Jumblat: Lebanon Will Inevitably Be Affected by ISIL

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Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat warned of the threat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant will have on Lebanon, stressing the need for moderate Islam to hold sway over those susceptible to extremist thought, reported As Safir newspaper on Friday.

He told the daily: “The ISIL mentality will emerge in Lebanon given the collapse of the borders between Iraq and Syria.”

He highlighted the importance of moderate Islam, but noted the emergence of extremism in Roumieh Prison, the northern city of Tripoli, the western Bekaa region, and its town of Arsal.

“Tackling the security developments is a positive matter, but there is a need for political, social, economic, and intellectual approaches” to tackle fundamentalism, explained Jumblat.

He cited the discovery of suicide bombers in Beirut's Duroy Hotel in June and the delay in the trial of Islamists of Roumieh inmates as signs of emergence of extremism in Lebanon.

“What is the reason for the delay in the trial?” he wondered, noting that this issue is a “ticking time-bomb.”

Recent media reports suggested that extremists are planning on carrying out terrorist attacks in Lebanon in order to pressure authorities to release the inmates.

Asked whether terrorism in Lebanon is a local or foreign product, Jumblat replied that the spread of ISIL and Hizbullah's involvement in the conflict in Syria are among its causes.

“The ISIL threat has transcended all borders. It is not important whether ISIL fighters arrive in Lebanon, but the danger lies in the emergence of its extremist mentality,” warned the PSP chief.

“Thank God Lebanon is a very small country, but we should still be wary of ISIL,” he remarked.

Asked about the role of minorities, such as Druze and Christians, in Lebanon, he responded: “We are on the verge of extinction. All sides have played their part.”

“The Druze played their part during the age of Emir Fakhreddine, while Christians have also played an important role in Lebanon's history, but they failed to derive any lessons from it,” he lamented without elaborating.

“It is about time that the Christians reach reconciliation under the authority of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in order to elect a consensual president,” he explained.

“The Druze have a role to play, but none of them should be foolish enough to believe that they can establish their own plan away from Lebanon,” the MP stated.

“Such actions would be crazy and suicidal. We are Lebanese and Arabs after all,” he added.

M.T.

H.K.

Comments 7
Thumb beiruti 01 August 2014, 08:45

Jumblatt's assessment of the proper response to the ISIS phenomena is quite correct. If the response of Christian, Druze, Shia and moderate Sunni is to look for the exit door and to flee, thus giving in to the fear purposefully created by ISIS, then we have no future here.
The response must be intelligent.
first, do not give in to the ISIS by fleeing;
Second, address the problem by engaging the poverty stricken areas where the only solution seems to be a rerun to 7th century Arabia and to bring these people up economically by the agency of the modern system of democracy.
Third, they must see and have buy in to moderation, that economic advancement is possible, preserving their culture and religion.
It is a huge undertaking, but the only other alternative is to surrender the country

Missing imagine_1979 01 August 2014, 09:05

The sham "khalife" was released from assad jails in 2011 with nearly 700 other islamists while the poor guy who won horse competition against bassel el assad in the 90s was kept till recently.., shaker el absi was realeased from assad jails to..
So maybe there is a problem in a dictatorship country willing to do anything to stay in power...as for money assad was just buying his petrol from isis untill recently to while bombing homs, hama, idleb...
I wont go into our local khomainist wou are downing their jihadist duty all over the region, they hv nothing to do with the shit we are in noun?...

Missing imagine_1979 01 August 2014, 09:10

In fact calling u noun is giving up to the stupid propaganda that christians are targeted, christian are part of this midle east population and putting them appart from this fight to maintain the region as a all would be doing as france did with arab jews in the maghreb in mid 19s making them alians to the land they were born in..
But that would be too complicated for u to understand blabla..
Go watch otv/al manar/sana and have a chupachups...

Missing imagine_1979 01 August 2014, 13:19

Bagdadi is the "calif" of the islamic state, the one leading the sham da3ech brigades was released (with nearly 700 other fanatics) by assad in 2011.. But u can also not see it, live in ur cocoon while all our region is burning...
Bravo, now go have some chupachups..

Default-user-icon Kurawan Jamandy (Guest) 01 August 2014, 09:38

ISIL? What ISIL? Ask Dr. Arreet 7akeh and he will tell you there is no such thing as ISIL, and that, instead, they are cuddly life-loving revolutionaries minnohou! wlak akh mennak ya arreet 7akeh akh. ma bikaffi art kel chi tarako bachir huh!

Missing imperatrice 01 August 2014, 13:33

In the end, Romans couldn't be bothered to defend the borders of the Empire (they were too far away and who cared about what was happening in the world). Needless to say, Rome got screwed.

فلتكن عبرة لمن إعتبر

Thumb cedre 01 August 2014, 14:20

Germans turned to Hitler because of treaty of Versailles and its consequences on their lives.

Some maronites turned to Syria or Israel coz of bad circumstances.

Some sunnis may turn to ISIS coz of HizbIran,7 ayar, complicity of LAF and passivity of politicians, among them Future and Jumblatt.

SO please Jumby, if u want to denounce ISIS propagation in Lebanon, admit ur mistakes and responsabilities...