BEIRUT, Apr. 11, 01 (CWNews.com) - Lebanese Christians said on Wednesday they will abide by government orders not to hold public rallies protesting Syria's presence in the country.
Christian groups had planned to rally in central Beirut on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the start of Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war between Christians and Syrians. The protest movement gathered steam last month when Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, began calling for the removal of 35,000 Syrian soldiers from the country and the end of Syrian influence in the political and economic sectors.
The Syrian soldiers entered the country during the civil war, first on the side of Christians, but then switched to supporting Muslim groups because the Christians sought help from Israel. The troops remained in Lebanon afterwards, turning the country into a virtual fiefdom of Syria. Muslim allies of Syria had called for counter-protests on Wednesday, setting the stage for a possible violent confrontation.
President Emile Lahoud sent a stern warning to Christians and Muslims and said he would not allow them to endanger national security and community peace. "It is not permitted in any way to tamper with the security and economic situation in the country," the leftist As-Safir newspaper quoted a source as saying. "National dialogue is important and cannot take place in such a tense atmosphere. It could start after all this noise is over," the source added.
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
11. april 2001