Jumblat Questions Ban of Iranian Film in Lebanon

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Monday the riots that have taken place in Egypt over the weekend, voicing his confidence in the Egyptian security forces’ ability in restoring stability.

He warned in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “It’s necessary to prevent the unrest from developing into sectarian strife.”

He therefore suggested that a comprehensive investigation be launched in the matter to determine who started the shooting, which provoked the Egyptian army to intervene to control the unrest.

“The Egyptian army protected the revolution and it is necessary to preserve the positive relationship between the army and people,” the MP stressed.

Furthermore, Jumblat proposed that “the public administration be purified of members of the previous regime in order to prevent them from aborting the revolution’s goals.”

“Religious places of worship should be protected and attention should be focused on the activity of salafist movements to uncover the sources of their funding,” he continued.

“These groups are spreading corruption and conducting their activity at a suspicious time,” he noted.

In addition, the PSP leader said that political measures should be taken in order to reorganize the internal scene in Egypt and assert the goals of the revolution.

“The longer they take in implementing these measures, the more the members of the previous regime will be able to meddle in proceedings in Egypt,” Jumblat warned.

He also voiced concern over the meddling of Arab and regional powers, “who oppose the Arab revolts,” in Egyptian affairs.

Clashes broke out over the weekend between Christians, Muslims, and Egyptian security forces, leaving at least 24 dead and 200 injured.

The clashes began when Christians were protesting a recent church attack.

On Lebanon’s banning of a screening of a documentary on the violence in the run-up to the 2009 Iranian presidential vote, Jumblat said: “Such a development contradicts Lebanon’s history of respecting cultural, media, and political freedom.”

“We question how Iran, which is the homeland of major writers and poets, would interfere in Lebanon to prevent the screening of this film or did the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon take it upon himself and ban the screening without his government’s knowledge?” the MP asked.

“If so, then why did Lebanese censors comply with his demand?” he wondered.

The film, “'Red, White and the Green”, by Iranian director Nader Davoodi was expected to be shown at the Beirut International Film Festival.

The director was also prevented from traveling to Lebanon.