The Grand Mufti of Mount Lebanon, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Al-Jozo, stressed, in a statement today, that “Lebanon is the symbol of freedom and honor. We watched what happened in Ain al-Rummaneh and Tayouneh, where people rose up against savagery in demonstrations that challenged everyone, not just Christians.”

“Hezbollah has crossed the lines trying to expand his influence as a colonial power that owes allegiance to Iran,” he said, “therefore the response was powerful and harsh, with intense gunfire and the deaths of a great number of victims who did not deserve to die in this way.”

“We are against shooting and being driven into a sectarian war that consumes everything and relegates us to the past,” he stated. Civil war is not an option, and Hezbollah’s rule over the people as an Iranian colonial power is not an option. Provoking the Lebanese is never a good idea… The Lebanese are free people who do not keep quiet about their frustrations, as seen by what occurred in Ain Al-Remmaneh and Tayouneh.”