SOLD-OUT!

Akouri Assembles Business Leaders for mini-Town Hall with Congressman Pete Hoekstra

(BIRMINGHAM, MI/USA)...John Akouri today brought together a group of leading business executives to meet with former United States Representative, Pete Hoekstra, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, comprising a mini-Town Hall with the 2010 gubernatorial candidate. Economic leaders from the financial and banking sectors, automotive and technology industries, immigration and labor markets, real estate and small business fields, as well as from the education and security community gathered to exchange innovative ideas, discuss challenges and build long-term national relationships with Hoekstra as he visited southeast Michigan. In addition to Hoekstra, and Northville Township Trustee Christopher Roosen, those in attendance included representatives from UBS Financial, General Motors, Chrysler, Pentacle Technologies, Merchant Tree, Andary Real Estate, University of Michigan Health System, Rehmann, Automation Alley and Nonprofits. Frank discussion ensued on fixing and/or crafting new ways to improve the US economy, a candid outlook of a post Middle East following the Arab Spring, the current state of the health care system in America, homeland security after 9/11, education, China, tax reform, and a myriad of other hot topic issues facing US businesses today. During the conversation, Hoekstra shared with the corporate chiefs his vision on how to address the country's fiscal health and ways to create a more vibrant economy.

Autumn in America 2011

John Akouri's Top Five Funniest Moments in Television History

No. #5: TAXI: Reverend Jim's driving test (1979)

John Akouri Pays Tribute to Bachir Gemayel

Never Forget.

IN PHOTOS: Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce Sixth Annual Fall Family Picnic

(Click on above picture to view Photo Album)

COMING SOON!

Akouri Announces 2011 Autumn Event - The Hottest Business & Social Event of the Year, Scheduled for Tuesday, October 25th, 6-9pm at Zazio's Birmingham

Akouri Newsroom Release: US Rep. Mike Rogers to Address National Leadership Luncheon with Special Introduction by Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard

Akouri Announces 2011 Summer Event - The Hottest Business & Social Event of the Year, Scheduled for Wednesday, June 29, 6-9pm at GM Renaissance Centre

Bashar Assad's External Agents in the USA: Maestro & Composer Malek Jandali Under Attack

WASHINGTON, DC - Aptly designated as a premiere member of the Axis of Evil, apparently it wasn't enough that for 29 long years, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (and his father Hafez before him) terrorized, murdered, raped, maimed, detained and tortured thousands of Lebanese Christians, Muslims & Druze, Palestinians, UNIFIL soldiers, Multinational Peacekeeping Forces (comprised of troops from USA, France, Italy & UK), and basically anyone who got in the way of the Assad's dominance over Syria's tiny neighbor. Since March, Bashar the Butcher has turned his weapons on his own citizenry, brutally slaughtering his own people, torturing young children, detaining women - basically an all-out air and land ruthless assault on innocent, unarmed, peaceful demonstrators, simply asking for freedom and reforms.

However, in a new strategy, Assad is not only attempting to quell calls for freedom within his own borders by barring foreign observers and global press, he has instructed his minions to do so around the world as well. The Washington Post, Politico.com, The Atlantic, Al-Arabiya and other mainstream wires are reporting today that a grassroots Arab American advocacy group based in Washington, DC has blocked International Composer and Maestro Malek Jandali from performing a concerto, specifically containing a new composition reflecting a humanitarian musical piece about patriotism and freedom. Apparently, the chairman of the organization's board is a friend and supporter of the regime in Damascus.

This led to the award-winning musician to alert his fans of this news by posting the following statment on his facebook page:

"It is with deep sadness that I announce that I will no longer be performing at the annual ADC Convention this weekend in Washington, DC. This is the result of their unfortunate decision to prohibit me from performing "Watani Ana: I am my Homeland". I look forward to sharing my music live with my wonderful fans soon. Thanks to all of you who have supported me in this and all my musical ventures."

It's no secret that terrorist leaders Yasser Arafat & Saddam Hussein funneled millions of dollars to organizations, institutions an individuals in the United States to support their reign. What's new, is that now a totalitarian dictator is using his own 'diplomats' to instill fear in Americans of Syrian-descent. Interesting to note, that just a few short months ago, these very same Baathist regime appointed Syrian Embassy 'diplomats' were promoting Maestro Jandali's performance throughout the USA.

(John Akouri is the former Washington, DC Director of Communications and Capitol Hill Press Secretary to U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg(R-MI) and has been featured as a guest speaker and panelist at many national Arab American organizations throughout the country.)

Sixth Annual Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce Springtime Family Sunday Brunch

More Celebrate Bin Laden's Death in Dearborn Monday

Small groups of residents gathered in front of City Hall Sunday night and Monday afternoon to display their happiness over the killing of the world's most notorious terrorist.

By Jessica Carreras Dearborn Patch May 2, 2011

“It’s the happiest day," said Dearborn resident Dave Alwatan at a Monday afternoon gathering in front of Dearborn's City Hall.

His statement summed up what many Americans felt when they heard the news late Sunday evening. After 10 years of hunting for the world's most well-known terrorist, Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan by U.S. Navy Seals. President Barack Obama made the announcement live from the White House at 11:30 p.m. Sunday night–a message met with celebration across the country. His body was in U.S. possession and bin Laden was buried at sea Monday morning per Islamic tradition. But to Dearborn's Muslim community, bin Laden is no Muslim at all, said Alwatan, who also attended a celebration at City Hall Sunday night. “I don’t think any real Muslim will accept him,” he said. “He’s not a Muslim.”

Members of Dearborn's Arab-American community led cheers on Michigan Avenue on Monday afternoon, shouting "U.S.A.!" and "Osama is in hell!" They held American flags and cheered as drivers honked their horns while passing by. Eight-year-old Mohammad Alyassiri was out celebrating with his dad. “Osama is dead!” he shouted, holding up an American flag.

John Akouri, a former Middle East senior adviser to former U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Mich., said that he saw the news as cause for celebration by all Americans–regardless of their heritage or faith. "Osama bin Laden didn’t just kill Americans," he said. "He killed Europeans. He killed Arabs. He killed Christians. He killed Muslims. He was someone who was devoid of any humanity." On days like this, Akouri added, "we're Americans first, no matter where you came from."

He said he hoped that this would take the U.S. closer to the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the U.S. would soon see a period of peace. "We don’t want to send our young men and women off to wars any more," he said. "We want to have a nice, peaceful world. Am I asking too much? I don’t know, but I don’t think anyone would disagree with that."

MEDIA ADVISORY: Congressional Members to Address Media on Situation in Syria at Press Conference Today

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

WASHINGTON, DC - Members of the United States Congress will speak to the media concerning the situation in Syria at a press conference scheduled to take place today. U.S. Representative Thad McCotter (R-MI) and U.S. Representative Hansen Clarke (D-MI) will join national Syrian and Lebanese American leaders, along with members of the Dearborn Arab American community, in delivering statements and taking questions. The press conference will be held near the atrium inside the main lobby of The Westin Hotel of Southfield, Michigan today at 3:00pm EDT. All media are invited to attend and directly ask questions of the speakers. For those Media organizations interested in coverage, doors open for setup at 2:30pm EDT.

HAPPY EASTER!

EASTER 2011 IN LEBANON: Jesus is Risen Song Performed at Beirut City Mall

Good Friday 2011

Holy Thursday 2011

Holy Week 2011

The Australian: West Needs Reality Check On Syria, by Tom Gross

OF all the uprisings sweeping the Arab world this year, most surprising is the one in Syria. Surprising because, with Saddam Hussein gone, Syria is the Arab world's most ruthless and brutal dictatorship. You have to be very brave to stand up to the regime. It is also one of the world's most racist, denying millions of Syrian Kurds full citizenship. Only if a serious uprising were to break out among the Sunni Muslims in oil-rich Saudi Arabia would it be a greater surprise. Following the mass protests in more than a dozen other Arab countries in the past three months, the fear factor in Syria has finally been broken, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets in recent weeks calling for democratic elections and an end to the emergency laws, which have been in place for 48 years.

Al-Jazera and other media report that in the past month hundreds of demonstrators have been shot dead in cold blood, including protesters taking refuge in mosques. And an Arabic-language page on Facebook headed "Syrian Revolution Against Bashar al-Assad" has attracted more than 120,000 supporters. With the situation in Syria deteriorating by the day, and with the West showing a new resolve against another Arab dictator they had cosied up to in recent years - Libya's Muammar Gaddafi - you might have expected a tough dose of realism from Western leaders. So it was amazing - and depressing - to hear US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week again describe President Bashar al-Assad as a "reformer". A "murderer" would be a more appropriate description.

Clinton might want to take a look at the findings of the State Department's most recent (2009) report on Syria. It says the Syrian government and security forces "committed numerous serious human rights abuses, and the human rights situation worsened". It speaks of "arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life" and "enforced disappearances" and the vanishing of "an estimated 17,000 persons". The report describes the methods of torture inflicted on those unfortunate enough to find themselves in Syria's prisons. Among them are "electrical shocks, pulling out fingernails, burning genitalia, forcing objects into the rectum, beating, sometimes while the victim was suspended from the ceiling, other times on the soles of the feet".

"So it was amazing - and depressing - to hear US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week again describe President Bashar al-Assad as a "reformer". A "murderer" would be a more appropriate description."

In defending Assad, Clinton has put herself in the same camp as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who last week called Assad his "brother" and a humanist. Chavez has also come to the defence of Gaddafi. The media have hardly been any better. On CNN last week, I heard Assad being described as "attractive". And in a radio panel discussion on the BBC World Service, all three participants suggested Assad wasn't that bad. February's Vogue profile about Assad's wife was titled "Asma al-Assad: a Rose in the Desert". Previously, the Huffington Post ran a spread on "Our favourite Asma looks".

Of course, praising the Syrian dictator and his family is nothing new. Three years ago, at a lunch I attended in London, William Hague, who is now Britain's Foreign Secretary, went out of his way to praise Assad. A year earlier, Hague criticised Israel for using "disproportionate force" as rockets were raining down on Israel from Lebanon. But in the past month I haven't heard Hague say much about "disproportionate force" in Syria.

Indeed, this might be a good time for the British government to acknowledge Israeli restraint. In recent weeks, Israel has been the victim of a series of terror attacks, including bombings, stabbings and dozens of rockets fired at towns and villages around southern Israel. In the face of this onslaught, the Israeli government has shown considerable restraint, keen to avoid damaging peace prospects. Perhaps it is time for the British and other governments to show Israel a measure of sympathy, rather than stick up for the Syrian regime.

Were the Assad regime to be replaced by a more responsible one, this would be a big gain for the West, for many ordinary Syrians and for the Arab world. Syria is the Iranian regime's most important Arab ally. It has been a key force in destabilising neighbouring Lebanon, as well as promoting the Hamas regime in power in Gaza. And, unlike Libya of recent years, Syria has been actively working against Western interests. So why the reluctance to unambiguously denounce Assad by Western leaders? It's time we had an answer.

Tom Gross is the former Middle East correspondent for London's The Sunday Telegraph

Akouri Announces 2011 Spring Event - The Business & Social Event of the Year, Scheduled on Wednesday, March 30th, 6-9pm at Zazio's Downtown Birmingham

The Washington Times: Ridding Syria of a Despot, by Eliiott Abrams

WASHINGTON, DC - While the monarchies of the Middle East have a fighting chance to reform and survive, the region’s fake republics have been falling like dominoes — and Syria is next.

The ingredients that brought down Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia were replicated in Egypt and Libya: repression, vast corruption and family rule. All are starkly present in Syria, where the succession Egyptians and Tunisians feared, father to son, took place years ago and the police state has claimed thousands of victims. Every Arab “republic” has been a republic of fear, but only Saddam Hussein’s Iraq surpassed the Assads’ Syria in number of victims. The regime may cling to power for a while by shooting protesting citizens, but its ultimate demise is certain.

The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are more legitimate than the false republics, with their stolen elections, regime-dominated courts and rubber-stamp parliaments. Unlike the “republics,” the monarchies do not have histories of bloody repression and jails filled with political prisoners. The question is whether the kings, emirs and sheiks will end their corruption and shift toward genuine constitutional monarchies in which power is shared between throne and people.

For the “republics,” however, reform is impossible. Force is the only way to stay in power. When Bashar al-Assad inherited power in 2000, there was widespread hope of a Damascus Spring — an end to the bloody repression that characterized the rule of his father, Hafez (which reached its apex in 1982, when he had an estimated 25,000 protesters in Hama killed). Bashar, the thinking went, had lived in London and wanted to modernize Syria. But when he had himself “elected” president with 97.2 percent of the vote, the writing was on the wall. Some still suggested that Bashar’s hoped-for reforms were held back by hard-line forces around him, but over time, his consolidation of personal power , the growing number of Syrian political prisoners and murders in Lebanon made this excuse obscene. The U.N. special tribunal may find the Assad regime, Hezbollah or both guilty of the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. The car-bomb killings of Lebanese journalists and politicians who criticized the Syrian regime have one address: Assad’s palace.

"The U.N. special tribunal may find the Assad regime, Hezbollah or both guilty of the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. The car-bomb killings of Lebanese journalists and politicians who criticized the Syrian regime have one address: Assad’s palace."

The demise of this murderous clan is in America’s interest. The Assad regime made Syria the pathway for jihadists from around the world to enter Iraq to fight and kill Americans. Long a haven for terrorists, Syria still allows the Hamas leadership, among other Palestinian terrorist groups, to live and work in Damascus. Moreover, a government dominated by Syria’s Sunni majority — the Assad clan is from the tiny Alawite minority — would never have the close relations with Hezbollah and Iran that Assad maintains; it would seek to reintegrate into the Arab world. Iran will lose its close Arab ally, and its land bridge to Hezbollah, when Assad falls.

Since the wave of Mideast revolts has spread to Syria, Assad is responding the only way he knows: by killing. What should be our response?

First, the strongest and most frequent denunciations, preferably not only from the White House but also from people such as Sen. John Kerry, who has repeatedly visited Assad and spoken of improving relations with his regime. All those who were taken in by Assad should be loudest in denouncing his bloody repression.

Second, we should prosecute Syria in every available multilateral forum, including the U.N. Security Council and the Human Rights Council. Others should refer Assad to the International Criminal Court. With blood flowing, there should be no delays; this is the moment to call for special sessions and action to prevent more killing. Even if these bodies do not act, the attention should give heart to Syrian demonstrators.

Third, we should ask the new governments in Egypt and Tunisia to immediately call Arab League sessions to debate the violence in Syria. Libya was expelled; let’s demand that Syria be, too.

Fourth, press the Europeans to speak and act against Syria’s regime. U.S. sanctions against Syria are strong and probably cannot be increased effectively now, but the European Union has far more trade and investment. The French have spoken out and may be willing to take the lead again.

None of these steps will bring down Assad’s regime; only the courage of young Syrians can do that. But we must not repeat the wavering and delays that characterized the U.S. response in Egypt. We must be clear that we view Syria’s despicable regime as unsalvageable, which suggests a fifth step: recalling the American ambassador from Syria. The Obama administration erred badly by sending an envoy — in a recess appointment — for this move was understood in the region as a reduction of U.S. pressure on Syria despite its increasingly dominant role in Lebanon. We should pull our ambassador, as we did in Libya, and unveil a hard-hitting political and human rights campaign against a bloody regime whose people want it gone. Our principles alone should lead us to this position, but the memory of thousands of American soldiers killed in Iraq with the help of the Assad regime demands that we do all we can to help the Syrian people free themselves of that evil dictatorship.

Elliott Abrams is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and was a deputy national security adviser to President George W. Bush.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! A Parallel in Irish & Lebanese History

(DUBLIN) - Around 1000 BC, the Phoenicians the ancestors of today’s Lebanese, were trading and bringing valuable goods to the Pharos and the Greeks roaming between Phoenician colonies around the Mediterranean. Tin mixed with copper was sought after for making Bronze. Tin was found mainly in the region of Marseilles. It may have become increasingly difficult for the Phoenicians to comply with demands on this commodity that they sourced it out beyond Gibraltar or the Columns of Hercules and in particular from Cornwall, Ushnagh County Westmeath in Ireland and probably as far as Scotland. It is surprising to find that the Celtic God Bél was celebrated in Bonfires and offerings similar to the ones offered by the Phoenicians to the God Baal on the same period, in the same way. Today the estimated number of Lebanese living in Ireland is around 400 while the number of Irish living in Lebanon has decreased due to political unrest but is estimated to be around 45. Yet the greater number of Irish Lebanese remains beyond the boundries of the two Countries. Thousands of Irish Lebanese live in Australia, the US and Canada. In recent years Senator George Mitchell of Irish Lebanese decent had a pivotal role in securing the Good Friday agreement the road map to permanent Peace in Ireland. In November 2001 the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation is born and bears a huge responsibility to continue the work of many giants the members of the Irish Defence Forces, true Ambassadors of Peace, W.B Yeats, Gibran Khalil Gibran, George Mitchell, and Suheil Bushrui. (To continue reading, please click here : http://www.irishlebanese.com/).

John Akouri Leads Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce Delegation Evening Conference With Albion College Officials

(ALBION, MI/USA) - Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce President John Akouri tonight led a delegation to meet with Albion College academic officials. In addition to Akouri, the group was comprised of Chairman of the Board Louis J. Peters, Jr., General Counsel Jeffrey Lance Abood and Charter Member & Pillar of Baalbek Honoree Abe Karam. The evening was organized by philanthropist and humanitarian Dr. Tarik S. Daoud and began with a dinner hosted by the President of the College, Dr. Donna Randall. Attendees included College Provost Susan Conner, Religious Studies Department Chairman & Professor Dr. Ronney Mourad, New York Times Journalist Steven Solomon, Wayne State University Associate Vice President Ahmad Ezzeddine, and Plymouth Township Trustee Abe Munfakh, among others.

Following the dinner, the delegation was then led to Towsley Hall in the Science Complex for a lecture and presentation by Solomon entitled: "Water, Wealth & War in the Middle East." The Middle East's most valuable resource – water – and its impact on the past, present and future and its complicated and compelling story was the subject of Solomon’s presentation sponsored by the Albion College 2011 Daoud Lectureship in Middle Eastern Studies. Solomon's work appears regularly in national publications, including the New York Times, Business Week, the Economist, Forbes and Esquire. Solomon also appears as a guest commentator on network news television, National Public Radio and BBC Radio. He is the author of "Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power and Civilzation."

The Daoud Family Lectureship in Middle Eastern Studies was created by Detroit businessman Dr. Tarik S. Daoud and his family to promote a better understanding of Middle Eastern history, peoples, and cultures, and of the crucial role the Middle East plays in today’s world. The series brings to campus speakers with expertise on different aspects of this diverse and fascinating region. A native of Iraq, Daoud has long been an active leader in the Detroit business community, a leading member of the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce and is a previous recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Detroit News’s Michiganian of the Year award. The 2010 Daoud Family Lecture in Middle Eastern Studies is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Albion College Communications at 517/629-0445 or rmourad@albion.edu.

March 14th, 2011 - The Cedar Revolution Continues...

The Second Cedar Revolution

Lebanese Demand Hezbollah Disarm: Mass Rally Planned Tomorrow at Martyr's Square in Downtown Beirut

Capitol Hill Reception Commemorating the Sixth Anniversary of the Lebanese Cedar Revolution to Feature U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

Season of Lent: March 9th through April 23rd, 2011

Ash Wednesday 2011

"Remember, O man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shall return."

~Genesis 3:19

Mardi Gras 2011

Beirut Duty Free Flash Mob Rocks Rafic Hariri International Airport With Hip Hop Dabke Dance

John Akouri to Receive Lebanese Deputies MP Ziad al-Kadri & MP Okab Sakr

(BIRMINGHAM, MI/USA)...Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce President & CEO John Akouri will receive Lebanese Members of Parliament, Their Excellencies Deputy Ziad al-Kadri and Deputy Okab Sakr upon their arrivals to the United States of America next week. Akouri will host a private luncheon in honor of the visiting MP's, to be attended by leaders within the Lebanese American community.

MP Ziad Nazem al-Kadri, 31, is from the town of Al-Bireh, Lebanon. He grew up in a purely political environment and is the son of martyred Minister Nazem al-Kadri. On September 22, 1989, his father, Minister al-Kadri, 73 years old and a Sunni Muslim member of Lebanon's legislature for 38 years was murdered in broad daylight as three assassins gunned him down when he left a barber shop on Beirut's Verdun Street. He died instantly, while the assassins, who escaped, also killed his driver and injured two passers-by. Lebanese legislators at the time were preparing to negotiate an agreement, in Taif, Saudi Arabia, to end the Lebanese civil war and set a deadline for Syrian occupation to end. The senior al-Kadri had just been critical of the Syrian presence and his assassination, though never investigated, was Syria's signal to other legislators not to press for a Syrian withdrawal. MP al-Kadri received his primary and secondary education at the International College IC and Continued his university studies at USJ where he received Bachelor’s degree in law and political science. . In 2005, Mr. al-Kadri established a law firm after having been a member of the Bar Syndicate, where he received training at the Rafic Ghanem Law Firm and remains active in many of the syndicate’s committees in Beirut.

MP Okab Sakr, 35, is a Lebanese journalist and politician from the Zahle District, who also lost his father before he was born and during the beginning of the Lebanese civil war. He participated in independent political movements and contributed to several magazines while pursuing degrees in political science, philosophy and sociology. He worked as a teacher for two years at Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth Islamic and Christian Studies Institute, where he contributed to the establishment and management of the Permanent Dialogue Center. Following his works as an assistant managing editor for Al-Balad newspaper, Sakr co- founded the New Opinion Workshop, which created the www.nowlebanon.com website. He wrote political editorials which then led to his career in journalism. However, his focus was always on political issues. With time, he eventually decided to shift from reading and criticizing politics to actually trying to instigate change through legislation. He won a seat in the Lebanese parliament on June 7, 2009, with opposition to Nabih Berri’s reelection as speaker and as one of few Muslim Shiites that supports the 14 March movement.

Akouri Applauds Unveiling of Saint Maron Statue Inside the Vatican Walls, Congratulates Maronites Worldwide

(VATICAN) - Pope Benedict VI blesses faithfuls during the unveiling ceremony of the Saint Maron statue (R, back) at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican today, including His Beatitude and Eminence Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, and Lebanese President General Michel Suleiman. Saint Maron was a Lebanese mystic and hermit born in the fourth century, whose miracles and teachings attracted many supporters throughout the eastern Roman Empire. He is considered the father of Maronite Christianity, which has more than 10 million followers across the world.

Spiritual Presence of Saint Maron to be Warmly Received and Felt as the Vatican Prepares for Next Week's Dedication Ceremonies

The Arab Revolution Continues...

Lebanese Worldwide Commemorate Sixth Anniversary of Hariri Assassination

Celebrating Saint Maron

(MINNEAPOLIS, MN/USA) - Archbishop John Nienstedt and Msgr. Sharbel Maroun, pastor of St. Maron in Minneapolis, exchange greetings after a Divine Liturgy at the church celebrating the feast day of St. Maron and the 1,600th anniversary of the saint’s death. The anniversary celebration included a dance the night before. A pilgrimage to Rome is set for Feb. 17 to 24 for the unveiling of a statue of St. Maron in the Vatican. (Courtesy of The Catholic Spirit)

Commemoration of Rafic Hariri in Beirut Today Features Emotional Ave Maria Duet by Tania Kassis & Maen Zakaria

BEIRUT TO DC: The Private Party!

Feast of St. Maron, Father of the Maronite Catholic Church

(MOUNT LEBANON)...The spiritual founder of our Maronite Church was a monk and priest who lived in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. This monk or hermit, Father Maron, spent years living in solitude at the top of a mountain. There, he transformed a former non-Christian temple into a Church for the one true God. Only a few facts are known about the life of this holy hermit. Maron lived in strict asceticism, living outdoors most of the time. Whatever food he ate was either donated to him by passing travelers or grown by him in his own garden.

Word about Maron’s holiness eventually spread throughout the region. He also gained a reputation for working miracles, especially curing all sorts of sickness and driving out demons. Eventually, people came to live near Maron to learn from him. Maron was a very simple man. When he taught his disciples about the spiritual life, he compared it to his own garden of vegetables. As Maron saw it, the point of the Christian life is to root out vices (weeds) and to nourish virtues (plants good for eating).

After Maron died in A.D. 410, his disciples continued together in his way, forming the nucleus of the Maronite Church. They raised in his honor another church and a monastery that would bear the name Bet Moroon, meaning “the house of Maron.” The monastery that was situated in the valley of the Orontes River soon flourished. It became a place of prayer and pilgrimage. Today Maronites throughout the world honor Saint Maron on February 9, his feast day.

House of Lebanon Valentine Day Celebration

Motown Winter Blast 2011

SUPERBOWL XLV

Happy 100th Birthday Mr. President!

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa: "Hezbollah is a Cancer on Lebanon That Must be Addressed"

WASHINGTON. D.C. – U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) today released the following statement on the situation in Lebanon:

“It’s deeply concerning that forces who oppose a UN-led effort to expose the truth about the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri would risk the welfare of the entire country by forcing the collapse of the Lebanese government. As I have said before, Hezbollah is a cancer on Lebanon that must be addressed.

“The people of Lebanon must know that the United States stands behind their nation’s sovereign right to exercise judicial proceedings, assisted by the international community, without intimidation. It is my sincere hope that the Lebanese people will rise above this great crisis and continue to move in the direction of democracy, peace and prosperity.”

Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce Invites You to Become a Fan on Facebook

LEBFEST! Lebanese Festival Invites You to Follow Us On Facebook for the Most Up-To-Date News & Information

John Akouri Speaks to the Detroit News on the Collapse of the Lebanese Government: "The Lebanese are a Resilient People, This Too Shall Pass"

Mich. Lebanese worried

Arab Americans fear for families after government topples

RONEISHA MULLEN AND ORALANDAR BRAND-WILLIAMS

The Detroit News

DETROIT — Michigan residents with relatives and friends in Lebanon are anxiously awaiting word on the collapse of the nation's unity government Wednesday.

John Akouri, CEO of the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce in Birmingham, said the disruption in government will create "another period of unknown for the Lebanese."

"This past government, formed two years ago, has provided an opportunity for the people of Lebanon to move forward, to put the civil war behind and live peacefully among different sects and religions," said Akouri of Farmington Hills, who estimates there are 490,000 residents in eastern Michigan with Lebanese ancestry. "Lebanon has weathered so much turmoil, so much war in the last few years. This is very troubling to us."

Akouri, who was born in the United States, has family in Lebanon and stays in constant contact. "My relatives are afraid to start their cars. They're afraid to go into the city," said Akouri, 45. "You just never know what's going to happen. "While the news is alarming, it's nothing new, Akouri said.

"During the '70s and '80s, bombs were falling in Beirut, and people were still going to the beach. They went to work. They went out," Akouri said. "Is this new? No. But it is of concern."

"During the '70s and '80s, bombs were falling in Beirut, and people were still going to the beach. They went to work. They went out," Akouri said. "Is this new? No. But it is of concern. "The Lebanese are a resilient people. They have weathered much in the last three or four decades," Akouri said. "This too shall pass."

Walid Mourad, a Dearborn Heights businessman, said his relatives in Lebanon have been glued to the TV, looking for updates. "I try to tell them everything will be fine," Mourad said. "At this point all we can do is pray and hope."

Despite his optimism, Mourad, who was born in Lebanon, said he is concerned for the safety of the Lebanese people, which include his two sisters and their families. "I'm concerned something might happen," said Mourad, 45. "This is Lebanon. It won't be a surprise to hear about bombs here and bombs there."

Ara Sanjian, a professor of Middle East history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, said he doesn't see the country erupting into violence immediately but fears efforts to form a new government could be drawn out. "A long protracted political crisis will be very difficult for the Lebanese," said Sanjian, who is a Lebanese-American who spends summers in the Middle East nation.

"The current government will be in a caretaker capacity," Sanjian said. "Government bureaucracy will not collapse." Sanjian said Lebanese citizens "will go on and live their daily lives" during the political chaos.