The office of MP Streda Gahjaj announced in a statement, "We were horrified this morning upon seeing images of an environmental massacre, in every sense of the word, being committed within the sacred Kadisha Valley, specifically in the lands surrounding the Monastery of Saint Antonios Qozhaya. Therefore, it is important for us to emphasize the following points: Firstly, the sacred Kadisha Valley, classified as a World Heritage site since 1998, has never been, nor will it ever be, just a natural site or an environmental reserve for us; it embodies our history and roots. Thus, preserving it is not only for environmental, tourism, and agricultural purposes but is a matter of sanctity, identity, existence, and history. This valley represents the heritage of our resilient martyr bishops, and it is our responsibility today to protect it. Since we assumed responsibility in 2005, we have never hesitated, regardless of whether the threat is small or large, or whether the violation is minor or serious, in making the necessary decisions to preserve the valley and avert any danger, as well as to remove any violation or encroachment. We have never backed down nor taken political calculated risks and have taken the necessary stances and decisions and opposed every project that endangered this heritage.
Secondly, while it is true that the majority of the sacred Kadisha Valley (about 90%) is located within the boundaries of the Baalbek district, a part of it lies within the Zgharta district, where the current environmental violation is taking place. From this point, we appeal to the Zgharta district MPs, Tony Frangieh, Michel Moawad, and Michel Douaihy, to follow our lead and ensure the implementation of laws concerning the valley. We also demand that the head of the Zgharta Municipal Union, Zaeni Khair, address the issue of the valley in the same manner as the head of the Baalbek Municipal Union, Eli Makhlouf, and thank him for doing so by taking swift and decisive measures to halt all encroachments and violations, applying the laws to everyone without exception, and holding every violator accountable according to the applicable laws.
Thirdly, the responsibility for preserving the valley does not solely rest on local authorities and bodies, who are called upon to ensure regular monitoring and law enforcement, but also rests with the central authority represented by the Ministers of Interior, Environment, Culture, and Agriculture. Therefore, we urge all relevant ministers to take immediate action to stop the current violation, and we also call on the judicial authority represented by the environmental prosecutor in the north, Judge Ghassan Basil, to open a serious investigation to hold accountable every violator according to the applicable laws."
