Fifty-one independent Shiite public figures have condemned the politicization of the Shiite sect by the Shiite political duo of AMAL and Hezbollah. The most recent June 6 incident was the repetition of the “Shia Shia” slogan, which is antithetical to the Arab Lebanese Shiite identity, and detracting it to the vulgar alleys of sectarian strife. This goes against the Shiite values and culture which oppose corruption and injustice and call for coexistence within a civil, democratic, and just state. These same values led to the participation of the Shiite communities in the October 17th uprising.
Below is the Statement
One of the prominent achievements of the October 17th uprising is that the Lebanese people took to the streets as Lebanese people, and they rejected their systematic categorization into sectarian groups. They united against an authority that has long invested in maintaining their influence of these sectarian groups using quotas, corruption, and the systemic weakening of the state as a whole.
The uprising has been an embodiment of the national unity in Lebanon. However, attempts to target and shut it down existed from the very beginning and are still occurring. It is no secret what happened on June 6th. It was a shameless example of pitting people back against each other through sectarian conflicts that have been completely manufactured.
The uprising has been an embodiment of the national unity in Lebanon. However, attempts to target and shut it down existed from the very beginning and are still occurring. It is no secret what happened on June 6th. It was a shameless example of pitting people back against each other through sectarian conflicts that have been completely manufactured.
In light of these shameless attempts to detract from the achievements of the October uprising as well as the relentless pursuit by powerful forces to bring back the sectarian frontlines page of the civil war that the uprising turned; we commit our continuous support to the uprising and the revolution. We declare once more our allegiance to the civil state and to coexistence between all the Lebanese people. We reaffirm our utter condemnation to these narrow and elitist policies that attempt to climb by sowing division in discourse. We call on all Lebanese to maintain their choice of a civil society and state governed by constitution and the rule of law. We advise the parties who have practiced the art and culture of division and isolation and have invested in mob mentalities and sectarian tendencies that continuing down that path is suicide. It is the attitude of the weak minded much less patriots or religious believers.
from this standpoint, we announce with full confidence and stemming from our belonging to Lebanon, the Arab world, our people in the South, Bekaa, and the Southern Suburb of Beirut, and knowing the history of the Shiites and their figures in Lebanon and their legacy that enriched the culture of coexistence and unity, that all the sectarian slogans that have been uttered and repeated goes against the Shiite, Lebanese, Arab, and unifying Islamic Identity. It only represents a novel and shameful culture that aims to transform Shiites from a group of pluralist thinkers and intellectuals into a closed minded community opposed to all the teachings of great former Shiite scholars.
Signatories in Alphabetical Order of First Names
1- Dr. Amin Wehbi (MD and Former Deputy)
2- Asaad Muhammad Jamil Haidar (Journalist)
3- Ahmed Ayyash (Journalist)
4- Ahmad Kanso (Professor and political activist)
5- Dr. Harith Suleiman (University professor and political commentator)
6- Habib Krisht (Politician and businessman)
7- Hassan Haj Hassan (Highschool teacher)
8- Hussein Alow (Political activist)
9- Khalil Kazem Al-Khalil (Former Ambassador)
10- Khalil Rayhan (Professor of Education and Politics)
11- Diab Al-Hajj Hassan (Professor of Education)
12- Rifaat Nayef Al-Masry (Politician)
13- Zainab Saqr (Social activist)
14- Saeed Al-Dawi (Politician)
15- Sanaa Al-Jack (Media and political writer)
16- Dr. Sharif Al-Dirani (Doctor / France)
17- Ali Sabry Hamadeh (Engineer and politician)
18- Ali Mohamed Hassan Al-Amin (Janoubia Website Publisher)
19- Dr. Ali Zaiter (Physician and politician)
20- Dr. Ali Beydoun
21- Al Haj Abbas Zaki Ismail (Former Mayor of Brital)
22- Dr. Ali Nasser Al-Din. (Doctor)
23- Ali Ali Al-Dirani (Engineer)
24- Ali Al-Azeer. (High school teacher)
25- Ali Al-Mestarah (Secondary School teacher)
26- Ali Muhammad Ali Al-Dirani (Secondary Professor)
27- Ali Al-Tufayli (High School Professor)
28- Attorney Ghaleb Yaghi (Former Mayor of Baalbek)
29- Dr. Ghassan Al-Zein. (Doctor)
30- Karim Mroue (Author and political thinker)
31- Dr. Lina Hamdan (political activist)
32- Lawyer Lina Al-Husseini (Political activist)
33- Dr. Layal Mansour (University professor and financial expert)
34- Dr. Muhammad Ali Muqalled (University professor and political writer)
35 Dr. Mona Fayad (University professor and political writer)
36- Attorney Muhammad Farid Matar (Attorney)
37- Munif Faraj (Politician)
38- Attorney Mayad Haidar
39- Mona Ghandour. (Writer and director)
40- Muneeb Kanj (Political activist)
41- Marwan Hamadeh (political activist)
42- Muhammad Alwa (Professor of Education)
43- Mahmoud El-Jammal (Engineer)
44- Muhammad Nasreddine (Professor)
45- Judge Najla Kanaan
46- Nizar Abu Darwish (Engineer)
47- Nidal Abu Shaheen (Political activist)
48- Wasim Ghandour. (Engineer)
49- Youssef Mortada (media writer and political writer)
50- Yassine Chamas (Businessman)
51- Youssef Chamas (Political activist)
