Derian: Alliance of arms, corruption can no longer continue to dominate Lebanese state

The mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Abdellatif Derian, on Wednesday issued a plea for the monopoly of arms in the hands of the state and for an end to corruption, in a message broadcast on the occasion of the Prophet Mohammad’s birthday, which will be celebrated on Thursday.

His message comes two days before a Cabinet meeting is set to approve an army plan to disarm militias in Lebanon, chief among them Hezbollah.

In a statement, the Sunni cleric called for "restoring the state, its institutions, its army and its arms and undertaking deep reforms that should have been implemented years ago."

"The demand to limit the possession of weapons to the state is an authentic and fundamental Lebanese demand," he said, denouncing the fact that the existence of "two armies" in one country prevents "the emergence of a state for all citizens."

"The alliance of arms and corruption can no longer continue to dominate the Lebanese state," the mufti warned. "It is not permitted to insult one another, discredit each other, or neglect the interests of the homeland and the authority of the state," he continued, rejecting "accusations" made against certain officials, as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is accused by Hezbollah and its supporters of serving Israel by seeking to disarm the pro-Iranian party.

Regionally, Mufti Derian said that "the Arab world has never faced circumstances more difficult than those experienced in recent years, nor witnessed a massacre like that of Gaza."

For his part, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah who had launched a "dialogue" initiative on the monopoly of arms, expressed hope that the Prophet’s birthday would be "an inspiration, a light that will move the community from the darkness of division to the space of unity."