SW News: Amidst the volatile situation in Beirut, Lebanon's capital, seven Shia Muslims were gunned down recently in a Christian neighborhood that led to riots. The head of the Maronite Church Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï said that it is the duty of the state to protect its people. Those who defended themselves from the Shiite militants should not be treated as scapegoats, said the cardinal during the homily of the Holy Mass offered on Sunday, October 24.

Some political observers interpreted the cardinal’s words as supportive of the people’s actions in the Tayyouneh-Ain al-Remmaneh neighborhood where armed Shiite men tried to intrude. only to be gunned down by snipers “We who believe in justice, do not accept that those who defended their dignity and the safety of their environment are turned into a scapegoat. These people, along with others, had defended Lebanon and offered thousands of martyrs for the sake of its unity and sovereignty" said the cardinal.

Twenty-six people were arrested and most of them are from the Lebanese armed forces following the unrest in Tayyouneh. In his homily, the cardinal urged the state to investigate the incident before charging the 26 individuals.

Lebanon is currently experiencing an economic meltdown and it has taken a toll on the educational system in the country, and most of the people are now living under the poverty line.