Qabalan called on illegitimate government to take back its decisions immediately

Source: Daily Star, 10-05-2008
The vice president of the Higher Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, called on the "illegitimate" government to take back its decisions "immediately," urging politicians to hold dialogue sessions in Parliament.
"What happened constitute a loss for all of us," Qabalan said in his weekly Friday sermon. "We do not want to marginalize anyone; we want peaceful living to all the Lebanese people."
Opposition fighters seized control of rival pro-(US backed) government strongholds in Beirut on Friday as gunbattles rocked the Lebanese capital for a third day.
"We do not want to occupy Beirut or besiege anybody there," the sheikh said. "We do not want to be the enemies of anyone, including MPs Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt."
"This is why, we ask for the protection of all leaders, notably Hariri and Jumblatt," the cleric added.
A rocket hit the outer perimeter of Hariri's Beirut residence on Friday, prompting the Lebanese Armed Forces to take control of the area where Hariri's and Jumblatt's residences are located in west Beirut.
Qabalan also flatly rejected accusations that the Shiite Muslims want Lebanon to be an "Iranian reserve."
"We do not accept that Lebanon be transformed into an Iranian reserve, but in return, we totally reject the fact that Lebanon be an American or 'Israeli' reserve," he said. "We want Lebanon independent and cooperative with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar and all Arab and Islamic countries."