Journalists protest killing of Lebanese colleague

Written by Administrator

Friday, 03 June 2005

A group of journalists on Friday protested the killing of prominent Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir in a bomb attack on Thursday in Beirut. Lebanese journalists stood in silence between 1000 and 1200 (local time) in Beirut's Martyrs' Square on Friday, putting their cameras on the ground, to protest the killing of well-known journalist Samir Kassir in a bomb attack on Thursday. Kassir was killed when a bomb planted under his car exploded in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh neighbourhood on Thursday morning as he was on his way to work. Samir Kassir, was a prominent editorial writer for the leading An-Nahar newspaper, an author and historian as well. He was also a professor of political science at University of St. Joseph. He often wrote articles against the pro-Syrian Lebanese regime in the daily paper. Kassir, who also held French nationality once headed the Arabic edition of Le Monde Diplomatique. He wrote a number of books including Travels from Paris To Jerusalem and France and Arab-Israeli Conflict, History of Beirut and several other titles on the Lebanese civil war. Lebanese opposition blamed the pro-Syrian regime for Kassir's assassination. Kassir's death came three months after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which led to Syrian withdrawal from Lebanese soil following escalating public anger against Syria, who were blamed for Hariri's death. A number of bomb attacks against Christian sectors in Beirut have followed the slaying of Hariri, much like Kassir's assassination in the mostly Christian Ashrafiyeh neighbourhood.

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