The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, received Lyndall Sachs, the Australian Ambassador to Lebanon, accompanied by, Alex Freezer, the chargé d'affaires and discussed with them for an hour the developments in Lebanon and the region. The meeting also touched on the Western-Islamic relationships and the situation of the Lebanese immigrants, and the Muslim community in Australia.

The Ambassador stressed that the Australian Government and people respect Islam, and that her government has always sought to present to the Australian people, the real image of Islam. She also indicated that those who are committing violent terrorist operations against civilians do not represent Islam, and that the overwhelming majority of Muslims is tolerant and open on dialogue with others, stressing on the importance of working to enhance the dialogue among cultures, eliminating the barriers and building the bridges between the communities and countries.

On his part, Sayyed Fadlullah welcomed all what can enhance the dialogue of cultures, confirming that we do not believe in the struggle of cultures, but in their interaction. He also pointed out that the dialogue between Islam and the West might be productive on the level of establishing a basis for understanding and clearing the image of the basic principles of Islam, especially that Islam is subject to an international campaign made by the parties that have violated Islam internally, and by some mass media and antagonistic parties that violated it externally.

The Sayyed emphasized that Islam denounces terrorism, since it targets the innocent people and the means of transportation and denounces also all what may hurt Muslims. Besides, His Eminence stressed on the juristic instructions that he has sent to the Muslim communities in the host countries, including the Muslim community in Australia. He also called upon Muslims to abide by the laws of the country they are living in, while preserving their Islamic identity and personality.

Fadlullah added that the kidnapping operations that are being performed nowadays in Pakistan, by groups that claim that they are Muslims, against the peaceful westerners and non westerners", and that is represented by kidnapping the two South Korean and German hostages and threatening to kill them, are prohibited and unjustified acts from the Islamic, legitimate and humanitarian points of view.

Therefore, we call for releasing those hostages and returning them back to their homes and families.

In addition, His Eminence indicated that it is impermissible to punish people for the crimes committed by their governments, pointing out human freedom is one of the sacred symbols that are prohibited to be violated. He recalled his former stands regarding all the previous kidnapping operations that took part in defaming the image of Islam and many Islamic movements.