An Islamic-Christian summit held Thursday at Dar al-Fatwa called on Lebanese parties to stop relying on foreign influence to empower themselves domestically, as it rejected the proliferation of arms in the country under the excuse of self-defense against jihadist groups. The summit also stressed the importance of dialogue for preserving pluralism and addressing disputes. According to the closing statement, the conferees also decided to “form a joint Muslim-Christian delegation to discuss … the violation of Arab Christians' rights with the Arab religious and political authorities.” The spiritual leaders called for “consolidating the pillars of the state and its institutions instead of paralyzing it,” stressing commitment to “coexistence, national unity, the state and its constitutions institutions.” [Link]