Naharnet

Rahi: Hizbullah's Involvemnet in Syria Divided the Lebanese

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stated that Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian war has divided and embarrassed the Lebanese between those supporting the move and others opposing it.

“Hizbullah has engaged in the war in Syria without taking into consideration the State's dissociation policy. It has divided the Lebanese upon themselves, some supporting its step and others totally refusing it,” said al-Rahi in an interview on Sky News Arabia on Friday.

The Patriarch pointed out: “When Hizbullah engaged in the Syrian war, it did not do as such upon a State decision. It was a decision taken by Hizbullah itself and the Lebanese are divided about it today.

“The State has clearly announced its dissociation policy in the Baabda declaration,” he emphasized.

“I am a citizen and my fellow partner is a citizen, but I am unarmed and he is. This is abnormal,” he stressed.

The Patriarch lamented saying: “The Lebanese State has not made up its mind on the subject. Had Hizbullah been a militia outside the parliament things wold have been different.”

Hizbullah has deployed thousands of militants to fight alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces against Islamist-led rebels and jihadists and many Hizbullah members have been killed in Syria since the start of the conflict.

The party argues that its intervention, which is controversial in Lebanon, was necessary to protect the country from extremist groups and to prevent the fall of Syria into the hands of hostile forces.

Source: Naharnet


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