Derian condemns ‘delusional rumors targeting Dar al-Fatwa' amid Abu Omar controversy

BEIRUT — In light of his connections to the recent 'Abu Omar' controversy — in which for years a man posed as a fake Saudi prince, alleging special access to Riyadh, and promised Saudi influence to Sunni politicians in return for payments — Grand Mufti of Lebanon Abdel-Latif Derian, spiritual leader of the Sunni community, pushed back against what he described as “delusional rumors targeting many figures and institutions, including Dar al-Fatwa."

This fraud scandal, described as one of the most sordid the country has ever witnessed, was allegedly carried out under the supervision of Sheikh Khaldoun Oraymet, a judge and senior official within the highest Sunni religious authority, who has been in custody for several weeks.

According to information obtained by L’Orient Today, Oraymet played a central role in extending Mufti Derian’s term of office by persuading several members of the Islamic Sharia Council — the legislative body of Dar al-Fatwa — to attend a meeting convened for this purpose on Sept. 9, 2023.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the council members unanimously agreed to raise the mufti’s mandatory retirement age from 72 to 76, effectively extending Derian’s mandate.

"It is unacceptable for media outlets to undermine people’s dignity and reputations," Derian said, in a statement published on the occasion of Israa and Mi‘raj, a holy event for Muslims.

Gaza, Lebanon, Hezbollah

Derian also spoke on the ongoing Israeli aggression in the region. “What the people of Gaza and Palestine have endured over the past two years, and continue to endure, in terms of killing, displacement, and the destruction of their homes, cannot be tolerated, let alone accepted.”

Derian noted that “what Lebanon has suffered and continues to suffer from killings and Zionist violations is also horrific. It does not only claim lives and property on a daily basis, but also causes a deeper disruption by negatively affecting the establishment of the Lebanese state we all await, especially in this new era.”

The U.S. brokered a truce in November 2024 between Lebanon and Israel after more than a year of conflict sparked by the war on Gaza. Israeli strikes on Lebanon, particularly in the South and the Bekaa, have continued regardless, killing around 400 people.

“It would be incorrect to deny the progress made in terms of restricting and collecting weapons south of the Litani River," Derian noted, "or regarding the long-awaited financial gap law since 2019. "

The financial gap law approved by the Cabinet on Dec. 26, called for a guaranteed reimbursement (not including interest) of deposits up to $100,000. In practice, this would allow 85 percent of depositors to be fully reimbursed within four years.

The Lebanese Army, which announced in early December the end of the first phase of its plan to reclaim the state's monopoly on arms, is expected to present the next stage of its plan in February, aimed at disarming militias, and especially Hezbollah, north of the Litani.