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Hezbollah Â«mentorÂ» Fadlallah dies: reactions

05 July 2010 19:25 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Lebanon’s top Shia Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, has died at the age of 74, APA reports quoting BBC.
He was seen as a key figure in the founding of militant group Hezbollah and was regarded as the group’s spiritual guide - although this is a charge he and the group have denied.
As a Saudi Sunni, regarded by extremist Shi’as as Wahabi, I mourn the loss of Fadlallah. He was a rare moderate voice among Shia scholars who was always sceptical about the role of Iran’s Ayatollahs in Lebanon and the whole Middle East. He’s a big loss to Shias in Lebanon and a bigger loss to Shia-Sunni relations.
Saleh Alamer, Saudi Arabia
A man who was a lynchpin of Hezbollah, an organisation of pure evil. He was up to his eyes with hostage-taking, terrorism, torture and murder. He should have been brought to justice for his despicable crimes.
Peter, Nottingham, UK
In the great scheme of things, the passing of Fadlallah will not change much of the political landscape of Lebanon. It is true that he was a highly respected figure. However, the Middle East being no exception, what matters is how many people will embrace his message and act upon it. Therefore, Iran and Hezbollah’s clout are not affected in the least by Fadlallah’s passing and they will remain the central powerbrokers in the Lebanese Shi’a scene.
Abbass Radwan, Doha, Qatar
It really is a great loss to all Muslims, not just Shi’a Muslims. My family has known him for years and we are deeply saddened by his death. He stood up for the truth, for women especially. May God protect him and send him to the highest levels of heaven.
Sarah, Canada
Fadlallah stands out as a distinct figure among Islamic clerics for not abandoning either jurisprudence or autonomy from official political structures. His repeated criticism of unscientific and irrational attachments to religious doctrines (observing Ramadan and self-flagellation for instance), and his progressive interventions in support of undermining some of the oppressive conditions of Muslim and Arab women today, both speak to the sharp contrast between him and the reactionary clerics of the Gulf and Egypt who try to lock Islam down as something frozen and mute.
Sami, New York, US
In reality he was one of the rarest moderate thinkers in the Islamic world (even if he was a Shia one). His calls for peace between religions and different branches of religions are well known. I remember a speech he gave on radio, where he said that anyone has the right to refuse the idea of God! That was the maximum of liberty given by any religious thinker I had heard!
Kassar, Geneva, Switzerland
The death of any member of the terrorist group Hezbollah is not to be mourned by anyone who wants peace in the Middle East. Hezbollah, along with their Iranian backers and their brothers in arms Hamas, is the greatest threat to peace and instability in the whole of the region. So rather than mourning we should be rejoicing to see the back of such a threat and supporter of terror.
Mike, Guildford, UK
I’m not Muslim but I feel sad for his passing away. Why? Well, to me he was a man with clear ideas and, while he may have been a little bit ’extreme’ in some of his views, he was not a Taleban. He understood the role of women in society and, in all, he was a good person.
MartÃƒn Alejandro Carmona Selva, Barcelona, Spain
Today we mourn the loss of a great man in the Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussain Fadlallah. He was one of the foremost and progressive thinkers in Islam of our time, his wisdom will live on in the hearts of all his followers, may his soul rest in peace.
Mohammed Al-Zehairi, London, UK
He was the spiritual mentor of a terrorist organisation, how sad are we meant to be at the event of his death? Any positive traits he may have had or so-called ’moderate views’ are completely obliterated by his involvement - and support - for an organisation that specifically targeted Israeli citizens in missile attacks. He was at least a supporter of terror.
Jordan Tanner, Tel Aviv, Israel
How can one not be mourning the death of an ayatollah, who was a social moderate and a progressive regarding the role of women in Islam? As is their habit, instead of embracing this cleric, the US demonised him because he was critical of their Middle East policy, when it is obvious that very few people outside the US and Israel disagreed with him on that point.
Peter Brebach, Colorado Springs, US
Sayyed Fadlallah was an icon. His departure from this world so suddenly is devastating. I met with him on numerous occasions. Unlike many leaders that shield themselves from the public, he will always be admired.