Bassil: Uproar over Nasrallah's Bahrain Claims Must Prompt Powers to Respect Disassociation Policy
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil declared that Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's recent remarks on Bahrain do not reflect the stance of Lebanon, reported the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Sunday.
He hoped to the daily that the furore over the claims would “prompt all sides to understand the need to refrain from meddling in the affairs of other countries.”
“This principle should be respected by all countries and powers,” he stressed.
He added: “We performed our duties as part of the Foreign Ministry and government as soon as the statements were made.”
“The remarks do not reflect in any way whatsoever Lebanon's official stance on Bahrain,” Bassil stressed.
“Several Lebanese political powers express their own views and the government is not bound by them,” explained the minister.
Furthermore, he attributed the recent uproar over Nasrallah's statements to freedom of expression in Lebanon.
“No country has been spared from freedom of expression in Lebanon, which is a double-edged sword,” he noted.
“We should not make Lebanon support burdens that exceed its capacity,” he continued
“We also should not hold the Lebanese people responsible for the actions or positions of a certain faction,” urged the foreign minister.
“The Lebanese residing abroad are paying the price of such positions, but we do not want them to be harmed. It is enough that they have been forced to immigrate to escape political disputes,” Bassil added.
“For their part, fraternal and friendly countries should not punish the Lebanese people residing there,” he stated.
On January 9, Nasrallah alleged the presence of a “Zionist-like naturalization scheme” in Bahrain.
He also noted that top Bahraini dissident Sheikh Ali Salman, who was recently jailed by authorities, “has never called for toppling the regime and he did not incite to violence.”
“The authorities in Bahrain will realize that they are acting in a foolish way. They can imprison most of the Bahraini people but that will only stop the protests on the streets and they will not be able to stop the protests in prisons,” said Nasrallah.
His statement was met by broad Arab dismay, with the Gulf Cooperation Council announcing the remarks contained “an incitement to violence and discord.”
Bahrain for its part summoned Lebanon's charge d'affaires, urging a “clear condemnation” of Nasrallah's stances.
The UAE's foreign ministry also summoned the Lebanese ambassador on Monday, handing him a protest letter over what it described as “hostile statements.”
Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Saturday announced that remarks coming from “any political party” regarding Bahrain or any other country do not reflect the official stances of the Lebanese government even if the party is a part of it.
He explained in the statement that “the political diversity in Lebanon allows differences in the stances regarding national and international issues, but this must not justify harming the Lebanese interests or relations with any of our brotherly or friendly countries.”
M.T.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/163590 |