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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Salafis freeze memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah |
| 2008-08-21 |
| The Salafi groups in Lebanon on Tuesday announced indefinite freezing of a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah, 24 hours after it was announced at a press conference in Beirut. Sheikh Hassan Shahhal, who signed the understanding on Monday with Hezbollah's Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, declared freezing the agreement pending "appropriate circumstances that allow its implementation." Sheikh Hassan made the announcement after a meeting with leaders of Salafi factions presided over by their highest authority Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal who had rushed to denounce and criticize the deal with Hezbollah, minutes after it was announced on Monday. The Dai, or Preacher, on Monday termed the agreement "media crackling in favor of Hezbollah and the Shiite community" and called for abolishing it. The freeze was announced in the northern town of Tripoli, power base of the Salafi movement. "The Salafi movement totally rejects this document ... and who signed it has no right to claim belonging to the Salafi movement or representing it," the ageing Dai al-Islam Shahhal said on Monday. "This document is ... harmful to the Sunni community and would end up in vain, God willing," he added. "Those who signed it have no influence, and whoever wants to defuse tension should talk to forces that do exist," he stressed. Hezbollah and its allies welcomed the understanding that was sharply rejected by almost all Sunni factions and members of the March 14 majority alliance. Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri, who heads the largest Sunni bloc, had avoided direct comment on the understanding. But his aides and members of his parliamentary bloc said he opposed it. |
| Posted by:Fred |