Lebanese at a Turning Point

This was not a random act of terror, as we see on a daily base in neighboring Syria, but a strategically coordinated assassination targeting Wessam al-Hassan, head of the Lebanese intelligence agency. Hassan and seven others died in the bombing that occurred in the densely populated and predominantly Christian neighborhood of Ashrafiye, not far from downtown Beirut. 

Some speculate that the assasination is connected to the ongoing violence in Syria, which continues to spill into Lebanon. Hassan was a known opponent of the Assad regime.

Naji Daoud, Executive Director of SAT-7 in Lebanon, reflected on the murder of Hassan, the violent demonstrations in Beirut following his funeral, and the calls by some for Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati to step down. Daoud said, “The Lebanese again find themselves at a turning point…This is the time for us, as a SAT-7 team, to stand stronger. We have to remember our role as advocates of reconciliation, of peace, of unity and of hope. We also have to pray for the safety of our staff as they commute between the office and the streets for filming.  We have to pray for an uninterrupted operation during those difficult days. We have to keep praying for Lebanon, Syria and the whole Middle East. 

In His time, God will change this part of the world. Meanwhile, let us faithfully live as we have been commanded by Him - ‘The Lord did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (1 Timothy 1:7).”

Likewise, SAT-7 CEO Dr. Terence Ascott called for prayer. Dr. Ascott advised, “We should pray for the peace of Lebanon, and that it will not become caught up in a proxy war between the different political and religious rivals in the region—such as the Gulf Arabs and Iran, the Sunni and Shia worlds.”