Lebanese women protest against return to civil war

February 6, 2007-(AFP) About 300 Lebanese women held a sit-in protest in Beirut Monday to warn that sectarian strife could plunge the country back into civil war.

"Enough confessional incitement, no to civil war," read banners raised by women's associations in the demonstration at Beirut Museum, once the main crossing point on the "Green Line" division during the 1975-90 civil war.

"More than 100,000 killed, more than 100,000 handicapped, more than 17,000 people missing is the price of the past civil war," read a banner.

The organizers issued a statement calling "on political leaders to stop confessional incitement and trading of accusations.

"We refuse internal fighting as a means to achieve political goals, and call on all political leaders to return to dialogue in order to reach a national, non-confessional solution" to Lebanon's political crisis, they said.

Seven people were killed and 300 others wounded in street clashes between opposition followers and government supporters at the end of last month.

Followers of Christian factions fought each other north of Beirut, while Sunni government supporters clashed with Shiite opposition activists in the capital.

The confrontations spread fears that Lebanon could revert to scenes of anarchy and violence last witnessed during the devastating civil war.

From: http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070206-032926-5118r