| Fadlullah calls on the influential countries in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to make active initiatives to bridge the chasm among some Islamic countries |
His Eminence, the Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, called on the countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), especially the influential countries as Syria and Iran and Turkey, to make serious political initiatives to address some severe crises in the nation, as well as the strained relations among some Islamic countries that threaten to stop cooperation among them. He stressed the need to make swift movements to bridge the chasm, because some sides are working on creating a gap in the relations among the nation's parties. He also affirmed that it is shameful that the Jewish Rabbis issue Fatwas that legalize the killing of Arabs and Muslims, and even Arab children and infants, while our scholars only issue Fatwas that hold other confessions as disbelievers. He expressed surprise that the Economic Summit of the OIC did not put forth an active initiative to lift the unjust blockade off Gaza.
Following is the text of the statement:
"The very difficult and delicate situation of the Islamic Nation, nowadays, requires exerting many efforts that go beyond humble calls and aim at making progress in economic issues and bilateral relations among the Islamic countries. This was highlighted by the Economic Summit of the OIC, which was convened in Istanbul a few days ago.
In addition to the economic issues that should be given more attention, as well as the relations among the Islamic countries, we believe that the OIC – especially the influential countries that expressed responsible concern over the past years about embracing the issues of the Islamic world and cooling off the conflicts among its countries and improving their relations – especially Turkey, Iran, and Syria, should put forth serious political initiatives to address some severe crises. These crises have started to take a dangerous direction, not only in the countries where the crises are taking place, but have extended to other countries as well. This threatens to ruin the relations among them, especially with the negative role practiced by certain Arab and non-Arab media outlets, which entailed a remarkable tension in the political relations among various parties.
We believe that it is necessary for the active Islamic countries to bridge the chasm in some issues and crises that have become uncontrollable recently, such as the Sa'dah crises in Yemen. International parties and others have involved themselves with the crises to keep it burning and to make a chasm in the inter-Islamic relations, which would lead to the explosion of the situation in some countries, more so now that the political crises have started to take a confessional aspect nurtured by the fanatic media. In addition, some parties that are against the nation and its causes have also engaged themselves in these conflicts, in order to foment an internal confrontation. This relieves the Israeli enemy and makes it more prepared at the political and security levels to face the resistance movements.
It is noteworthy that new Zionist books are published by some rabbis in occupied Palestine urging the killing of even the Arab and Muslim children because they "block the way to success before the enemy's army," such as the book of the Zionist Rabbi "Shapira." At the same time, there are growing media and political campaigns among the Muslim countries over the interference of this state in the affairs of that one and so forth.
It is shameful that Zionist Fatwas that legalize the killing of Arabs and Muslims, even the infants, are issued, and that the enemy's army is implementing these fatwas in its war against the Palestinians and Lebanon, while the scholars of our nation only issue fatwas that hold people who follow a different confession, or are even of the same sect, as disbelievers. The violent bloody movement run by exclusionists control the reality of the nation, killing innocent people and civilians, and at the same time, no one is concerned with the enemy's plots to further divide the nation and incite internal strife and lethal fanatical sectarianism.
We are surprised over the nation's silence, and that of the Economic Summit of the OIC, over the continued blockade in Gaza, especially since this summit did not present any real initiative to save the Palestinian people who are about to spend another winter season in tents, because the houses destroyed by the Israeli atrocity are still not built. Many people believe that the threats of the enemy to the international or Turkish officials were fruitful and that the issue remained within the framework of words, without any practical plans. However, perhaps the most dangerous of all that is the fact that the Arab League only brings up issues of sovereignty when it comes to domestic conflicts. It does not exert any effort to defend the Arab sovereignty which is violated by Israel in Lebanon and Palestine on a daily basis."
The Sayyed concluded: "While we welcome the firefighter role conducted by Turkey over the past period, we call on Turkey for a greater role at the level of the nation in general, in order to quell the local conflicts that are about to extend to other arenas. This cannot be achieved without a large-scale cooperation among the countries of the OIC, namely the influential countries, so that cooperation kicks off in political fields. After all, success in economic issues cannot be achieved in isolation of the strategic vital dossiers, such as the political issues in the region.