Lebanon's Grand Mufti visits Damascus in symbolic shift: Inside Derian's Syria meetings

Report by Abdullah Malaeb, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Lebanon's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian stood atop Mount Qasioun, gazing over the Syrian capital—a city he had not entered before the fall of the Assad regime. His presence marked what many observers are calling a symbolic turning point in Lebanese-Syrian relations.

"We are strong and we are staying," Derian declared from the mountain, as he prepared to descend into Damascus for a tightly choreographed visit, which included high-level meetings and religious ceremonies. 

Syrian officials, including the country's Minister of Religious Endowments and Damascus' own Mufti, welcomed Derian warmly, though their first meeting took place at the presidential palace rather than in a religious setting.

Speaking from the grand Umayyad Mosque, Derian emphasized historic ties between Lebanon and Syria, saying, "The era of oppression has ended, thanks to Syria's leadership, especially President Ahmed al-Sharaa." His remarks reflected a nuanced position, shaped by his longstanding affiliation with the moderate Sunni public associated with former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Derian underscored the need for both religious and legal balance, calling for governance rooted not only in Islamic Sharia but also in civil law. "Let us be moderate, as the light of moderation, Islam, and Arab unity shines from this mosque," he told an audience of Syrian religious scholars, adding, "Just as we pray here in the Umayyad Mosque, may we one day pray together in Jerusalem."

The Mufti's visit also included private talks at Syria's Ministry of Religious Endowments, where discussions focused on bilateral cooperation over religious endowment properties, a topic of longstanding economic and political importance, according to LBCI's sources.

However, the broader geopolitical backdrop was impossible to ignore. The meeting between Derian and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was delayed due to al-Sharaa's prior engagement with the British Foreign Secretary. 

Behind closed doors, the two leaders reportedly touched on a controversial Israeli proposal suggesting that Syria could take control of Lebanon's Tripoli region and parts of the Bekaa Valley in exchange for relinquishing claims over the occupied Golan Heights and territories recently seized by Israel.