All the Syrian people will emerge victorious, Jumblatt says

Progressive Socialist Party leader proclaimed during the memorial service of Sheikh Abu Fahd Wahid al-Balous at the Druze Community Center  in Beirut that  all the Syrian people will emerge victorious

Balous  is  a prominent anti-Syrian regime Druze leader (aka   dignity Sheikh )  that was reportedly killed in Syria last week by the  Syrian regime.

Earlier this  week  Jumblatt called for maximum  participation  by his supporters to  turn  the event into a “national occasion” to memorialize the figure and his companions.

“This can happen through high participation by the people to give condolences and prayers for the soul of the martyrs,” Jumblatt said in a statement Tuesday, referring to Sheikh Balous and his companions.

Balous and at least 25 others were killed last Friday in a  twin car bombings in the southern province of Sweida.

Pro-Syrian regime media reported Sunday the arrest of a Nusra Front militant identified as Wafi Abu Trabi, saying he confessed to having planned the bombings. But Jumblatt, a staunch critic of the Syrian regime, dismissed the move, saying it aimed to cover up the involvement of Syrian authorities in the crime, just like the regime tried to frame Abu Adass in the  assassination of former PM Rafic Hariri

Jumblatt stressed today that   the memorial that was held between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.  was not directed against any side in Lebanon. “This occasion aims at honoring martyr Balous and his role in the Syrian revolution. It is not directed against anybody and does not aim at provoking anybody,” the PSP chief said .

Jumblatt backs the Syrian opposition,  while his rival in the Druze community in Lebanon  MP Talal Arslan, , supports Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Seeking to contain any possible tension as a result of Balous killing he said:

“We have organized our differences with Hezbollah on the Syrian revolution.”

“We also understand Lebanese Democratic Party leader (MP) Talal Arslan’s stance. We don’t want tension to reach  anyone or any side,” he told crowds gathered for the memorial service.

 

He concluded his speech by telling the participants

“Go  home and hang the picture of Sheikh Balous next to the picture of Hamze al Khatib and the pictures of our martyrs , former PM Rafic Hariri and all  the martyrs of independence , the Syrian people are  going to be victorious sooner or later ”

Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb was a 13-year-old Syrian boy who died while in the custody of the Syrian government in Daraa during the Civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war. He became the face of the Syrian uprising.