The Lebanese Republic was formed by France in 1926 as a predominantly Christian state; however Christian populations have been in constant decline.

Secretary General of the Lebanese Future Movement called on Arabs in the region to protect and nurture Christian minorities.

Ahmad Al-Hariri, Secretary General of the Lebanese Future Movement, said he was “extremely worried about the repercussions of the Christian emigration from some Middle East countries.”

Speaking at a press conference marking the closure of the Future Movement’s founding congress in Beirut, the key political figure added that “nurturing the Christian presence [in the region] was an Arab and Islamic responsibility as much as it is a Christian one.”

The rare comments by a Muslim leader on the Levant’s Christian community came amid concerns over the growing Shi’a influence in Lebanon.

Since parliamentary elections in June 2009, the Future Movement, led by Prime Minister Sa’ad Al-Hariri, has held the majority in the Lebanese parliament and rules under the coalition led by the pro-Western March 14 Alliance.

“Demographics are always linked to politics in Lebanon,” Prof. Eugene Sensenig-Dabbous, chairman of the Political Science department at Notre Dame University of Lebanon told the Media Line. “Sunnis in Lebanon, as well as the Druze and Christian populations are worried about the rise of the Shi’a population.

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