When doctor Nada Ekhwon and her husband fled Damascus for Lebanon, they were relieved to find safety away from the bloodshed at home. But a spate of mass kidnappings of Syrians in Beirut has forced them to think again.

"You know last night we were afraid to go out. We heard the news and thought it's better to stay inside," Ekhwon said after the reports of the kidnappings and other attacks on Syrians in retaliation for events in Syria.

President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati hoped on Sunday that Eid al-Fitr would unite Muslims in Lebanon and lead to the country’s stability.

In a statement issued by his press office, Suleiman extended his greetings to the Lebanese in general and Muslims in particular on the occasion of the Eid.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi rejected on Sunday violence and the killing of children in regional countries, saying any attack on the lives of people is a crime before God.

“Any assault on the life of any person is a crime before God,” al-Rahi said in his sermon during a mass in his summer seat in Diman.

Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan said Sunday that Lebanon is in need for the solidarity of all its factions.

“Lebanon is in need for solidarity, love, affection and sincerity in dealing” amongst each other, Qabalan said in his Eid al-Fitr sermon during prayers at the Council’s headquarters.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has described as “very foolish” a decision by Air France to land a plane in Damascus following tensions near the Beirut airport on Wednesday.

In remarks carried by Le Parisien on its website on Saturday, Fabius said: “Imagine for a second if the Syrian authorities decided to inspect the plane to check the identities of the passengers.”

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani warned the Lebanese on Sunday that weapons of intimidation lead to the nation’s death, advising them not to destroy the bridges of communication among them.

“Every time you block a road, you destroy the bridges of communication among the different factions in this nation,” Qabbani said in his Eid al-Fitr sermon following prayers at Mohammed al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut.

Sources close to Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said the minister returned from Ankara with “great optimism” that he would reveal soon on the fate of 11 Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria since May.

The sources told An Nahar daily published Sunday that a visit by Charbel and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to Turkey was “fruitful.”

The Higher Islamic Shiite Council announced on Saturday that Sunday will be the first day of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Earlier Iraq's top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani announced that Monday is the first day the Eid.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Saturday that Syrian President Bashar Assad should contact him to clarify the charges against Syrian officials in the case of ex-Minister Michel Samaha.

“It is expected; I swiftly contacted Assad when Syria accused 33 Lebanese figures of being linked to security matters in Syria… Today Lebanon is charging a Syrian official (Ali al-Mamlouk) and I am waiting for him to clarify the matter,” Suleiman told reporters at Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s summer headquarters in Diman.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called on Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday to take the necessary initiatives to guarantee the safe release of the two abducted Turkish nationals in Lebanon.

“He demanded Berri to press the release of the two Turkish nationals,” diplomatic sources told Anatolia news agency.