October 28, 2009

His Beatitude the Maronite Patriarch Nasralla Butros Sfeir sent a congratulation telegram to former Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Issam Fares on the eve of his honoring with the two former US Presidents George Bush Senior and Bill Clinton.

The telegram read:

‘We heard that you will be honored by the International Crisis Group alongside US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush. We congratulate you for this international honor you deserved thanks to your good virtues and your pioneer humanitarian initiatives.

The International Crisis Group is involved in the dialogue of civilizations, human rights, the promotion of the culture of openness, communication, reconciliation, and peace among individuals and populations, as well as in securing social justice for people in need.

The so-called Institution- which was founded in 1995 and which regroups a Board of Trustees composed of high-level international figures- has selected you because you share together the same goals. Your openness and your peaceful choices in life, as well as your commitment to the causes of global human development, the assistance of underprivileged categories without any sectarian, political, or racial discrimination, are all reasons that have led to select you an as international figure to honor.

The goals of the so-called Institution you embody the most are building scientific edifices and cultural halls to upbring the future generations in the institutes and big universities in the world, promoting the education of many Lebanese students, and reaching international ranks of success. Al this did neither make you forget your roots and your Lebanese origin, nor your compatriots in Lebanon. Your contributions remained limitlessly generous towards those Lebanese who are fond of men who give their nation without taking back. By doing this, you have listened to the permanent call of God who appeals to share the goods of earth with the poor and needy. Honoring you is an honor to your nation Lebanon that is in dire need of deepening the areas of dialogue to remain the message of Christian-Muslim coexistence and its successful exemplary in the whole world’.