Friday speeches 18 Rabi' II 1426h/27 May 2005 AD

Allah says in His Glorious Book: The desert Arabs say "We believe". Say, "Ye have no faith; but ye (only) say, 'We have submitted our wills to Allah,' for not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not belittle aught of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

In this Holy Ayah, Allah differentiates between faith and Islam (submitting).

Islam is to acknowledge the two testimonies and become a member of the Islamic community even if one does not believe in Islam in his heart like those who fell prisoners or those who join Islam out of greed.

The Messenger accepted this attitude hoping that such people would be influenced by the Muslim society or at least to neutralize them.

Those who claim to be Muslims whether out of fear or greed could be allowed to marry Muslims.

They would also inherit Muslims and be inherited by them. Moreover, Muslims would be responsible for their safety and that of their property. This is the legal aspect of the matter.

But there is a point I would like to touch upon: you know that a Muslim woman is not permitted to marry a non-Muslim. There are some girls who might get engaged in a relationship with a Christian, a Jew or an atheist; they might either resort to civil marriage, or the man might pronounce the two testimonies. This is not enough. He has to enroll in the Muslim society and become like other Muslims...

He might not pray or fast like some Muslims do, but he has to become a part of the Muslim society…

This is what I want to warn about, for a marriage of a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man is null and void. This means that their children are illegitimate children.

As for faith, it is another thing. What is faith? The Messenger says: “Faith is what settles in the heart and confirmed by actions while Islam is what is said by the tongue and what makes marriage lawful”.

Thus, faith is a wholehearted belief that turns into actions that cover all aspects of life.

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) says: "True belief requires that you prefer the right even if it harms you to falsehood even if it benefits you". You should not evaluate things through the criterion of what is good or bad for you, but you should stick to the right even when it hurts you, because you should choose what benefits you before God even if it harms you in this world.

In defining faith, the Messenger (p.) also says that the truth of faith lies in believing that what has hit you was destined to and what has mistaken you could not have hit you. In addition, faith rests on Allah's fatalism, Imam as-Sadiq says: "You won't be a believer unless you become hopeful and fearful, (fearful of God's punishment and hopeful in His reward) and "you won't be hopeful and fearful unless you work for what you hope for and fear from".

We have to deepen faith in our hearts and minds, and to draw closer to God with our actions that confirm our belief.

In this respect, we notice that the Glorious Quran has never talked about faith without linking it to actions.

Those who say that faith is something in the heart that is accepted by God are wrong. In the Believers Surah (Al-Mu'mineen), God describes the believers as those: “Successful indeed are the believers, Who are humble in their prayers; And who keep aloof from what is vain; And who are givers of poor-rate; And who guard their private parts, Except before their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not blamable, But whoever seeks to go beyond that, these are they that exceed the limits; And those who are keepers of their trusts and their covenant; And those who keep a guard on their prayers”

Thus, when Allah talks about the believers, he is talking about the believers - good doers whose belief is proven through their actions.

That’s why, we have to deepen our faith in our hearts and minds, we should strengthen our will to do good deeds, so that we will win both worlds.

Liberation day - May 25- is different than other days celebrating freedom and independence in Lebanon and the region in that it is the only day that our Martyrs and struggle defeated the enemy and his soldiers. It respects the freedom that was not attained by the defeatist negotiations or the sloganistic demonstrations. It is the freedom made by the Lebanese people, by their militant youth and by their challenging will.

And I have always said: Be ware of the international and regional thieves that want to steal liberation and victory…

And this is what we see in UN Resolution 1559, which aims at enabling Israel restore its political position, and enter Lebanon through a backdoor having got out from the main gate, especially with all the American intervention in the Lebanese elections.

We believe that the strategic alliance between Israel and the US provides Israel with the opportunity of cutting into the Lebanese fabric, and raising the issue of disarming the Resistance, exploiting the need of the Lebanese to stability and building their state. In this respect, we all know that talking about disarming the resistance, as an issue that could be solved through internal negotiations, is not realistic.

Therefore, the Lebanese who suffer from foreign intervention should be armed with wisdom and awareness in that they should give their votes to those who have or might drive the country to enter international tunnel. They should not follow their emotions, but vote for who is qualified and trustworthy. These elections are meant to be a turning point that lay the foundations for the following stages… thus becoming the most critical in the history of Lebanon.

I call on Lebanese, and the political and religious leaders of all sects to abandon their empty sectarian, and betrayal discourse and adopt one of national unity dialogue and lenience, before Lebanon is swept by the American “constructive" or destructive chaos.

Elect Lebanon and do not elect international intelligence. Be free, patriotic and responsible.

As the American President continues to talk about spreading democracy in Lebanon while he actually seeks to force Lebanon to succumb to Israel, he also talks about a viable independent Palestinian state. Yet, he does not talk about its nature, borders and sovereignty. He only talks clearly when it comes to the "legitimacy" of the larger settlements. All the other talk about the racial wall and the Palestinian rights is vague, if not out-rightly negative, as in the case of the right of return.

We believe that the pressures on the Palestinians to accept Israeli demands will not come to an end. If the American President is trying to appear as positive towards the Palestinians, especially in his talk about the Palestinian state or financial aid, he is actually selling the Arabs and the Palestinians some words while giving Israel concrete stands and actions. We are used to him saying something and then going back on his word, like when he sent the letter of guaranties to Sharon, in which be accepted the existence of settlements and continuing to build the racial wall.

In the same atmosphere, we read the new report of Amnesty International that talked about the Israeli Army violations of human rights, of mass killing, destruction of properties, torture… etc, that are actually crimes of war and against humanity… These reports coincided with report of issued by the Israeli Center for Human Rights, that highlighted the trend of the Israeli Army to execute Intifada activists killing so far 700 of them including 150 children.

This report indicates the extent that Israel could reach in its crimes without any American condemnation, not to nation that they too here have an equally bad record in violations of rights in Iraq, Guantanamo and Afghanistan.

We believe that the Palestinian President will not be given by the American President any commitment towards the Road Map or any rejection of the concept of Gaza first and last. He will transform the withdrawal from Gaza into a big concession that proves that Sharon is a "man of peace". The Palestinian president will go back home empty-handed, with some verbal compliments, for this is what Sharon and the Jewish Lobby have planned for.

As America is preaching strife and chaos in the region, we would like to say to the Palestinians:

Do not trust the American envoys. It is stupid to believe that the Americans are neutral, for they are with Israel against the entire world, especially the Arab and Muslim world.

To our folk in Iraq we say: in spite of all the bloody tragedies you are suffering from, you… all of you, sects and races alike, ought to preserve your unity and fight the strife the occupier is trying to ignite…

The region is in a state of emergency, and everybody should rise to the level of the current challenges.