31 December 2005

BEIRUT: Senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah denounced Friday "foreign ulterior motives and apparent meddling in Lebanon's affairs."

The cleric said these interferences "don't maintain Lebanon's balance and don't help in bridging the gap that more than one international and Arab party is trying to complicate."

Fadlallah's comments came during a sermon at the Imamein Hassanein mosque in Beirut's southern suburbs Friday. He said that because of this meddling, "Lebanon should carefully consider matters that hide beneath political pressures," and welcomed "all discussions that reject foreign tutelage over Lebanon."

Fadlallah described the present state of affairs in Lebanon as "an arena for political bickering," and said "the sectarian system in Lebanon has become more sacred than religion."

During a televised interview on LBCI Thursday, Fadlallah spoke fondly of veteran journalist Ghassan Tueni, saying: "There is a cultural and intellectual friendship between myself and Ghassan Tueni, whom I respect and appreciate." 

The cleric revealed he had told Tueni's son, assassinated journalist and MP Gebran Tueni, during their first meeting that he was deeply impressed and moved by the father and son's writings.

"My relationship with Ghassan Tueni since I met him years ago has been based on a cultured and humanitarian dialogue," he said. "I believe this man is a man of value. However I differ with him on other details."

Discussing local political developments, Fadlallah said: "It is unfortunate that Lebanon, amid all the developments that have occurred, did not try to engage dialogue from the humanitarian angle."

According to the cleric, "dialogue is basically launched from a mind that is open to the other and that acknowledges the existence of the other person."

Lebanon's problem lies in its being "a gateway from the east to the west and from the west to the east," he said.

"All the intelligence apparatuses inside Lebanon use the country as the breeding ground for the region."

Meanwhile, Higher Islamic Shiite Council Vice-President Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan called for "a consensus for Lebanon," saying "We don't want a new Camp David, and Lebanon should return to its normal position."

Qabalan called on the government to "abide by the Constitution" and for an "immediate opening of dialogue between the Lebanese people as called for by Speaker Nabih Berri."

He further urged Lebanon's spiritual leaders to meet "before destruction takes over."

Speaking after Friday prayers, Qabalan hope Lebanon would eventually enjoy "justice, integrity and national unity." 

He voiced rejection for "isolating certain people and marginalizing them." He also called upon all politicians to "think of the interests of their people."

Qabalan slammed the attack on the judicial system, manisfested by Wednesday's assault of Mount Lebanon Magistrate Nazem Khoury, the official in charge of the Al-Madina file.