From Bab el-Mandeb to Beirut: Mufti Kabalan's vision for regional balance

The Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan, drew attention in his Friday sermon "to Yemen, especially after the American-British aggression on this beloved and honorable country."

 He stated, "One of Sanaa's pride is that it is an enemy to America, Britain, and Israel. Any Arab or Islamic party that allies with the American-British aggression on Yemen is a traitor."

"The era of oppression has ended, and whatever it faces, Sanaa remains a force that does not know defeat. The confrontation is at its Bab el-Mandeb, and powerful Washington has ended, no longer intimidating anyone," Kabalan stated.

He continued: "Today, it lives in a different era, and the region's balance favors the strong resistance axis. The axis is ready to pay the prices that contribute to adjusting the balance of power, erasing the map of the past Middle East, and the world will witness unprecedented events when the region explodes."

Regarding the situation in Lebanon, Mufti Kabalan considered Lebanon a "doomed country with a paralyzed state and corruption devouring everything. Although the state's finances have improved significantly with the dollarization, unfortunately, it has no presence in the health ministry, the struggling social security system, or other services."

Moreover, he said: "The problem lies in politics because political fragmentation is destroying the country, and we need to force each other to a national dialogue table to find a national solution. Those who refuse are either betraying national interests or linked to an external game, with no third option between them."

He added, "The country is facing a catastrophe that can only be overcome through unity, negotiation, and dialogue to reach a presidential settlement that saves the state from imminent collapse."

Mufti Kabalan asserted that "all international movements supporting Lebanon are solely driven by an attempt to secure Tel Aviv's interests, given the defeat suffered by its legendary terrorist army. What is happening in Gaza is a great victory, and what is happening on the southern front of Lebanon is a crushing victory for the resistance. According to Haaretz, it is a shocking combat force that the Israeli army has never witnessed before, concluding that the time for the Zionist army to triumph over the Lebanese resistance has ended."

He continued, "Lebanon must capitalize on its strength through negotiations, and everything is possible except abandoning Gaza alone, and nationally, everything is possible except compromising Lebanon's sovereignty."

As for the budget, fees, and arbitrary taxes, Kabalan pointed out, "While we remained silent due to national necessity for state finances, we cannot remain silent about imposing a crazy basket of fees that deeply affect the poor. Most of the Lebanese people have become poor, and it undermines any possibility of economic recovery. There is no economic solution without addressing the deposit and banking crisis."

In addition, Mufti Kabalan addressed the government, relevant ministries, security agencies, and political forces in Lebanon, stating, "Displacement is an existential threat to Lebanon, and we are only a few meters away from a qualitative disaster due to the accumulation of displacement risks and its spread across every inch of this country."

"It exerts pressure on all Lebanese sectors, in addition to shocking crimes and the demographic danger reaching the stage of a national catastrophe. Therefore, a swift sovereign decision is necessary, and the first sovereign decision lies in opening the sea for displacement and holding Europe accountable for its continuous threats against Lebanon," he continued.