The Lebanese Jaafarite mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan. (Credit: NNA.)
Jaafarite Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan, aligned with Amal-Hezbollah, urged Lebanese authorities Sunday to monitor regional unrest — especially Syria’s recent sectarian clashes that left over 100 dead — to prevent spillover into Lebanon.
In a statement, the religious dignitary stated that 'the entire region is rocked by an earthquake that will spare no one' and by 'existential regional threats,' adding that the government must take responsibility in light of this situation because 'we cannot improvise at the edge of the abyss.'
Monitoring the 'geopolitical earthquake' in the Middle East is crucial, according to him, to 'avoid new structural catastrophes affecting Lebanon,' which is 'composed of communities living in coexistence' and must be protected from any tension based on sectarian grounds. The solution to these threats lies, he said, in 'the consolidation of a national discourse reassuring for all components, taking into account the concerns and sensitivities' of each.
The 'chaos projects' of Israel in Syria and Lebanon
For Sheikh Kabalan, Lebanon is at risk because it is 'at the heart of a U.S. and Israeli project that seeks to exploit sectarian sensitivities.' 'National security involves protecting communities, their coexistence, guaranteeing their social security, strengthening citizenship, fostering dialogue, safeguarding pluralism and diversity,' he wrote. He also argued that Syria is 'a crucial regional balance point' that must be protected against Israel's 'chaos projects.'
The Israeli army announced on Saturday that it had 'deployed' in southern Syria in order, it says, to 'protect Druze villages' after deadly clashes during the week between fighters linked to the new power and members of this religious minority. The gravity of the situation has prompted numerous reactions from Druze and Christian leaders in Lebanon, as Beirut seeks to avoid repercussions from the tensions in Syria.