Abducted Pilgrims Appear on TV after Families Warn Turks Could Become their ‘Guests’
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria appeared in good health on Tuesday after an LBC news team was able to interview them, but the men lashed out at the government for not doing enough to set them free.
“I won’t urge our state because I don’t consider myself that I have a state and I am no longer proud of being Lebanese,” said one of the pilgrims Abbas Shoaib.
“I make an appeal to the Saudi King, Qatar and (Turkish PM) Erdogan to back the Syrian revolution” and resolve our case “so that we return back to our families.”
The families of 11 Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria threatened on Tuesday that Turkish citizens would become “guests” in Lebanon if Ankara does not make serious efforts to set the abductees free.
Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who has been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council to follow up the case, told several TV stations that Lebanese authorities hadn’t done enough to guarantee the release of the kidnapped pilgrims.
“We hope that we reach the solution that everyone is after,” he said.
But he warned that “the families will do what is necessary” after saying that Turkey and Qatar should pressure the abductors to “end the tragedy.”
“If the issue isn’t resolved soon, the Turks will be our guests,” he said in a thinly veiled threat that Turkish nationals could be kidnapped.
The protestors were expected to head to the Qatari embassy in Beirut’s Ain el-Tineh district later in the day as anti-riot police deployed in the area. But they suspended that move.
Zgheib said however that they will hold talks with head of the General Security, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.
Both Qatar and Turkey have attempted to mediate the hostages’ release but haven’t succeeded so far in setting them free. They have aligned themselves with the Syrian opposition that is trying to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad.
LBC said a delegation that includes two family members and another news team is heading to Turkey to later cross to Syria and meet the pilgrims as promised by their kidnapper Abu Ibrahim.
The families reopened the airport road at dawn Tuesday, a day after they blocked it until the release of the men.
Traffic was back to normal on the road after the protest caused chaos in the ranks of travellers. Hundreds of them had to head to the airport or return on foot.
The protesters used their cars and motorcycles to block the highway in both directions on Monday night.
Zgheib said during the road closure that “this action is the first step and it might be escalated should the state fail to address this issue.”
“The sit-in will remain in place until we see the officials’ reaction,” he added.
The protest came after the abductees telephoned their families reassuring them that they are in good health and calling on Lebanese authorities to negotiate with their abductors.
For its part, LBC reported that the abductees said only former Premier Saad Hariri and MP Oqab Saqr are following up their case.
The 11 men were kidnapped in May by armed men in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo while on their way home from a pilgrimage to Iran.
07 August 2012, 09:55
17
hizbushaitan clearly has no value for human lives, otherwise they would have done what s needed to release them.
07 August 2012, 10:17
16
If the loyalty of these protesters was to Lebanon, they would not block the road to its airport. Sayyid 7assin is losing control of the thugs he has created.
07 August 2012, 10:48
210
How about protesting at the Syrian embassy where they got kidnapped, or better yet, at the Iranian embassy, because that's where Syria is getting its weapons which are supposed to be protecting these "pilgrims".
You logic is lacking reason, maybe that's your problem.
07 August 2012, 11:32
14
I was there with my family, almost at the front line.Tattooed guys on their bikes.Women blocking the street yelling.A cheikh playing a show giving the impression that he's trying to control the situation.Tried to discuss with them but all we got back was the right to shut our mouths. Indeed, some have the right to block the roads to forbid people from getting home, others cannot speak. Army & 3star darak were helpless-they are though good at beating university students. They claimed they are doing this to teach the president of the republic. I asked which republic? nobody answered as all I saw there was an almost defunct country-jungle that we are still tearing.I asked what the president can do as by constitution he almost is nothing.Nobody answered.I asked why don't you block the roads of some ministries peacefully.I asked what about the 150,000 Lebanese who got killed&many missing?Then we almost got into trouble if it were not from some women who intervened to protect us.
07 August 2012, 11:38
12
I was there with my family, almost at the front line.Tattooed guys on their bikes.Women blocking the street yelling.A cheikh playing a show giving the impression that he's trying to control the situation.Tried to discuss with them but all we got back was the right to shut our mouths. Indeed, some have the right to block the roads to forbid people from getting home, others cannot speak. Army & 3star darak were helpless-they are though good at beating university students. They claimed they are doing this to teach the president of the republic. I asked which republic? nobody answered as all I saw there was an almost defunct country-jungle that we are still tearing.I asked what the president can do as by constitution he almost is nothing.Nobody answered.I asked why don't you block the roads of some ministries peacefully.I asked what about the 150,000 Lebanese who got killed&many missing?Then we almost got into trouble if it were not from some women who intervened to protect us.
07 August 2012, 12:31
14
Although we sympathize fully with the relatives of those kidnapped we do not see how blocking a main artery in lebanon could influence the kidnappers in Syria?
Hundreds of lebanese have been kidnapped by the Syrian regime in the last 4 decades and their relatives did not resort to suffocating their fellow lebanese in order to put pressure for their release.
07 August 2012, 12:31
14
Although we sympathize fully with the relatives of those kidnapped we do not see how blocking a main artery in lebanon could influence the kidnappers in Syria?
Hundreds of lebanese have been kidnapped by the Syrian regime in the last 4 decades and their relatives did not resort to suffocating their fellow lebanese in order to put pressure for their release.
07 August 2012, 15:13
00
I told them this (about the kidnapped lebanese in syria and the dead ones from war that affected ALL lebanon) while at the airport's road yesterday night. they answered with this "maybe **you** do not care about **your own**, but we do so we will block the road and escalate even more till we get them". go figure. never try to fight stupidity, stupidity will always think it is right and you are wrong
07 August 2012, 14:48
00
This threat is coming from an official, Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who has been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council goes to show how the Iranian ideology has turn this once noble sect into a thuggish cult.
07 August 2012, 15:49
00
Why dont Hassan offer to exchange them with other syrians captured by Bacchar??
07 August 2012, 16:20
00
No problem the bee2at al hadinat for the Zionist spy infested and Iranian Islamic revolution in Lebanon has a long history of kidnappings remember when they used to kidnap Western infidels so Iran can trade them for weapons*.
What's interesting is that they began threatening the Turks immediately after the Iranian revolutionary guards were captured. Hassan is whiling to take Lebanon to hell if the Ayatollah tell him to.
BTW karim_m1 go watch what FPM official Ziad Abs says about the party of the Iranian Islamic revolution in Lebanon
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvfHTpknj9w
or read what he said in L’Orient-Le Jour
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/116/zabs.jpg
*I wonder if that means we are going to witness a revival of fire bombing liquor stores and throwing acid on women not dressed "appropriately" the party of the Iranian Islamic revolution in Lebanon made so popular in the 80s. The liquor stores thingy started already in the South..
07 August 2012, 17:44
23
The Shia should realize the Hezz are over there killing Syrians. Instead of being humble they only threaten. We are sick of Shia threats, and blocking the airport road choking the country.
07 August 2012, 19:11
13
So now they are threatening to kidnap turks? What do turks have to do with this? You want more countries to boycott lebanon?
And why are they pushing Sleiman anyway? They always considered themselves more chiite than lebanese. Always considered their dues to HA before the lebanese state. Why arent they pushing HA to stop his support to Assad? afraid to ask for that?
They have teh arrogance to block the airport road? why ? are their people more worthwhile individuals than those who have been in syrian jails for years with a timid sit in on the margin of solidere?
07 August 2012, 20:54
23
If Naharnet is "lowlife media", what does that make someone who spends 24/7 posting comments on it's site?
You are nothing but a no-life, paid propagandist
08 August 2012, 07:43
00
I got my relative in mezza for 14 years and god knows if he still alive, we never blocked a road, we never danced and made a drama, not bcs we do not care, just bcs we are educated and civilized!! Honnestly i started to realize that more shiite we have in lebanon more uncivilized we became...
08 August 2012, 08:27
00
Although I completely understand their cause, their targets are all wrong.
1. Closing the airport and other key roads are only hurting the Lebanese people.
2. They shouldn't be threatening Turkey and Qatar but rather their sad excuse for a government who has never done one thing for their people if its not backed by money.
Go protest in front of anyone of the Government officials' houses for a few days and see how everything runs smoothly.
08 August 2012, 08:47
10
One man has the power to have these men released if he just goes on TV and apologizes for his stupid comments that he made against the Syrian people and their revolution...
08 August 2012, 08:52
01
I heard that one of the abductees who got free called the turkish interior ministry for help, and the turks, instead of releasing him, gave him back to his abductors...
