Celebrations for the Eid in Beirut

(30 Dec 2006)
1. Various of people visiting cemetery
2. Woman reading Quran
3. Close of Quran
4. Flowers and incense
5. Exterior of Al-Omari Mosque
6. Arrival of the Lebanese prime minister Fuad Saniora at mosque
7. Pan right to left of worshippers
8. Saniora and other ministers kneeling on either side of Mohammad Racheed Qabbani, the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic
9. Medium of Saniora
10. Wide of worshippers
11. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic), Mohammad Racheed Qabbani, The Mufti of the Lebanese Republic
''Those of you who are calling for the toppling of the government (applause, chants of God is great) And those of you calling on the streets for the government to be toppled, We say to you loud and clear, you are calling for sectarian turmoil. And if you keep insisting on it, then you are seeking a sectarian turmoil."
12. Various of worshippers praying
13. Pan left to right of downtown Beirut
14. Tents with Lebanese flags
15. Wide of prime minister's office with tents in front
16. Medium of prime minister's office
17. Lebanese soldier between barbed wire and tires
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox pop, Waleed Ismail, protester:
" We preferred to stay here in order to topple Feltman's (US Ambassador to Lebanon, Jeffrey Feltman) and Saniora's government."
19. Wide of tents
STORYLINE:
Muslims in Lebanon celebrated the Eid al-Adha festival on Saturday, amidst continuing political protests in Beirut.
At dawn many went to cemeteries to visit the graves of their relatives to take part in a ritual celebration.
Meanwhile at the Al-Omari Mosque in Beirut, the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Mohammad Racheed Qabbani, held a feast prayer in the presence of the Lebanese prime minister Fuad Saniora and other members of the government.
Qabbani warned protesters who have been calling for the downfall of the Saniora government that they risked dividing the country along sectarian lines.
"Those of you calling on the streets for the government to be toppled, we say to you loud and clear, you are calling for sectarian turmoil,'' he said.
Hezbollah backed demonstrators have staged large protests and have erected tents in central in Beirut, a few metres (yards) away from Saniora's office, as part of their effort to force him to resign.
" We preferred to stay here in order to topple Feltman's (US Ambassador to Lebanon, Jeffrey Feltman) and Saniora's government,'' said protester Waleed Ismail.
But, so far, the Western-backed premier has refused to step down.
Hezbollah and its allies are demanding a national unity government which would give them veto power over major government decisions.
However, Saniora and his supporters reject Hezbollah's demands, calling the campaign and the ongoing protests since December 1 a Syria-backed coup.

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