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The Daily Star, Lebanon
June 10 2005
Maalouf refuses to be confined by the past
By Adnan El-Ghoul
Daily Star staff
Friday, June 10, 2005
BEIRUT: Philip Maalouf, a young candidate for the Catholic seat in
Metn, believes in the traditional Christian leadership of his
constituency and leans toward the Lahoud and Gemayel families'
historic alliance, dating back to the early 1950s.
But Maalouf acknowledges that the trend in Lebanon is tilting in
favor of the new faces that come from ordinary people who have made
it to the top professionally and socially.
"Up until yesterday, I thought General Michel Aoun's call to
encourage fresh flawless candidates not corrupted by "power and
wealth was sincere and serious.
However, when I heard Aoun announcing his alliance with such a
corrupted figure as the deputy Speaker Michel Murr I changed my
mind," he said.
To Maalouf, new blood means relying on the younger generation who
understand the needs of the country with an open-minded outlook of
the modern world.
He added that angry citizens had shut down three of Aoun's electoral
offices in Dora, Sad-Bousharieh and Jal al-Dib following the
announcement of the Aoun-Murr alliance.
"Aoun and Murr encourage the Armenian community to stay disintegrated
in Lebanese society to deepen splits and ethnic divisions," Maalouf
said.
"It is about time we stop scaring the different communities away from
each other; Christians against Muslims and each sect against the
other."
Voters in Metn, he said, are well educated and quite capable of
making their own choices.
"Next Sunday, they will show that they know who is corrupt and who is
still betting on the police apparatus to return to power and tighten
their grip over the people."
Maalouf said he filed a complaint with the Election Monitoring Team
that state officials were intimidating voters, claiming he knows them
by name.
"The Defense Minster Elias Murr, is blackmailing local families by
telling them the state is still strong and that they should not bet
on losers," Maalouf said.
Having worked with the Red Cross Organization during the Civil War,
Maalouf said he detested the sectarian killings and it was about time
to call for a national reconciliation and a renunciation of the use
of violence to solve internal disputes between the various factions
of the Lebanese people.
Maalouf is a member of the National Liberal Party that "believes now
more than ever that we should stop being fanatics while negotiating
with other Lebanese communities.'
"Such fanatic stubbornness had forced Christians into isolation
causing them to miss valuable opportunities to reconcile and unite
with their fellow citizens," he said.
Agreeing with Hizbullah's call to put the past behind and begin a new
page in Lebanese political life, Maalouf said, "we refuse to stay
confined to our past as we should aim for the future of our country
and the future of our children.
Change is pending and true change requires inclusiveness, to give
everyone a chance to build a brighter future for all of us."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
June 10 2005
Maalouf refuses to be confined by the past
By Adnan El-Ghoul
Daily Star staff
Friday, June 10, 2005
BEIRUT: Philip Maalouf, a young candidate for the Catholic seat in
Metn, believes in the traditional Christian leadership of his
constituency and leans toward the Lahoud and Gemayel families'
historic alliance, dating back to the early 1950s.
But Maalouf acknowledges that the trend in Lebanon is tilting in
favor of the new faces that come from ordinary people who have made
it to the top professionally and socially.
"Up until yesterday, I thought General Michel Aoun's call to
encourage fresh flawless candidates not corrupted by "power and
wealth was sincere and serious.
However, when I heard Aoun announcing his alliance with such a
corrupted figure as the deputy Speaker Michel Murr I changed my
mind," he said.
To Maalouf, new blood means relying on the younger generation who
understand the needs of the country with an open-minded outlook of
the modern world.
He added that angry citizens had shut down three of Aoun's electoral
offices in Dora, Sad-Bousharieh and Jal al-Dib following the
announcement of the Aoun-Murr alliance.
"Aoun and Murr encourage the Armenian community to stay disintegrated
in Lebanese society to deepen splits and ethnic divisions," Maalouf
said.
"It is about time we stop scaring the different communities away from
each other; Christians against Muslims and each sect against the
other."
Voters in Metn, he said, are well educated and quite capable of
making their own choices.
"Next Sunday, they will show that they know who is corrupt and who is
still betting on the police apparatus to return to power and tighten
their grip over the people."
Maalouf said he filed a complaint with the Election Monitoring Team
that state officials were intimidating voters, claiming he knows them
by name.
"The Defense Minster Elias Murr, is blackmailing local families by
telling them the state is still strong and that they should not bet
on losers," Maalouf said.
Having worked with the Red Cross Organization during the Civil War,
Maalouf said he detested the sectarian killings and it was about time
to call for a national reconciliation and a renunciation of the use
of violence to solve internal disputes between the various factions
of the Lebanese people.
Maalouf is a member of the National Liberal Party that "believes now
more than ever that we should stop being fanatics while negotiating
with other Lebanese communities.'
"Such fanatic stubbornness had forced Christians into isolation
causing them to miss valuable opportunities to reconcile and unite
with their fellow citizens," he said.
Agreeing with Hizbullah's call to put the past behind and begin a new
page in Lebanese political life, Maalouf said, "we refuse to stay
confined to our past as we should aim for the future of our country
and the future of our children.
Change is pending and true change requires inclusiveness, to give
everyone a chance to build a brighter future for all of us."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress