The killing, which came almost 11 months after the assassination of MP Gibran Tueini, also a prominent opponent of Syria,  is a reminder that Lebanon has not yet come out of the dark tunnel it had been traveling through for decades.

Khaleej Times spoke with some Lebanese expatriates who have expressed deep concern over the situation in their country.

“Actually my parents like many other Lebanese are fearing that a civil war may break out. So they start considering immigrating to countries such as Australia and Canada. I think in the coming days there will be a rush to different embassies in Lebanon. My parents already began thinking of stocking food provisions and other necessities. But as far as I am concerned, I deem it extremely necessary to stay in Lebanon  because we have survived decades of conflict and wars” said Linda Abdel Hay, PR Consultant.

Abdel Hay noted emotionally that she was terribly missing her country  and she would not encourage any body to immigrate. “Our country needs us especially in hard times. So I say to all my Lebanese compatriots to keep it up and God willing everything will be alright.”

Mahmoud Ali, a journalist, told Khaleej Times that his relatives in Lebanon are worried about the country’s fate. “They are scared of what might happen next. They even started thinking of going away. The situation is dangerous. However I advise them to hang on there because otherwise they will leave the scene clear for the masterminds of instability who are carrying out assassinations, exploding car bombs and indulging in shoot-outs.”

“It is a huge loss to the Lebanese people. But I would like to call upon Lebanese to control their temper and not have any emotional reactions. This country is beautiful and special and we should all help in building a strong nation and not destroy it ourselves” opined John Afify, a marketing manager.

Haidar Abbas, a sales executive, in Dubai, said: “I was very shocked about what happened and sorry for the loss of a young Minister. I am a Shiite and I believe that we should be together in such moments because if we don’t help our country, nobody will help us. The Lebanese youth are already moving out of the country in huge numbers and it would be a great loss again to lose more because of political disagreements.”

Salam Itani, a banker, said:  I believe the group, which was behind the slaying of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri, is the one that targets Lebanese political symbols. I also expect that the series of assassinations will go on and on till we unite to stop this conspiracy against our country. The US, Syria, Iran, and Israel do not care about our country, the Lebanese have to take responsibility and build a strong, powerful, and independent state.”

“My loved ones in Lebanon are considering immigrating. They think it is time they live in peace and calm. Our country is heading towards the brink if it is not already there. We  recommend the change of all the politicians now in power in Lebanon. We the Lebanese people are getting used to such acts of killing every now and then but we get shocked when prominent personalities are targeted” said Zuheir Harkous, general manager of a catering company.

Last year assassinations cost the life of many anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians and journalists in Beirut including ex-Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. He was killed on February 14 in a massive explosion along with 22 others.  Prominent journalist Samir Kassir was killed on June 2, former Lebanese Communist Party leader George Hawi on June 21 and prominent MP and journalist Gibran Tueini was killed on December 12. May Chidiac, a very well known anchor at Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC), also anti-Syrian, survived an assassination attempt which left her amputated.