The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah stressed that the political standoff in Lebanon does not have "sectarian connotations, but rather political ones." He saw that the current crisis in Lebanon is not due to tensions between the Sunnis and the Shiites.

His Eminence warned against foreign political interventions in Lebanese domestic affairs. He considered that it is this incessant and public bickering taking place among various groups which has drawn the attention of foreign powers and paved the way for their intervention.

The Sayyed emphasized that there are some rational leaders who will not allow plunging sectarianism into the political struggle, stressing the importance of the continuity of the Saudi-Iranian efforts for preventing all attempts of instigating strife in the region or in Lebanon.

His Eminence issued a statement in which he said:

"We still hear every now and then from some Lebanese or through some statements that the political stands of some parties are leading to a sectarian strife and thus complicating the relations between the Sunnis and the Shiites in Lebanon, as if these relations have become fragile to the extent that any objecting political position or any statement might lead to a strife or a tremor in the Lebanese reality, especially in the Islamic medium. Such attempts are not acceptable and it is impermissible to wave with sectarian strife."

He added: "We call upon all those who are responsible for the country's security, balance and stability, to find a basis for a peaceful living among different factions, and not to plunge the Islamic sectarian aspect into the Lebanese political complications, especially that the opposition and the majority are not confined to specific sects, but rather each one comprises all the Lebanese factions.

Besides, the incessant and public bickering taking place among various groups in which the feuding parties are accusing one another of submitting to the tutelage of other foreign international countries, has placed the Presidential elections under the charge of the international axis to the extent that the Lebanese are turned into a feeble echo of the voices of others and they are waiting the watchword of this international axis or that. On the other hand, the Sunnis and the Shiites do not have anything to do with all this reality, and thus their strong relationship should not be negatively affected, since they are living in harmony on the profound Islamic level as well as on the level of being committed to the nation's critical political causes such as the Palestinian cause and the Iraqi cause."

He added: "We call upon all the Lebanese, especially the effective Muslim personalities to stop inciting sectarianism on the religious level and to fear God by preserving the country and people, and to keep their reciprocal discords in the political dimension, since if strife is flared up it will burn the whole country and the temple will fall on the heads of all of us.

We also call the non Muslim politicians, not to encourage sectarian strife since if the fire is burst in the political arena, it will have drastic repercussions on all the Lebanese, exactly like the fire that has recently burnt the green trees of Lebanon.

At the same time, we know that there are many rational Muslim and non Muslim leaders in Lebanon who have become aware that the Islamic issue in its profoundness does not have anything to do with the political internal disputes. We also know that those leaders will not allow plunging the Islamic issue and the sectarian titles into the stirred up political issue… In spite of all that, we want the initiative made by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Saudi Arabia kingdom to continue on all levels, in Lebanon and the region, in order to prevent all attempts of plunging sectarianism into the political discords.

We also call for thwarting the attempts of all those who are waving with a sectarian strife and exploiting the tense political situation.