Good evening,
We came here to the sisterly State of Qatar, and we know beforehand that its heart is wide open; that its capital, Doha, welcomes all beloved people, and that officials here, including, first and foremost, His Highness the Emir, have a special love for Lebanon and the Lebanese.
Our country is going through a dark tunnel, and the Lebanese are plunged into darkness; a darkness that is not limited to electricity, but touches upon their livelihoods, social conditions, and daily lives.
Lebanon is on the brink of total collapse, and unfortunately, impediments are still preventing the formation of a government about nine months after the resignation of our government, at a time when the plight of the Lebanese is deepening, which is, unfortunately, not pushing for the formation of a cabinet that would start implementing reforms, on the basis of the plan laid out by our government, and would resume negotiations that we had initiated with the International Monetary Fund, with the aim of restoring economic and financial confidence in the country, after the collapse we experienced as a result of decades of wars, waste, corruption, and policies that encouraged the rentier economy at the expense of the productive economy.
The sisterly State of Qatar has always stood by Lebanon. The Lebanese owe it to Qatari brothers to have rebuilt cities, villages and homes after the brutal and destructive Israeli aggression on Lebanon in 2006.
The Lebanese cannot forget Qatar's generous sponsorship of the Lebanese entente reached with the Doha Agreement, which ended a national crisis in 2008.
The Lebanese also recognize that the Qatari brothers were amongst the first ones that have actually rushed to help Lebanon, after the disaster of the Beirut Port explosion last year, which destroyed the port and many neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital.
The Lebanese people can never forget that Qatari brothers have continued to stand by Lebanon, silently, and are lending a helping hand to the Lebanese in various ways, without any discrimination, without playing on their suffering, and without exploiting the situation for political purposes.
Today, we have come to sisterly Qatar, knocking on its door, just as we will knock on the doors of other sisterly Arab countries that have not abandoned Lebanon, expecting that, as Qatar has done, they would open their doors for us.
I am launching an appeal to all Arab brothers, telling them that Lebanon is facing a grave danger, and that it can no longer wait, for we have exhausted our capabilities, and Lebanon has become without a safety rope.
We believe that you will be on the side of this country, which has never failed to make enormous sacrifices for the sake of Arab causes, and that you will be a safety net which protects your Lebanese brothers.
Lebanon is eager to restore Arab solidarity, not to stand on the demarcation lines of conflict and separation between Arabs, nor to settle the bill. For Arabs will enjoy no stability or independence, on individual and collective levels, unless Arab solidarity is restored.
As for Lebanon, it cannot serve but as a bridge for communication between Arabs. For Arab solidarity preserves our unity and our Arabism.
That is why, our Arabism status breaks our hearts, just as it hurts you, and we look forward with you for bad days to be over; I have faith that the dark cloud will blow over, and that pure Arabism will go back to its good old days.
From sisterly Qatar,
In my name, and on behalf of all the Lebanese, I would like to thank His Highness the Emir of Qatar, and to tell him that the Lebanese people keep in their hearts those who stand beside them in hard times; thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
May God protect you and protect Qatar!
May God protect Lebanon and the Lebanese!
