Beirut MPs Meet Qahwaji, Rifi: Lebanon's Shiites Not Linked to Assault against Sheikhs

A delegation of Beirut MPs slammed on Tuesday the attack against Dar al-Fatwa sheikhs on Sunday, urging the army to strike with an iron fist all who deign to tamper with Lebanon's security, stability, and civil peace.

It said: “Muslims, Shiites in particular, are not linked to such acts and the condemnations issued by Shiite figures is an indication of this matter.”

The delegation made its remarks after holding separate talks with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji and Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi.

It condemned “the lax approach in dealing with the perpetrators because Lebanon can no longer tolerate further incidents that jeopardize peace and fuel strife.”

Moreover, the delegation rejected the statement that deemed the attackers of the sheikhs as “drug abusers”, saying that investigations in the affair should reach their final conclusions and those backing the criminals in order to uncover the intentions of “their cowardly act.”

“Such acts could have been avoided had the spread of illegitimate arms been controlled,” it noted.

“The spread of these weapons can only be tackled through seriously holding those responsible accountable for their actions and allowing the army and state to impose their authority throughout Lebanon,” it stressed.

“The Beirut MPs will not waver in following up on the assault against the clerics until its necessary security and judicial conclusions are met,” remarked the delegation.

The delegation included MPs Jean Oghassabian, Atef Majdalani, Ammar Houri, Nouhad al-Mashnouq, and Amin Wehbe.

For his part, Qahwaji stressed to the MPs “the army's readiness to avert strife and confront all those who seek to tamper with the people's stability and security.”

On Sunday night two Dar al-Fatwa clerics Sheikh Mazen Hariri and Sheikh Ahmed Fakhran were assaulted while passing through the Beirut area of Khandaq al-Ghamiq.

Another two clerics, one of them identified as Sheikh Omar al-Imami, were assaulted in the southern suburb of Shiyyah.

Tensions soared in the wake of the two attacks as angry protesters blocked roads in several regions across Lebanon.