O People of Lebanon: Reject the leaders of the sectarian parties and those who trade in war

The political struggle in Lebanon has taken a dangerous dimension following the Lebanese Government's decision concerning the telecommunications network belonging to Hizbullah and its decision to prosecute all those linked to its establishment, and following the response to this from the opposition which came under the framework of a general strike, mass protests, blockages of roads and the deployment of armed militia.

What is happening in Lebanon is more complex than to be boiled down to the issue of the telecommunications and surveillance network, or the issue of increasing wages and the livelihood crisis, despite the importance of these matters. It is even more complex than to be thought of only as an internal conflict for authority and interests between the clashing ‘tribes' who are referred to as ‘sects' [tawa'if]. Neither is this merely a Saudi-Syrian conflict, nor an American-Irani one. Rather, the reality of the problem is that it is an American-European struggle about influence in Lebanon and the Region. It is a struggle which uses various means: international resolutions, regional states, sectarian groups, the names and forms of which change but all of whom express the same thing: puppetry to foreign forces and working for their interests.

It is not hidden from the one who has any knowledge of politics that the Syrian regime represents American influence in Lebanon. When America fell into the quagmire of Iraq and new regional political conditions arose, Europe (Britain and France) strove to exploit this weakness in the American position in order to strengthen her own influence in Lebanon. Consequently we saw Resolution 1559 which called for the withdrawal of all ‘foreign forces' from Lebanon and the disbanding of the militia. It was clear that this resolution was directed against the Syrian presence in Lebanon, and against Syria's allies in Lebanon, Hizbullah being at the forefront of these allies. The struggle then intensified with the assassination of President Rafiq Hariri, a matter which created a strong regional and international reaction and national anger which forced Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. This resulted in the success to Europe's allies in the Parliamentary elections and the formation of a majority government by the 14 March Coalition.

However this did not lead to ending the struggle, and from that time till now the struggle has taken different titles and forms, intensifying at times and weakening at others, passing by explosions, assassinations and the Israeli aggression in July, followed by disagreement over the government, then over the presidency, then a boycott of the Arab Summit in Damascus; to the extent that the various groups and parties are taking actions simply to oppose each other, frustrating the people and playing with their security and livelihood.

The root of the disease we are suffering from of conflict, division and disintegration is the Ummah's relinquishing her will against the foreign influence, and her relinquishing the rulings and system of her Lord in favour of being subjugated culturally, politically and economically to the disbelieving capitalist states. These states build their policies on the colonisation and exploitation of others, and are not concerned except about the achievement of their own interests. They are ready and willing to adopt any means to achieve these, be it conflicts, wars or anything else, whereby the people of the targeted land are the fuel and are used as tools, under various labels of ‘sectarianism', ‘denominationalism' and ‘nationalism'. The corrupt Western civilisation uses whatever is at its disposal of satanic means to make brother fight brother from Iraq to Palestine and from Pakistan to Lebanon.

O Muslims,
Do you fight in the service of your enemy!? What is wrong with you!? Allah (swt) calls you to cling onto his rope as brothers, loving one another, not oppressing or transgressing one another, whilst the disbelieving states call you to enmity, conflict and killing, so that they may do as they like over your blood and bodies. To whom will you respond?! To the shaytan who beautifies to you your killing of one another!? Or to the Most-Merciful who has made your blood, honour and wealth sacred amongst you!? He (swt) calls you to be one Ummah, and to throw away every bond other than that of the brotherhood of Iman and to reject every system that does is not derived from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw).

O Muslims,
In your killing one another there is a great sin; it is greater in the sight of Allah than the destruction of the ka'bah, and it earns the curse of Allah, His anger and severe punishment, and eternity in the Fire,

[وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا]

"And he who kills a believer intentionally, then his recompense is Hell, to abide therein forever, and the wrath and curse of Allah are upon him, and a grievous punishment is prepared for him." (al-Nisaa': 93); and there is no difference in this killing between the killer and the killed, both are in the Fire, so long as they sought to kill their brother. Al-Bukhari narrates from Abu Bakra who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "If two Muslims meet with their swords then both the killer and the killed are in the Fire". I inquired, "O Messenger of Allah, I understand the case of the killer but what about the killed?" He said, "He too sought to kill his brother."

Nor will your following your leaders benefit you on the Day of Judgement, be they politicians or religious leaders; those whose partisanship has blinded their eyes and hearts from the truth. They encourage and push you to fight and kill one another and to go against the command of your Lord, in obedience to their masters from the disbelieving states. Know, O Muslims, that there is not obedience to the creation in disobedience to the Creator.

[يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا * وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا]

"The Day their faces will be turned upside down in the Fire, they will say, ‘Woe to us! Would that we had obeyed Allah and the Messenger.' And they will say: "Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our leaders, and they misled us from the (right) Way." (al-Ahzab: 66-67)

O Muslims: return to the Book of your Lord and the Law of your Prophet (saw). Stick to it and cling onto it by your molars, and know that honour is not is sectarian partisanship or in despised nationalism. Rather, honour is in Iman in Allah alone, in seeking solutions from His deen, and in the establishment of His State, in raising His flag, and in carrying His da'wah to the entire World,

[وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ]

"And honour belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and to the Believers; but the Hypocrites know not." (al-Munafiqun: 8)

[فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ]

"And let those beware who go against the Messenger's order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous penalty be inflicted on them." (al-Nur: 63)