I fear for Hezbollah

Prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Hani Fahs Beirut - Georges Chahine Prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Hani Fahs has said that a joint statement he issued with fellow cleric Mohammed Hassan Amin, in support of the Arab uprisings and the Syrian revolution in particular "was only a step forward for voicing the position of a considerable part of the Shiite community in Lebanon towards the Syrian revolution, which will be followed by further steps in the future". Both Fahs and Amin issued a joint statement on Thursday endorsing the Syrian revolution and calling on Lebanon's Shiite community to support the popular uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Interviewed by Arabstoday, Fahs said: "We could do nothing but be accordant with our religious beliefs that go back in history. These beliefs push us to side with the people against the ruling regimes. I have earlier declared my personal stance towards this issue, and this statement was a step forward in that direction, which will be followed by further steps, as another statement delivering the same message is set to be issued and signed by several Shiite figures from Lebanon and the entire Arab world; including scholars, politicians and religious clerics." "The Shiite position can't be represented by only one group or only one state [referring to Hezbollah and Iran], regardless of their power or influence," added Fahs. The member of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council in Lebanon continued to say: "I can understand that their position [Hezbollah and Iran] is influenced by their historic relations with Syria, but this position is not beyond criticism." "However, I wish to stress that criticising Iran's or Hezbollah's positions will not develop into hostility. We have supported the Iranian revolution which produced the current ruling regime there, even before signs emerged that the uprising would succeed," he said Fahs said that the statement he issued with Amin proved that there was diversity in thinking amongst the Shiites, and that "nothing can prevent anybody from expressing his views in full clarity and honesty." Asked if he thinks he has burnt all bridges with the Iranian regime with his statement, Fahs said he had always shown good feelings towards the Iranians and "his brothers" in Hezbollah, for whom he sent a message saying: "You are powerful enough to not fear any criticism. You know that we would never intend to harm you. However we fear for you that some of your stances might draw harm to you." On his expectations for the future in Syria, the leading cleric said he could not be certain about what may happen, "especially as it seems like the regime is trying to incite a sectarian strife in order to convince the people that tyranny was better for them." Fahs said he feared Syria would be separated into smaller states, saying that it would have consequences on all of Syria's neighbours including Israel. "Even Israel, which is dreaming of it [the separation], will be negatively affected, in contradiction to what they expect. The consequences of separation will affect all Syria's neighbours; the friends as well as the enemies," he concluded.   The joint statement of the two Shiite clerics, Hani Fahs and Mohammed Hassan Amin read: "We reveal our unwavering stance in support of the Syrian uprising in an unambiguous and non-aggressive way; the same way we backed the Palestinian, Iranian, Egyptian, Yemeni and Libyan revolutions and sympathised with the reform movements and popular protests in Iran, Bahrain, Mauritania and Sudan." The two Lebanese Shiite clerics added: "We are prepared to support any popular movement against any regime that refuses to move towards deep reform in order to avoid revolution and collapse." The joint statement also asserted that "among the factors that guarantee a good future for the Shiite community in Lebanon is for Syria to be stable, free and ruled by a democratic, pluralistic and modern regime."