In The Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful.
His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlallahissued on Sha’ban24, 1441 H. /April 17, 2020 a press release in the context of his regular Friday talk. Following are the main points he touched upon:
The Sayyed began his talk by focusing on the spiritual values, which we should inspire in receiving the blessed month ofRamadan, despite the tough conditions we are living in.
He maintained that we should welcome it as believers who are about to receive its blessings and learn more about the issues of our religion, building our souls on love, good and mercy as Allah, The Most Exalted, expects us to do.
The Sayyed saw that the Corona pandemic continues to challenge the world, infecting more than two millions and leading to the death of 130 thousand victims and making a disastrous impact, not only on the medical and health levels, but also on the political,economic and even security levels. In this respect, it is said that the world after Corona will change and will not be the same.
He added that the commitment of the Lebanese to the strict measures of prevention, albeit with different ratios, hasparticipated in reducing the number of infections and saved Lebanon from falling into the catastrophic situation that other countries have sunkin.
Sayyed Fadlallah praised the patience of the Lebanese, as well the efforts of the doctors, the nurses and the security forces in confronting this pandemic, and called on the citizens to continue to commit themselves to the safety health measures considering it a religious and humane duty, not an option.
He wished that the government would respond to the calls of the rest of theLebanese immigrants and students abroad who wish to return home, provided that would preserve their security and safety as well as those living in the country. On Another level, The Sayyed noted that it is not enough to make promises regarding the living conditions, which should be tackled with in a seriousand swift way.He added that all efforts have to be made to ease the burdens of the Lebanese and improve their living conditions. This couldbe doneby enhancing the inspection on the prices of consumer goods and easing the restrains on the citizen’s deposits, and broadening the scope of those who receive aid and dealing more vigorously with the social conditions, as poverty, hunger and employment increases every day as aresult of the closure of factories firmsand shops.
The Sayyed considered that it is shameful thatthe delay in providing social aid was the result of discovering andcorruption in the list of those who were meant to receive aid. He called on the government to hold into account those who sold their conscience, when they tried to steal these aids at the expense of the poorest families who need them most.
The Sayyed also criticized the silence of those concerned about the rise in the price of the Dollar, which has become more than three Lebanese pounds. This will negatively affect the price of the consumer goods andthe import of commodities .He called on the government to hasten to take serious and strong measures to prevent this rise and the market fluctuation that will not stop until deterring measures are put in place.
His Eminence commented on the rows that took place between the political parties on the draft of the financial plan whose political motives are clear. He urged the prime minister not to keep his promise of not cutting any part of the citizen’s money in the banks, for they should not be made to shoulder the responsibility of the economic and financial collapse.
He demanded that those who were in power both, politically and financially,and made the country bankrupt, becoming rich at the expense of the money of the depositors and that of the state, such as those who have major shares in the banks or the major contractors, in addition to all who smuggled their money abroad should be brought to justice. He also pointed out that all of them are well known to all Lebanese.
He addedthat the Lebanese expect the government to protect those who spent their lives to earn some money that will enable them to buy their needs and secure the future of their children as well as their own. He added that they want her to possess the courage to confront those made their money by illegitimate means and sand distinguish between the legitimate money of most citizens and the illegitimate money of the few influential ones. Healso explained that the government possesses the meansthat enable it to identify them,and that they should be punished and the money they stole should be recovered.
His Eminence touched on the violations of the ZionistEnemy of late which took advantage of the deteriorating social and health conditions as wellas the political divisions to change the existing equation. He called for being more conscious and prepared to confront the Enemy’s treachery that aims at establishing new rules of engagement.
Lastly, the Sayyed declared that the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan will be on the 24th of April, in accordance with the juristic opinion of Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah (ra) who adopts astronomical calculations. He prayed that Allah, The Most Exalted will make this month a blessed one on all people and end this catastrophe that we are suffering from.