BEIRUT: Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani said Friday
the case of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims abducted in Syria last month will have a
negative impact on Lebanon's domestic affairs.
"The case of the Lebanese kidnapped in Syria will have
negative repercussions on the domestic Lebanese reality," Qabbani told
reporters upon arrival at Rafik Hariri International Airport. He had been on a
trip to Kuwait.
"The kidnappers, regardless of the party to which they
belong, should take into consideration that such an abduction is not ethical
during wars even if it is a tit-for-tat move," he added.
An unknown Syrian rebel group claimed the abduction of 11
missing Lebanese pilgrims Thursday night, and said that releasing them was
contingent on Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah apologizing for his
support of Syria.
"The kidnapped Lebanese are our guests and they are in good
health ... negotiations to release the Lebanese are possible after Nasrallah
apologizes for his last speech, in which he renewed his party's support for the
regime of Bashar Assad," said the statement aired by Qatar-based Al-Jazeera.
The statement added that the rebels decided to extend the
abductees' sojourn among them for several reasons, including the "fact
that five of them are officers in Hezbollah, as well as the Houla massacre and
Nasrallah's latest speech," which the group described as provocative.
Shiite pilgrims on their way back to Lebanon following a
pilgrimage to Iran were kidnapped last week in the northern Syrian province of
Aleppo. The women and elderly men were set free and returned to Lebanon shortly
after the initial abduction. Eleven men remained in captivity.
But since the incident last week, conflicting reports on the
whereabouts and health of the 11 men have emerged; none of the reports has been
confirmed.
Their release had been scheduled for last Friday, according to
Turkish officials, but for unknown reasons they remain in captivity.
Al-Jazeera showed photos and passports said to belong to the
kidnapped.
Nasrallah has repeatedly voiced support for President Bashar
Assad since the Syrian uprising began over a year ago and has urged the
opposition to engage in dialogue with the government in a bid to save Syria
from civil war.
In his latest speech marking the 12th anniversary of Liberation
Day on May 25, Nasrallah said if those who kidnapped the pilgrims seek to exert
pressure on Hezbollah, it will not work.
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
Thursday his country would continue “intensive efforts” aimed at securing the
release of the kidnapped.
His comments
came following a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Istanbul.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Jun-01/175358-syrian-group-claims-abduction-of-lebanese-demands-nasrallah-apologize.ashx#axzz1wQjup3K6
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