More Lebanese Officials Congratulate the Pilgrims on their Return to Beirut

More Lebanese top political and religious officials congratulated on Sunday nine Lebanese pilgrims and their families on their safe return home from Syria and called for the release of the kidnapped bishops.

In a telephone conversation with Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who had been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council to follow up the case of the pilgrims, President Michel Suleiman inquired about the health of the nine men.

A statement said that Suleiman asked Zgheib to send them his regards.

Zgheib thanked the president on the efforts that he had exerted to release the pilgrims.

The unity of the Lebanese away from political and sectarian divisions contributed to forming a moral pressure group on the kidnappers to release the men, Suleiman said.

He hoped for success in the release of Bishops Boulos Yazigi and Youhanna Ibrahim as soon as possible.

The bishops were on a humanitarian mission when they were kidnapped at the end of April in a village in northern Syria's Aleppo province.

Suleiman also reminded the Lebanese about all those who have been missing since the 1975-1990 civil war.

“There should be a continuous commitment and work to unveil their fate and liberate them or return the bodies of those who died,” he said.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani also expressed his relief over the return of the pilgrims, which he said came due to the efforts exerted by several officials, including General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.

He congratulated the pilgrims and their families on their safe return home.

But the Mufti called for the release of the two bishops. He condemned kidnappings and attacks on the freedom of people to whatever sect or party they belong to.

“These totally contradict morals and religious values,” he said.

The nine Lebanese pilgrims and two Turkish Airlines pilots held hostage in Lebanon returned home Saturday night as part of an ambitious deal, which was negotiated by Qatari and Palestinian officials.

Suleiman telephoned his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul on Sunday to congratulate him on the return of the pilots.

The pilgrims were abducted by rebels in May 2012 while on their way from Iran to Lebanon via Turkey and Syria.

As for the pilots - Murat Akpinar and Murat Agca - they were kidnapped in August near Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport.

Several Lebanese government officials and clerics greeted the pilgrims at the airport late Saturday.

"It was difficult, without a doubt," said Ibrahim. "I didn't want anything from this deal, except to see this sight," he said, gesturing at the waiting crowds.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea echoed Suleiman's remarks on Sunday, but wondered why the Lebanese authorities had failed to win the release of hundreds of Lebanese held in Syrian prisons.

The authorities should deal equally with the case of the kidnapped and those held in Syria, he said in a statement.

Geagea also said “the Lebanese government has a moral duty to make the necessary contacts to liberate” the two bishops.

But Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem told his Lebanese counterpart Adnan Mansour in a phone conversation that “Syria will spare no effort to all what helps Lebanon.”

Al-Muallem telephoned Mansour to congratulate him on the return of the pilgrims.