Relations between Mufti Sheikh Mohamad Rashid Qabbani and Future party have deteriorated South visit best proof

Relations between Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohamad Rashid Qabbani and the Future party in Lebanon do not seem to be well…

Because the Future party activists believe the Grand Mufti must only represent them, without other moderate Sunnis, they declared war against the Mufti who believed Prime Minister Najib Miqati deserves a chance in premiership. Not only this, they did not understand the Mufti’s openness to other Lebanese sects and parties after he received a Hezbollah delegation and decided to visit the South.

The ‘crisis’ between the Future party and the Mufti was uncovered when the lawmakers affiliated with the blue party boycotted, for the first time ever, the Eid Al-Fitr prayers, violating therefore a tradition set by former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri to take part in the prayers, which are essential in Islam.

MUFTI’S MESSAGES…
From South Lebanon, the region of Resistance, Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohamad Rashid Qabbani decided to deliver clear message to his former “supporters” and perhaps, new “rivals.”

While attending the inauguration of a mosque in the southern town of Shebaa, a move that seemed to provoke the Future party, the Grand Mufti called for a huge support for the Lebanese army, hailing it as the only remaining institution to guarantee unity of Lebanese.

His remarks could not be isolated from the campaign recently launched by the Future party, through MP Khaled Daher and colleagues, against the army. In a very weird stance, Daher has accused the army intelligence of being a group of armed thugs linked to the Syrian regime and operating under Hezbollah orders. He also criticized Army chief General Jean Qahwaji.

“There is still an opportunity to preserve our unity and coexistence and cooperate to build the future of generations,” Mufti Qabbani said. “The army is the only institution that guarantees the unity of our nation Lebanon and if the military falls apart then there would no longer be any Lebanon,” the Mufti said in his rare visit to the South.

“We should support the military leadership … to allow the army to salvage the country from permanent dangers,” Qabbani said.

JUSTICE AND STABILITY COME TOGETHER
While Qabbani’s support for the army seemed to be a clear indication that his relations with former Premier Saad Hariri’s Future party have deteriorated, analysts highlighted his “stances” in relation to the justice and stability.

Justice is the right of every Lebanese and stability is the duty of the state, the Mufti said in his speech. “No party is capable or can make claims of imposing its will on the other.”

“We want justice for ex-Premier Rafiq Hariri and we want justice for all the martyrs and Lebanon,” Mufti Qabbani said. “Justice is wanted and stability is wanted and it is our duty to achieve justice and stability and not lose both,” he added.