Protests Ongoing in Tripoli against Mawlawi’s Arrest, Two Wounded
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Two people sustained gunshot injuries on Saturday when unknown assailants opened fire at protesters in Abdel-Hamid Karami Square in Tripoli.
Prime Minister Najib Miqati warned against portraying the northern port city as being out of the state’s legitimacy.
The residents in Tripoli are demonstrating against the arrest of Shadi al-Mawlawi, who allegedly contacted a “terrorist group.”
“Only Justice will achieve the people’s rights and we will always support those who are oppressed,” Miqati said in a statement.
The premier discussed the situation in Tripoli with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji and the head of the security services, demanding them to restore the calm in the city and to control the security situation.
The protesters held a sit-in in Abdel-Hamid Karami Square and blocked the international road, holding banners demanding the immediate release of al-Mawlawi.
They also warned of taking further escalatory measures.
The NNA reported that the angry protesters blocked several roads in Tripoli with burning tires.
The General Security said in a statement that al-Mawlawi is allegedly contacting a “terrorist group.”
“The directorate and under the supervision of the competent judiciary tracked down Shadi al-Mawlawi and managed to arrest him on Saturday at the entrance of (Finance) Minister Mohammed al-Safadi’s Social Services Center in Tripoli,” the statement said.
Al-Safadi said that “Mawlawi was lured to the Social Services Center in al-Nour square by security services on the pretext of granting him a health care benefit.”
He slammed the General Security for violating the law and norms by raiding the center and shocking employees and citizens.
The minister demanded the General Security to open a probe into the incident and to punish those who are responsible.
Al-Safadi demanded the “immediate release of al-Mawlawi.
Agence France Presse reported that black flags bearing the profession of Islam, "God is Great", were planted alongside the Syrian flag of independence, a symbol of revolt in the neighboring country.
"We will not leave until my brother is released," Nizar al-Mawlawi, the younger brother of al-Mawlawi, told AFP.
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya condemned the arrest procedures.
It criticized the “deplorable methods in luring citizens, which violates regulations and laws,” calling for the immediately releasing al-Mawlawi.
For his part, head of the Salafists in Lebanon Dai al-Islam al-Chahal demanded the competent authorities to “immediately release” al-Mawlawi.
He considered that the arrest of al-Mawlawi is a “new chapter in oppression, injustice and deprivation that the city has suffered from for decades.”
Lebanon is divided between the March 14- led opposition, backed by Washington and hostile to the Syrian regime, and the March 8 Forces, which dominates the government and is supported by Damascus and Tehran.
12 May 2012, 19:18
31
the word terrorist is a very convenient word: NO country has defined what is terrorist and what is not on a legal basis. Very practical to throw blames on groups labeling them as terrorist when they want to get rid of them!
we can say that aoun is allied to a terrorist group because that is how he labeled hezbollah for decades, but now for his own interest they are no more terrorists! the same goes to the regime of assad labeled yesterday as terrorists by the same aoun and now it is suddenly a democracy!
the syrian calls the opposition terrorists, when they claim the same rights as in libya where the opposition was called freedom fighters!
very convenient indeed....
12 May 2012, 21:51
22
FT your comments are correct if you consider the fact its the opposite of what you said...
13 May 2012, 00:45
00
so you concede that the March 8 group were Syrian bootlickers before Hariri was blown up and are still Syrian bootlickers today!
Bravo to them.
12 May 2012, 19:41
03
It was always like that. Bin Laden was a terrorist to the russians in Afghanistan, but to the americans he was a freedom fighter. Hope that help you in your dilemma.
12 May 2012, 21:11
01
Flamethrower, to be fair, historic places and green lands have been destroyed all over lebanon to make room for malls, offices and expensive apartments for the few super rich lebanese and of course the arab princes.
12 May 2012, 21:41
11
Tripoli neanderthals? The best Lebanese people are in Tripoli and Akkar come to Tripoli and say that and see what happens.
12 May 2012, 21:47
11
"this shows they are real men with principles who assume their choices like men,"
then i assume that aoun is a woman...he changed his principles no? ferocioulsy anti syrian then pro syrian!
oh: and he also said, because you have a way of twisting things proper to your propaganda of the day, he also said that even the most honest politician was OBLIGED to cooperate with the assad regime or die.. i guess as you believe yourself as a man of principles that you would have died instead of working for the syrians if you were in that case...
and you often boast yourselves in FPM that aoun changed because wise people change and adapt: why do you deny those who had to work with the syrians before to change and be anti syrian?
you see how illogic and irresponsible FPM beliefs are.... poor FT we all pity you and your likes
12 May 2012, 23:31
20
poor FT stop , you are getting down at each comment:
let me remind you the change in principles of your aoun which breaks the last argument you are so proud of
he said and repeated for years that till the assad regime was in place nothing good will come to lebanon and that it shall be removed!
strange how now syria is a democracy for hm when for DECADES he labeld it a terrorist regime! syria didn t change your aoun did to get the protection of his new hezbi pimp...
strange how he defends this very same regime like you are!
12 May 2012, 21:50
11
"tripoli neanderthals "
you are just a low coward FT.. plus you are insulting a whole population including christians living in tripoli.seems you ve never been there i bet because you are afraid!
M HATE best suits you!!! and you pretend to want a unified lebanon? you are a joke and a little nazi racist...
12 May 2012, 21:58
30
Hey FT ... to save many, I think people like you need to Go Away... you EVIL person!!! you sound like a Baath thug or a Hizbshitan thug... mmmm very interesting ... be careful FT, you are not indestructible OK ;) so fear Allah... and have peace dude...
12 May 2012, 22:05
11
"tripoli and its residents is better off nuked for the hellhole it has become."
do you measure the extent of racism and hatred in your words? what if someone says the same for dahiye or baabda or rabieh? would you agree and find it normal?
you are a shame for your country for spitting out so much blind hatred and extremism, you deserve no respect and you have become a carpet on which to wipe one s feet...
12 May 2012, 22:10
00
Hahahahah you want to nuke tripoli? The reason you hate Tripoli is because we stand up for ourselves when lowlives like you try to hurt us, we care for all our residents to the last one Muslim and Christian if you want to nuke us come and try, anyone that wants to mess with Tripoli we will take care of you whether it is jabal mhsen, hezbolchaitan or you flamethrower you are nothing compared to one person from Trablus.
12 May 2012, 22:31
10
"this is why M14 weaklings are better off dead (preferably the hariri way). thanks"
Bro if you want to start a new civil war go ahead but alot of people would not appreciate this particular comment you have made your hatred of Sunnis is seething which is why I am sure you are not an atheist like I think you have said in the past. You are worse than any war criminal you criticize because you also wish to inflict harm on civilians like the people of Tripoli, and you wish to kill off politicians you don't like....so how are you different from the politicians you criticize for having so much blood on their hands you hypocrite?
13 May 2012, 10:01
10
You are sectarian or harbor feelings of hatred against a significant number of Lebanese to make yourself sectarian anyway so don't think you are any different I have alot of family in Tripoli if you want to nuke it you are my enemy and I would defenitely be glad to be rid of you and your ilk. You are the devil himself.
12 May 2012, 23:48
00
Free Mawlawi or we will make sure the Arab Spring wipes out the trash in Lebanon once and for all!
13 May 2012, 00:16
00
i want to comment on the story, but b4 blablaying i want to know tripoli is wahaby or farsi???????
13 May 2012, 01:06
10
"how my posts are 'racist' "
when you label tripolitans as neanderthals, when you call for the killings of people,... typical racism and extremism poor little arrogant FT...what would you say if i call people from dahiye the same as you do? what would you say if i call to nuke dahiye or rabieh or what ever?
oh i guess you d find it normal as it seems normal to you!it s the language of little nazis of your kind...
13 May 2012, 02:02
00
tripoli has become a sunni bastion maybe but what do you call Keserwen and Metn?
13 May 2012, 02:39
11
"i'd rather be anything than a lukewarm PC centrist like you (:"
good for you... but calling for murder is a sign of great intelligence you have!
but as you always pretend to give lessons and think you are the greatest and most intelligent one on this site who knows all about politics, i ll leave you in your state of denial and complex of superiority...typical from FPM supporters, just watch aoun he taught you well!
13 May 2012, 11:09
01
"M14 is a criminal, cowardly and thieving party."
yes it is just what i said you are calling for the murder of a great part of lebanese in a cold and nazi like manner...
typical way of acting of extremist parties: eradicate all those against it like baath party or nazi party do...
your posts are more and more desperate if the only dialogue possible for you is murder, it shows how afriad you are to lose bashar and your privileges...
you are the one who is useless here...
13 May 2012, 02:51
01
I say thrown the Salafist leader in jail, ban Salafism and start monitoring the rest of them. If these traitors won't hold the Lebanese flag, they should be considered Qaida agents and thrown in jail or a secured mental aslyum until the renounce extremism. Enough with the Salafist garbage rolling around, these people are all bombs waiting to burst. They aren't Lebanese, Salafism isn't Lebanese, Salafism is a threat to the world wherever there are Salafists. Cudos to the LAF, throw them all in jail where they belong and prosecute them harshly. Enough of this nonsense that is plaguing the Middle East already.
13 May 2012, 10:23
10
People resort to religion when they realize the only entity that they can trust is Allah subhanahu wa ta3ala and definitely not the decrepit state of Libnan.
13 May 2012, 08:08
00
I just wish everyone would stop fighting so I can come back there someday.
13 May 2012, 09:59
00
I am from Tripoli the best people of Lebanon and a nightmare to devils like you.
13 May 2012, 10:56
00
Ah, you mean your cousins and family in the Syrian cancerous district of jabal mohsen, don't worry FT we will deal with them and soon enough people like you and tripoli will be cancer free.
13 May 2012, 11:14
00
Free Lebanon. A strong independent and well equipped army, that's what we need. No crazy radicals who think they can do what they want. No Hezbollah arms that's what we want . And nobody claiming we need the resistance arms, the resistance arms prevent Lebanon from having a strong army. !!!!!!
13 May 2012, 11:17
10
what about those sunnis extremist of tripoli trained by hezbollah? are they good extremists for Mhate?
13 May 2012, 15:52
00
Hizballah and the salafis are two sides of the same coin.Lebanon is best without both.what Lebanon needs is a small army, not a big one,Lebanon will never have enough money to equip an army strong enogh to face off with israel.A peace treaty with Israel is long overdue.Also,it needs a strong policing acgency that can and should apply and protect the law of the land equaly to all.
13 May 2012, 18:04
00
Naharnet needs to control this conversation--at least when profanities are used and when it gets out of control as it did!!!
