Friday Speeches Rabih al-Thani 24,1423H

The relationship between the believers and the unbelievers is one of the issues that were emphasized in the Holy Quran.

Those unbelievers could be holding a cultural position and trying to theorize for the ideology of unbelief or they could be holding a political or an economic position, like the international hegemony that is trying to impose their policies on the rest of the world. Then there are the social and economic relations between individuals, which also follow the same rules.

As a Muslim, one could either deal with unbelievers or he could accept them as his protectors, leaders and the like. As for dealing with them whether economically or politically in things that do not harm Muslims and Islam and where there is a mutual interest, Allah does not prevent us from such dealings, He says:{Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: For Allah loves those who are just}{Allah only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection) It is such as turn to them(in these circumstances), that do wrong}[60:8-9].

Therefore, we are supposed to deal kindly and justly with all people including the unbelievers if they are living in peace with us. Thus, I have issued a fatwa that it is unlawful to cheat the unbeliever or take his money.

Only in war could one apply wartime relations with other fighters. What some Muslims do when they travel abroad and deal with the unbelievers by stealing their money in one way or another, is unlawful.

Let not the Believers take for friends or helpers unbelievers rather than Believers

On the political level, there are those whether states or individuals who deal with America and Israel, and there are even those who might befriend unbelievers hoping to get a job or a certain position… those were promised in the Quran with a severe punishment. You are allowed to deal with such people who have no relation with Allah only as a matter of precaution {Let not the Believers take for friends or helpers unbelievers rather than Believers: If any do that, shall have no relation left with Allah except by way of precaution, that ye may guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (to fear) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah} [3:28].

This is what Allah (s.w.t) says to all those who stand with the unbelievers against Muslims, those who carry out the arrogant political and economic plans and threaten the security and the integrity of the Muslim nation.

Then Allah explains the negative consequences of befriending and confiding to unbelievers {Ah! ye are those who love them, but they love you not, though ye believe in the whole of the book, when they meet you, they say, “We believe”: But when they are alone, they bite of the very tips of their fingers at you in their rage, Say: “Perish in your rage; Allah knows well all the secrets of the hearts”}{If aught that is good befalls you, it grieves them; but if some misfortune overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if ye are patient and do right, not the least harm will their cunning do to you; for Allah compasses round about all that they do}[3:118-119].

Thus Allah (s.w.t) wants us to know what these people hide inside them... He wants us to understand everything about them before we can trust them.

Then Allah deals with the issue of integration with the society of unbelievers, as in the case of those who immigrate to non-Muslim countries. He warns us against obeying them :{ O’ ye believe! If ye obey the Unbelievers, they will drive you back on your heels, and ye will turn back (from Faith) to your own loss} [3:149].

We are not allowed to ally with the unbelievers even if they were our brothers or fathers {O’ ye who believe! Take not for protectors your fathers and your brothers if they love infidelity above faith: If any of you do so, they do wrong} [9:23].

The hypocrites are the losers, for they are the party of Satan, while the party of those of believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment, who do not love those who oppose Allah (s.w.t) are the party of Allah and they will achieve success {Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the last Day, loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such he has written faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from himself. And He will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein (for ever). Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the party of Allah. Truly it is the party of Allah that will achieve success} [58:22].

Thus the party of Allah (Hizbullah) does not indicate a certain political organization. It means that you belong to the believers who do not hurt or harm any other believers. Those who are full of love to fellow believers and remain faithful to them even difference in political views emerge. Those who belong to the party of Allah are those who always just, those who would not do wrong to fellow Muslims as a result of partisan or any other sort of fanaticism. They are those who love Allah and His Messenger.

The world today is divided into two parts: The World of unbelief that is allied with arrogance, and the world of Islam and faith. We have to stand with the believers in this war and resist any temptations the other world might offer us, for we will stand before God on a day that nothing would benefit us but our deeds.

Although America’s celebration of its independence day was to celebrate, in its view, the rights of nations in self-determination, it does not extend this right to include the Palestinian people. On the country, it is creating all sorts of barriers to hinder it. Moreover, it is supporting the daily killings committed by the Zionists, and providing a political support for such crimes in the name of self-defense. It has also decided not to have any contacts with the current Palestinian leadership unless they agree to choose a new leadership that would stop the so- called terrorism and accept all the Israeli conditions.

Practically speaking what America wants is a leadership of Israeli puppets and Mosad agents who would crack down the Intifada against the will of the vast majority of the Palestinian people who support the Mujahideen and the martyr operations.

Furthermore, the American Administration sends its officials to every part of the world to meet the European Union, Russia and the UN representatives to convince them to implement what their president called for in his speech. They also visited the Arab states that agree with their reform plans for the Palestinians. Nonetheless, America is not ready to meet with the Palestinian popular and official leadership to engage with them in a dialogue about its proposed Palestinian reforms.

On the other hand, America did not say a word about the Zionists terrorists operation in the occupied lands. For America has lost the independence of its Middle East policy as a result of the Jewish and Christian fundamentalist lobbies. It now cares for Israel’s interests more than it cares for its own. And this is what the Zionist officials meant when they praised Bush’s speech.

It is the first time America celebrates its independence day in a state of emergency. Yet the administration did not ask itself about what lead to this situation. Is it a mater of terrorism that has fallen from the sky or is the way the American foreign policy is conducted that produced this phenomenon of terrorism in the world, when the people felt that they have been imprisoned in the cells of its arrogant interests

America stood-along with Israel- against the UN in its decision to establish an international court for war crimes. For it is afraid that this court will try its officials and soldiers, as well as the Israelis. It wants them to stay free to commit brutal and barbaric crimes against the nations of the world…

In sum, America wants to try all those who oppose its policies in the world, but it will not allow the world to try it or try Israel for its war crimes against humanity.

Moreover, America accuses Iran and Iraq of trying to produce weapons of mass destruction that would threaten world peace, but it does not talk about what the American media revealed lately concerning Israel’s possession of 400 nuclear and biological bombs.

Israel has announced that it is planning a strike against Iran since it has succeeded in manufacturing longer range missiles that could be armed with nuclear war heads if and when Iran possesses them… America does not allow the Arab and Muslim worlds, to acquire any weapons even if they are purely defensive. It wants them to stay weak to remain under its hegemony.

America and Israel are destroying the Palestinian’s fate … They are creating an international and Arab state of pressure on the Palestinians to stop the Intifada without winning any political gain that has to do with their national aspirations. They want to create a puppet Palestinian state that will exhibit the same feeling of incompetence and failure of the other Arab regimes, which were not produced by their people but by the CIA.

We call on the Palestinians to be aware of this old-new game. We ask them to honor the blood of thousands of martyrs and face all those that are tempted to earn new positions: this new proposed leadership that will sink in the swaps of treason. We also call on them to continue to support the Mujahideen who have given Palestine all their lives and stood against Zionism with unique courage and pride... They are the real leadership that could create the free future for Palestine.

We would like also to warn the Arab officials against taking part in this conspiracy. Do not give the Americans an Arab cover … If they do not have the ability to support the Palestinian cause in response to their people’s wishes, let them not take part in this conspiracy, lest they will be cursed by both history and the Arab nation.

The importance of confronting the American and Israeli accusations to the Resistance cannot be over-emphasized …they are a part of the psychological war that aims to destabilize the Lebanese internal front. Moreover, the Israeli threats are not realistic, but tend to serve as a political intimidation campaign. We warn all Lebanese not to be deceived by them to the extent that some might feel that they could exploit them to promote their own interests. Uphold your national unity, and do not forget that when the temple falls it falls on the heads of all the Lebanese.