Sayyed Fadlullah: The reconciliation should inspire the Lebanese to establish a system based on citizenship and qualification, and that leads to the state of institutions.

Asked in his weekly seminar the following question:Many believe that the problems that Lebanon suffers from are a result of the section system. Do you agree? And what is the Islamic view towards this system?

The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, said:

Islam made preserving general security one of its top priorities, to the extent that is preferred an unjust ruler, to the state of chaos. Moreover, we believe that the legitimacy of any ruler stems from this general security.

To those who try to present a distorted picture concerning the Islamic conception of the political system, we call on them to study the Islamic concepts and rulings before jumping into judgment.

We believe that Islam did not present one fixed formula... In addition to the concept of Zimma system whom many have tried to distort, it presented the concept of the charter (Muahada) in which all people, regardless of their race or religion, are equal in rights and duties under the law.

Based on this conception of equality of all citizens regardless of their religious identities, we have declared our rejection of the sectarian system that not only perpetuates internal injustice, and deals with the citizens as members of sects or tribes but also because it provides, with the political gabs it creates, an opportunity for the foreign powers in incite internal strife, and enables one of the sects to dominate, not because they want to defend this sect but because this creates additional strife in the future, or because such a development promotes the interests of these powers.

That is why we notice the unhealthy movement of the ambassadors in Lebanon especially the American ambassador and some of the Europeans. These ambassadors, far from being diplomats have turned into rules whose impact in the Lebanon political life hinders the conducting of any dialogue between the Lebanese.

They are creating an atmosphere of suspicion and hatred that deepens the existing divisions and creates a foundation for a new unstable period, at a time we need to create an atmosphere of natural trust and total frankness to defuse the existing mines, and to put off the fires that several officials are igniting by their inciting statements.

We believe that all Lebanese, have seen the negative impact of the interference of regional powers in their affairs, and having accepted the demands of certain international powers, ought to sit down and conduct a dialogue that would enable them to benefit from the new window of opportunity to reach a true national reconciliation. Such a reconciliation should stem out of the sufferings of the Lebanese that should inspire them to establish a system based on citizenship and qualification, and that leads to the state of institutions that the texts have instituted but that the leaders have led us away from.