Under the high patronage and in presence of the Speaker of the Parliament H.E. Mr. Nabih Berri, the Phoenix Center for Lebanese Studies at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) organized on May 10, 2011 a conference marking the 40th anniversary of the passing of Cheikh Maurice Gemayyel.

Following the Lebanese National Anthem and the welcome speech by Prof. Hoda Nehme, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, Rev. Fr. Hady Mahfouz, USEK President, underlined in his speech the unique relation that links USEK with Cheikh Maurice Gemayyel and praised his various achievements that marked the history of Lebanon. Similarly, Mr. Mohammad Baalbaky, President of the Press Order, praised in his speech the pioneering role that Maurice Gemayyel played throughout his political career, pointing out that politics to him was not a mere ordinary job; it was rather a noble mission. While H.E. Mr. Fouad el Turk, veteran diplomat, underlined in turn to what extent Maurice Gemayyel was keen to build a modern state distinguished by its potentials, justice and prosperity; he praised as well Gemayyel’s efforts deployed in the field of water and how it should be invested in the fields of generating electricity, industry, drinking water and agricultural irrigation.

H.E. Mr. Nabih Berri congratulated in his speech USEK for all the innovative endeavors it is carrying out; he also praised the University for the efforts it is deploying to meet the requirements of the e-book generation. He seized the opportunity to propose establishing close relations between the library of the Parliament and the USEK Main Library in order to provide legislators and researchers with a rich database.

Talking about Maurice Gemayyel, Berri shed light on the fact that if anyone had listened to Maurice Gemayyel in his lifetime, if the government or the State had shown any interest in what he proposed, if the League of Arab States had paid attention when he declared that the Arab peninsula was covered with forests, maybe it would have substituted its priorities and rushed to accomplish the plans he proposed in order to develop the Arab countries. Furthermore, Berri pointed out that Gemayyel attempted to turn Lebanon into a place for the dialogue of civilizations, cultures and religions. Berri concluded with the words: “we have to choose between Lebanon, that of intolerance and fanaticism, and Lebanon as depicted by Maurice Gemayyel”.