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UN Expert:Lebanon exemplary of religious diversity

Friday, 03 April 2015 1:14 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 03 April 2015 1:14 AM ]

Mariam Saleh
Press TV, Beirut

United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Heiner Bielefeldt shared the preliminary findings of his first information-gathering visit to Lebanon.

The UN expert lauded Lebanon's success in keeping the society together, across religious boundaries and building resilience against what he called the virus of religious extremism.

Lebanon has been an emblem of religious tolerance despite the civil war from 1975 to 1991. Now the differences arise from the political issues that the country has been facing in the recent years.

Members of the Lebanese parliament stress the need for continued national dialogue to contain the regional spillover of events.

Now there are fears that Takfiri ideology which has sleeping hotbeds in the region turn into a threat to the religious harmony in Lebanon.

There are growing concerns over the emergence of possible Shia-Sunni strife. The Lebanese people have already countered the threat. Hezbollah and its rival groups have agreed to hold weekly meetings to deter any potential hazards.

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