Lebanon’s Mufti Derian Warns of The 'Revolt of The Hungry'

Grand Mufti Abdelatif Derian and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab on their way to perform the Eid prayers in Beirut on Thursday (EPA).
Grand Mufti Abdelatif Derian and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab on their way to perform the Eid prayers in Beirut on Thursday (EPA).
TT

Lebanon’s Mufti Derian Warns of The 'Revolt of The Hungry'

Grand Mufti Abdelatif Derian and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab on their way to perform the Eid prayers in Beirut on Thursday (EPA).
Grand Mufti Abdelatif Derian and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab on their way to perform the Eid prayers in Beirut on Thursday (EPA).

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdellatif Derian expressed his fear “of an explosion or social violence that would lead to the revolt of the hungry,” and launched a violent attack on Lebanese political officials, saying that they had “seriously failed the citizens.”

Mufti Derian, who led Eid-al-Fitr prayers on Thursday, said in his sermon that those working in public political affairs “have severely disappointed their citizens when they indulged in corruption and prevented the formation of a government capable of stopping the collapse.”

He continued: “These politicians are responsible for the corruption, which has become a more terrible epidemic than the coronavirus…They are preventing the functioning of constitutional institutions, hitting the judiciary, resorting to sectarian delusions and separating citizens.”

“These bad actions will not be forgotten by the Lebanese people,” the Grand Mufti said, adding: “We express our fear of an explosion or social violence, which will lead to the revolt of the hungry… Then, remorse will be useless.”

Regarding the government issue, Derian said that the internal and external initiatives to form a government of non-partisan specialists have failed due to “personal interests and selfishness.”

The Mufti said that obstacles were placed in a “systematic manner” to obstruct the mission of the prime minister-designate in forming a new government. He stressed that the country’s collapse would not stop “except with the birth of a government that addresses corruption and carry out the required reforms.”

“May God help the prime minister-designate in his arduous task and be with the caretaker prime minister, who bore what others failed to endure in such difficult circumstances,” he underlined.



Türkiye Backs Sharaa’s Stability Efforts, Erdogan Says amid Syrian Violence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the Malaysia-Türkiye Business Forum during his working visit to Malaysia, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the Malaysia-Türkiye Business Forum during his working visit to Malaysia, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)
TT

Türkiye Backs Sharaa’s Stability Efforts, Erdogan Says amid Syrian Violence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the Malaysia-Türkiye Business Forum during his working visit to Malaysia, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the Malaysia-Türkiye Business Forum during his working visit to Malaysia, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Türkiye was advising Syrian authorities to help ease tensions and welcomed interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's commitment to punishing those who acted outside the law.

"Sharaa is pursuing an inclusive policy without falling into the trap of revanchism. Continuing this approach will thwart the games being played against Syria," Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.

Erdogan's political opponents have urged him to use his influence over Syrian leaders to curb the violence that erupted in the neighboring country in recent days.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) called for an international peacekeeping force to maintain security in western Syria, just south of Türkiye, if the government could not ensure civilian safety there.

Clashes between loyalists of deposed President Bashar al-Assad and the country's new rulers have killed scores of people in Assad's coastal heartland in recent days, according to a war monitoring group.

Türkiye, the strongest foreign backer of Sharaa, has condemned the violence and reiterated its support for the interim president.

The instability could damage Ankara's hopes of ending a decades-old conflict with Kurdish militants, some based in Syria, and possibly slow a flow of Syrians returning home from Türkiye in recent months after 13 years of war in Syria.

"Türkiye must take initiatives with the Damascus administration and make the necessary efforts to prevent such incidents from happening," Ali Mahir Basarir, a senior CHP lawmaker, said during a visit to the border province of Hatay.

"The escalation of clashes represents a major risk for Türkiye," he added.

Visiting Jordan at the weekend, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye was determined to assist the Syrian government in every way and support stabilization efforts.

Sharaa has vowed to catch those responsible for the killings, and Syria's defense ministry announced on Monday the completion of military operations against the remnants of Assad's forces.

Relative calm followed Assad's ousting in December. Syrian security sources said over the weekend more than 300 of their members had been killed in clashes with former army personnel owing allegiance to Assad in coordinated attacks and ambushes on their forces that began on Thursday.

Türkiye has backed anti-Assad Syrian forces for years and maintains bases in Syria's north. Its defense ministry said there was no surge in deployments late last week, after sources in Syria said more armored vehicles had crossed the border.

"We see that certain sectarian and ethnic provocations are being used by certain groups through proxy forces," Omer Celik, the spokesman for Erdogan's ruling AK Party, said on Sunday.