and no one may be arrested or detained except in accordance with the provisions of the law, and no crime may be defined nor punishment assigned except by law." If you are trying to selectively quote from Saint Paul, you might want to search online after finishing your in-depth research on Barbie to see the stance of the Church and its head, Pope Francis, who clearly stated that homosexuality is not a crime. The Maronite Church in Lebanon follows Rome. So please read before claiming knowledge about something you are ignorant of. This person is an insult to culture and the judiciary, and he should be boycotted wherever he is; he deserves only ridicule for his constitutional projections and his claims of morality, theocratic logic, and treasonous speech. We await tomorrow's tweets about banning interest in banks, calling for the closure of casinos, mixed resorts, nightlife venues, and criminalizing cohabitation... It may be said that this person is nothing more than a minor detail in a project alien to the heritage and history of Lebanon. Cursed be the time when someone like this holds an official position!
Later, the Culture Minister responded to Dou's rebuttal via a tweet from his media office stating: "It would have been better for the Honorable Deputy to restrain himself, to pause, and to engage in discussions with a cool heart and a calm mind, and most importantly, with language befitting one who occupies a parliamentary seat; then he would have either convinced us with his convictions or been convinced by us, thus the light would truly symbolize its name." This constituted a responsible invitation for dialogue according to the norms of debate, followed by the minister with sincere, advisory, reconciliatory, and responsible words, saying: "We wish for every official, especially in this phase, to avoid populism and rashness. We do not wish for him to fall into a state of 'purposefulness' that harms and leaves the worst impact on him and the nation." Instead of the "Deputy of Aberration" reflecting and reviewing his offensive stance against the minister, he returned to his delusion and tweeted that he would not waste his time following the Minister of Culture but would instead watch the Barbie movie. The media office statement added: "Do not waste your precious time legislating by watching Barbie. Stand for a moment in front of the mirror; that is enough."
