UK removes blog post praising late Lebanese cleric

Lebanese Shiite women, hold posters of Lebanon's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah who died on July 4, as they march during his funeral procession, in the southern suburb of Beirut, on Juy 6. File photo: AP.

Britain’s foreign ministry has removed a blog post praising the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, a staunchly anti—American cleric linked to Lebanon’s hard—line Hezbollah.

Britain’s envoy to Beirut Frances Guy said on her blog that Fadlallah’s death was sad news, calling the religious leader a “decent man” and saying that “the world needs more men like him.”

Ms. Guy’s posting drew outrage in Israel. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor says that Fadlallah inspired suicide bombings and that Ms. Guy had to decide “whether promoting terror and giving it religious justification can be considered a heritage to be cherished.” Britain’s Foreign Office said on Friday the posting had been removed “after mature consideration.”