Qassem Accuses al-Mustaqbal of Causing Sidon Unrest
Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem accused al-Mustaqbal movement on Sunday of standing behind the latest clashes that left scores of casualties in the southern city of Sidon.
“Hadn't been for al-Mustaqbal ... civil peace and stability wouldn't have been hit hard” in Sidon, he said.
Around 18 soldiers and more than 20 fighters were killed in two days of clashes between Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's supporters and the army last Sunday.
The fighting in Abra outside Sidon was the worst in Lebanon since the outbreak of conflict in neighboring Syria 27 months ago deepened sectarian tensions.
Asir, a staunch anti-Hizbullah sheikh, himself has not been seen since the fighting along with Fadel Shaker, a once-prominent singer-turned Salafist.
Qassem said “the instigation against the army and the encouragement of strife led to Sidon's explosion.”
“The incidents proved that instigation leads to more troubles and harms the instigators more than anyone else,” he said in reference to al-Mustaqbal.
Qassem reiterated the call for the formation of a national unity government that works for the consolidation of civil peace and stability based on the army-people-resistance formula.
“We don't want exceptional gains, we want national partnership,” he said, adding “we don't want to isolate anyone and the other way around.”
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