Washington, DC – In Defense of Christians (IDC) applauds the inaugural conference of the Christian Front, held in Beirut, Lebanon, November 12-13, 2022.
On Saturday, November 12, the inaugural conference of the Christian Front convened under the title “Christians of the East between Extinction and Role Restoration.” The conference was composed of Christian delegations representing various eastern Christian ethnic and denominational communities from Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Europe and the United States.
Dr. Imad Chamoun, member of the Christian Front leadership council, officially announced the formation of the Christian Front in response to the growing existential threat to Christians in the East. Dr. Chamoun stated that the Christian Front was established as a platform to unite the voices of the various eastern Christian communities in an effort to defend religious, social, cultural, linguistic and national rights. Dr. Chamoun went on to express the Christian Front’s support for a federal model in Lebanon, explaining that eastern Christians deserve to live in societies whose constitutional frameworks reflect their demographics.
The conference concluded on Sunday, November 13 with a list of country-specific recommendations aimed at preserving the security and dignity of the indigenous Christian communities of the Middle East.
The roster of conference speakers included Nadine Maenza, President of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Secretariat, and member of the In Defense of Christians Board of Advisors. “I was honored to virtually address the Christian Front conference in Lebanon that brought together Christians from around the Middle East,” said Maenza. “It is encouraging to see these diverse communities find unity in charting a way forward to ensure Christians can stay in their ancient homeland and be treated as equal citizens. It is important that we support their recommendations as they determine their own futures,” added Maenza.
According to IDC Executive Director Richard Ghazal, “The inaugural conference of the Christian Front is a historic milestone for Christians in the Middle East.” Ghazal continued: “IDC remains committed to the protection, preservation and empowerment of Christians indigenous to the birthplace of the faith, and applauds the Christian Front as a native vehicle for the realization of this goal.”
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