Daryan Throws his Weight behind Salam and Slams the 'Wrong-doers' of Paralysis

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan on Friday reiterated his support for Prime Minister Tammam Salam and said in his Eid al-Fitr sermon that the parties paralyzing state institutions are wrong-doers.

Salam is putting up with a lot of problems, Daryan said at Mohammed al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut. “We are with him and we back him to continue his work in the government.”

“We should continue to preserve of what's left of legitimate state institutions and work for the continued functioning of the cabinet,” he said.

“All the Lebanese should have patience and have confidence in the nation,” the Grand Mufti stated.

He also urged the Lebanese to be “wise and think about the nation's interest.”

“That's what brought us together when the current cabinet was formed,” he said.

Salam is engaged in a row with the Free Patriotic Movement of MP Michel Aoun which last week organized an anti-government protest near the Grand Serail as the cabinet was in session.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who is Aoun's son-in-law, also engaged in a dispute with Salam over FPM's accusations that he is infringing on the Christian president’s powers in the absence of a head of state.

“The team of wrong-doers is insisting for years to accuse Muslims of being extremists and Daeshis while another team wants to fight us as part of the battle against terror,” said Daryan.

“This is extremely dangerous. It's been ten years we are being targeted but out of our awareness on the (preservation) of our religious and patriotic interest we are being highly responsible,” he stated.

“We are the first to fight extremism through religion and politics,” the Grand Mufti added.

Addressing Christians and Muslims in his sermon, Daryan said: “We are a single nation brought together by coexistence, a single state and a single culture.”

“Coexistence will help us confront dangers,” he added.