Sheikh Yasser Audeh. Photo taken from his Facebook page.
A group of 164 Lebanese figures — including six current lawmakers, three former MPs, and dozens of academics, doctors, engineers and activists — signed a petition Wednesday condemning what they called the “barbaric” attack on Sheikh Yasser Audeh, a religious figure known for his anti-Hezbollah views. The assault took place Tuesday in Haret Hreik, a southern Beirut suburb.
According to the petition, the attacker was a local mokhtar — a public official — “known for his affiliation with Hezbollah and organizational ties to the party.” The signatories hold Hezbollah “fully responsible” and are demanding that those involved be held accountable, that a public apology be issued to Sheikh Audeh, and that respect be restored to all Lebanese citizens.
“This attack, which occurred in broad daylight, reflects a climate of intimidation imposed by armed groups that operate above the law and terrorize those who disagree with them — even moderate religious figures known for their pacifism,” the statement read.
Among the petition’s signatories are MPs Ibrahim Mneimneh, Najat Aoun Saliba and Michel Doueihy, former MPs Ashraf Rifi and Elias Atallah, and public figures including Hassan Bazz, Sobhi Mundher Yaghi, Ali al-Amin, Moustapha Fahs, Mona Fayad and Monica Borgman Slim.
The group called on President Joseph Aoun to assume his constitutional responsibilities and to immediately launch a transparent investigation into the incident. They also urged him to safeguard public freedoms and put an end to “the impunity of illegal arms, whether intra- or extra-communal.”
They further emphasized the need to protect citizens, “particularly Shiites who are victims of threats, intimidation and marginalization by the Amal-Hezbollah duopoly.”
“Ignoring such attacks betrays public trust and national duty,” the statement said. “Lebanon will not be governed by fear. The dignity of its citizens, regardless of sect, is not a bargaining chip in power struggles. Silence in the face of internal repression today means surrender to external aggression tomorrow.”
Speaking to L’Orient-Le Jour on Tuesday, Sheikh Audeh’s son said his father — who was injured in the jaw and unable to speak — was attacked after leaving a religious office in Haret Hreik by a man who accused him of insulting Hassan Nasrallah, the late Hezbollah leader, before physically assaulting him. The son denied the allegation, saying his father “never insulted Nasrallah.”
A Hezbollah source, meanwhile, condemned the attack, describing it as an “individual” incident that arose from a verbal dispute and said the matter should be handled by the judiciary.
The petition’s authors also condemned recent attacks on U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrols in the South, carried out by local residents. They said such incidents aim to push the peacekeeping force out of the area and “directly serve Israeli interests.” They called on President Aoun to “prevent any assault on UNIFIL under any pretext, in the name of national interest.”
On Tuesday, UNIFIL said one of its patrols was stoned by residents in a southern village where Hezbollah has a strong presence. The force, which monitors the cease-fire that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel, described the repeated disruptions as “unacceptable.”
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