Detroit Memorial Mass New Year's Day

SPECIAL DIVINE LITURGY

Cathedral of St. Maron Maronite Church

11466 Kercheval Street

Detroit, MI 48214

(Off of St. Jean - One block North of Jefferson Ave)

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WORLD DAY OF PEACE

Sunday, January 1, 2006

11:30 AM

FR. GHATTAS KHOURY WILL OFFER THE DIVINE LITURGY

FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF GEBRAN TUENI

And all those that died with him

AT THIS TIME, AS WE CELEBRATE THE CHRISTMAS NOVENA

WE PRAY FOR A LASTING PEACE, FOR THE RESPECT OF LIFE

AND FOR AN END OF VIOLENCE IN LEBANON

- Please come and join us in prayer-

CHRISTMASTIME 2005

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C H R I S T M A S . P A S T

C H R I S T M A S . P R E S E N T

C H R I S T M A S . F U T U R E

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They are together now

Lebanese American Leaders Meet with United States Senate Candidate Keith Butler

(SOUTHFIELD, MI)...Lebanese American Leaders in Michigan today met with US Senate Candidate Keith Butler at a private luncheon organized by John Akouri and hosted by Edward Moussawer, Chairman of Auxilia-Michigan and owner of Kabobgy Lebanese Cuisine in Southfield. Topics of discussion ranged from local to international issues focusing on the present situation in Lebanon and the Middle East region. Keith Butler reiterated his support for a free, sovereign and independent Lebanon - a pledge he first made before hundreds of Lebanese Americans gathered to celebrate the 9th Annual Lebanese American Club of Michigan Trailblazer Awards Banquet in November. Following the luncheon, an announcement was made creating the formation of the Lebanese-Chaldean Coalition for Butler 2006. Co-Chairing this new leadership alliance are John Akouri and John Oram. Farmington Hills City Councilman John Akouri formally endorsed Keith Butler for US Senate in November.

Lebanese Bid Farewell to Gebran Tueni

BEIRUT: Lebanese Christian MP and prominent newspaper editor Gibran Tueni was a vocal anti-Syrian figure and impassioned advocate of his country’s independence. The 48-year-old respected journalist and politician comes from a long line of prominent Lebanese politicians, many of whom had a close call with death in Lebanon’s troubled political scene. His uncle Marwan Hamade escaped an assassination attempt in October 2004 while his father Ghassan Tueni was a former Lebanese ambassador at the United Nations who also served in the government and in parliament. In June, Tueni, a Greek Orthodox, won a seat in parliamentary elections — the first since Syria quit Lebanon — running on the list of Saad Al Hariri, which swept the polls. As a journalist, he made the daily An Nahar a veritable tribunal against the Syrian regime, for the defence of Lebanon’s democratic sovereignty, and for human rights. He was one of the leaders of the “Cedar Revolution” which followed the murder of Hariri and, with international pressure, led to the Syrian pullout. Tueni was a passionate advocate of the creation of an international tribunal over Rafiq Al Hariri’s killing in light of the international probe commissioned by the UN. He is widely seen as having set the tone against Syrian control over Lebanon in an editorial published in his mass-circulation newspaper as early as March 2000 that made the unprecedented blunt request for Syria to end its domination. In more recent editorials over the past months Tueni has insisted on Lebanon’s independence and strongly criticised Syrian policies, particularly towards Lebanon. Married twice, Gibran Tueni was father of four girls, including twin daughters born just a few months ago. His eldest daughter is a journalist with An Nahar. Tall, with a slim black moustache, Gibran Tueni was an elegant figure on the Lebanese political scene and was a redoubtable debater. He was revered by many of Lebanon’s young people who thronged conferences which he held in favour of his country’s independence, and to whom he opened the columns of his newspaper.