Association of Muslim Scholars of Lebanon:

‘Those complicit in the abduction of soldiers by Daesh must be held responsible’

Rasa – A group of Sunni and Shi’ah clerics in Lebanon called for those responsible for facilitating the kidnapping of Lebanese soldiers by Takfiri terrorist groups to be held accountable.

News ID: 432019

Date: 30 August 2017 - 01:36

RNA – In a statement, the Association of Muslim Scholars of Lebanon, a group of Sunni and Shi'ah scholars, offered their congratulations on the complete liberation of the Syria-Lebanon border from the Takfiri terrorists and added, “The securing and emptying of the eastern borders of Lebanon from the terrorists and the defeat of Daesh is considered an auspicious event and we offer our congratulations on this great achievement to all of Lebanese people.”

They wrote, “This day should be recorded with words of light in the history of Lebanon and the region because it is the celebration of freedom that future generations will be proud of. What makes this joy diminish is the announcement of the execution of abducted members of the Lebanese army by Takfiri groups. We have offered our condolences regarding this tragedy to the martyrs’ families and we want them to be proud of their children who gave their lives for their homeland.”

The Association of Muslim Scholars emphasized the need to learn from the developments, adding, “All those responsible for abducting the soldiers and facilitating this issue should be held accountable, especially those who have had judicial warrants issued against them but are still free. They must be brought before the judiciary, investigated and held accountable if they are convicted.”

They called upon the political forces that protected the Takfiris, stood by their side and went to Arsal to defend them to apologize to the Lebanese people and the families of the martyrs for their complicity at the time.

“This action caused the al-Nusrah Front and Daesh to remain for a long period of time in Lebanon until they faced the forces of the Islamic Resistance and the army,” he said.

The Association of Muslim Scholars argued, “We call on those who were in the position of responsibility and prevented the Lebanese army from carrying out its duties to rescue the abducted soldiers. They certainly insulted the dignity of the army who are the dignity of the homeland and they must admit their mistakes to the Lebanese people, especially their prevention of the army’s operation to rescue the soldiers at a time when it was very easy.”

They regarded the transfer of surrendered Daesh terrorists to Syria as a wise measure by the Islamic Resistance [Hezbollah] and the army, saying this would prevent an increase in the number of the martyrs and the wounded among the Lebanese army, clarify the fate of the kidnapped military personnel and result in the return the bodies of the martyred members of the Islamic Resistance and the soldiers who had been abducted by the terrorists.

In the final section of the message, the Association of Muslim Scholars emphasized that those staunch voices who are now opposed to a ceasefire and call for the continuation of the war are the same voices that stood against the army and the Islamic Resistance at the beginning to prevent them from liberating Arsal and didn’t want a war against the terrorists.

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