The importance of the family

The role of the family is prominent for the future of humanity. In today’s world families are facing many difficulties resulting from the changes of culture, poverty, conflicts, immigration and the new false cultural myths. Today’s media is playing a big role in promoting new ways of life implying that sexual conservatism is naiveté while free and casual sex is modernism and freedom. A recent study in the United States has revealed that more than twenty percent of American women have children from more than one partner.

Another plague regarding marriage between people of the same sex constitutes a dangerous attempt by man to counter the laws of nature and therefore sends another blow to family which is the only righteous and natural way for mankind to live and progress. Selfish ways of life are becoming dangerously common and individual’s physical pleasures or unnatural sexual orientations are being harshly defended in today’s world. Being responsible and showing respect for others is enforced by law, but unfortunately being responsible and showing respect to oneself and his body is largely lacking, thus extending inevitably to one’s descendants. In fact children always endure the emotional and social burden when they recognize being the fruit of a passing relationship and not belonging to a real family, or when they belong to an abnormal one with parents of the same sex.

A lot of courage and honesty are required to favor the plan conceived by nature for human beings.

Today’s society needs to work hard to succeed in promoting family as being a very strong union between a man and a woman and therefore offer help for this family to carry out its sacred mission as the core of human life, a lesson of responsibility, the symbol of coexistence and peaceful life, the example of sacrifice for each other, the school where life is welcomed and generously embraced. Love and peace inside families will then certainly shine to society and clear the way for better future generations where peace and fraternity prevail between men.

God and science

The Scientific Legacy of modern times has been undoubtedly marked with achievements and major advances. Nevertheless the image of scientific progress is sometimes divided into two different views. On one hand, science is considered to be the answer to any question and the remedy to any problem, in fact the numerous recent scientific achievements in the last decades appear to be confirming the theory that science could ultimately answer all the questions of man’s existence; On the other hand, science is sometimes believed to be a threat to man’s existence and a way of self destruction, notably because of the use of sophisticated armaments and nuclear weapons .

It is obvious that the scope of science is far from both extreme theories. Its purpose has been and will remain to be the continuous quest for the truth about space, nature and all aspects and phenomenon’s surrounding human life. This relentless search has conducted to many successes and has contributed to change the way we live, and has also created a sort of frustration as many other phenomena apparently trivial are still remotely understood though. Nonetheless, provisional conclusions constitute a good foundation for future understanding of the world we live in.

The scientific progress made in the last century in many disciplines has resulted in a much better understanding of the earth, center of all experiments which continue to be the main “laboratory” to discover and learn. In the last five decades, practically since the end of the second world war, the scientific and technological progress realized by man has outpaced by far all what we have learnt, discovered and invented in our entire history! It would be interesting to note that man’s knowledge about God remains the same throughout the centuries and not a single leap has been achieved in that direction. .

If mankind owes a lot to science and to the continuous scientific will of going further and deeper, scientists often question themselves about this secret hand that puts everything in order and makes our world function in perfect harmony. In fact scientists do not create, they only discover facts and truths, put them together and try to visualize their conclusions in man-made theories and inventions. Therefore man has always watched, experienced, learnt and tried to elaborate mathematical patterns and models in order to acknowledge, and to the best extent possible any natural phenomenon surrounding us. It is good to note that any scientific formula is only a good and close approximation of a natural event or phenomenon, and no theory in the world has ever claimed expressing an exact explanation of any event or phenomenon.

This reality leads us to admit the existence of a greater reason beyond man’s understanding of things, which sustains and controls our world, and this is the crucial point where science and religion converge. The result is that science can be the place where man encounters the creator of this world and therefore leads to a better and true understanding of this world.

As we are witnessing daily scientific achievements, we also discover the complexity and mysteries of our world, therefore the need for a new approach is imminent where morality shall be observed in scientific researches in order to reach better conclusions. Scientific achievements should always obey the imperatives of ethics and preservation of human rights and dignity, and deploy scientists efforts in the right direction for the good and the future of mankind. The evolution of our way of life will largely depend on our ability to use science for what is moral, just and good for humanity.

Japan and Libya overshadow a major crisis

With the war in Libya and the tragedy in Japan grabbing all news headlines, the world seems to be overlooking a very grave situation that has been unfolding in Ivory Coast. In fact more than one million citizens have fled their homes in the African nation, a country that seems to be slowly drifting towards a full-scale civil war. This is the reality of the situation facing this West African country and its population. Many calls have been made so far urging dialogue between the opposing parties. Very little attention is being paid by the international community and media to this worsening humanitarian crisis, which is causing massive exodus of people, many of whom have crossed the border into neighboring countries like Liberia and Ghana. Reports from Ivory Coast confirm that the situation is dramatic and is not getting the appropriate attention from the International community, and the events occurring in the African Nation are still being under-reported. Huge lack of funding also contributes to the worsening of the humanitarian situation.

The seriousness of the situation comes basically from the sharp political division in the country that is inevitably leading to a civil war in Ivory Coast. People are fleeing in all directions running for their lives with very little in hand or even nothing at all! Therefore the needs are huge and range from food, drinking water, to blankets and mattresses.

Why is the international community and the United Nations overlooking this crisis! Is it because Ivory Coast is a poor country or because it has no oil or natural reserves? The answer to this sad query remains unknown but what is sure is that hundreds of thousands of people are suffering and are in a desperate need for help.

Many observers are expressing regrets over the brewing civil war in a country that has been known for decades as being the “benchmark” for political stability in western Africa. The emergency funding in response to the crisis is yet far from seeing the light. Unfortunately we will only witness another big human tragedy unless the decision makers decide to make a move and contribute to the halting of such a tragedy.

The horror of wars

Seeing the pictures from Libya and the massacre of civilians from many Arab countries, we can only recall the abhorrent effects of war, of violence on man by man, and by doing so, strengthen the urgency of an appeal for an end to the use of weapons and to create a space for dialogue in the conflicts that are currently raging in Libya, Ivory Coast and the Middle East .

Following the atrocities witnessed on TVs on a daily basis, one can only fear for the safety of the civilian population and have concerns for the unfolding situation in Libya which is constantly growing. At moments such as these, of greatest tension, international bodies and people in positions of responsibilities must use all diplomatic means at their disposal to give space to even the weakest signs of openness to dialogue. Both sides of the Libyan conflict need to be appealed for an end to the use of weapons and an immediate start of dialogue.

What is happening these days is a most grave offense against humanity, because it is the deliberate violence of man by man. It is the most abhorrent effect of war, any war, while we should be seeking life and peace. The abyss opened by men who, when driven by blind violence, deny their dignity and brotherhood with each other. Yes, wherever he is, on every continent, in every nation, man is the son and brother to all humanity. But this being the son and brother is not a given. Unfortunately, this is revealed by the death tolls themselves.

We must want it, we must say yes to good and no to evil. We must believe in love and life, and reject any false image of Glory, that betrays man. Therefore, in times like these, the real answer is to join hands as brothers, and say: with the strength of love we desire to walk together in Peace, in Libya, North Africa, The Middle East and throughout the world.

Japan: from the earthquake to the nuclear plant

Recently, at the troubled Japanese nuclear power plants, a group of heroes are generously risking their lives to save the lives of many others. Like the firefighters of New York city on September 11. As then, the generous love for others, even at the cost of one’s life, is the true light in the darkness of this tragedy. It shines a light on the path to follow. It is a direction for a brave journey for all mankind to follow.


For days, images of the tragedy in Japan continue to upset every human being and provoke questions. From the very outset they have evoked memories of the tragic Indian Ocean tsunami six years ago, which also caused a frightening number of victims, and even more: a sea of suffering and pain that calls for our compassion, our sympathy and our prayers.

But with the space of a few days the world's attention has shifted to the disaster at the nuclear power plant. The Japanese have shown that they can cope with earthquakes in an admirable way, constructing buildings capable of withstanding the strongest shocks. In other countries the same shock would have caused countless deaths.

Yet even Japan’s technical progress has revealed, in one sense, and unexpectedly a weak point. It only took the serious damage of one of the approximately fifty Japanese nuclear power plants to cause a new fear of death that is spreading around the world, in addition to the tsunami’s destruction. Nuclear power is a great natural resource which man tries to use for his benefit, but if he loses control of it, it can turn against him. And nobody knows better than the Japanese people the effects of energy released from a nuclear source turned against man.

The safety of nuclear power plants and radioactive waste storage will never be absolute. It is right and necessary to reflect again on the proper use of technological power, its risks and its human price. This crucial topic should never be overlooked from now on. 

Innocents always pay the price

In revolutions, conflicts, wars, uprisings, always innocents end up paying the price of any outcome. For we have learnt historically that all great and major changes in the world only came after hundreds of thousands were killed and as many injured. Those “unknown” people who are only recognized and counted by numbers, and nobody knows them for they are ordinary people, sometimes less than ordinary. But nevertheless humanity and especially the “free world” owes them a lot.

Historically, the United States of America succeeded to put an end to slavery and became the great nation that we know today, only after a long and painful war that lasted four years (1861-1865) and cost the life of more than 500,000 Americans. The French revolution which started in 1789 met its target and toppled the royal reign after bloody street fights in Paris and after ten years of long Napoleon’s battles which resulted in over 1,000,000 innocent deaths.

In modern history and according to some sources as many as eighty million people have died between 1939 and 1945 (most of them civilians) to put an end to the biggest conflict in history which resulted in putting an end to Nazi and fascist regimes.

More recently in Egypt, the change to democracy and the end of the 30 years old regime has cost so far the Egyptian people a death toll of 500 people, while in Libya the ongoing fights have resulted so far in the loss of thousands of Libyan civilians (exact figures still unknown) and this number is rising on a daily basis.

Innocent blood seems to be the ultimate price that humanity is deemed to pay in order to straighten the course of governments, topple monarchies and to make historical changes. The question remains when or if humanity will reach a stage where such changes will ever occur peacefully and decently, preserving the dignity and the life of human beings.

People of Japan: magnificent strength!

I always asked myself how did Japanese people manage to become one of the biggest economies in the world, I know very well that Japanese people are very nice and smart but my question was always the same, how did this Country become so strong?

After the earthquake disaster, I was watching on TV the Japanese people and I was surprised: They were crying and they were praying for their missing beloved persons but they were, in the same time, incredibly calm and serene believing that Japan will be rebuilt again and very soon.

And I saw that most of them were leaving involuntarily their homes to avoid nuclear radiations and death, and in spite of such distress they still wanted to stay in their Country even  without home or food.

Today I’m asking myself if everyone of us is able to remain quiet and peaceful in such circumstances?

Is everyone of us able to pray and to hope even when he loses his family?

Is everyone of us able to keep believing even when, he feels that he lost everything?

Dear People of Japan, sorry because I still didn’t understand how can we build countries! With money? with weapons? with violence? with dictatorships?

Japan is the greatest example that nations are built with love, hope and a strong determination to restart when everything has been lost.

Very sad, but true...

JAPAN: more than 10,000 people die in a strong earthquake, the world is horrified and fully mobilized.


AFRICA: more than 15,000 children die everyday from starvation, nobody cares, nobody even mentions it.

Think about it, it's very sad but true!

Lebanon After The War..(article in French)

Le Liban après la guerre..

Le Liban est sorti d’une longue guerre qui a duré de 1975 jusqu’ à la fin de 1990 et a laissé de profondes marques sur la société, comme sur l’Etat, l’économie et le peuple.

Suffisamment d’années se sont écoulées depuis la fin des opérations militaires pour que les Libanais s’engagent pleinement dans la reconstruction de leur pays et de leur société, cherchant, animés par l’espoir, à régler leurs problèmes et à améliorer leur niveau de vie aussi rapidement que possible.

Certes les années de guerre ne sauraient être tenues responsables des problèmes de déséquilibre structurels que rencontrent aujourd’hui les libanais, ces problèmes ayant contribué à l’explosion et à la poursuite du conflit.

L’on ne pourrait estimer le coût de la guerre du Liban en pertes humaines et sociales pour la société Libanaise.

Les effets de cette guerre sur les jeunes générations et les enfants sont plus graves et se manifestent à long terme; il faut signaler que les écoles, les ressources en personnel, le matériel et les programmes du secteur de l’enseignement et l’éducation, en particulier dans le secteur public, ont subi de très lourdes pertes, qui ont entraîné une détérioration significative dans le système de l’instruction qui s’avère ancien et parfois inadapté aux besoins du pays..

Les jeunes vont se voir refuser l’un de leurs droits fondamentaux, à savoir le droit à une bonne éducation et une solide formation à même de les préparer à remplir efficacement et convenablement leur rôle social et productif.

Il en va de même pour la détérioration des services de santé assurés par le service public, la dégradation de l’environnement, la perte des débouchés, la désintégration de la famille due au déplacement et aux problèmes d’intégration sociale, pour ne pas parler du décès d’un ou de plusieurs membres de la famille au cours de la guerre que ce soit un enfant, un membre de la famille de l’enfant ou un parent plus au moins proche, ou encore des préjudices corporels subis par l’un d’eux  .

Aujourd’hui, la protection juridique des personnes préjudiciées par la guerre pourrait ne pas présenter un problème dans les milieux où ces personnes bénéficient heureusement d’une protection adéquate, quand leurs intérêts sont pris en charge par elles-mêmes, les parents, le conjoint ou les enfants.

Pourtant, il subsiste malheureusement des personnes, que la guerre a préjudiciées, qui vivent dans un contexte où l’isolement est de plus en plus fréquent et où la possibilité de vivre sous la protection de la famille ou de l’Etat se réduit en permanence.