With the support of the Lebanese party Forces Libanaises, the Lebanon office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) organised a conference on the situation of Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East. The conference was attended by various religious dignitaries, experts in Islamic studies, representatives of various Lebanese parties, diplomats, as well as MEP Elmar Brok (CDU-EPP), Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Frank Heinrich (Member of the German Bundestag, CDU).

In his introductory remarks Peter Rimmele, head of the Lebanon office of the KAS stressed the importance of pluralism for the political future of Lebanon. He compared the situation of the Middle East today to that of Europe in the past and argued that peace and coexistence between nations and religions on the old continent could only be achieved via the acceptance of political pluralism and a political community in the form of the European Union. Similarly, confessional and sectarian discourses in Lebanon and the Middle East should be replaced by a more tolerant attitude so that regional power struggles are not to the detriment of the general well being of citizens. Furthermore, Rimmele underlined that there must always be a place for Christians in the Middle East, the region where Christianity originated.

For his part, Elmar Brok also appealed to tolerance and the acceptance of a political pluralism as the only way for the religious and political life in Lebanon and the region of the Middle East in general. He stressed that Europe would support a secure future for Christians in the region and that Lebanon would play an important role as an example. At the same time he condemned violent confrontations on the grounds of religious tensions and addressed the current political crisis in Lebanon. Brok underlined repeatedly the decisions taken by the European foreign ministers that all Lebanese parties, including Hizbollah, should act responsibly and act within the Baabda Declaration as well as Lebanon’s dissociation policy. Lastly, Brok mentioned the EU’s acknowledgement of the immense burden Lebanon currently bears because of the growing number of Syrian refugees and he emphasised the financial support for the country by the EU.

Similarly, Frank Heinrich also stressed the necessity of tolerance and pluralism and remarked that he will take into account the insights he was able to acquire during the conference for his work in the committee on human rights and humanitarian aid in the Bundestag.

Other contributions to the conference also spoke in favour of tolerance and coexistence and analysed the situation of Christians in the Middle East against the background of the Arab Spring, religious extremism and the Syrian crisis.

After the end of the conference Frank Heinrich and Elmar Brok led talks with President Michel Sleiman and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati as well as several other Lebanese politicians such as Michel Aoun (Free Patriotic Movement), Samir Geagea (Lebanese Forces Party), and Fouad Siniora (Future Movement).