Sayyed Fadlullah:We should begin making our future by getting ready to protect our unity and to face the arrogance in the weak points, and those, by the way, are numerous.

Asked in his weekly seminar the following question: What is the Islamic view towards international relations? Should Muslim conduct these relations as political and sectarian entities or as states?

The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, said:

When it comes to international relations, Islam has respected the specific attributes of nations. It did not demand that they should drop them as a precondition to establish relations with them.

Thus Islam has considered peaceful relation as the basis of dealing with the states, regimes and systems that adopt different ideologies. It pointed out that war is the exception and not the rule, adding that it is only resorted to in self-defense, or to defend the wronged and the oppressed.

War in Islam is not a goal or an aim. Imam Ali explained to his followers who criticized his reluctance in fighting the army of Muawiyah by saying that he has always felt that he prefers that he could guide the deviated than fight them, however sinful they might be.

In the field of international relations, Islam has set out certain principles that ought to be followed, especially those that have to do with respecting the other and not violating his rights. Aggression is an ugly wrong-doing, while Islam, as all the heavenly messages, came to establish peace on earth. The other’s (non-Muslims) life and property is respected and should be protected. That is why we have always called on the Muslims who live abroad to respect the property and money of non-Muslims.

Another principle Islam set out in international relations is making "alliances" and respect of agreements whether between individuals, groups or states provided that they are based on observing human rights and supporting the downtrodden.

On the other hand, Islam does not recognize the alliances that are concluded at the expense of other nations or parties. The balance of power does not give any contract, and charter its legitimacy. What gives them their legitimacy are the elements of justice they possess. Injustice regardless of how much it hides behind such slogans as democracy that the Americans are trying to promote.

That is why we have always warned of the arbitrary choice of implementing agreements and called for not allowing any oppressive force to implement those of them that promote its interests, just like the Americans are doing.

Although their stand is in its essence one that is hostile to international law they claim that they only wishe to implement it. Its war against Iraq represent the latest of its aggressions that is not legitimate according to the UN Secretary General and since it is based on falsehood them all what is built on its also false, regardless of the slogans of freedom and democracy they hide behind.

We had hoped that certain European states that were against the American war on the region, would not have entered into sideway alliances with the US, that makes them resort to silence on the Occupation crimes in Iraq and cease to demand a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, just because they were promised some gain in other places.

We warn all these states that when America strikes any deal its only concern is its own interests. It will be waiting to stab any agreement in the back when it finds a window of opportunity, for its sole motive is its prosperity at the expense of that of the world as well as Israel's security at the expense of that of the region and the world in general.

Yet, although we know that there are several international deals that have already been concluded at our expense as Islamic and Arab peoples... And that are new offensives on the forces of resistance and opposition despite some nice words offered as a bait, we say to those countries that still believe in freedom and justice that what will give them a role in the region is their standing with the vital causes of the peoples of the region and not these secret deals, or agreeing on what is termed by some as partial solutions that await certain conditions to ripen.

And we say to our peoples that their strength lies in their unity, for the offensive is so severe that it necessitates the elimination of elements of dissention. The peoples, who are still resisting in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq and in any other place that refuses to surrender, should understand that the alliances and political maps drawn by the international powers will be failed by our peoples as they failed previous ones. Meanwhile, we should not be defeated psychologically or morally and we should begin making our future by getting ready to protect our unity and to face the arrogance in the weak points, and those, by the way, are numerous.