Al-Mawlawi Released on Bail: I was Arrested for Aiding Syrian Refugees
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Judge Saqr Saqr decided on Tuesday to release Shadi al-Mawlawi after over a week in custody.
He declared upon his release that he was “wrongfully arrested for aiding Syrian refugees in Lebanon.”
“I was forced to make confessions under pressure and torture,” he added on his arrival in the northern city of Tripoli.
Islamist al-Mawlawi was released on bail of L.L. 500,000 after a hearing that was held on Tuesday, reported LBC television.
A request for his release had been submitted last week, but it was rejected in order to carry out more investigations.
He had been arrested in Tripoli on May 12 on charges of belonging to a terrorist group.
The development sparked clashes between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, which left some ten people dead and at least 70 wounded.
The news of his release was met with celebratory fireworks by his supporters in Tripoli’s al-Nour Square.
Concerned security sources voiced fears over the “politicization of his case,” adding that his file is full of “baseless” claims as stated by various MPs and al-Mawlawi’s family, reported An Nahar daily on Tuesday.
As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday that al-Mawlawi had confessed to possessing an al-Qaida code that proves his affiliation with the organization, a claim that his family has denied.
A number of Tripoli MPs had defended him, saying that he was arrested for supporting the Syrian revolution.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour denied to al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday that Qatar had threatened to expel Lebanese individuals who are employed in the Gulf state if the case of its national Abdullah Aziz al-Atiyeh is not resolved.
Atiyeh was temporarily detained in Lebanon for allegedly being linked to a terrorist group, the same network that al-Mawlawi is supposedly linked to.
He has since been released and left Lebanon despite a travel ban being imposed on him.
Al-Mawlawi said that Atiyeh had arrived in Lebanon for surgery and had proposed that they aid Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Over the weekend, Qatar imposed travel restrictions on its citizens traveling to Lebanon.
Some sides attributed the decision to the unrest in northern Lebanon, while others linked it to Atiyeh’s arrest.
Al-Joumhouria had reported that Mansour had met with Atiyeh during his recent visit to Qatar.
He had also received condemnation from various Qatari officials over the arrest, seeing as Atiyeh owns major companies and is a close relative of the country’s premier, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani.
The officials wondered: “How could Atiyeh have been arrested and his name released to the media without the charges against him being proven?”
They asserted to Mansour that he was seeking to provide humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, revealing that he had dedicated $400,000 for them and that al-Mawlawi took it upon himself to transfer these funds to them.
This is the only tie these two individuals share and they are not linked to a terrorist network, stressed Qatari officials.
22 May 2012, 12:42
55
We should create a "shave the filth off your face" day in lebanon!
22 May 2012, 16:21
45
ignore comments from the following:
mowaten,ft,kesrweneh.
their comments are full of hatred and insults. they do not deserve we waiste our time on them.
22 May 2012, 13:00
67
Hope he will detonate himself in a suicide bomb attack on the ones who got him free
23 May 2012, 09:42
00
I feel lots of hate and racism in your post! ;)
But if being against Al Quaeda is racism then I m prout to be a racist.
22 May 2012, 13:21
106
Only in Lebanon are Al Qaida sympathizers supported by right-wing Christian (Geagea & Co.) groups. Only in Lebanon.
22 May 2012, 14:30
39
Stupid comment!Al Qaida supporters and hezb suporters are two sides of the same coin!
22 May 2012, 14:32
49
Geagea and this animal only happen to have one common goal: The fall of the syrian regime...but not for the same purpose or the same ideology...at all!
22 May 2012, 19:17
11
I agree, but this dude was not charged with a terrorist ACT and you should refrain from using alqaida term towards any suni religous man as it frankly reflects total ignorance/arrogance, there was no terrorist ACTION being committed by mawalwi here and please remember that the suni community stood behind the success of the army in naher barded. So yes mawlawi was arrested to scare people from helping the refugees and make an example, it backfired on the idiots. If you consider sympathizing/helping the syrian refugees as act of terror then 90 percent of sunis in lebanon are terrorists.
22 May 2012, 19:07
03
Lool mowaten... I guess those hezb guys arrested in iraq, phillipines, egypt, us, thailand, and south america were jailed because they lacked a visa hehehehe...
"resistance against israel"... Hehehehe...yeah right!
22 May 2012, 13:24
25
it seems all you need in this country is a few idiots with guns and you can begin to write your own laws. Weak action like this from the Lebanese judiciary proves they are corrupt and that anyone with wepons stands above the law. What a joke this thug is being hailed as a hero not condemed for the criminal he is. Lebanon will never be a state free of corruption that will stand up to the criminal element, thet can't for they then would have to stand against them selves. Clean out your closets Lebanon its time to take out the trash if you ever want your citizens to live as human beings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22 May 2012, 14:18
26
Sopiha, no offence but this man is called Shadi which sounds much more Lebanese than Sophia:-) although I question is second name, al Mawlawi. Doesnt sound too Lebanese:-)
However, I, like you , fear the Salafist rise going on in Lebanon. We dont need another Hizbul. in Lebanon which will lead to a disastrous war. We dont need another group supported from abroad and we dont need a War between the Gulf leaders ( I say leaders because not all of the Gulf countries represent their people) and Iran on Lebanese soil.
22 May 2012, 16:09
13
Ulpianus, could you tell what sounds "lebanese"? There is no such thing as lebanese names. Our first names among muslims, druze, alawites, orthodox, are mostly arabic (such as the name shadi) while our first names among maronites are mostly french or english (say as roy). As for the last names almost all have arabic ones, regardless of religion/sect. Some have turkish, syriac or persian names but thats it. A name can not sound lebanese. El Hariri family is originally from the arab penninsula, sinno family is originally from maghreb, el hajj yemen, berri family name is from the arab penninsula originally, nasrallah is an arabic name that means God's victory, tuwaini family is yemenite, people with the last name haddad are split between aramaic origin and arab penninsula origin, qahwaji is a turkish last name, miqati is arabic last name, abou jamra is an arabic last name etc etc. And all of these last names exist among neighbouring people, they are not "lebanese" in any way.
22 May 2012, 16:37
11
Lebanese88.
Maronites in general going back just 50 years did not have "mostly" french names as you say it. This is a modern phenomena created in the post colonial era. It´s a sign of how some powers succeeded in spliting us up fully comparable with how some (for example) maronites associate themselves with france and "feels" they are culturally connected with France which I find laughable.
As for the name Haddad, it has a clear meaning in arabic.
While I dont think that its anybodys bznz what name you choose ( as a parent) I question the general direction of names nowadays. In many cases you can see that politics are affecting the names more than culture.
22 May 2012, 16:39
21
Comment 2 for Lebanese88
..While among maronites you could find names like Charbel, Elias and Philemon in the past the names of today are totally unconnected with Lebanon or the area in names like John, Albert or Claudyne.
Same among muslims of course. Like who called his child Saed or Bahaa in Lebanon before? Shadi, Ziad and Talal were for example more typical for Lebanese muslims ( and christians dont forget ).
To sum it up. I think we should be proud of ourselves and dont let politics affect our names, or try to distance ourselves from "other filthy sects" with choosing totally unconnected names, showing our lack of culture and creativity. Lebanon is a country with at least as long history as France ( certainly longer)
22 May 2012, 17:32
13
Ulpianus, ziad, talal and shadi are all arabic names. I dont know how you got the idea that saad and bahaa are new names for lebanese. Arabic names have been in use in lebanon for 1300 years, whether its talal, muhammad, kamal, shadi, adnan, saad eddine, bahaa eddine, salah eddine, abdallah etc. There is not a single name that is "lebanese". Lebanon has been part of empires for thousands of years. There has never been an lebanese identity per say until after lebanon became an independant state.
22 May 2012, 17:43
01
Lebanese88
I did not in any way say that they are Lebanese names of Lebanese origin. What we are discussing here ( I think) is what names is traditionally used in Lebanon, and so can be called Lebanese.
Some of the names you mentioned, can be traced back to an era even long before the arabs....
( and about Saed and Bahaa I didnt say they are new names, but they were not as popular before as they are now, for political reasons. That was my point).
Anyway! Interesting discussion but I think we are out of the subject of the article:-)
Cheers
22 May 2012, 14:15
82
Did this guy ever took a shower? I thought lebanese they are very clean and they take shower,use perfum,sun tan.... What is weong with u lebanese..... I go back to my vodka and pork ribs....anyone wants to share...
22 May 2012, 16:10
03
Jesus had a beard according to the bible. Was he dirty according to you?
22 May 2012, 14:19
32
Not many will understand what you just said...even if they understood they will brush you off
22 May 2012, 14:29
41
that's actually an old photo of him. when he was arrested he simply had a 2 day growth.
22 May 2012, 15:05
11
anybody is beginning to understand that wahaby and farsi are the same devil?or u need more time and more military equilibrium on the ground?????
22 May 2012, 15:17
83
great day for lebanon! now al Qaeda can run free, do all the bombings it wants, knowing since it has the support of Harriri Geagea and co. they will be unpunished. sad sad sad
22 May 2012, 15:20
10
MAzbout Muowate
But you forgot to add :
Hizbolla = iranian agents=syrian agents=drugs=car theft=assasination.
Idiot
22 May 2012, 16:00
15
reading the above comments.... you are the same ones who said: wait for the judicial decision.....
what happened to you guys?
you decided this guy is al qaeda and decided to throw all sorts of comments on him!
decide, what is it you want?
I for one hate all extremists, and do not approve any of their actions, but that does not mean, that I consider each and every one as a terrorist.
22 May 2012, 16:52
14
M8 along with their syrian masters have been putting in people s minds that the north of lebanon is an al qaeda hideout and that M14 is the only responsible for what is going on in syria...
reading some comments above it seems they have achieved their goal! all that because syria is in a bad position and are trying to involve lebanon in their fate.
so short thinking proves how narrow their minds are and lack clever analysis of the situation! if there are some extremists in the north they exaggerate their influence on purpose to scare people!
they just forget on purpose what kind of regime the syrian regime is and what their goal is...and soon will tell us that in syria it s the best democracy in the world just like orangina the clown did!
22 May 2012, 17:37
24
Is this how you talk to people in real life as well? You sound like a bigot. And yes, it appears you would say the same rude things to jesus for his beard, his teachings and his orders from God.
22 May 2012, 18:58
11
As usual, the cheap rhetoric permeates through every comment. Why are people saying "go hang yourself" ... everyone needs to relax. And yes, the Christian right in the country is a tool for the Salafi sponsors, the days of Camille Chamoun, Pierre Gemayel, Raymond Edde, even Bachir are over. Michel Aoun tried to take the Christians somewhere but the ego got the best of him and the rest--- wake up, and stop supporting Salafi's, these people will destroy everyone.
22 May 2012, 19:39
22
His family have been in lebanon for hundreds of years so ma 7ada jebo. There are maronites whos families have been in lebanon for less than 100 years yet they are still considered lebanese by you so dont be a hypocrite.
22 May 2012, 19:19
24
I am disgusted at the amount of racism and hate people have on this board
22 May 2012, 20:27
13
Judge Saqr Saqr decided on Tuesday to release Shadi al-Mawlawi after over a week in custody.
He declared upon his release that he was “wrongfully arrested for aiding Syrian refugees in Lebanon.”
“I was forced to make confessions under pressure and torture,” he added on his arrival in the northern city of Tripoli.
Islamist al-Mawlawi was released on bail of L.L. 500,000 after a hearing that was held on Tuesday, reported LBC television.
this comes out after march 8 supporters and especially illiterate FlameThrower came on here convicting the man before investigation was done! perfect example of why you should ignore such illiterates on this site...
22 May 2012, 21:19
22
ft, shame on you and the likes of you..nothing is worse than a stupid bigot..I even pity you…
22 May 2012, 23:09
11
Your comment is curious. Putting the words "islamists rugheads" and "sane society" in the same sentence. Also, a question to ponder on. Should a person be "found innocent" or proven guilty in a "sane society?"
22 May 2012, 20:56
22
Why would $400,000 be distributed by the Qatari sheikh directly to the refugees by an individual? Why don't that many be given to the UN agency who is currently in charge.
$400,000 with no accountability..WOW! Where is the logic in that...
22 May 2012, 22:38
11
Lebanese88.
I have to disagree with you my friend regarding lebanese names. Most Christians names in Lebanon might sound french or of french version but in reality they are all hebrew, greek, and aramaic. For example Maroun( maron) is aramaic, goerge is greek(yorgo), ellie or Elias ( elia) is hebrew, boutros is greek and so on. As for haddad its an assyrian name its mentiones in the bible on many occasions. And i would say about 80% of names of our towns and cities are hebrew or aramaic (syriac). Aramaic is the official language of the church in Lebanon and the entire eastern church apart from Egypt which is coptic.
22 May 2012, 23:01
10
Lol phoenician, i expect such a comment from someone who thinks he is phoenician. However you twist things, neither of these names are lebanese. By the way, in case you didnt know, there saudis and other khaleejis with the last name haddad. Part of the haddad family in lebanon came from arabia and part of it came from aramic people from iraq. Also, most christian do use the western versions of these names and not the hebrew, greek versions of it. The point is whether a lebanese is called george or muhammad, neither of these names are lebanese. Whatever the language of the church is, the only people in lebanon who speak aramaic are the syriacs (siryen) and some priests, inother words, less than 0,1 %. Dont twist facts and stop inventing a false history for your family.
22 May 2012, 23:50
00
you can only blame the government - they arrested and then released him
23 May 2012, 00:19
01
Lebanese88.
I am sorry to say that you are blinkered and your opinion is based on sentiment and not fact. Neither history nor geography indicates that Lebanon is an Arabic country. The arabs arrived 1300years ago but we have 4700years of history before them. As for surnames you have Aoun surnames even in Iraq because of intermarriage, i was talking about the origin of names and i agree with you there is no such thing as Lebanese names any more but the same thing goes to the rest of the world. Furthermore i am in a position to tell you that i am 100% of phoenician decent because ive had DNA test. As for the Aramaic language all priests have to speak Aramaic and not just few,i do and so does my family because this is who we are.
23 May 2012, 00:30
02
Lebanese88.
Read books and follow documentaries and dont base your oponion on sentiments. And for the record i can confirm that i am of phoenician decent because ive had DNA tests to confirm.
23 May 2012, 03:03
20
this guy and his friends are heroes in my eyes .Thumps up from me.
