Beirut Friday Prayer Imam Sayyed Ali Fadlullah: Confronting Strife

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The First SermonIn the first sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, talked about strife and sedition being one of the most dangerous threats facing the nation of Islam.He explained that strife can only grow in favorable environments; it only hits the weak souls and not those armed with belief and piety. It is usually the result of seeking power and fortunes, through what violates the rulings of the Shariah and as a result of the whisperings of Satan. Satan has modernized its means to the extent that now those who incite strife are big states and economic and political fronts that exploit the most modern technologies to strengthen their hegemony over the resources of the Third World, including our Arab and Muslim world, which is meant to live in a continuous state of tension between its components, whether national, confessional or sectarian.Moreover, just as there is a special means to fuel the fire of every strife, even for a football match, there is also fuel for every strife by those who are driven by their fanaticism and ignorance, and it is usually those who pay the price, while the others collect the benefits.In view of the multiplicity of those who ignite strife, including the media and the fifth columns, the solution is individual in the first place; it should start with piety to curb the evil trends within the individual himself.Then, one should be cautious and ought not believe what he hears before looking thoroughly into it. Moreover, one should make sure not to make things worse by spreading rumors, knowing that one word can have an enormous effect.We should examine who said what we heard and not what has been said, and we should not be deceived by the appearances. We should also take decisive stands towards those who incite strife. We also have to watch Allah in everything we do, keeping in mind His call for unity and patience.    The Second SermonIn the second sermon, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, saluted the Palestinian people for the firm steadfastness they exhibited in the face of the Zionists who continue their aggressions, the last of which were the raids against Gaza in the last few days, amid the silence of the world, especially the Arabs.In Syria, the Sayyed considered that violence in this country is aimed at weakening the pioneering role of this state against the arrogant and the Zionist enemy. He called for dialogue between all the components of the country to save Syria from the specter of civil war.In Egypt, the Sayyed warned against the plots that aim at creating a favorable atmosphere for strife and expressed his confidence that the Egyptians will be able to thwart these attempts.As for Lebanon, the Sayyed felt that it has become a hostage of the security incidents threatening internal peace, especially in the North. He said that the problem in Nahr Al-Barid should have been avoided, especially that some are talking about the Palestinian camps in a way that creates additional tension between the Palestinian camps and the Lebanese Army. Such strife is against the interests of both the Lebanese and the Palestinian peoples, knowing that the Palestinian leadership is able to play a role in preventing any conflict with the Lebanese Army.On another level, the Sayyed called for an objective and serious dialogue in Lebanon to study all the problems and find adequate solutions to keep Lebanon strong and capable of standing against the enemy.The Sayyed called on the government to solve the crisis of electric power, and at the same time, he called on the people not to resort to burning wheels./129