Lebanese Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah has called for demonstrations in Lebanon on Monday against the anti-Islam film produced in the United States. "You need to show the world your anger and your cries, on Monday and the following days," said the head of the powerful Shiite movement, in a speech broadcast by Al-Manar TV. He called on his supporters to demonstrate on Monday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in Tyre (south) on Wednesday, in Baalbeck (east) on Friday, on Saturday at Bent Jbeil in southern Lebanon and on Sunday in the Bekaa.
He also addressed the Muslims in the world, urging them to react to this film he described as "the worst attack against Islam, even worse than the Satanic Verses (Salman Rushdie's novel published 1988), than burning the copies of the Koran in Afghanistan or the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad published by a newspaper in Denmark in 2005.
In his speech, Nasrallah warned that "those who wrote, directed and produced this film will be punished, wherever they are, and nobody can protect them." "Muslims and Christians must be careful not to fall into conflict. Those responsible for this film, starting with the United States, must be accountable," he added.
He also called for the adoption of a resolution "in the main international institutions" to "prohibit insults to religion." "The U.S. Congress enacted a law against anti-Semitism, it is not able to do the same for the rest of the religions? " Nasrallah questioned.
He added: "On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, the Muslim communities in the United States should put pressure on candidates to implement such a law."
Nasrallah also called for an "urgent" meeting by the Arab League on this film.
Hizbullah chief spoke a few hours after the departure of Pope Benedict XVI, who urged Sunday in Beirut Lebanese Christians and Muslims to reject anything that might separate them.
