الاتحاد الكاثوليكي العالمي للصحافة- لبنان اوسيب – لبنان
Antelias, June 2 nd, 2005
The World Forum of Professionals in the Secular and Religious Media – Lebanon (UCIP Lebanon) condemned the murder of the reporter and intellegentia Samir Kassir. The statement included the following:
1 – The murder of the colleague Samir Kassir represents a diligence in the crime which pursues the public freedoms, mainly the freedom of press, thinking and expression in Lebanon. Therefore, it pursues one of the main components of Lebanon.
2 – The martyred reporter was well known by his audacious and profound character, by his confrontation to the forces of imperialism and hegemony, and his persistence to defend people issues. Therefore, the murder constitutes a major lost of the free Lebanese media and the civil community.
3 – Resorting to murders and physical liquidation is a new proof of the lowness of the men of action, and the decline beginning of their role, act which defies the authority which is supposed to protect its citizens and guarantee all their rights.
4 – The Lebanese press in general and the honorable “Al – Nahar” newspaper in particular lost a rare writer, and the intellectual and political forums lost a glaring voice. Although, the Lebanese press is not afraid of murders, because since always lots of its pioneers have been victims of betrayal, crime and hegemony without it deviates from its main constancy, mainly its freedom and independence.
5 – This new crime constitutes a motivation to publicists in particular and to Lebanese people in general to persist in the process of ending the custody on Lebanon and rebuilding the state according to modern and solid bases which respect the main human rights, mainly the freedom of thinking and expression.
Translated by: Joyce Tary
