The Impact Of Lebanese Shiite Religious Authorities On The Two-Year War In Lebanon 1975-1976

Abstract

The Shiite religious authority played an important role in confronting the instigators of the two-year war in Lebanon during the period  1975-1976 . It had its religious and political apparatus represented by the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, and its religious leaders represented by Sayyed Musa al-Sadr, President of the aforementioned Council, Sayyed Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, Vice President of the Council, and the excellent Jaafari Mufti Abdul Amir Qabalan. Each of them worked within his duties to mitigate the severity of the aforementioned war and preserve the Lebanese social fabric from collapse. Moreover, they worked to hold meetings with the Lebanese political class in order to support it and request that it take the necessary measures to maintain security in light of the escalation of the civil war, on the one hand, and to inform Arab and international public opinion of the causes of the civil war and the necessity of supporting Lebanon in its ordeal, on the other hand. Official visits were made to Arab and foreign countries sympathetic to the injustice of the Lebanese people, and requests from their leaders to coordinate with the Lebanese political leadership to stop the civil war and preserve the unity of the Lebanese people, on the third hand. The Lebanese Shiite religious authority was open to all Lebanese sects and opened channels Contacting and coordinating with all other Lebanese religious authorities regarding the steps that must be taken to stop the war and prevent its expansion.