LBCI's Nharkom Said hosts USJ students, political officials to discuss latest dispute

In light of the disputes that erupted few days ago between March 8 and March 14 students at the Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Huvelin neighborhood, LBCI's Nharkom Said hosted on Wednesday students from USJ along with political officials to discuss the mentioned incident.

Dany Fawaz, an independent student, told LBCI that sectarian tension was prevailing at USJ since the beginning of the academic year, considering this matter as a copy of what is happening at the international level.

In regards to the mentioned quarrel, Dany stated that a personal dispute erupted at the university's cafeteria and a student affiliated to Hezbollah asked his colleagues to leave the university.

Dany added that USJ's administration closed the university's door in order to prevent the escalation of the incident, pointing out that the background of the dispute was not political, but religious. For his part, Head of the Kataeb Students' Department Youssef Abdel Nour said "USJ has always been religiously diverse, but the main dispute is with Hezbollah."

"Hezbollah's presence in USJ has become obvious over the past 4 years," Abdel Nour said.

He added that "members from Hezbollah, who are not students, gathered outside the university", stressing that the Army Command should bear the responsibility of what happened since Lebanese Armed Forces closed the Huvelin Street preventing Hezbollah members from leaving at a time when the administration closed USJ's entrance to prevent any further escalation.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Free Patriotic Movement's Committee of Youth and Students Affairs Antoun Soueid said that the FPM is against sectarian alignments, and called on all factions at USJ to convene for dialogue.

For his part, Lebanese Forces official Attorney Charbel Eid called on USJ students to focus on educational curricula, fees, and other matters that are for the benefit of students.

On Monday November 27, clashes erupted between the students at Saint Joseph University in Huvelin Street, after slogans supporting Habib Chartouni written on the university’s walls sparked sectarian tension.

Accordingly, security forces interfered to break the sit-in staged by the students who gathered outside the university’s campus.

The USJ’s events triggered a series of reactions voiced by various politicians from all the parties, including Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and others.