Press release
Syrian Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
June 13, 2019
The Syrian Coalition reiterates its outright rejection and condemnation of the hate speech and racist remarks some Lebanese officials are expressing against the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The Coalition warns of dire consequences of the incitement of hatred against Syrian refugees as well as the participation in the spreading of the obnoxious hatred, racism and populism being promulgation by the Lebanese Foreign Minister. It also warns that this hate speech will have dire consequences for those promoting it.
No Syrian can deny the solidarity being demonstrated by Lebanese brothers who stood by the Syrian refugees during their ordeal. Many of them demonstrated in Beirut on Wednesday to denounce the violations against Syrian refugees. No one can also ignore the criminal role being played by well-known parties, especially the terrorist Hezbollah Militia, which has been involved in the crimes taking place in our country and its major role in the resulting mass displacement and refugee crisis.
The presence of the Hezbollah Militia is a major cause of the disaster of killings, mass displacement and the refugee crisis. Unless it withdraws from all the Syrian territory and ceases its support for the murderous Assad regime, there will be no point in calling for a unilateral solution to the problem of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Therefore, those who propose and support plans to force refugees to return to Syria are responsible for the crimes the Assad regime is committing against Syrians.
Such an inflammatory speech do not represent the Lebanese people. Rational voices, especially the Lebanese Prime Minister, have to assume their humanitarian and official responsibility as was stipulated by the principles and resolutions of the United Nations, the Arab League, and the treaties to which Lebanon is committed. They have also to put an end to such statements before they cause more damage or turn into a spark leading to unpredictable consequences.
We emphasize the need to respect the laws and treaties, and to abstain from making more inflammatory statements which recall the violations against Syrian refugees, including the arrest campaigns, the destruction and burning of tents, and the handover of Syrian refugees to the Assad regime.
There is an urgent need for practical and legal intervention to put an end to these campaigns and the offensive statements against the Lebanese people before any other party.
We renew our call for respect for international agreements on refugees and for holding accountable those involved in violations, incitement of hatred against refugees and violation of their legitimate rights.
It is imperative that the United Nations and the International Human Rights Commission shoulder their responsibilities to prevent further violations and crimes against Syrian refugees and hold those responsible accountable.
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