Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi on Wednesday held talks with former prime minister Saad Hariri in the French capital Paris.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi on Wednesday held talks with former prime minister Saad Hariri in the French capital Paris.

Earlier in the day, Rahi said the presence of Christians in the Middle East “protects Islam from bigotry and extremism,” during a lecture at the Catholic institute in Paris.

“It is our duty, we the Christians of the Levant, to inform the West of the true nature of Islam,” the Patriarch added.

“According to us, Muslims are not terrorists. They are not people who endorse violence or war. Islam and Muslims are moderate,” Rahi noted.

On Tuesday, Rahi held talks with French President Francois Hollande on the latest political developments.

The patriarch met with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday.