In her blog, titled “The passing of decent men,” Frances Guy wrote that she was saddened by Fadlallah’s death and that the world “needs more men like him willing to reach out across faiths.”

Fadlallah was respected by many Shiites across the Middle East and Central Asia, and was known for his moderate social views and for trying to minimize sectarian differences.

But he was designated a terrorist by the United States and Israel because of his links to Hezbollah.

A British Foreign Office spokesman said Guy’s blog had been removed “after mature consideration.”

The criticism of her blog followed the firing of a senior CNN editor for Middle East news who published a Twitter message that said she respected Fadlallah.

In her blog, the British ambassador said she had been impressed when she met the cleric.

“When you visited him you could be sure of a real debate, a respectful argument and you knew you would leave his presence feeling a better person,” Guy wrote.

“If I was sad to hear the news (of his death) I know other peoples’ lives will be truly blighted. May he rest in peace.”

Fadlallah was a supporter of Iran’s revolution and one of the first backers of the Iraqi Dawa Party of Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki. He was also the mentor of Hezbollah when it was formed after Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, though he later distanced himself from its ties with Iran.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah was blamed for abduction of Westerners in the 1980s and suicide attacks on US and French targets in Lebanon.