Higher Shiite Council Vice President Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan stressed during his Friday sermon the necessity of holding dialogue, and highlighted Syria's positive role in Lebanon. Qabalan said: "Syria gave so much to Lebanon; it maintained the stability during the country's ordeal and was a thorn in the eye of the Zionists."
| "And that's the important thing. The fact that we're a colony is just a side issue. Ignore it..." |
Qabalan added that the Lebanese people should thank Syria for its contribution to the development of the country, and should also not throw random accusations at its leaders. Qabalan refused calls for the disarmament of Hizbullah.
| "Certainly not! It's not like we have a government, or our own army or anything. Who's gonna keep the wolf from our door if not Hezbollah?" |
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani urged the Lebanese to wait for the results of investigations into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. In a statement issued Friday, Qabbani said only serious investigations will unveil the identity of Hariri's killers, adding that the people should not hold any party responsible before the investigations yield results. |