Dear Premier,
Distinguished Guests, Dear Friends,
“Peace be with you.”
The greeting of peace is truly a profound and fitting way to welcome our Premier, the Honourable Chris Minns and all our guests, to Beit Maroun, the House of St. Maroun, a house dedicated to God and a house of peace.
In the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the word for “peace,” is almost the same: peace in Hebrew is shalom, in Aramaic it is Shlomo and in Arabic it is Salam. These ancient words do not only mean “quiet” and the absence of conflicts, but also refer to a good and peaceful relationship between people and subsequently between communities and countries.
Our Lord Jesus Chris, said, “Blessed are the peacemakers because they are the Children of God”. So our calling is not only to exchange peace greetings or be peace lovers or talk about peace, it is to go further, to be proactive in order to make peace a reality.
This is why we are here this morning gathered in a spirit of responsibility with our Premier, Ministers and Members of Parliament, Mayors and councillors, Maronite Leaders and community members, to pray in one voice for peace. We pray for lasting peace in Lebanon and the Holy Land – a peace built on justice. Justice, after all, is the foundation of true peace. Without justice, peace is fragile; without peace, justice remains incomplete.
We need justice for the Lebanese people, justice for the Palestinian people, and justice for the Jewish people—all of whom deserve to live in peace. Pope Francis reminds us: “Justice, understood as the virtue of giving what is owed to God and others, is closely linked to peace.”
Premier, this is not your first visit to Beit Maroun, and we are always honoured to welcome you. Your presence here today reaffirms your solidarity and compassion for the Australian-Lebanese community, especially in these difficult times. Lebanon, tragically, finds itself caught in a war not of its own making – a war between Iran, through Hezbollah, and Israel. Lebanon has become the battleground for this conflict, and its people are bearing the unthinkable cost of a war they neither chose nor wanted.
Once again, I lift my voice, along with all people of goodwill, to call for a lasting ceasefire and a just solution. Enough of the killing, enough of the destruction. Over 4,000 Lebanese lives have been lost, and more than 15,000 injured. But how many more, uncounted and without number, who have and still suffer unable to see any glimmer of light?
I want to thank you, Premier, for your support and compassion, particularly for those fleeing war in Lebanon and Gaza who find refuge here in New South Wales in the hope to build better lives for themselves and their families. Our charitable organisations are working closely with many in our community who are deeply affected, especially those on short-term visas, struggling with housing and financial insecurity.
In our pursuit of peace for Lebanon and the Middle East, we must also remain vigilant to protect the peace and harmony we cherish here in Australia. We stand with you, Premier, in upholding the rule of law in New South Wales and ensuring that those who threaten civil harmony are held accountable.
Before I conclude, and on a different note, I would like to say that parents in our Maronite community share the concerns of all parents about the harmful impacts of social media on the mental and emotional well-being of our young people. As such, we were pleased to know about the Social Media summit and what the government is doing in this regard is commendable for the safety of our children.
I also extend my gratitude and heartfelt welcome to our dear friends: Minister Steve Kamper who is always ready to listen to our concerns, and to do something about them in the spirit of St Mary Mackillop: “Do not see a need without doing something about it.”
I also welcome Ministers Jihad Dib and Sophie Cotsis who are strong advocates for justice and peace, the Members of Parliament: Mr. Jason Yat-Sen Li, our local member for Strathfield, Dr. David Saliba, Dr. Hugh McDermott, Mayors John Faker and John-Paul Baladi, and of course, Mr. Nick Kaldas, Chair of Multicultural NSW, as well as the councillors and all of you present here this morning. You are all cherished members and friends of our community, and when you come to Beit Maroun, you come to your home.
Premier, my staff were shocked at the acceptance rate to this event – almost no apologies. We wish the space was larger so we could accommodate more people.
Once again, I warmly welcome all of you, dear guests. I invite you to listen with the ears of your heart to the plea of the suffering people of Lebanon and the Holy Land so we may all work, one hand and one heart, toward a more just and peaceful world.
Thank you.