Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi called on Sunday for an investigation to be carried out into the burning of crosses in the northern city of Tripoli. The crosses were allegedly burned on Saturday in retaliation to the burning of an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant flag in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district also on Saturday. Supporters of the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front burned the crosses on the al-Tabbaneh highway, said Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).

“The investigation will be carried out to safeguard the sanctity of religious, both Muslim and Christian, symbols and practices,” said Rifi in a statement. “These practices should not be violated in any way, shape, or form or under any excuse because the cross is the most important symbol in Christianity,” he added. “The violation of the cross will have negative and dangerous legal and national repercussions on national unity and coexistence,” he continued. He urged General Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud to task the concerned judicial authorities to uncover the perpetrators in order to “lay down the harshest punishment against them.” [Link]