AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan, the Ja'fari Mufti of Lebanon, in his Friday sermon, while sharply criticizing the performance of Lebanon's executive authority, described the country's political situation as highly complex and said that this authority treats more than half of Lebanon's population, especially in the south, the Dahieh, and the Bekaa, as hostile regions.
Stating that the Lebanese executive authority is trapped in commitments and dependence on Washington and its allies, he emphasized that current policies are harming national interests and the foundations of the country.
Qabalan said, "The role of the government is not to protect banking cartels, power-affiliated contractors, security deals, and Zionist-influenced media, and to turn the state into a representative of American interests; rather, the government must defend the sovereignty, security of the people, resources, and interests of the country."
The Ja'fari Mufti of Lebanon also emphasized that the state is built on national justice, solidarity, sovereignty, and development, not on hostility toward the south, the Dahieh, and the Bekaa, and on handing over security to the Zionists.
In another part of his remarks, he stated, "An authority that delegates its political, security, and sovereign decisions to Washington and others lacks legitimacy and becomes an enemy of the country and its people."
Qabalan, criticizing the prevention of the Lebanese army from defending the south, said that a government that shirks its duties on the southern fronts cannot in fact claim to play the role of the state, and added that the current Lebanese authority is failed, negligent, and alien to its country and people.
He went on to refer to regional developments and, stating that the Middle East is facing fundamental changes, emphasized, "The interest of Arabs and Muslims lies in aligning with Iran, not America."
Mufti Qabalan concluded by stating, "Lebanon cannot stand outside regional interests based on sovereignty, interests that are strongly in conflict with the interests of Washington and Tel Aviv in the region."
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