Daraya Municipality Calls for Residents to Exercise Restraint

The President of the Daraya Municipality in Kesrouan, Walid Toufic Safeer, stated in a statement that "Lebanon has witnessed a series of crimes in recent days that have increased citizens' concerns, particularly with the occurrence of innocent victims. This has led to varied reactions, including accusations and incitement that stir sectarian tensions affecting both Lebanese and Syrians alike." He added: "In light of this situation, the Daraya Municipality - Kesrouan wishes to clarify, first, that the families and residents of Daraya have been affected by the committed crimes, and they extend their heartfelt condolences to the families and companions of the victims, praying to God to grant them Paradise and give their families patience. They support the demand for uncovering the truth and punishing the perpetrators. Secondly, the Daraya Municipality fulfills its duties within the legal powers, executing laws and regulatory texts, particularly the circulars from the Minister of Interior, including circular number 42/2023, and has issued several circulars regarding this, in coordination and cooperation with security forces, the army, and relevant administrations." He continued: "Thirdly, the municipality emphasizes that the authority to regulate the entry of Syrian and foreign workers into Lebanon and their residency belongs exclusively to the security apparatus of the Lebanese state, such as the General Security and the relevant ministries, based on applicable laws, without any non-concerned parties having the right to intervene in the matter. Fourthly, it is undeniable that in previous years there has been a lax application of laws and regulations related especially to the issue of Syrian refugees and foreign nationals in general. This phenomenon has included various regions in Lebanon without exception, which necessitates activating the work of the concerned security and administrative agencies. This does not justify circumventing the laws to carry out acts of threat and aggression, but rather through cooperation and assistance in applying the laws, especially by those who host or employ them, etc., and preventing any legal violations while reporting to the security and official administrations to rectify the situation and deter violators." He added: "Fifthly, the Daraya Municipality regularly counts the number of foreigners, particularly Syrians, residing in the town in cooperation with one another, and thus reviews with security agencies and relevant ministries concerning anyone who refuses to comply with the laws, especially the circulars from the Minister of Interior. Sixthly, we call on the security and judicial agencies to act immediately to put an end to the current situation and exert their authority by implementing the laws that primarily govern the presence of Syrians and foreigners in Lebanon and deporting violators to prevent any exploitation of the situation and incitement of sectarian tensions as well as violations of human and constitutional rights." He said: "Therefore, we once again extend our warm condolences to the families of the victims, firmly condemning the crimes committed, with our full support for their demand for justice and the application of the law with the harshest penalties on the criminals to set an example for others. We also request that the security and judicial authorities intervene immediately by applying applicable laws to address the existing situations and control matters before they spiral out of control." He concluded: "The Daraya Municipality urges all residents of the town to exercise restraint and not to be drawn into reactions against the incitement and chaos campaigns targeting innocent people and safe areas, noting that the municipality has not and will not hesitate to fulfill its legal duties to protect the safety of our community and region."