Nasrallah: ’’Shiites are not trying to take over the region or convert anyone to anything’’

Diplomats renew effort to calm Beirut

Nasrallah: "Shiites are not trying to take over the region or convert anyone to anything"

Source: Daily Star, 30-1-2007

BEIRUT: Efforts to re-launch an Arab League initiative to break the current political deadlock in Lebanon continued on Monday, in the face of renewed bickering among the country`s leaders.

On the regional front, contacts between Iran and Saudi Arabia over a possible breakthrough in the political crisis have yet to bear fruit.
According to Lebanon`s Central News Agency, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa is to return to Beirut after attending the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, which concludes Tuesday.

Internally, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah denied allegations made by Saudi King Abdullah that Iran was trying to convert the region`s Muslims to the Shiite sect.
Nasrallah went on to deny accusations that Hizbullah was attempting to impose Iran`s will in Lebanon.
"Shiites are not trying to take over the region or convert anyone to anything," said Nasrallah, speaking in a religious ceremony to commemorate Ashoura in Beirut`s southern suburbs.
He denied that Hizbullah received "its orders from Iran" and said "we are against any Safavid project in the region or any project that would lead to strife between Muslims."
Following a visit to Speaker Nabih Berri, British Ambassador Frances Guy said the situation in Lebanon remains "very complicated."
Guy expressed her government`s concern over recent events in Lebanon and said she had asked Berri what cause he has for optimism.
"He told me of some discussions he has had that have given him some hope for a resolution to the crisis," she said.
Russian Ambassador Sergei Bukin, following a visit to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, stressed the need "to restart dialogue" and reach an accord among all Lebanese, and stressed his country`s support for all initiatives aimed at reaching a solution to the crisis.
"We feel there is no alternative to building bridges between the Lebanese groups, primarily through the efforts of the Lebanese themselves. It is urgent now to find a formula that would be agreeable to all in order to begin the inter-Lebanese dialogue, while focusing external efforts on helping the Lebanese continue with such dialogue," Bukin said.
The Russian envoy said his country supports all Arab and international initiatives, including the efforts of Moussa.
Sudanese Ambassador Jamaleddine Mohammad Ibrahim visited President Emile Lahoud on Monday and delivered a letter from Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. In the letter Bashir said he was exerting all efforts, as the current president of the Arab Summit, to settle a number of pressing issues in the Arab world, including that of Lebanon.
In his meeting with Ibrahim, Lahoud made it clear that any solution to the political crisis should be "made in Lebanon."