Kataeb Lawmaker Selim Sayegh affirmed that his visit to Australia meant a lot to him, to the extent that he felt he was in Lebanon among his people.

Initially, he extended greetings to Kataeb comrades in Australia, especially to Laudy Farah Ayoub, who contributed, along with others, to the success of his purposeful visit to strengthen and organize the Lebanese community in Australia.

"Upon arriving at the airport, I felt a return to the true Lebanese atmosphere, the atmosphere of the Lebanese village filled with authenticity, pride, and love. People left their work and families to welcome the guest. This scene will never be erased from my memory, and this is the Lebanon we love," Sayegh said in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station.

"I told the Lebanese community in Australia that I found Lebanon within them, and what I didn't explicitly say is that I found in them Lebanon and the values that we are losing in our homeland. I noticed the importance of Lebanese expatriates in preserving human, social, and national values, including social cohesion, family, the Lebanese language, and beautiful customs and traditions. There are more than six Maronite schools in Sydney teaching Arabic, which is something I haven't seen in other countries," he added.

"The irony is that the majority of Lebanese in Australia have built houses in Lebanon, even though they only come for visit in summer. I observed the respect, piety, and attachment to democracy and citizenship. They gathered the best of Lebanon and the best of Australia," he went on saying.

"Despite living in 'the West,' Australia does not politically belong to 'the East'; it is a unique case with modernity and progress, along with the high cost of living. Lebanese in Australia made significant efforts to reach where they are today. However, most of those who migrated to Australia carried a great deal of pain after the persecution of their villages, especially in the northern regions of Tripoli, Jbeil, Keserwan, and Metn," he noted.

"The people of the North, the reservoir of Lebanese resistance and the Lebanese army, considered that the project of the state and the project of 'Patriarch Hoayek for Greater Lebanon' were shattered in their lives and the lives of their people. They gathered this project and the scattered memory and displayed it in the diaspora," Sayegh went on saying.

Sayegh pointed out that "Gebran Khalil Gebran spoke about 'broken wings,' and I am talking about 'broken memories' that they placed in a 'cabinet' they called Lebanon."

He also noted that "the churches carried the name of Lebanon, and Mar Charbel's churches as well as Saint Rafqa's did too. I had more than seventy meetings and visits during 18 days and noticed that the Lebanese love Australia, which preserved their human dignity. They built three-quarters of Sydney with their competence and skills, as if they were building a 'little Lebanon' as they love it."

"We have several archdioceses in Australia, and the important thing is that they preserved the spirit and understood that the village is the embrace that holds the family, and the family is the embrace that holds the human. They considered Australia to be their village and family. This is the secret of Lebanon, characterized by family cohesion, as spoken of by Charles Malik. They lived simply without philosophy, as inherited from their ancestors," he explained.

Sayegh considered that "the simplicity of the Lebanese farmer is the secret of his strength and the strength of Lebanon. After earning money, he remains humble and simple."

"When the soul is present, a person is capable of love and giving without making any effort. Although I am a university professor and prepare what I say in advance, there is no planning or design in my relationship with the homeland. There are only icons of life in the Lebanese community abroad and wonderful models of success, generous individuals who love their families, children, and grandchildren," he stated.

He emphasized that "the environment in Australia, with its rule of law and good education, has helped the Lebanese community to be creative, outstanding, humble, and progressive with integrity."

"In Australia, there is a significant social diversity in choices, especially regarding family, social and familial cohesion, and same-sex marriage. Therefore, I encouraged Lebanese youth to preserve the sanctity of the family," Sayegh said.

"I noticed that the Lebanese play a significant role in Australian society, defending authentic Lebanese values that uphold human rights. Lebanese in Australia serve as a reassuring and stabilizing factor for the Australian community," he added.

"In the Kataeb Party, we have a complete team, and I appreciate what Comrade Laudy and her team have done, allowing me to connect with the largest segment of people with different political affiliations. Through her follow-up, my visit to Australia succeeded, and in the meetings, she managed to showcase the spirituality we embrace in the Kataeb Party, giving us the opportunity to be true to ourselves," he indicated.

Sayegh considered that "those who visit Australia and return to Lebanon leave a part of themselves there."

"I visited Lebanese who insisted on meeting me because they wanted to tell me about Lebanon. They are treasures of this country. There is nothing but the love that rebuilds Lebanon because this country is not just geographical but a space of love," he went on saying.

As for the objectives of his visit to Australia, Sayegh stated, "The first objective was to assess the situation of the Lebanese community. Visits are not enough, and we have many supporters and party members. The goal was to talk to the partisans and establish direct communication."

"Additionally, the goal was to meet with Lebanese from various political affiliations. What was unique is that they requested individual meetings separate from the general ones. I met with all opposition and non-opposition parties, and we discussed the situation in Lebanon," the Kataeb Lawmaker noted.

"The third goal of the visit was to meet with a visionary man, Bishop Tarabay, who managed to unify the Lebanese community in Australia in its diversity, making it harmonious with the original Lebanese idea and project. It became a model for all communities worldwide and in the homeland, and this is what I observed there," he added.

"I noticed the collaboration and enthusiasm to attend the meetings I conducted. Our discourse is a discourse of unity, truth, justice, equality, freedom, independence, and sovereignty. I felt unity within the Lebanese community despite their surface disagreements. This is what the bishops and Muslim religious leaders worked on," he emphasized.

Sayegh addressed the expatriates, saying: "Don't follow Lebanon; be a model for it because the models in this country are broken and scattered. Go and provide the real model for your country. Work for the benefit of your jobs, families, unite based on the will to live together, and the common interest. This is how Lebanon becomes a homeland of a message."

"You must carry a message for Lebanon and spread it in the diaspora," he added.

He stressed that the Kataeb Party is a party of Lebanese values in Lebanon and around the world.

Sayegh concluded with a message to the Lebanese expatriates: "You have the right to be angry with Lebanon and to rise up, but be aware that in Lebanon, there are people who feel with you and are doing the impossible for you to return to this country with all your dignity. Don't abandon them, and preserve what remains of Lebanon."