Aoun commemorates Bachir Gemayel by vowing to build 'strong and just state'
President Joseph Aoun on Sunday marked the the 44th anniversary of the assassination of president-elect Bachir Gemayel by saying that "he fell to the bullets of treachery before assuming his constitutional duties, ascending as a martyr upon the altar of the nation."
"His name remains etched in the hearts and minds of the Lebanese people as a symbol of faith in Lebanon -- a land of message, sovereignty and freedom," Aoun added.
He continued: "Through his stances and his struggle, the martyred president Bachir Gemayel embodied an unwavering belief in Lebanon as a unified entity ... He expressed this conviction through his immortal slogan, 'Lebanon: 10,452 km²,' encapsulating a unifying national philosophy: that Lebanon, in its entirety and across its full geographic expanse, is the definitive homeland for all its citizens—indivisible and inviolable—with no room for segregation, partition, or exclusion."
"Today, as we commemorate his martyrdom, we affirm that his message endures in our national journey. We further affirm that upholding the unity of the land, the people and the institutions is the truest tribute to the blood of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Lebanon," the president said.
He pledged to "continue building a strong and just state -- a state that alone guarantees the independence of its decision-making, its full sovereignty over its entire territory, and the dignity of its citizens."
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://mobile.naharnet.com/stories/en/322446 |