AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, Vice President of Lebanon's Supreme Islamic Shia Council, has condemned the Israeli regime for repeated attacks on mosques in southern Lebanon and Beirut, calling on the international community and global organizations to intervene and halt the "brutal aggression against houses of worship."
In remarks reported by Al-Ahed News on Sunday, Sheikh Al-Khatib decried the destruction of mosques, emphasizing their historical and religious significance. He highlighted that since Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) established the first mosque in Medina, these places have served as centers for prayer, education, social problem-solving, and consultation on religious and political matters.
He then quotes verse 114 of Surah Al-Baqarah which reads: “Who is a greater wrongdoer than those who deny access to the mosques of Allah lest His Name be celebrated therein, and try to ruin them? Such ones may not enter them, except in fear. There is disgrace for them in this world and a great punishment in the Hereafter.” The cleric said the Israeli regime is a clear example of the “wrongdoer” mentioned in this verse.
“The regime, after targeting scholars and destroying all symbols of life in Lebanon, has turned to demolishing mosques,” he said, adding, “Through this barbaric act of terrorism, which reflects its inhumane and savage nature, it has proven its enmity toward everything that is human and ethical.”
Sheikh Al-Khatib noted that many villages in southern Lebanon have been left without mosques, including historical ones.
He urged the international community to act swiftly to prevent further aggression.
He also called on the Lebanese government, spiritual authorities, and cultural preservation organizations to protect what remains of the mosques and to uphold the Quranic verse: “Only those shall maintain Allah’s mosques who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and maintain the prayer, and give the zakat, and fear no one except Allah. They, hopefully, will be among the guided.” (Surah At-Tawbah, verse 18)
The cleric's appeal followed a series of Israeli airstrikes earlier in the day on the towns of Shaqra and Barachit in the Bint Jbeil region, southern Lebanon, which resulted in the destruction of several residential buildings.
Additionally, Israeli military forces used bulldozers and heavy machinery to demolish a mosque in the village of Tayr Harfa, later rigging the site with explosives and blowing up what remained.
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