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Hizbullah's Abou Zaynab Steps Down as Christian Ties Official |
2014-12-29 |
[An Nahar] Hizbullah politburo member Ghaleb Abou Zaynab has stepped down as the party's point man on relations with Christian parties. “I have relinquished the duties related to the Christian file and I have not resigned from Hizbullah,” Abou Zaynab told al-Jadeed television on Sunday, clarifying earlier media reports. “I'm still on the course of jihad under the directions of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” the party's secretary-general, Abou Zaynab added. The man, who was in charge of dialogue with Christian parties for the past 14 years, took part Friday in a Hizbullah delegation that offered Christmas greetings to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki. Abou Zaynab is known to have close ties with the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah's main Christian ally, and in 2006 he played a big role in forging the landmark memorandum of understanding between the two parties. He was also part of the Hizbullah delegation that attended the Vatican ceremony that promoted Patriarch al-Rahi to become a member of the elite College of Cardinals -- the body that advises the pope in the governance of the Catholic Church and elects his successor should he die or resign. |
Posted by:Fred |