Mufti Ahmad Kabalan. (Credit: NNA)
The Jaafarite Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan, has written an open letter to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, warning of the outbreak of a new civil war and urging the head of state to “save this country.”
Referring to “the tumultuous and difficult history shaped by regional and international conflicts,” he asserts that Lebanon’s national components have always lived as one family, committed to the unity of Lebanon and its national identity. He adds that “sectarian specificities have never prevented the construction of a national unity that transcends religious affiliations.”
The Jaafarite Mufti warns that Lebanon is now “sitting on a powder keg” and cautions against “foreign powers seeking to exploit it to serve their international and regional agendas.” “Any serious mistake, God forbid, would plunge us into a civil war with disastrous consequences for this already wounded country,” he warns, calling it “the worst possible scenario.”
Preserving National Balance
Ahmad Kabalan believes that “the government must preserve its national balance and defend the interests of the people,” urging it to make decisions that “honor the blood shed for Lebanon,” referring to those killed and wounded during more than 15 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel.
“These sacrifices, as demonstrated by the heroic battles in the South, the southern suburbs, the Bekaa and across Lebanon, defeated an army once considered invincible at the gates of Khiam,” the mufti writes, referencing the fierce fighting in this locality in the Marjayoun district of South Lebanon, where the Israeli army attempted to advance until the cease-fire ended the clashes.
“We are not asking the official Lebanon to confront the world, but to fulfill its duty to protect the country, its people, and its sovereignty from external betrayals. The time has come, and it is in your hands,” the cleric continues, before concluding: “Lebanon’s conscience and the legacy of its martyrs are in your hands. History is watching you.”
The publication of this letter comes amid heightened tensions, following recent Hezbollah-led protests around the airport after Lebanese authorities decided to ban Iranian civilian planes from landing in Beirut until Feb. 18.
The cease-fire, which took effect on Nov. 27 between Israel and Hezbollah — whose iconic Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and his successor Hachem Safieddine were killed in Israeli strikes — includes a phased implementation requiring Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanon by Feb. 18. The agreement also stipulates that Hezbollah must pull back from the border area.
Since Oct. 8, 2023, more than 4,000 people have died in Lebanon. On Sunday, the Shiite party accused the Lebanese Army’s intervention to disperse the latest protests of being a “suspicious maneuver aimed at turning the troops against the people.” During one of these demonstrations, a vehicle belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was set on fire.
