Higher Islamic Shiite Council leader Sheikh Ali al-Khatib on Tuesday called for “consolidating national unity and building the state with equality among all its citizens,” during a meeting in Baabda with newly elected President Joseph Aoun.
“Had there been sovereignty and a strong state that defends its people’s dignity, we would not have needed all this debate about the issue of weapons, which are not sacred to us. What is sacred is the country’s unity and the people’s dignity, security and stability,” Khatib added.
What is sacred is the country’s unity and the people’s dignity, security and stability not our weapons,” .
“What we want, like the rest of the Lebanese, is stability, unity and and the absence of sectarian conflicts and quota sharing , which is the root of decay,” the Shiite leader said.
He added that Shiites have never had and will not have in the future a “private political project in the region.”
Photo: Satelite images taken on October 24 show the tiny southern Lebanese village of Ramyah has almost been wiped off the map. In a neighboring village, satellite photos show a similar scene: a hill once covered with houses, is now reduced to a gray smear of rubble. Hezbollah in Lebanon is now being managed by Iran. Its leader Naim Qassem reportedly fled to Tehran. The majority of the Lebanese and especially the Shiites are outraged at Iran for using Lebanon as its battleground with Israel . The Shiites of Lebanon always looked up to Iran as its own. savior but Iran betrayed them and never came to their help during Hezbollah’s war with Israel. The Shiites suffered the most because the majority of them live in Hezbollah strongholds which were targeted by Israel. Over 1.3 million Lebanese mostly Shiites are now displaced. President Aoun and his newly elected PM vowed to unify Lebanon and build a modern state , with justice for all but according to US intelligence reports , Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its arsenal with Iran’s help . UN 1701 resolution to which Hezbollah agreed stipulates that only the Lebanese army can carry arms
“These were political accusations aimed at creating political alignments,” he said.
“We have great hope in you and high confidence in your performance,” Khatib added, addressing President Aoun.