Al-Shahhal Says Capable of Issuing Jihad Fatwa in Syria

Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal, a prominent Salafist leader in Lebanon, revealed Friday that he is capable of issuing a fatwa for jihad to send thousands of fighters to Syria.

“If I wanted to back the Syrian revolution with men, I could have issued a Jihad fatwa to send thousands of men from Lebanon and outside to fight in Syria,” al-Shahhal told al-Joumhouria newspaper.

His remark came against the backdrop of an accusation by a Salafist, Hassan Srour, who was released on Thursday by Syria after remaining around four months in custody.

Srour was seized in an ambush by Syrian regime troops in the town of Tall Kalakh near the border with Lebanon in November. Several other fighters, who were part of his group that was heading to fight alongside rebels, were killed in the ambush.

In comments to a group of media selected by Syrian authorities, including state television, ahead of his transfer to Lebanon, Srour said the group had been financed by al-Shahhal.

"We came from Wadi Khaled (in Lebanon) towards Syrian territory, carrying bombs and machine guns. We crossed the border at night. In Syria, a young Syrian man called Abu Omar was waiting for us," Srour said.

"At dawn, Abu Omar called people to bring us food and drink, then we headed off in the direction of Qalaat al-Hosn” in Homs province, added Srour, who sported a full beard and long hair.

"But clashes broke out. I fled but later in the morning I was arrested," he added.

Al-Shahhal, who on Thursday accused the Syrian regime of forcing Srour to make the statement, told al-Joumhouria that “this funny behavior comes as part of the lies that it can't live without.”

Asked whether he thought the Lebanese judiciary will summon him to question him on Srour's accusations, al-Shahhal shrugged off such a move.

“The judiciary will be deemed strange if it believes the words uttered by a captive held by a criminal regime,” he said.

The spokesman of the families of the fighters who were ambushed in November, Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim, also told al-Joumhouria that Srour's alleged confessions were extracted under duress.