A recent debate on the situation in Syria turned ugly when a Lebanese journalist threatened, live on TV, to kill a Syrian human rights activist. During the show, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on October 14, 2012, pro-Hizbullah Lebanese journalist Ghassan Jawwad took offense when Syrian human rights activist 'Ammar Al-Qurabi said that Hizbullah Secretary-General Nasrallah would be found hiding in a sewer, like former Libya leader Al-Qadhafi.
"You will be killed" for saying that, shouted Jawwad. "Do you hear me?" Even after the TV host warned him that his remarks were recorded and that Al-Qurabi was within his rights to file a lawsuit against him, Jawwad did not back down.
Al-Qurabi, the executive director of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, later said that such death threats were no surprise to him. "This is their response to any attempt at dialogue," he said. "This was the basis for the revolution in Syria."
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV.
Al-Qurabi: "Syria Is Ruled By A Gang Or Mafioso"
'Ammar Al-Qurabi: "Just to set the record straight – there is no 'state' ruling Syria. Syria is ruled by a gang, or a Mafioso. Al-Assad has proven to be a criminal – he, his father, and the entire family.
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"Secondly, Al-Assad, who claimed he would never allow foreign forces to enter Syria, ushered whole herds of Iranians, Iraqis, and Hizbullah militias into Syria." [...]
Jawwad: You Will Be Killed For Saying Nasrallah Will Be Found In A Sewer
'Ammar Al-Qurabi: "I said that Al-Qadhafi was found in a sewer, and in the sewer we will eventually find Bashar Al-Assad and Hassan Nasrallah, who is already hiding in the sewer from vengeance for what is happening in Syria." [...]
Ghassan Jawwad: "You will be killed for saying that Nasrallah will be found hiding in a sewer. Do you hear me?"
TV host: "He is making direct threats against you, Dr. 'Ammar Al-Qurabi. These threats are recorded."
Ghassan Jawwad: "That's right. Whoever says such things about the leader of the resistance has no right to..."
TV host: "We have these threats on tape. Dr. A-Qurabi has the right to file a lawsuit in case anything happens to him, because you did make direct threats against him on this show, and this is completely out of line." [...]
Al-Qurabi: They Respond To Attempts At Dialogue With Death Threats
'Ammar Al-Qurabi: "His death threats come as no surprise to me. This is their response to any attempt at dialogue. This was the basis for the revolution in Syria. For 50 years, any demand for reform, in order to save the Syrian people, always met the same logic – killings, arrests, an iron fist.
"Therefore, life and death became one and the same to the Syrian people. My blood is not worth more than the children's blood being shed in Syria. We accepted this fate so that our children could live a life free of Al-Assad and his slaves – like your other guest." [...]
