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Qabbani: Divisions Will Drag Lebanon towards Sectarian Conflicts
[An Nahar] Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani ... Grand Mufti of Lebanon and the most prominent Sunni Muslim cleric in the country. An assassination attempt against Qabbani was foiled by Leb internal security forces in 2009 as part of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Beirut. In an interview broadcast in 2012, Qabbani stated that Jews were behind secularism, because they opposed the authority of the church, against Christianity.He also suggested that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were orchestratedby Jews in order to justify the persecution of Muslims worldwide.Qabbani is against the legalization of civil marriage in Lebanon. He has issued a fatwa declaring any Muslim politician who approves civil marriage legislation an apostate. Surprisingly, he is not considered very much of a nut by Moslem standards. noted on Sunday that Leb is passing through a very dangerous and critical phase. He warned: "Divisions among the Lebanese will pave the way to dragging them towards sectarian conflicts." He made his remarks on the occasion of the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, which falls on Monday. "The wise and reasonable people among us must realize the sensitivity of the situation in Leb because maintaining the country's stability and security is everyone's responsibility," stressed Qabbani. Furthermore, he said that any action that does not enjoy the consensus of all powers will lead to fragmentation and division among the people. "The people's unity is crucial in deciding their fate and they should steer clear of statements that incite division," added the mufti. He hoped that political powers will succeed in forming a government that will revitalize state institutions. Posted by: Fred 2014-01-13 |
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