Fake cleric arrested in Lebanon

Lebanese army intelligence says, “A fake cleric has been arrested after he was seen ‎distributing money from an unknown source among demonstrators in Beirut.”‎

News ID: 447569

Date: 25 October 2019 - 20:31

RNA – On October 22, the Lebanese military command announced that it had arrested a ‎fake cleric, Mohammad-Ali Tarshishi. ‎

According to a statement from the Lebanese army cited by al-Manar, the aforementioned ‎person distributed the money among the demonstrators. The source of this money is ‎unclear and the relevant agencies are investigating.‎
‎ ‎
al-Nahdah News reported that this false clergyman was in Beirut’s Riyadh al-Solh Square on ‎October 22 and was rebuffed by a number of demonstrators.‎

The Tarshishi story began when a video was aired of him distributing money from a bag full ‎of $100 bills. The date on the video was September 24, 2019.‎

The Lebanese website “Ya Sour” wrote in a statement that the Supreme Islamic Shi’ah ‎Council had earlier issued a statement in which they included the name “Tarshishi” along with ‎several other names and said they were fakes clerics and aren’t competent to take charge of ‎religious affairs or otherwise.‎

Some social network users have also claimed that they received the money from parties in ‎the Persian Gulf states.‎

Protesters in Lebanon have taken to the streets for a seventh consecutive day to voice ‎discontent with rising inflation and living costs, despite an economic emergency package ‎recently unveiled by the government.‎

Rasa News Agency

‏112‏‎/979‎