Beirut Friday Prayer Leader: The youth are the gateway to the future

The First SermonIn the first sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, talked about the youth and their significant role in the Muslim society. He explained that they are the future, adding that building the future requires an awareness of the present day situation, a good planning and a firm willpower, as well as perseverance to achieve the goals, and these traits are the traits of the youth.The Sayyed asserted that the most dangerous thing a society might be plagued with is when the youth start looking for their private and individual interests, whereas in Islam there is no such thing as adolescence that constitutes a problem or an illness that gives them a pretense to be exempted if they are only concerned with their interests and whims, for the youth are the gateway to the future, and the young men and women have to shoulder the responsibility of the community and the nation.The Sayyed pointed out that this was the case in Lebanon during the eighties of the last century when the youth were so committed to religion that they led their parents to the right path. But today, the Sayyed added, the youth need special attention for they suffer from all kinds of problems, including exploiting and driving them to declare war against their fellow citizens and coreligionists. Nevertheless, they remain the hope for the future and the ones we place our stakes on; the ones who are pious, who seek knowledge and who take part in Jihad for the sake of Allah.The second sermonIn the second sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, addressed the Lebanese situation where the government could not reach an understanding on the statement it will present to the Parliament to attain confidence, at a time the Lebanese sufferings and the fear from the repercussions of what is going on in Syria increase.The Sayyed called on all the political parties to agree on the Cabinet statement and leave the controversial issues to be discussed in the national dialogue. He expressed his confidence that the regional and international powers that participated in the “delivery” of this government will also participate in the process of reaching an agreement over the Cabinet statement.On another level, the Sayyed said that he does not believe that any Lebanese, especially high ranking officials, could deny the role and achievements of the Resistance. He added that if some people have certain questions and concerns regarding the monopoly of the Resistance over the decision of war and peace or that the arms will be deviated from their natural role, they have the right to address this question, yet in the government or the institutions of national dialogue.He added that the Lebanese now are in a dire need for discourses that unite them, indicating that the big issues should not be discussed in public, but rather behind closed doors, for they should not be exploited to acquire popularity.On another level, the Sayyed called on the Palestinian people to unite, and the Arab and Islamic peoples, especially Egypt, to support them, for Egypt has a great role to play, not only towards Palestine, but towards the entire Arab world as well.The Sayyed congratulated the teachers on the occasion of Teacher’s Day and deeply appreciated their role.The Sayyed ended by commemorating the anniversary of the massacre of Bir Al-‘Abd that targeted the symbol of opposition to the Zionist project, and the one who inspired the Resistance and led it, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah./129