Once an ancient Christian center, and until recently the only Christian-majority nation in the Middle East, Lebanon is the latest country in the region to experience an attack on a church.
Last Monday, a firebomb attack on Mar Zakhya Cathedral in Ajaltoun, took place at 6:30 pm. An unidentified attacker targeted the reception area of the newly built cathedral of the town’s patron Saint, Mar Zakhya, with a firebomb.
Despite the loud boom heard in the town’s main square, there was limited damage; some building material used for the building process of the cathedral was destroyed.
Unlike in other Mideast nations where Christians make for insignificant numbers, members of the local council, the municipality chief, a military expert and members of the local security forces soon arrived to investigate the incident and the damage.
Though Lebanon was Christian-majority in the mid-20th century, today it is roughly 60% Muslim, 40% Christian.
Unsurprisingly, then, the phenomena prevalent in Muslim-majority nations — in this case, church attacks — are now come to this onetime haven for Christians.
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