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A decision made by one of the bodies within the Shiite Supreme Council sparked an outcry on social media and within the community. According to journalist Ali al-Amine, this decision is “political” and sets a “dangerous precedent.”
A grave precedent within the Shiite community: one of the bodies of the Shiite Supreme Council, specifically the authority in charge of managing religious affairs and civil status, made the astonishing decision to prohibit fifteen religious dignitaries from conducting religious activities in the country. This measure was quickly criticized by the leadership of the Shiite Supreme Council, which deemed it invalid.
According to the document released by the aforementioned body and widely shared on social media, the fifteen dignitaries in question – some of whom oppose Hezbollah – are considered “incapable of leading religious guidance or managing religious affairs and civil status of members of the Shiite community due to doctrinal or behavioral deviation, or because they lack religious knowledge or claim to be part of the Hawza (religious school).”
Among these religious dignitaries is Sheikh Yasser Aoudi, a staunch opponent of the Amal-Hezbollah tandem and a fervent supporter of the popular protest movement since October 17, 2019. The other dignitaries include Samer Abdel Hussein Ghanaoué, Bilal Ibrahim Salim, Mohammad Youssef el-Hajj Hassan, Nizar Mohammad Hamza, Ibrahim Hassan Harez, Abdel Karim el-Cheikh Ali, Youssef Hassan Kanj, Ahmad Abbas Eidi, Abbas Hammoud Makh (Abou el-Hassan Mortada), Mohammad Ali Fouani, Hachem Ali Moussaoui, Mahmoud Abdallah Fakih, Abdel Salam Niazi Dandach and Nazir Jamal al-Jachi.
This decision has triggered a wave of indignation, leading the Shiite Supreme Council (SSC) to quickly backtrack and declare it invalid. In a statement issued nearly an hour later, it declared that this decision “does not reflect its viewpoint,” and that the director of the aforementioned body and vice-president of the SSC, Sheikh Ali Khatib, was not informed of it. The SSC thus called for the decision to be considered “invalid.” It further emphasized that “no document can be published unless it bears the exclusive signature of the presidency of the Shiite Supreme Council.”
Hezbollah Pressure
“This sets a precedent that has been created,” protests Ali al-Amine, founder of the online news site Janoubia. “Never in the history of the SSC have fifteen religious dignitaries been dismissed at once.” “Among these fifteen dignitaries, at least three have been sidelined for political reasons,” he continues. “These are Yasser Aoudé, Samer Ghanaoué and Mohammad Youssef el-Hajj Hassan. If they were affiliated with Hezbollah or the Amal movement, such a measure would never have been dared against them.”
Ali al-Amine believes that the SSC’s decision triggered this wave of indignation because Sheikh Yasser Aoudé was targeted. “Sheikh Aoudé has weight,” he explains. “He trains religious dignitaries. He is known for his specialization in religious matters. He had his program on al-Imane channel, which is under the Foundation of Ulema Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, of which he was indeed a student. The program found great success within the community. A few years ago, Hezbollah exerted significant pressure on the foundation, which led to the suspension of the program.”
Militant Behavior
For Ali al-Amine, the decision of the SSC reflects “chaos and confusion within the Shiite community, within Hezbollah, and its relationship with others and with the Amal movement.” “This decision also reflects an approach in relationships characterized by subservience, recklessness, brigandage and militant behavior,” he insists. “Militant infiltration into this institution has turned it into a battleground with a militant character. Moreover, all the officials within the SSC have been appointed by Amal and Hezbollah.”
“Furthermore, this decision betrays the dangerous tendency of unilateralism, which seeks to cancel out the other and disregard ethics, religion and any other values,” Ali al-Amine asserts. “This unilateralism goes against Shiite thought, which is based on ijtihad (independent reasoning, in Arabic), meaning the act of turning to multiple sources. In Shiism, there is no single religious reference or authority. This unilateral trend is a consequence of Iranian power. Unfortunately, in practical terms, ijtihad is no longer in effect due to this unilateralism prevailing in political and religious matters.”
Ali al-Amine concludes, “Culturally and religiously, Shiism is going through the weakest period in its history. The decline is evident. It lacks elites.”
