Sheikh Yasser Audi in an interview with L'Orient-Le Jour, Aug. 22 , 2023 in Beirut. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine)
In his unassuming apartment situated in Beirut’s southern suburbs, nestled in the core of the Hezbollah stronghold, there exist no conspicuous security measures.
Initially composed and restrained, Sheikh Audi's countenance takes on a strained aspect when he broaches the topic of the enduring “war” waged against him by the Amal-Hezbollah alliance.
The most recent attack against him was launched last week, when the Higher Shiite Council, the community’s highest religious authority in Lebanon, attempted to strip him of his clerical status.
A document bearing the council’s letterhead and listing 15 sheikhs slated for exclusion, was disseminated online Aug. 16, igniting fervent debate. The council itself promptly quelled the furor, denying having endorsed such a decision.
However, the HSC’s religious orientation bureau has stripped Audi of most of his prerogatives, thereby prohibiting him from handling matters pertaining to personal status such as marriages and divorces.
In response, Audi lodged an appeal with the Council of State Monday.
“In any case, I haven't been involved in this kind of thing for years,” Audi told L’Orient-Le Jour.
The incident has not only brought the organization’s internal discord into the limelight but has also raised the specter of potential political score-settling. Several individuals featured on the council’s list have previously adopted stances contrary to those of the pro-Iranian party.
“They’re targeting me specifically, not the others,” said Audi, reclining in his living room, where an array of theological reference volumes are displayed on the shelves.
Known for his fervent sermons — seen as progressive on a religious level, particularly in his endorsement of civil marriage — Audi is equally notable for his social media videos. Here he takes aim at the Lebanese political establishment, especially Hezbollah.
Among those targeted by the HSC, Audi stands out as the most widely recognized figure to the general public.
During the popular October 2019 uprising, he was among the few religious figures — particularly from the Shiite community — to lend his support to the demonstrators. This gesture came at a time when the Iran-backed party was rallying its adherents to maintain order.
“He aligns with the ‘thawra’ [revolution] and condemns the political factions,” said Mohammad Hussein Tarhini, a close associate of Audi and an author with several works on Islam to his credit. “However, what [Amal and Hezbollah] seeks is someone who obeys without question.”
“Hezbollah has been fighting Sheikh Yasser Audi for years,” said Ali al-Amin, an intellectual opposed to the party. “He’s committed to fighting corruption, and he’s taken advantage of social media to make his voice heard.”
Student of Fadlallah
Born in 1969 in the village of Baraachit, near Bint Jbeil (Nabatiyeh), Audi began his religious studies in 1985 in Beirut, then travelled to the holy city of Qom, Iran, in 1988, where he studied under Ayatollah Sayyed Marraashi al-Najafi. He stayed there until 1990.
When he returned to Lebanon, he joined Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah’s school of thought, and Fadlallah became his mentor. Long considered one of Hezbollah’s main spiritual references, Fadlallah had gradually distanced himself from the party in the post-civil war years, notably because of its position on the wilayat al-faqih principle [or “guardianship of the Islamic jurist” — advocating for the establishment of an Islamic state].
“In religious terms, he is a true representative of Islam, and his reputation extends beyond the Shiite community,” Tarhini said. “He has succeeded in attracting audiences from all faiths.”
Today, Audi holds religious positions at a mosque belonging to al-Mabarrat religious and charitable association and teaches at a sheikh training school.
His sermons often address Lebanon’s current political impasse, economic crisis and impoverishment.
In his recent social media videos, he has gone so far as to touch on corruption in Iraq, earning him much criticism.
“They’re at war with me because they don’t want the thoughts of Sayyed Fadlallah to spread,” Audi said. “They don’t want us to criticize corrupt politicians or deviation within the faith.”
“I have been ostracized for years by the two Shiite parties,” he added.
Audi also believes that the attempt to strip him of his clerical status “could not have been carried out without the backing of Hezbollah and its ally Amal,” known for wielding influence within the HSC.
In 2017, two television and radio programs Audi hosted on media associated with al-Mabarrat were abruptly terminated, purportedly “due to Hezbollah’s pressure.”
During these broadcasts, the sheikh answered questions about religion and expressed views that did not please Hezbollah.
“Sheikh Audi has dedicated himself to combatting certain myths and fantastical narratives that are propagated within the Shiite faith,” Amin said. “He advocates a return to reason and critiques the practice of venerating certain religious figures.”
Amin added, “On several occasions, some people [close to Hezbollah] have told his wife that he had been unfaithful, with the aim of harming her, and his daughter has been the victim of intimidation at university and his sons are unable to get jobs.”
‘They want us to keep quiet’
The HSC has rejected several of Audi’s doctrinal positions on marriage contracts and other personal status issues.
The sheikh is keen on warning couples who seek his services that the council might reject documents bearing his signature.
Undaunted by these maneuvers, Audi did not hesitate to remove his turban in an interview a few days ago on the al-Jadeed television, in an apparent sign of defiance.
“Do they really think they can get rid of Yasser Audi by taking away his turban?” Audi said during the interview.
“What bothers them is when I denounce Hezbollah’s policy in internal matters,” he added. “This party has taken part in corruption. It has protected the corrupt ... They want us to keep quiet, while the country goes adrift.”
Audi went so far as to call upon Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, Dar al-Fatwa [the Sunni community’s highest authority], the Druze Sheikh Akl and the Higher Shiite Council “to remove religious cover [from political figures].”
His defiant stance could come at a high price. A senior security official has recently warned him.
“I was warned that foreign intelligence services might try to assassinate me and then blame it on Amal and Hezbollah,” said Audi, without giving further details.
Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, a Hezbollah source denied the party’s involvement in this business.
“Hezbollah has nothing to do with this case,” the source said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. “The party remained on the fence,” he added. “This is a religious issue that should be dealt with by the [Higher] Shiite Council.”
A spokesman for the Amal movement declined to comment.
“What more can they do?” Audi said. “They’re not going to stop the faithful from coming to see me, if they want to.”
This story first ran in French in L’Orient-Le Jour, translated by Sahar Ghoussoub.