Relatives of Kidnapped Lebanese Pilgrims Close Shops Owned by Syrians
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The families of nine Lebanese pilgrims abducted by rebels in Syria closed on Friday the shops owned by Syrians in a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs pending the release of their loved ones.
Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who has been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council to follow up the case of the men abducted in May last year, told the National News Agency that the closure of the shops in Hay el-Sellom is a first step in the protest aimed at pressuring the involved parties to set the pilgrims free.
“Turkey has an important role to play to bring the case to its closure,” said Zgheib.
Turkey is a strong backer of the revolution against Syrian President Bashar Assad. It has previously claimed that it was mediating for their release.
“From now on it's forbidden for Syrians to work in our areas,” one angry protester told LBCI TV. He threatened Syrians by saying they should run for their lives.
The protester also slammed Turkey and dubbed the Turkish ambassador a “liar.”
Last month, the relatives of the pilgrims held a protest near the Arab Justice Ministers headquarters in the Sami Solh area before briefly blocking the road near the Justice Palace.
President Michel Suleiman also discussed the issue in separate meetings with Qatar's emir and the Turkish foreign minister on the sidelines of the Arab League summit.
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo province in May 2012 on their way back home by land from Iran.
Since then, two of them have been released, while the remaining nine are held in the town of Aazaz in Aleppo.
05 April 2013, 11:25
194
It was very obvious that this was going to escalate while the Lebanese state failed to protect its citizens and the ISF allowed FSA-Al Qaeda terrorists to sneak into Lebanon, run around, kidnap civilians, and attack Lebanese army soldiers. Arrest the Qatari ambassador and try him for terrorism, and arrest all other Arab ambassadors as necessary until the Lebanese state and its citizens are no longer attacked or threatened. Enough is enough.
05 April 2013, 11:31
517
and how about the thousands of Lebnanese that were killed and tortured by the ASSad regimes. Typical of you M8ers looking that other way. Do as we say not as we do.
Hypocrite.
05 April 2013, 15:57
39
This is collective punishment, Israel is best known for this, funny how the jews did it to people after the Germans done it to them, now the shia do it to people after the jews done it them
05 April 2013, 17:54
17
Kaka seems to thinks so...he's so paranoid and he thinks all Sunnis are alqaeda...what an idiot.
05 April 2013, 15:12
16
i don't know if you remember but the Lebanese "pilgrims" were kidnapped in Syria not Lebanon! and if the state is refusing to send more military to our borders you should blame the goverment in power which are your beloved march 8! and what do syrian shop owners have anything to do with kidnappings? i'm sure if those syrian shopowners were allawites they would still be in business! and finally about arresting ambassadors , you must be less than 18 to actually say that so i won't even bothering with an answer about internaitonal law, embassies and their protection and diplomacy!
05 April 2013, 16:14
72
While it is true that these syrian shop owners had nothing to do directly with the kinapping of the lebanese pilgrims, you cant stop lebanese from taking steps to pressure the backers of the kidnappers. Many Syrian refugees have opened shops without any legal documentation. They are guests in Lebanon, first and foremost. The action of these residents is civil and falls within their right.
05 April 2013, 16:44
27
eh cityboy I am sure that those supporting the revolution opened up illegal shops in the southern suburbs...hizbocrap territory...think please.
05 April 2013, 15:54
25
THuggery of the highest ORDER, Karim the hezballah propagandist again starts firing his lie rockets & turning it into a shia/sunni fsa qartar thing.
05 April 2013, 16:48
16
These "pilgrims", like the tal kalakh victims had no business going to syria in a time of war and then come crying and blaming the lebanese state for their stupidity.
They certainly dont pay taxes to the lebanese state or electricity even, and are probably on hezbollah's payroll. Let them ask Hezbollah to help them instead of doing thuggery and underminding our civil state.
If the syrian shops are legal, they should be protected by law, the same law that hits on fath el islam should hit those protestors.
I propose they go join the parents of those held in syria for decades in a sit in next to escwa or pressure HA to drop the arrogance.
05 April 2013, 18:18
11
Excellent point, some people are disgusting, they hurt people that helped them
05 April 2013, 12:31
16
The picturs on the wall show how much the abducted have been pilgrimes and more over how much Hezbolah is an Lebanon,s pary. Those poster and pictures, themself are a good politicall idendties.
05 April 2013, 14:26
03
samiam ur right
but u forgot to mention that while the terrorist syrian were killing and torturing lebanese all our politicians were hailing them and worst were appointed by these assad regime terrprist which makes our leaders traitors and partners in the killing and torturing
