Sayyed Fadlullah: The coming generations are calling on us to unite, for he who works for division and fragmentation is a traitor both to his nation and to his religious beliefs.

Asked in his weekly seminar the following question: How does Islam view the issue of identity?

The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, said:

One of the problems that our region still suffers from is the issue of national or religious identity.

And this is but a repercussion of the state of ignorance and backwardness in dealing with the issue of divergence as well as the efforts of the international arrogance to enhance the bondage between those who belong to the same lineage or to the same ethnicity to create dissent at the expense of the value that this identity embodies.

Although Islam has recognized that each nation has its distinct characteristics, it tried to give values superiority over the lineage. It also tried to unite nations through their awareness of their interests, and considered that people should compete in the doing of good, regardless of their lineage.

In this respect, no member of a lineage could claim superiority unless he proves this superiority by practicing piety.

But despite all the unifying efforts the Muslims made since the advent of the message, arrogant powers were able to undermine the unity of the nation, whether by exploiting historical differences or political ignorance in dealing with diversity on the basis of dialogue and reaching a common factor.

On the other hand, we notice that despite the wide differences between the various international axes that are also ideologically and politically divergent, these parties are trying to bridge the gap and decision plans that will make them meet.

At the same time, not only are we widening our differences but we are also trying to revive the old ones that the Muslim scholars had previously discussed and solved. It is as if these old differences should be invigorated to thwart any attempt to bridge any gap between Muslims.

We only think about who stands the gain. Is it the Shiites or the Sunnis, and how much the Persians would gain. But as the international arrogance is lunching its offensive to secure its hegemony over the region, the ultimate winner is America, although Europe might regain some of what it had lost before, with its renewed deals with the US.

We warn the nation from this American-European partnership that focuses on one enemy they call terrorism, while they actually mean Islam. They seek to involve NATO in the region under the burner of the new Middle East, which should adapt to the American project in the area after the occupation of Iraq, and presenting Sharon as a man of peace.

But the issue is not what the others are planning for. It is what we are doing to confront it. Why don't we strive to cement the relations between the Shiites and the Sunnis? If they are talking about the United States of Europe why could not we do the same, although this is not a miracle like the European unity since we were actually united? And all we need is the good plan and a sense of commitment, as well as awareness to what the enemies is planning.

There was never a time when this unity was needed more than now. We need this unity to build the world of values, tolerance and prosperity, to counter the world of technology they have built. For it is a world that also spreads poverty and increases terrorism and war. It is an unethical world that crashes all noble values. The coming generations are calling on us to unite, for he who works for division and fragmentation is a traitor both to his nation and to his religious beliefs.