The Lebanese Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani rejected on Friday calls for the deportation of Syrian refugees out of Lebanon, expressing that it is a “duty to receive them and provide them with basic needs”.
“No politician or citizen in Lebanon has the right to harass Syrian refugees or demand their deportation,” the Mufti said in a released statement.
Qabbani added that Dar al-Fatwa has been actively aiding Syrian refugees that left the “war-torn country where their lives and interests are under threat, and came looking for safety in the neighboring country”.
"We urge all countries and Arab, Islamic, and international organizations to double their efforts in aiding the refugees,” Qabbani stated, explaining that Islam “calls for being good hosts to guests”.
According to the latest report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 170,637 Syrian refugees have been registered in Lebanon while reports say that around 50,000 are still not registered.
The cabinet had voted on Thursday to adopt a three-part plan to tackle the influx of refugees from war-torn Syria. The plan will involve registration -- which means the counting of refugees -- medical and food aid, and the security and social consequences.
The government's relief plan requires more than 320 million dollars to provide the necessary humanitarian aid for the displaced and avert a security and social crisis.
