Two Raelians imprisoned because of their religion in Lebanon

George Abou Fayçal, Guide Priest, Raelian in charge for Lebanon, and his assistant, Marwan Hindawi, were arrested and imprisoned under the pretext of having had a contact with an Israeli soldier during a meeting between Raelians in Jordan, last month.

These charges of "meeting with the enemy" are completely fanciful and unfounded.

Three Raelians of Israeli origin were present at the time of this meeting and one had been a member of the Israeli army several years earlier.

It is important to understand that all Israelis are required to complete three years of compulsory military service, thus making all Israeli citizens a "soldier" at some point in their lives. However, this Israeli soldier, more than 60 years of age, is an electronics engineer and does not have any link with the army of his country at this time.

Until his arrest the Raelian Priest, George Abou Fayçal, was a very active volunteer within the Lebanese Red Cross. Further, he took part in a televised rescue operation for this association that was broadcast throughout all of the Middle East Countries. George and Marwan, could get a sentence from three to seven years in prison for having so-called "flirted with the enemy"; These rumors are based on lie. How can one accuse these two innocent people of having maintained relations with enemies, knowing that Raelians Israelis support the right of the people to self-determination and the right of the Palestinians to have a country.

The information which we could gather on the fate reserved to our fellow Raelians tell us that they were beaten and tortured during the interrogations carried out by the Lebanese military police force. We find this situation unacceptable in a country such as Lebanon which claims modern principles and values.

The Raelian philosophy brings a coherent explanation to the questions relative to the origin of humanity. It enables each one among us to understand that man has a place and a particular role in the great adventure of the propagation of life throughout the Universe.

This atheist philosophy will be the scientific religion of the third millennium and many find that disturbing. The old traditional religions are no longer able to meet the need for hope of new generations. The countries with a unique religion are not free; one can be condemned to death if one deviates from Islam in certain Moslem countries, or be imprisoned for having a different philosophy of life as the members of Falung Gong in China.

In the Middle East, a chapter is being written of many millennium wars of religion and the paranoiac behaviors of many continue to shatter the life of peaceful individuals.

The fundamentalist movements dream of living in a society where they would have the absolute power as they had it at the time of the massacres of the Protestants during the Inquisition or the Jews in Nazi Germany, fighting against spirituality and hope.

We are calling on all men of goodwill to help in the release of our two wrongfully imprisoned comrades.

Leon Mellul, in charge of the International Raelian Movement for the Middle-East, proposes to go and testify on his honor in Lebanon, to confirm that George and Marwan never were in contact with an Israeli soldier during the meeting of the members of the Raelian Movement.

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