On July 23, 2024, Lebanese Shi'ite Islamic scholar Mohammad Ali Al-Husseini,[1] who holds Saudi citizenship, published in the Saudi daily Okaz an open letter to Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in which he urged him to immediately stop the attacks against Israel and to hand control of Lebanon's border with Israel over to the Lebanese military, lest he bear the sole responsibility for the destruction and blood shed caused by the war.
Al-Husseini wrote that after Hamas' October 7, 2023 invasion of southern Israel, in which over 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 240 were taken hostage, Israel is fighting an existential war, and it may employ unconventional weapons. He elaborated that a war with Israel would be very destructive and would not end with Lebanon, but may also involve Syria.
It should be noted that, in an interview with the Saudi Al-Arabiya network on the following day, Al-Husseini said that Hizbullah's current operations against Israel do not constitute "defensive jihad" but rather an offensive war, which is forbidden according to the Ja'afari school of Islam. He therefore advised Nasrallah to stop the war, which he said is likely to result in the annihilation and the destruction of Lebanon.[2]
Lebanese Shi'ite Islamic scholar Mohammad Ali Al-Husseini (Image: Okaz, Saudi Arabia, December 2, 2020)
Below are translated excerpts from Al-Husseini's article: [3]
"Honorable Sayyed[4] [Hassan Nasrallah], I know with certainty that my message will reach you and that you will read it. I know how closely you follow developments, since [these matters] obvious concern you more than anything.
"Allow me to remind you that the overwhelming majority of leaders throughout history had weaknesses that brought great losses, defeats and even tragedies upon their peoples and that brought great destruction upon their lands, for two reasons: (1) arrogance and absolute confidence which lead to recklessness, and (2) disregard of advice, because these leaders believed that they were above advice and knew and understood better than their advisors.
"The truth is that I care about my people and my dear homeland Lebanon, and I am therefore obligated to offer advice… First, know that after October 7 [2023], Israel and everything you knew about it are no longer the same. Hence, it is impossible to rely on previous knowledge and experience, like the 1993 war,[5] the 1996 war,[6] and the 2006 [Second Lebanon] War. Israel is now fighting under the slogan [of] existential war and restoring deterrence. For the first time in the history of Israel's wars, there is such a large number of killed and injured, and the war has continued for over 10 months. These are extraordinary circumstances, and we cannot in any way rely on [our] understanding of the past to predict the future.
"For over 10 months, the villages and towns in southern [Lebanon] have been facing daily destruction, people have been martyred, fields have been burnt and [residents] are emigrating, since there is no horizon or benefit for Lebanon and its citizens. If the Lebanese people are asked [about this], they will say unanimously: 'Stop, we do not want a war that has nothing to do with us and in which we have no benefits or interest.'
"Honorable Sayyed… What matters to us is our people and Lebanon, so I address you in full transparency, integrity, and honesty. Your [operations] in southern [Lebanon] can no longer be tolerated. All the diplomatic efforts have been exhausted due to your opposition to them. This is not a threat; this is advice, to make you aware of the military responses and destruction that will befall Lebanon and its people with no advance warning.
"Know that Israel will use unconventional weapons, and by Allah, know that this war will not end in Lebanon but will spread to Damascus, which will fall like Beirut fell in 1982.
"This time suffering and tragedy of our people will be unprecedented. People will remain homeless and without aid, and there will be no supply routes, since there will be no airport, seaport or land route through Syria, and the siege will be long and extremely difficult… Israel is a nuclear country, and the entire West will stand alongside it in the conflict against you in Lebanon.
"So do not be enticed by any international guarantees… [that] Israel's wrath will be focused or limited and that it will not extend beyond Lebanon, all of Lebanon. All the Lebanese people will pay a heavy price, and particularly the Shi'ites, since the projects that will be undertaken in the country in the future, after the war, will return the Shi'ites to the darkness of isolation and exclusion.
"I swear, the war against Lebanon is only one step away, and only you can stop it and save our country from destruction and the people from perdition. Make a brave and historic decision to immediately stop the military operations [against Israel]. Announce this openly, and let the Lebanese military take full responsibility for the country's borders. If not, you will bear full responsibility for everything the Israeli military will do in Lebanon, and you will be responsible for the destruction of Lebanon and for all the blood that will be shed.
"[Both] reason and Islamic law require us to refrain from throwing ourselves into the abyss, and you have a very great religious responsibility – to refrain from throwing not only yourself [into the abyss] but also the entire nation and country. This is my advice and assertion to you. Oh Allah, I have said what I had to say, and You are my witness."
[1] Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al-Husseini currently heads Islamic-Arab Council in Lebanon and is considered the number two man in the Muslim World League, which is headed by Saudi sheikh Muhammad Al-Issa. Al-Husseini was granted Saudi citizenship in November 2021.
[2] See MEMRI TV Clip No. 11277 - Lebanese Shi'ite Scholar Mohammad Ali Al-Husseini: Hizbullah Should Stop Its War With Israel, This Is Not 'Defensive Jihad' – They Initiated It; Nasrallah Is Heading Towards Annihilation, The Destruction Of Lebanon – July 24, 2024.
[3] Okaz (Saudi Arabia), July 23, 2024.
[4] "Sayyed" is a title of descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
[5] The reference is to an operation carried out by Israel in South Lebanon between in July 1993 following an escalation of hostilities in the Security Belt.
[6] The reference is to an operation carried out by Israel in April 1996 in response to Hizbullah rocket attacks against towns in northern Israel.
