The periodic meeting of Dar al-Fatwa, April 19, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
Dar al-Fatwa, the highest Sunni authority in Lebanon, called on Saturday, following a meeting of its Islamic Sharia Council, to “give Beirut the attention it deserves” and to preserve its “unity, identity and diversity” during the upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for May 18 in the capital. This statement came after the announcement on Wednesday by the leader of the Future Movement, Saad Hariri, who was one of the key figures in the Sunni community before withdrawing from the political scene in 2022, that he would not participate in the elections.
“The Islamic Sharia Council emphasizes the importance of giving the city of Beirut, the capital, the attention it deserves during the election of its municipal council, preserving its unity, symbolism, role, identity, diversity and national status, and respecting the provisions of the Constitution by adopting candidate lists that preserve coexistence,” the institution stated, reminding that “Beirut is the capital of national unity and coexistence.”
Dar el-Fatwa’s statement was published in a statement carried by the National News Agency (NNA), following the institution’s periodic meeting chaired by the Mufti of the Republic, Abdel Latif Derian.
Since Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement, suspended his political activity and announced on Wednesday that he would not participate in the May elections, the balance between the Muslim and Christian communities is no longer guaranteed in Beirut. This is why Dar al-Fatwa has called for respect for coexistence during the upcoming municipal elections, especially since the municipal elections are not conducted based on the sectarian quota system used in parliamentary elections.
The Council also took the opportunity to praise the organization of municipal elections across the country to restore the role of municipalities in local development and ensure the participation of all Lebanese in the democratic process. It stressed the importance of ensuring the transparency of the elections and the coexistence of populations in all regions. Finally, it reminded that national unity is the only way to face Israeli attacks against Lebanon and the Lebanese people, as well as the non-implementation of international resolutions, notably UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
