Qabalan calls for dropping sectarian formula, holding accountable those who stole public money and opening a channel with Damascus regarding the displaced

24 May 2020

Lebanon – In his religious sermon marking the Fitr Eid on Sunday, the Grand Mufti Al-Jaafari, Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, denounced injustice, corruption and persecution, and categorically refused to accept a corrupt form of rule, unjust compromises, and power based on sectarianism and political opportunism.

Qabalan called for dropping the sectarian formula, saying: “We confirm that Lebanon’s origin was on a sectarian basis, with the function of serving the colonial and monopolistic project, and this formula has ended, and what Bchara Al-Khoury and Riyadh Al-Solh did is no longer suitable for the state of the individual and the citizen; it is a phase that has come to an end.”

“In order to protect the country and break political paganism, and in order to save Lebanon, and affirm its mutual coexistence and civil peace, we are required to drop the sectarian formula in favor of a citizen state, a non-sectarian state, a human state, a state of law that informs the citizen of what citizenship denotes,” Qabalan underlined.

“No to the Taef, no to the quota state and no to the quota system,” he added, reiterating the need for a just state of law and strong institutions, far from sectarianism and monopolies.

Over the looted funds, Sheikh Qabalan called for holding accountable all those who stole public funds and exploited power, stressing the need to restore all public money.

As for the Syrian refugees issue, the Mufti emphasized the need to open a channel with Syria to address this matter.

“Finally, on God’s Day and Eid, we affirm that the greatest greatness is to return to God…Blessed is the month of God, blessed is His glorious feast, of goodness, mercy and forgiveness, and may it return every year with a thousand blessings to Lebanon and the Lebanese,” Sheikh Qabalan concluded.