Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan telephoned Sunday Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, and condoled him over the martyrs who fell in Saturday’s deadly blasts in Damascus.

Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan telephoned Sunday Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, and condoled him over the martyrs who fell in Saturday’s deadly blasts in Damascus.

During the phone call, Sheikh Qabalan condemned “this criminal act that targeted the Syrian people and country,” dubbing it “a coward attempt to strike Syria’s security and immunity.”

He assured that “Syria will come out of this crisis stronger than before, due to the will of its people, leadership, and army,” indicating that “Syria is firm against the conspiracies that are being fabricated against it, and is proving today that it is able to surpass crises with its will to reform its political system, and its adherence to dialogue.”

On the other hand, Sheikh Qabalan expressed his condolences to the Egyptian people generally and the Coptic Church particularly for the departure of Pope Shenuda.

Sheikh Qabalan said in a telegram of condolence to the church that “Egypt has lost with his departure a man of dialogue, openness, and wisdom. He has worked on embracing cooperation between the various elements of the Egyptian people, and has rejected extremism and intolerance.”

“We have lost with his departure a great supporterof the Arab causes, as the deceased has stood with the Palestinian people in their struggle to gain back their legitimate rights, and so he was a defender of the Palestinian cause and a supporter of the Muslims' and Christians’ rights in Palestine,” he added.