Hizbullah's Abou Zaynab Steps Down as Christian Ties Official
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.
Y.R.
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