TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Sidon-based Sheikh Ahmad Assir attended a religious gathering Sunday in the northern town of Mina near Tripoli on the invitation of a local Islamic committee. Around 3,000 people attended the gathering, which was held on the seaside Corniche amid heavy presence of the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces. Assir said he felt happy to be in the “heroic city” of Tripoli, voicing hope that he would soon meet with its residents in Homs and Damascus. Assir also called for adherence to Islam’s true values. Attending the event were Islamist figures from Tripoli, along with Omar Bakri, a Tripoli-based Muslim preacher. “We wanted through this gathering to tell Sheikh Ahmad Assir that we stand by your side ... to confront all forms of injustice inflicted in Muslims, particularly in Syria,” said Ahmad Ayoubi, the head of the committee.