Saad Hariri Commemorates Father’s Assassination, Surrounded by Thousands of Supporters

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saad Hariri Commemorates Father’s Assassination, Surrounded by Thousands of Supporters

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri commemorated on Tuesday the eighteenth anniversary of the assassination of his father, late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, refraining from giving a speech before thousands of supporters, so as not to give the occasion a political dimension.

Hariri, who landed on Sunday evening in Beirut a year after withdrawing from the political scene, abstained from fulfilling the desire of his supporters, who were eager to hear words that outline the features of the next stage and determine the date of his return to Lebanon’s political life.

However, the heavy crowd present at the commemoration conveyed a significant message, which confirmed that the former premier still enjoyed a wide popular base, mainly among the Sunnis.

Hariri arrived at Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut, at 12.45 in the afternoon on Tuesday, amid tight security measures imposed by the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces.

He made his way through thousands of people, who gathered to greet him, before reaching the gravesite of his father and his companions, who died in the bombing of February 14, 2005.

Hariri greeted the crowd without a word. His silent presence seemed expressive, as if it were a message to his former allies and opponents.

No sooner had he moved from downtown Beirut to his Center House residence, than hundreds were waiting for him inside the courtyard and in the streets leading to his house.

Hariri saluted them, saying: “I have already told you that this house will remain open, and God willing, it will remain open with your presence and love…You are the good people who wept for Rafik Hariri, and this house will complete this journey with you...”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, an official of Al-Mustaqbal Movement said that Hariri told his close circles that he would stay in Lebanon “only a few days,” and that he was still reluctant to pursue political work.

For his part, former MP Mohammed al-Hajjar said the former premier’s decision to suspend political activity came after a careful review and reading of his experience in governance.

He added that the circumstances that dictated the suspension of political action still exist, as “the ruling mentality has not changed, and the events that Lebanon is going through prove the correctness of this option.”



Druze Group ‘Rijal al-Karama’ Rejects Disarmament, Calls for Weapons Regulation in Sweida

Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)
Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)
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Druze Group ‘Rijal al-Karama’ Rejects Disarmament, Calls for Weapons Regulation in Sweida

Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)
Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)

A leading Druze movement said on Sunday that the issue of surrendering arms remains unresolved, even as local leaders in southern Syria announced the official start of implementing a peace agreement brokered by Druze clerics and dignitaries in Sweida province.

Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesman for the “Rijal al-Karama” movement, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group's weapons were solely for defense and had never been used offensively.

“The matter of handing over weapons falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense, and no final decision has been made yet,” Abu Fakhr said. “Our arms have never posed a threat to any party. We have not attacked anyone, and our weapons exist to protect our land and honor.”

He added that while the group does not object to regulating the presence of weapons, full surrender was out of the question.

“We have no issue with organizing arms under state authority, provided they remain within the province’s administrative boundaries and under state supervision,” he said. “But the matter of weapons remains unresolved.”

Formed in 2013, Rijal al-Karama was established to protect the Druze community and prevent its youth from being conscripted into fighting for any side in Syria’s protracted conflict, which erupted after mass protests against then President Bashar al-Assad.

The group continues to operate as an independent local defense force, separate from state security institutions.

Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that a high-level meeting held last Thursday in Sweida—attended by senior Druze spiritual leaders Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and Sheikh Hammoud al-Hanawi, along with local dignitaries and community members—resulted in an agreement to reactivate the police and judicial police under the Ministry of Interior.

Abu Fakhr also denied recent reports claiming that Druze clerics, tribal leaders, and faction commanders had agreed to fully surrender their weapons to the state.

“This issue has not been resolved by all parties in Sweida,” he said, reiterating the group’s position: “We have no objection to organizing the weapons under state oversight, as long as they remain within the administrative boundaries of the province, but not to surrendering them.”

The statement underscores continuing tensions over the role of armed groups in Sweida, a province that has largely remained outside the control of both government and opposition forces throughout Syria’s civil war.