The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah stressed
that the state of presidential vacuum the country is witnessing, does
not affect one Lebanese sect only, but rather all Lebanese. This state
is also likely to reflect negatively on the overall security situation
in the country.
He Eminence indicated that the current state of political
instability is the result of what the foreign wills have sought to
achieve and thus it is no longer wise to open wounds and instigate
strife.
The Sayyed called on the political officials and the leaders of
movements and parties to educate their grass-roots with the words of
love and prevent their partisans from taking any actions that might
lead to negative reactions. He also called on the religious leaders to
shoulder their big responsibilities in not allowing sectarian
education to be established here or there, emphasizing that they are
entrusted to protect national peace. At the same time, he warned
against involving in any political maze that might lead to a security
chaos.
His Eminence issued a statement in which he said:
The recent developments in Lebanon, especially the state of
presidential vacuum, have exhausted all the Lebanese who were waiting
for a glimpse of hope to appear in this turning point and bring them
the glad tidings for liberation from this critical reality that has
been hitting them for several years and was aggravated in the wake of
the aggressive Israeli war on Lebanon last year.
This state of political vacuum the country is witnessing, does not
affect one Lebanese sect only, but rather all Lebanese. Besides, it
goes without saying that this political situation has entered a
crucial period since the political tensions, love of exclusivity, and
the spirit of fighting and disputing have prevailed over the spirit of
dialogue and the atmospheres of frankness and since many foreign axes
have worked on encouraging internal division and continuous pressuring
in an attempt to hinder feuding parties from reaching consensus.
Moreover, the state of political instability today is the result of
what the foreign wills have sought to achieve and it is no longer wise
to open the wounds and create tensions. For that reason, all Lebanese,
especially the political officials, should come to their senses, to
wonder about the consequences, and to think rationally and stop
putting their stakes on promises that might come from this
international party or that regional one. That is because the Lebanese
have become aware that these promises play no role except instigating
internal strife in order to “drink from their blood, eat from their
flesh, steel their political and economic security” and put them under
the domination of chaos and devastation.
Amid these crucial circumstances, we say to all political officials
and leaders of movements and parties that it is not enough to say to
the Lebanese the words that inspire calmness, stability and
tranquility because you should not incite tensions through your acute
and harsh words. You must educate your grass-roots with the words of
love, peace and respect to others and to prevent your partisans from
doing any act that leads to a negative reaction which might plunge the
country into the oven of strife and the hellfire of war, at a time you
promise people to provide them with security and peace.
We also call upon the leaders in the official and non official
religious positions to fear God in their words and be tolerant,
rational and open in facing any intense political position in order to
prevent all those who seek to mess with the people's social or
political security or the like. That is because the religious leader
should be a model for love and mercy and he must not aggravate the
issues through self complications and sectarian trends.
We call all spiritual personalities to assume their big
responsibilities in these crucial circumstances and to prevent
sectarian sensitivities or sectarian education from affecting this
sect or that because the fire of sensitivities that is ignited by the
religious positions is more ruinous and painful than any other.
Besides, this fire will also cause strife and destruction. For that
reason, we call those personalities to shoulder their responsibilities
in preventing those who seek to instigate strife or those who are
waving sectarian strife.
We call on all Lebanese of all factions, sects, and political
trends not to pay attention to whoever tries to ignite strife in their
reality or to push them to engage in fighting and disputing because
strife will make the temple fall on the heads of all Lebanese.
At a time we hear repeated talks that relates the continuity of the
Lebanese crisis to the results of Annapolis Conference and with the
divisions created by the regional crises, we say to all the Lebanese,
especially to political officials that if the world is planning to
drive your country to be a hostage, why do not you plan to preserve
your country and work on reaching an internal consensus at the expense
of the interests of the regional and international dealers who are
buying and selling people's causes? And why does not this internal
party or that be nearer to you more than this international position
or that regional one?
National peace is Allah's trust for you, so it is essential in such
a crucial period to avoid fighting and it is imperative that you join
your forces and unite against the foreign interference in Lebanon's
domestic issues because such interventions is likely to bring the
country's downfall.