President of the National Dialogue Party and MP Fouad Makhzoumi, accompanied by members of the Beirut Dialogue Forum, visited His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic. They discussed the overall national developments and the challenges facing the capital, Beirut, and its residents.
Following the meeting, MP Makhzoumi said:
“We affirmed to His Eminence that the current phase requires placing the national interest above all else and rallying around the state and its constitutional institutions. Lebanon can only be saved through the establishment of a strong, just, and capable state that exclusively controls the decisions of war and peace and extends its authority throughout all Lebanese territory. This begins with ensuring that weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the state, through the disarmament of Hezbollah and all other illegal weapons held by militias and armed organizations, in accordance with an implementation plan that begins in southern Lebanon and extends across the entire country. This would consolidate sovereignty and stability and pave the way for a secure and prosperous future.
“We also reaffirmed our full support for His Excellency President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun in his efforts to restore state sovereignty and ensure that weapons remain exclusively in its hands. We welcomed the commencement of implementing the decisions adopted at the Rome meeting and the launch of the first pilot zone ahead of His Excellency’s anticipated meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on July 21. This represents the first practical step toward extending state authority throughout all Lebanese territory, strengthening the confidence of the Arab world and the international community in Lebanon, and opening the door to a new phase of stability, reconstruction, and economic recovery.
“We also stressed the importance of supporting Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam and the government in completing the implementation of this national strategy, enacting reforms, and restoring the confidence of the Lebanese people, our Arab brethren, and the international community.
“The meeting also addressed the situation in Beirut, particularly the crises involving waste management, electricity, water, and infrastructure. We emphasized that addressing these issues is the responsibility of the state, as they extend beyond the powers of the municipality and the governorate. We also briefed His Eminence on the meeting scheduled for this afternoon at the Grand Serail, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam and attended by Beirut’s MPs, the Ministers of Interior and Environment, and the Council for Development and Reconstruction, to follow up on these issues. We stressed that we would continue to pursue them until decisions are translated into concrete measures that Beirut’s residents can see and experience.
“We also discussed the overlap between the powers of the Beirut Municipal Council and those of the Governor of Beirut.
“We briefed His Eminence on the proceedings of the parliamentary session devoted to discussing the general amnesty law and explained the reasons behind my decision to boycott it. We emphasized that any general amnesty law that is not grounded in justice, equality, and the rule of law, and that does not cover all those who meet the same eligibility criteria, is not a genuine general amnesty. Rather, it is a selective law that entrenches discrimination among Lebanese citizens.
“We stressed that the injustice suffered by hundreds of civilians must not be allowed to continue, particularly that faced by Islamists who were tried before the Military Court, an exceptional court that should not serve as a venue for the trial of civilians. Its jurisdiction in this regard has been the subject of widespread legal and human rights objections.
“I explained that I withdrew from the legislative session shortly before the vote on the general amnesty law after it became clear that the proposed text was selective and did not incorporate the amendments agreed upon with the Prime Minister, thereby denying certain groups of Lebanese citizens the justice that should apply equally to everyone. We reaffirmed that justice is indivisible and that a general amnesty can only be truly general if it puts an end to injustices against all Lebanese citizens according to uniform standards, free from selectivity and political calculations, rather than perpetuating them.
“We also underscored the need to launch an economic and development initiative that restores hope among the Lebanese people by stimulating investment, creating job opportunities, and launching reconstruction and development projects across all regions.
“We affirmed to His Eminence that Dar al-Fatwa has been and will remain the unifying national and spiritual authority for the Sunni community. Preserving its role, unity, and independence is a national responsibility, ensuring that it continues to serve as an umbrella for the community under the principles of moderation, national constants, the Taif Agreement, and the Constitution, in a manner that strengthens national unity and reinforces the role of the state.
“We concluded by reaffirming that the Beirut Dialogue Forum will remain a platform for responsible dialogue and national action. We will continue to cooperate with all national and spiritual authorities and state institutions to defend the interests of Beirut and its residents and to consolidate a state founded on institutions and the rule of law, because saving Beirut is an inseparable part of saving Lebanon.”