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{{Short description|Lebanese faqih}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox religious biography
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| website = [http://www.bayynat.org.lb bayynat.org.lb] (Arabic, French, English)<br />[http://www.bayynat.ir bayynat.ir] (Persian, Urdu)
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[[File:Najaf City 1.jpg|thumb|shrineShrine city of Najaf|262x262px]]
[[Grand Ayatollah]] '''Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah''' ({{lang-ar|محمد حسين فضل الله|translit=Muḥammad Ḥusayn Fadl Allāh}}; 16 November 1935 &ndash; 4 July 2010) was a prominent [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]]-[[Iraqis|Iraqi]] [[Twelver]] [[Shia]] cleric. Born in [[Najaf]], [[Iraq]], Fadlallah studied Islam in Najaf before moving to Lebanon in 1952. In the following decades, he gave many lectures, engaged in intense scholarship, wrote dozens of books, founded several [[Islamic religious schools]], and established the ''Mabarrat Association''.<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last1=Wahab |first1=Hisham Ul |title=Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah and the Political Rise of Shias in Lebanon |date=2017 |publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru University |location=New Delhi |edition=Master of Philosophy Dissertation |language=English}}</ref> Through the aforementioned association, he established a [[public library]], a women's cultural center, and a medical clinic.
 
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== Education==
 
Fadlallah began his education starting with learning the Quran and the alphabet in seminary classes in a Al-Kuttab School in Najaf, including basic skills of writing and reading. He later on began in a Islamic School in Najaf called Muntada al-Nashir which was recently formed at that time.<ref>Aziz, Talib. "Fadlallah and the Remaking of the Marja'iya". Published August 2001. Retrieved May, 2024.https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195137996.003.0013</ref>.
 
Poetry gave great inspiration to Fadlallah from magazines such as al-Katib published in Egypt and already from a teenager, he began to write poetry himself. He also showed critical views towards the occupation of Palestine in 1947 by publishing a poem for the public by the age of 12. By that time, he had begun his religious studies in a [[Hawza Najaf|Hawza]] school. However, the Hawza school in Najaf focused exclusively on legal studies and his poetry was not well recievedreceived. This did not stop him from continuing writing poetry and Najaf had a guiding school for poets called Muntada al-Nashir which he joined later on. He also got support from his uncle who was a also a poet himself and meant that poetry was important to achieve greater understanding of Islam.<ref>Aziz, Talib. "Fadlallah and the Remaking of the Marja'iya". Published August 2001. Retrieved May 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195137996.003.0013
 
</ref>.
 
== Return to Lebanon ==
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In Naba'a, Fadlallah began his work by organising cultural seminars and delivering religious speeches that discussed social issues as well. These social issues encompassed improving education and expertise among the population in Lebanon.<ref name=seb/> Fadlallah was quoted as saying, "We have to improve our education and gain more scientific knowledge. If we do not make the best of our time now, we will not be able to build our future or develop in the future."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-06 |title=Sayyed Fadlullah’s Contributions to the Civil Society and the Downtrodden |url=https://www.islamtimes.org/en/article/30115/sayyed-fadlullah-s-contributions-to-the-civil-society-and-downtrodden |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=Islam Times |language=en}}</ref> In addition to the academic work that Fadlallah did, he also opened up schools like the Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib school in South Lebanon, Islamic centres like the large Islamic Center in Beirut, and [[orphanage]]s like the Imam Al-Khoei Orphanage in Beirut.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biographie |url=http://english.bayynat.org.lb/Biography/index.htm#activity |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603121428/http://english.bayynat.org.lb/Biography/index.htm#activity |archive-date=3 June 2009 |access-date=7 July 2010 |publisher=Bayynat}}</ref>
 
His political activism thus mainly concerned improving education, healthcare and social services in Lebanon.<ref name="ref11">{{Cite journal |last=Baroudi |first=Sami E. |date=2016-01-02 |title=The Islamic Realism of Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi (1926–) and Sayyid Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah (1935–2010) |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13530194.2015.1067159 |journal=British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies |language=en |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=94–114 |doi=10.1080/13530194.2015.1067159 |issn=1353-0194}}</ref>. During the [[Lebanese Civil War]] nevertheless, Fadlallah and his political activism was at its peak. His views then was against Western powers such as Israel and United States but also conservative Arab regimes, specially against the monarchy of Saudi Arabia that allegedyallegedly tried to murder him while also killing several innocent people.<ref>{{Cite journal |lastname=Baroudi"ref11" |first=Sami E. |date=2016-01-02 |title=The Islamic Realism of Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi (1926–) and Sayyid Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah (1935–2010) |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13530194.2015.1067159 |journal=British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies |language=en |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=94–114 |doi=10.1080/13530194.2015.1067159 |issn=1353-0194}}</ref>.
[[File:Flag of Hezbollah.svg|thumb|Hezbollah flag]]
 
==Fadlallah and Hezbollah ==
 
Many scholars and media in the Western and Arab world argued that Fadlallah was part of Hizbollah as they meant that the organization was heavily inspired by his ideas and guidance when they emerged and developed as a group.<ref name="ref12">{{Cite web |last=mwhutchi |date=2015-06-01 |title=Hezbollah: From Nationalist Militia to Terrorist Group to Both? |url=https://hezbollahucsc2015.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/hezbollah-from-nationalist-militia-to-terrorist-group-to-both/ |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=Hezbollah UCSC 2015 |language=en}}</ref> However, Fadlallah was never part of a political organization or any public religious institutions as he was 'above' politics. Hizbollah has also rejected this statement, claiming that Ayatollah Khomeini was their source of spiritual and political guidance, especially with regards to their resistance against injustice and occupation from Western powers.<ref name="ref13">{{Cite journal |last=Saouli |first=Adham |date=2014-01-02 |title=Intellectuals and Political Power in Social Movements: The Parallel Paths of Fadlallah and Hizbullah |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13530194.2014.878509 |journal=British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies |language=en |volume=41 |issue=1 |pages=97–116 |doi=10.1080/13530194.2014.878509 |issn=1353-0194|hdl=10023/7579 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Fadlallah even choosechose to seperateseparate himself from the Iranian revolution, however he had a similar anti-west stance.<ref>{{Cite web |lastname=mwhutchi"ref12" |date=2015-06-01 |title=Hezbollah: From Nationalist Militia to Terrorist Group to Both? |url=https://hezbollahucsc2015.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/hezbollah-from-nationalist-militia-to-terrorist-group-to-both/ |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=Hezbollah UCSC 2015 |language=en}}</ref>
 
Some scholars on the other hand, argues that Fadlallah had a clear relationship with Hizbullah. His ideas was inspired by religious thought but developed as a response to social and political struggles in the society and he believed in empowering Islamist movements. His thought and guidance is connected to religious and political activism directed at fulfilling aims of Islam and Hizbollah was central in the political field in Lebanon. Furthermore, Hizbollah's Vice Secretary General, Naim Qassem, has mentioned that Hizbollah, which was first fractions of different Islamic movements, were inspired by Fadlallah and his vision for the future.<ref>{{Cite journal |lastname=Saouli"ref13" |first=Adham |date=2014-01-02 |title=Intellectuals and Political Power in Social Movements: The Parallel Paths of Fadlallah and Hizbullah |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13530194.2014.878509 |journal=British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies |language=en |volume=41 |issue=1 |pages=97–116 |doi=10.1080/13530194.2014.878509 |issn=1353-0194|hdl=10023/7579 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
 
== Assassination attempts ==
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As one of the alleged leaders of Hezbollah, a status both he and the group denied<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/10500869.stm|work=BBC|title=Hezbollah 'mentor' Fadlallah dies in Lebanon|date=4 July 2010|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref> he was the target of several assassination attempts, including the allegedly [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-sponsored and funded<ref>{{cite news|author=Hugh Macleod in Beirut |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/04/ayatollah-mohammed-hussein-fadlallah-dies|title=Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah dies at 74|work=The Guardian|date=4 July 2010|access-date=5 July 2010|location=London}}</ref> 8 March [[1985 Beirut car bombing]] that killed 80 people.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/8/newsid_2516000/2516407.stm|work=BBC|title=1985: Beirut car bomb kills dozens|date=8 March 1985|access-date=13 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/fromthearchive/story/0,,1432945,00.html|work=The Guardian|location=London|title=60 killed by Beirut car bomb|date=9 March 1985|access-date=13 May 2010}}</ref>
 
On 8 March 1985, a [[car bomb]] equivalent to {{convert|440|lb|abbr=on}} of [[dynamite]] exploded 9–45 metres<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fromthearchive/story/0,,1432945,00.html|title=60 killed by Beirut car bomb|work=The Guardian |date=9 March 1985|access-date=7 July 2010|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=18 March 2006|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/HD18Aa01.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060419064109/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/HD18Aa01.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=19 April 2006|title=A history of car bomb (Part 2)|work=Asia Times Online |access-date=7 July 2010}}</ref> from his house in Beirut, Lebanon. The blast destroyed a 7-story apartment building and a cinema, killed 80 people and wounded 256. The attack was timed to go off as worshippers were leaving Friday Prayers. Most of the dead were girls and women who had been leaving the mosque, though the ferocity of the blast "burned babies in their beds," "killed a bride buying her trousseau," and "blew away three children as they walked home from the mosque." It also "devastated the main street of the densely populated" West Beirut suburb.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elmandjra.org/alternet_260208.htm|title=Noam Chomsky|publisher=Elmandjra|date=26 February 2008|access-date=5 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110118075312/http://www.elmandjra.org/alternet_260208.htm|archive-date=18 January 2011}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/cron.html|title=Target America: terrorist attacks on Americans, 1979–1988 ... Bombing of U.S. Embassy annex northeast of Beirut|publisher=PBS|access-date=7 July 2010}}</ref> but Fadlallah escaped injury. Journalist [[Robin Wright (author)|Robin Wright]] quotes articles in ''The Washington Post'' and ''The New York Times'' as saying that according to the CIA, those responsible for the bombing were "Lebanese intelligence personnel and other foreigners" who had been "undergoing CIA training"<ref>''The Washington Post'', 12 May 1985</ref> but that "this was not our [CIA] operation and it was nothing we planned or knew about."<ref>''The New York Times'' 13 May 1985</ref> "Alarmed U.S. officials subsequently canceled the covert training operation" in Lebanon, according to Wright.<ref name=":0">Wright, Robin, ''Sacred Rage : The Wrath of Militant Islam'', Simon and Schuster, 2001 p. 97.</ref>According to [[Bob Woodward]], CIA director [[William Casey]] was involved in the attack, which he suggests was carried out with funding from [[Saudi Arabia]]. "In his book Woodward portrays Casey as a wily and aggressive director who made the CIA his personal instrument of foreign policy. In early 1985 Woodward reports, Casey went "off the books" to enlist Saudi help in carrying out three covert operations. One was the attempted assassination of Sheik Fadlallah, who had been linked to the bombings in Beirut. After that plot failed, Woodward writes, the Saudis offered Fadlallah a $2 million bribe to cease his terrorist attacks. He accepted, and the attacks stopped. Woodward's account of the incident was denied last week by the Saudi press agency and by Fadlallah's office."<ref name="time">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,965712,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525095851/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,965712,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2012|magazine=Time|title=Did A Dead Man Tell No Tales?|date=12 October 1987|access-date=20 April 2010}}</ref> Former Lebanese warlord and statesman late [[Elie Hobeika]] was accused as one of those likely responsible for the actual operation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meib.org/articles/0201_l1.htm|title="The Assassination of Elie Hobeika" (January 2002)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720010237/http://www.meib.org/articles/0201_l1.htm|archive-date=20 July 2009}}</ref>
 
Journalist [[Robin Wright (author)|Robin Wright]] quotes articles in ''The Washington Post'' and ''The New York Times'' as saying that according to the CIA, those responsible for the bombing were "Lebanese intelligence personnel and other foreigners" who had been "undergoing CIA training"<ref>''The Washington Post'', May 12, 1985</ref> but that "this was not our [CIA] operation and it was nothing we planned or knew about."<ref>''The New York Times'' may 13, 1985</ref> "Alarmed U.S. officials subsequently canceled the covert training operation" in Lebanon, according to Wright.<ref name=":0">Wright, Robin, ''Sacred Rage : The Wrath of Militant Islam'', Simon and Schuster, 2001 p. 97.</ref>
 
According to [[Bob Woodward]], CIA director [[William Casey]] was involved in the attack, which he suggests was carried out with funding from [[Saudi Arabia]]. "In his book Woodward portrays Casey as a wily and aggressive director who made the CIA his personal instrument of foreign policy. In early 1985 Woodward reports, Casey went "off the books" to enlist Saudi help in carrying out three covert operations. One was the attempted assassination of Sheik Fadlallah, who had been linked to the bombings in Beirut. After that plot failed, Woodward writes, the Saudis offered Fadlallah a $2 million bribe to cease his terrorist attacks. He accepted, and the attacks stopped. Woodward's account of the incident was denied last week by the Saudi press agency and by Fadlallah's office."<ref name=time>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,965712,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525095851/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,965712,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2012|magazine=Time|title=Did A Dead Man Tell No Tales?|date=12 October 1987|access-date=20 April 2010}}</ref> Former Lebanese warlord and statesman late [[Elie Hobeika]] was accused as one of those likely responsible for the actual operation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meib.org/articles/0201_l1.htm|title="The Assassination of Elie Hobeika" (January 2002)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720010237/http://www.meib.org/articles/0201_l1.htm|archive-date=20 July 2009}}</ref>
 
During the [[2006 Lebanon War]], Israeli warplanes bombed his two-story house in Beirut's southern [[Haret Hreik]] neighborhood. Fadlallah was not at home at the time of the bombing, which reduced the house to rubble.<ref name="yahoo1">{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100704/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_lebanon_obit_fadlallah |title=Top Lebanese Shiite cleric Fadlallah dies at 75 |publisher=Yahoo |date=4 July 2010 |access-date=7 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708005802/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100704/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_lebanon_obit_fadlallah |archive-date=8 July 2010 }}</ref>
 
== '''Views''' ==
{{Twelvers}}
Fadlallah supported the [[Iranian Revolution|Iranian Islamic Revolution]] in the beginning and criticized US and Israel for their policies in the Middle East which he often mentioned in his prayer sermons. In 1995 the US branded him as a terrorist and got therefore blacklisted.<ref name="ref14">{{Cite news |date=2010-07-04 |title=Obituary: Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10501084 |access-date=2024-05-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>His views towards the Iranian revolution and the cleric changed over the years as his ideological standpoint became more moderate compared to the clerics in Iran.<ref name="ref14" />
 
When he died in 2010, Time magazine wrote about his contrarian stance: "Fadlallah had broken with Hizballah and the toxic legacy of his early edicts. He criticized Iran's clerical rule, supported women's rights and insisted on dialogue with the West."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2036477_2036426,00.html|title=Person of the Year 2010 |date=2010-12-15|newspaper=Time|issn=0040-781X|access-date=2016-06-11}}</ref>
His views towards the Iranian revolution and the cleric changed over the years as his ideological standpoint became more moderate compared to the clerics in Iran.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-07-04 |title=Obituary: Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10501084 |access-date=2024-05-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== '''U.S. foreign policy''' ===
 
He held relatively [[Liberalism|liberal]] views on the status of women. When he died in 2010, Time magazine wrote about his contrarian stance:
 
"Fadlallah had broken with Hizballah and the toxic legacy of his early edicts. He criticized Iran's clerical rule, supported women's rights and insisted on dialogue with the West."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2036477_2036426,00.html|title=Person of the Year 2010 |date=2010-12-15|newspaper=Time|issn=0040-781X|access-date=2016-06-11}}</ref>
 
He was also against "honour killing" towards women and forbid female circumcision.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-07-04 |title=Obituary: Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10501084 |access-date=2024-05-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
 
=== '''U.S. foreign policy''' ===
Due to US and their continuous support for Israel, Fadlallah called on countries in Middle East to boycott Israeli and American products and replace these products with European and Asian goods.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pallister |first=David |date=2003-01-08 |title=Arab boycott of American consumer goods spreads |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jan/08/davidpallister |access-date=2024-05-14 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
 
In November 2007, Fadlallah accused the United States of trying to sabotage the [[2007 Lebanese presidential election|election]] in Lebanon: "The insanity of the U.S. president and its administration is reflected in Lebanon by their ambassador pressuring the Lebanese people and preventing them from reaching an agreement over the presidential election."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=86526 |title=The Daily Star – Politics – Fadlallah slams U.S. for 'insane' attempt to thwart consensus on presidency |publisher=Dailystar.com.lb |date=2007-11-05 |access-date=2010-07-07}}</ref>
 
Though he welcomed the [[2008 United States presidential election|election]] of [[Barack Obama]] as the American president, the following year he expressed disappointment with Obama's lack of progress in the [[Middle East peace process]] saying he appeared to have no plan to bring peace to the region.<ref name="bbcdeath">{{cite news |date=4 July 2010 |title=Fadlallah Dies in Lebanon |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10500869.stm |access-date=4 July 2010 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>Despite his criticism of U.S. foreign policy in the [[Middle East]], he condemned the [[September 11 attacks]] in the [[United States]] as acts of [[terrorism]].<ref name="yahoo1" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Bassam |first=Laila |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6630PT20100704 |title=Senior Lebanese Shi'ite cleric Fadlallah dies |publisher=Reuters |date= 2010-07-04|access-date=2010-07-07}}</ref><ref name="aljazeera1">{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/07/20107354240249363.html |title=Lebanon's Shia Muslim leader dies|publisher=Al Jazeera English |date=2001-09-11 |access-date=2010-07-07}}</ref>
 
Despite his criticism of U.S. foreign policy in the [[Middle East]], he condemned the [[September 11 attacks]] in the [[United States]] as acts of [[terrorism]].<ref name="yahoo1"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Bassam |first=Laila |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6630PT20100704 |title=Senior Lebanese Shi'ite cleric Fadlallah dies |publisher=Reuters |date= 2010-07-04|access-date=2010-07-07}}</ref><ref name="aljazeera1">{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/07/20107354240249363.html |title=Lebanon's Shia Muslim leader dies|publisher=Al Jazeera English |date=2001-09-11 |access-date=2010-07-07}}</ref>
 
===Israel===
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They have had their land stolen, their families killed, their homes destroyed, and the Israelis are using weapons, such as the F16 aircraft, which are meant only for major wars. There is no other way for the Palestinians to push back those mountains, apart from martyrdom operations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/lebanon/1400406/We-could-provide-a-million-suicide-bombers-in-24-hours.html|title=We could provide a million suicide bombers in 24 hours|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=13 July 2010|date=4 September 2002|location=London}}</ref>}}
 
His support for suicide bombings against Israel were based on the grounds that the latter uses advanced weaponry; it was also claimed that he wished that the state of Israel would cease to exist.<ref name="nytobit"/> Following the [[Mercaz HaRav massacre]], Fadlallah called the attack "heroic."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=33731|publisher=NOW Lebanon|title=Sayyed Fadlallah hails Jerusalem attack as heroic act|access-date=13 July 2010|date=7 March 2008|archive-date=22 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110422193331/http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=33731|url-status=dead}}</ref> Western sources also cite his favour for suicide bombings against Israeli citizens.<ref name="nytobit" /><ref>{{cite news|title=CNN Drops Editor After Hezbollah Comments|author=Brian Stelter|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 July 2010|url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/cnn-drops-editor-after-hezbollah-comments/}}</ref><ref name="bbcisrael" /> Fadlallah explained the religious basis for suicide attacks in an interview with ''[[Daily Star (United Kingdom)|Daily Star]]''.<ref>"[http://www.lebanonwire.com/0206/02060802DS.asp Fadlallah explains religious basis for suicide attacks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525050141/http://www.lebanonwire.com/0206/02060802DS.asp |date=25 May 2011 }}" by Ibrahim Mousawi, 8 June 2002</ref>
His support for suicide bombings against Israel were based on the grounds that the latter uses advanced weaponry; it was also claimed that he wished that the state of Israel would cease to exist.<ref name="nytobit"/>
Following the [[Mercaz HaRav massacre]], Fadlallah called the attack "heroic."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=33731|publisher=NOW Lebanon|title=Sayyed Fadlallah hails Jerusalem attack as heroic act|access-date=13 July 2010|date=7 March 2008|archive-date=22 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110422193331/http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=33731|url-status=dead}}</ref> Western sources also cite his favour for suicide bombings against Israeli citizens.<ref name="nytobit"/><ref>{{cite news|title=CNN Drops Editor After Hezbollah Comments|author=Brian Stelter|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 July 2010|url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/cnn-drops-editor-after-hezbollah-comments/}}</ref><ref name="bbcisrael"/> Fadlallah explained the religious basis for suicide attacks in an interview with ''[[Daily Star (United Kingdom)|Daily Star]]''.<ref>"[http://www.lebanonwire.com/0206/02060802DS.asp Fadlallah explains religious basis for suicide attacks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525050141/http://www.lebanonwire.com/0206/02060802DS.asp |date=25 May 2011 }}" by Ibrahim Mousawi, 8 June 2002</ref>
 
In September 2009, Fadlallah issued a ''fatwa'' banning normalisation of [[Foreign relations of Israel#Lebanon|ties with Israel]].<ref name="IRIN">{{cite web|url=http://english.iribnews.ir/NewsBody.aspx?ID=4558|title=Fadlallah forbids normalizing ties with Israel|publisher=[[IRIB]] News Agency|access-date=13 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727105225/http://english.iribnews.ir/NewsBody.aspx?ID=4558|archive-date=27 July 2011}}</ref> He also objected to any territorial settlement, saying "the entire land of Palestine within its historical borders is one Arab-Islamic country and no one has right to spare on[e] inch of it."<ref name="IRIN"/>
 
===Islamic governance===
Despite his ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Fadlallah distanced himself from the [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]]'s legacy of [[Hokumat-e Islami: Velayat-e faqih (book by Khomeini)|Veleyat-e Faqih as theocratic rule]] by Islamic clerics waswho said to argue that "no Shia religious leader, not even Khomeini…Khomeini... has a monopoly on the truth."<ref name="aljazeera1"/><ref>Nasr, Vali, ''The Shia Revival'', Norton, (2006), p. 181</ref> He also first endorsed [[Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani]] rather than Ayatollah [[Ali Khamenei]] as the [[Marja'|marja]] for Shia in matters of religion, before claiming the role for himself.<ref>Wilfried Buchta, "Die Islamische Republik Iran und die religiös-politische Kontroverse um die marja'iyat", ''Orient'' 36, 3 (1995): 459&ndash;60</ref> In a 2009 interview, Fadlallah said that he did not believe wilayat al-faqih has a role in modern Lebanon.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pollock|first=Robert L. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123698785743625933|title=A Dialogue With Lebanon's Ayatollah|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=14 March 2009|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref>
 
=== Women ===
Fadlallah was known for his relatively liberal views on women, whom he saw as equal to men.<ref name="google1">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i2ybHNOSCDoX1OqRKLhbYb8g9EKQ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706025213/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i2ybHNOSCDoX1OqRKLhbYb8g9EKQ|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 July 2010|title=Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah hospitalised|publisher=AFP|access-date=5 July 2010}}</ref> He believed that women have just as much of a responsibility towards society as men do, and women should be role models for both men and women. Fadlallah also believed that women have the same exact ability as men to fight their inner weaknesses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.bayynat.org.lb/WomenFamily/role.htm|title=The Woman's Personality and Role in Life|publisher=Bayynat|access-date=7 July 2010|archive-date=29 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829121539/http://english.bayynat.org.lb/WomenFamily/role.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.bayynat.org.lb/WomenFamily/woman1.htm|title=The role of a woman I|publisher=Bayynat|access-date=7 July 2010|archive-date=29 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829121550/http://english.bayynat.org.lb/WomenFamily/woman1.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> He saw the [[hijab]] as something that makes a man see a woman not as a sex object, but instead as a human being. He believes, like all of his peers in the Islamic seminary that women should cover their entire body except for their face and hands, and that they should avoid wearing excessive makeup when they go out in public.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.bayynat.org.lb/WomenFamily/hajI.htm|title=The Moral Role of Hijab (part I)|publisher=Bayynat|access-date=7 July 2010|archive-date=27 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527132314/http://english.bayynat.org.lb/WomenFamily/hajI.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
Fadlallah also issued a ''[[fatwa]]'' on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that supports the right of a woman to defend herself against any act of violence whether ''social'' or ''physical''. The fatwa reaffirms the rights of women, both at their workplace and at home, and states that Islam forbids men from exercising any form of violence against women and forbids men from depriving women of their legal rights. In his words "physical violence in which women are beaten, proves that these men are weak, for only the weak are in need of unjust violence".<ref>{{cite web|title=La femme peut répondre à la violence de l'homme par la violence |trans-title=Women can respond to male violence by violence |work=L'Orient-Le Jour |url=http://www.lorientlejour.com/page.aspx?page=article&id=358690 |access-date=28 November 2007 |language=fr }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> He also issued ''fatwa''s forbidding [[female circumcision]] and [[honour killings]].<ref name="google1"/> Regarding abortion, he was opposed to it in most cases; however, when the women is in an abnormal amount of danger by the pregnancy, he believed it was permissible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.bayynat.org.lb/Issues/Abortion.htm|title=Abortion: Fadlullah's perspective regarding Abortion|publisher=Bayynat|access-date=7 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405213846/http://english.bayynat.org.lb/Issues/Abortion.htm|archive-date=5 April 2010}}</ref>
 
===Amman Message===
He was one of the [[Ulama]] signatories of the [[Amman Message]], which gives a broad foundation for defining Muslim orthodoxy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ammanmessage.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=42|title=AmmanMessage.com – The Official Site|website=ammanmessage.com}}</ref>
 
==Controversial views regarding Islamic doctrine==
Fadlallah held controversial views regarding Islamic doctrine, as espoused in some of his works and speeches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hubeali.com/articles/Fadlollahs-Devious-Beliefs.pdf|title=Fadlollahs Devious Beliefs|access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref> Fadlallah was often criticised for his attitude towards Israel and suicide attacks or martyrdom. He stated that if you get attacked you should be allowed to defend yourself in all possible ways. If suicide attacks are the last instance of self-defence, in Fadlallah's view this is justified even though they are directed against the civilian population.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Alagha |first=J.E |date=2006 |title=The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology: Religious Ideology, Political Ideology, and Political Program |url=https://research.vu.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/42174789/complete+dissertation.pdf |journal=Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam}}</ref> For Fadlallah, Israel is the aggressor against whom one may defend oneself in any way due to Israel's strong superiority. Fadlalla argues that the West acts similarly and that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is an example of how desperation justifies the use of weapons that are usually not considered normal in warfare.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Helmer |first=Daniel |date=2006 |title=Hezbollahs deployment of suizide bombing during the 1980s: The Theological, Political and Operational Development of a ne tactic |url=https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/military-review/Archives/English/MilitaryReview_20060831_art012.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=10 May 2024 |website=armyupress}}</ref> He also issued many fatwas and opinions that courted controversy, for which he was condemned and not supported by other eminent Islamic scholars.This including a representative of [[Ali al-Sistani|Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani]],<ref>[http://www.jafariyanews.com/2k8_news/nov/18sistani_deputy_refuses_fadlallah_meet.htm Lebanon: Sistani deputy refuses to meet Fadlallah due to stance on Fatimah Az-Zahraa (A)], by Karim Tellawi, Jafariya News</ref> the office of [[Jawad Tabrizi|Grand Ayatollah Mirza Jawad Tabrizi]], in the holy city of Qom, released a statement that "any help to or cooperation with him in publishing his writings is not legal with respect to Islam".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jafariyanews.com/2k7_news/may/10Fadhlullah_Dhaal.htm|title=Fadhlullah is 'Dhaal', any co-op with him illegal: Ayat Tabrezi office &#124; Jafariya News Network}}</ref> He was also condemned by Grand Ayatollahs [[Bashir al-Najafi]], [[Hossein Waheed Khorasani]], [[Mohammad al-Husayni al-Shirazi]], [[Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi]] and others.
 
==Death==
Fadallah had suffered from severe illness weeks before his death and got eventually hospitalized due to internal bleeding that had lasted for days. He was 74 years old and died on the 4th of4 July in Beirut. When the news were revealed about this death, many people gathered to show support and sorrow at the al-Hassanayn mosque.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-07-04 |title=Hezbollah 'mentor' Fadlallah dies in Lebanon |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10500869 |access-date=2024-05-21 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>.
 
At his funeral, his supporters carried his body around Shia neighbourhoods in southern Beirut, then marched to the spot of his 1985 assassination attempt before returning to Imam Rida Mosque, where he was laid to rest. Thousands of mourners gathered at the mosque for prayer services before the funeral procession. Delegations included representatives from Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Syria and Iran. The Spokesman of Hezbollah, Ibrahim Mousawi, also came with a statement after his death saying "We're talking about a great loss, actually, not just to Hezbollah but to the Islamic Community, and to the Arab World. He has always spread the message of tolerance, of openness, of transparency and of dialogue".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/07/2010761010674966.html|title=Lebanon buries leading Shia cleric|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=6 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}</ref>
 
The LabaneseLebanese Communication Group, Al-Manar, came with a statement sharing Fadlallah's core views and said his followers "launched a school of beliefs and thoughts, a school that would always be committed to the main causes of Islam, from Jihad to Resistance, and face all foreign threats against the region." It claimed that Fadlallah "committed to the central cause, [[Palestinian resistance|Palestine]], calling to fight occupation through all possible means. His eminence issued different '[[fatwa]]'s calling to fight Israel and boycott American goods and ban normalizing of relations, and was a 'true supporter' of Islamic unity all over his life. In his last moments before his death, Sayyed Fadlullah was still preoccupied with the cause. He was asking about the dawn prayers and telling his nurse that he wouldn't rest before Israel's vanishing."<ref>{{cite web|author=Hussein Assi|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145203&language=en|title=Ayatollah Sayyed Fadlullah's Last Wish: Israel's Vanishing|publisher=Almanar|date=6 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716035014/http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145203&language=en|archive-date=16 July 2010}}</ref>
 
===Reactions===
*{{flagicon|LBN}} [[List of Prime Ministers of Lebanon|Prime Minister of Lebanon]] [[Saad Hariri]], called him "a voice of moderation and an advocate of unity" for the Lebanese people.<ref name="Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah dies at 74">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/04/ayatollah-mohammed-hussein-fadlallah-dies|title=Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah dies at 74|date=4 July 2010|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=4 July 2010| location=London|first=Hugh|last=MacLeod}}</ref> Hezbollah declared three days of [[mourning]] and Secretary General [[Hasan Nasrallah]] vowed to stay faithful to the "sacred goals" he had "sacrificed his life to achieve." He added that "we have lost a compassionate father, a wise guide, a fortified shelter, and a strong support that was present at all stages."
*{{flagicon|LBN}} [[List of Prime Ministers of Lebanon|Prime Minister of Lebanon]] [[Saad Hariri]], called him "a voice of moderation and an advocate of unity" for the Lebanese people.<ref name="Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah dies at 74">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/04/ayatollah-mohammed-hussein-fadlallah-dies|title=Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah dies at 74|date=4 July 2010|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=4 July 2010| location=London|first=Hugh|last=MacLeod}}</ref> Hezbollah declared three days of [[mourning]] and Secretary General [[Hasan Nasrallah]] vowed to stay faithful to the "sacred goals" he had "sacrificed his life to achieve." He added that "we have lost a compassionate father, a wise guide, a fortified shelter, and a strong support that was present at all stages. [He] was all the above mentioned for us and for the whole religious and resistant generation since we were youngsters praying behind him. This is what his eminence was to us, and to all this faithful, struggling, and resisting generation, since the time we were youths praying in his assembly (congregational prayers), guided by his words, and learning beneath his pulpit. In his school, he taught us to advocate with wisdom and kind preaching, to be people of dialogue with others, to reject tyranny, to resist occupation, to adore meeting God the Almighty with certitude, and to be people of patience, steadfastness, and determination even with all the calamities, hardships, and distress we face. To us, he was the teacher, instructor, the knowledge, and the light that lights up our way through every hardship. His pure soul, enlightened intellect, kind words, compassionate smile, chaste biography, and firm stances will remain within us as a guide, conduit, and progressing strong motive that pushes us forth to continuous hard work and [[jihad]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144935&language=en|title=Sayyed Nasrallah Grieves Sayyed Fadlullah; Hezbollah Announces 3-Day Mourning 4 July 2010|publisher=Almanar|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He visited Fadlallah's family to express condolences on behalf of Hezbollah.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145004&language=en|title=Sayyed Nasrallah Visits Family of Late Ayatollah Fadlullah, Presents Condolences 5 July 2010|publisher=Almanar|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The [[Loyalty to the Resistance bloc]] offered its condolences to the country adding that the country "loyal to his eminence's values and principles would continue his path with more enthusiasm to achieve his human goals of freedom and justice."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145357&language=en|title=Loyalty to Resistance: Nation Loyal to Sayyed Fadlullah's Values|publisher=Almanar|date=7 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Lebanese [[List of Speakers of the Parliament of Lebanon|Speaker of Parliament]] [[Nabih Berri]] said the Islamic nation has lost "a leading advocate of Muslim unity and a resounding voice supporting what is right and just, and resisting injustice and aggression". He praised Fadlallah as one of the most prominent pillars of coexistence among cultures and religions in Lebanon, calling him a "backer of the resistance until his last breath".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144929&language=en|title=Lebanon Mourns Sayyed Fadlullah's Death as Major Loss|publisher=Almanar|date=4 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A delegation from his parliamentary [[Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc]] also visited the clerics' family. [[Kataeb Party|Phalange]] leader [[Amin Gemayel]] and a delegation of his party's MPs, former Premier and Sidon MP [[Fouad Siniora]], the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim, Lebanese Army commander General [[Jean Kahwaji]], head of the [[Free Patriotic Movement]] and Kesrouan MP [[Michel Aoun]], accompanied by a delegation from his [[Change and Reform bloc]] and Beirut Metropolitan for Greek Orthodox Bishop Elias Audi, heading a number of religious figures. paid their respects at Fadlallah's death as well.<ref name="dailystar">{{cite web |title=mourning day for Fadlallah |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116761#ixzz0sr3wTEpL |access-date=7 July 2010 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref> Fadlallah's followers remembered him fondly for his compassion, his support of women's rights, and his teachings on topics such as sex and smoking.<ref name="Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah dies at 74"/> The day after the funeral Mufti Mohamad Rashid Qabbani, former Prime Minister [[Omar Karame]], the head of the Marada movement [[Suleiman Franjieh]], former Iraqi Prime Ministers [[Ibrahim Jaafari]] and [[Iyad Allawi]], the head of the Lebanese Democratic Movement [[Talal Arslan]], the Egyptian ambassador Ahmad Badyawi, MP's [[Gebran Bassil]], [[Ibrahim Najjar]], [[Salim Warde]], and [[George Odwan]] came to the mosque to offer their condolences.<ref name="britambassador"/> Additional visitors included Ali al-Adib on behalf of Iraqi Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]], Sami al-Jawad representing former Speaker [[Kamel al-Asaad]], Director General of Internal Security Forces Major General Ashraf Rifi, Bishop [[Elias Kfouri]].<ref name="dailystarleb">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116853#ixzz0t2kdCcAG|title=Regional leaders pay tribute to Fadlallah legacy|date=8 July 2010|access-date=8 July 2010|archive-date=11 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711235851/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116853#ixzz0t2kdCcAG|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nasrallah also received the ''Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic'' Sheikh [[Mohammad Rashid Qabbani]] who offered his condolences. A statement released by Hezbollah said the two discussed Fadlallah's "glorious deeds and the big loss caused by his death to Lebanon and the nation."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145744&language=en|title=Sayyed Nasrallah Receives Mufti Qabbani 10 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Although representatives of Shia, Sunni, Druze, Christian, and other non-religious figures expressed regret at Fadlullah's death, the conspicuous absence of [[Maronite Patriarch]] [[Nasrallah Sfeir]] was viewed as a "boycott" by ''[[Al Akhbar (Lebanon)|Al-Akhbar]]'', because of Fadlallah's response to Sfeir's comments about the rule of the majority and the opposition of the minority in Lebanon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145274&language=en|title=Patriarch Sfeir Boycotts Ayatollah Fadlullah's Funeral, Doesn't Give Condolences|publisher=Almanar|date=10 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|Bahrain}} King [[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]] also sent his to Fadlallah's family expressing his sincere condolences to the family, and prayed for the Fadlallah's soul to rest in eternal peace. He also praised Fadlullah's scientific and religious contributions in the service of Islam and Muslims.<ref name="almanar2">{{cite web |date=5 July 2010 |title=Arab, Islamic World Mourns Sayyed Fadlullah as Great Loss |url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145054&language=en |access-date=7 July 2010 |publisher=Almanar}}{{dead link|date=February 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
*''[[Al Manar]]'' had its own tribute for him saying "Dubbed by the media as the "Spiritual Leader" of the Islamic resistance "Hezbollah", in Lebanon, Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlullah inspired the leaders for the resistance group, and served as a highly influential beacon of truth for all the oppressed peoples of the world."<ref name="almanar">{{cite web|author=Batoul Wehbe|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144911&language=en|title=Ayatollah Fadlullah: "Hezbollah's Spiritual Leader"|publisher=Almanar|date=10 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709135755/http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144911&language=en|archive-date=9 July 2010}}</ref> Adding that "Fadlullah was not only a Muslim reference and authority but rather one of the most prominent contemporary religious authorities in the Islamic World. His great experience in teaching jurisprudence as well as his constant monitoring of the latest trends and literature of the major religious schools have enabled him to launch his own school and to be followed by thousands of Muslim believers in Lebanon and the region".<ref>{{cite web|author=Hussein Assi|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144910&language=en|title=Sayyed Fadlullah¦ A True Supporter of Resistance and Unity|publisher=Almanar|date=4 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> They added that Fadlallah united Lebanon after his death, saying he was "able to deliver a message of unity and peace to all Lebanese, a message of commitment to all values and principles, at the top of which comes the recognition of the patriots. Through his sorrowful death, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohamad Hussein Fadlullah accomplished his mission and joined Lebanese, all Lebanese regardless of their identities and sects, around him. With his sad death, Ayatollah Sayyed Fadlullah made the headlines in Lebanon and the region as his lovers and supporters were unable to believe that this great man has actually passed away."<ref>{{cite web|author=Hussein Assi|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145060&language=en|title=Through His Death, Sayyed Fadlullah Unites All Lebanese Again!|publisher=Almanar|date=5 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Other media outlets in Lebanon also offered tributes to Fadlallah. ''[[Assafir]]'' noted the [[Demographics of Lebanon|religious diversity]] of people at his funeral as well delegations from Syria, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and other countries that were present. Al-Liwa, Asharq, and Addiyar also had headline articles on his death.<ref name="almanarfgnfuneral">{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145272&language=en|title=Ayatollah Fadlullah's Funeral in Lebanese Newspapers|publisher=Almanar|date=5 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|Bahrain}} King [[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]] also sent his to Fadlallah's family expressing his sincere condolences to the family, and prayed for the Fadlallah's soul to rest in eternal peace. He also praised Fadlullah's scientific and religious contributions in the service of Islam and Muslims.<ref name="almanar2"/>
*{{flagicon|IRQ}} In Iraq, Ali al-Adeeb, a senior member of the [[Islamic Dawa Party|Dawa]] party, called his death a major loss to the Islamic world adding that: "It will be hard to replace him".<ref name="Lebanon's Shia Muslim leader dies">{{cite news |date=4 July 2010 |title=Lebanon's Shia Muslim leader dies |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/07/20107354240249363.html |access-date=4 July 2010 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Aljazeera]]}}</ref> In Fadlallah's birthplace, however, his death was met with a chilly reception without banners or open displays of mourning as clergy in Najaf expressed discomfort over his legacy and liberal values.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/07/iraq-quiet-reaction-to-celebrated-ayatollahs-death.html|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Babylon & Beyond|date=8 July 2010}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|IsraelIRN}} AnThe IsraeliSupreme spokesmanLeader saidof AyatollahIran Fadlallah[[Ali wasKhamenei]] "unworthy[[Cablegram|cabled]] ofhis condolences to Fadlullah's family and his supporters saying praise".This Theygreat alsointellectual criticisedand Britain's[[Mujahid]] ambassadorhad toa huge impact and influence in the political and religious scenes in Lebanon. forWe eulogisingwon't himforget his numerous favors and blessings throughout the years."<ref name="bbcisrael">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10572025|title=UK envoy's praise for Lebanon cleric draws Israel anger|work=BBC News|access-date=19 July 2010|date=9 July 2010}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|IRN}} The Supreme Leader of Iran [[Ali Khamenei]] [[Cablegram|cabled]] his condolences to Fadlullah's family and his supporters saying "This great intellectual and [[Mujahid]] had a huge impact and influence in the political and religious scenes in Lebanon. We won't forget his numerous favors and blessings throughout the years. Sayyed Fadlullah was loyal to the path of the Islamic Revolution and proved this through words and actions throughout the Islamic Republic's thirty years." The Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran. [[Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]] said Fadlallah was an ideal fit to the [[Hadith]] that says "The death of a religious scholar causes such a void in Islam that nothing can fill up." Adding that he was an ideal struggler scholar, and the number of assassination attempts he faced for his path are the biggest honour.<ref name="almanar2"/> President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] expressed his condolences to [[Lebanese President]] [[Michel Suleiman]] saying "The brilliant and valuable service of the honourable cleric for national unity and his perseverance with the resistance will live on in the history of Lebanon."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144959&language=en|title=Ahmadinejad Condoles Suleiman for Sayyed Fadlullah's Passing|publisher=Almanar|date=5 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Foreign Minister [[Manouchehr Mottaki]] sent his condolences to Lebanese officials such as Hasan Nasrallah, Nabih Berri, his Lebanese counterpart [[Ali Shami]], and Fadlallah's son, [[Ali Fadlallah]], expressing his condolences to the Lebanese government and people, as well as to Fadlallah's family. Parliamentary Speaker [[Ali Larijani]] issued a statement emphasizing that Fadlallah "spent his blessed life in favor of Islam and the Lebanese people," while noting that he used to observe situations with a critical view and bright mind, while enlightening Muslims at the right times, he also used to build an obstacle for the enemy.<ref name="almanar2">{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145054&language=en|title=Arab, Islamic World Mourns Sayyed Fadlullah as Great Loss|publisher=Almanar|date=5 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> An Iranian delegation headed by Ayatollah [[Ahmad Jannati]] was present for the funeral.<ref name="dailystarleb"/>
*{{flagicon|Kuwait}} [[Emir]] [[Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]] also sent his condolences to the family of Fadlallah saying he prayed to [[Allah|Almighty Allah]] to have mercy on the soul of the deceased. National Assembly Speaker [[Jassem Mohammed Al-Khorafi]] also sent a cable of condolences to his Lebanese counterpart consoling him on the death of Fadlallah. Al-Khorafi expressed his heartfelt sorrow at the news, asking God to have mercy on the soul of the deceased. He also sent a similar cable to the family of Fadlullah.<ref name="almanar2" />
*{{flagicon|Israel}} An Israeli spokesman said Ayatollah Fadlallah was "unworthy of praise". They also criticised Britain's ambassador to Lebanon for eulogising him.<ref name="bbcisrael">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10572025|title=UK envoy's praise for Lebanon cleric draws Israel anger|work=BBC News|access-date=19 July 2010|date=9 July 2010}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|Palestine}} President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] sent his condolences to his Lebanese counterpart. The head of Hamas' Political Bureau, [[Khaled Meshaal]], sent a letter to Fadlallah's son lamenting the loss of his father. "The dear deceased was one of the nation's special and great figures, with his knowledge, grace, moderation, mediation, forgiveness and openness to others, in addition to his courageous stances regarding the nation's issues, especially towards the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Zionist struggle. His eminence was one of the greatest symbols and scholars defending the choice of resistance and Jihad against the occupation, in support of the Palestinian strife and our people's right to freedom, liberty and liberation."<ref name="almanar2" /> An Hamas delegation from Gaza headed by Marwan Abu Ras was also present at the funerary services.<ref name="dailystarleb">{{cite web |date=8 July 2010 |title=Regional leaders pay tribute to Fadlallah legacy |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116853#ixzz0t2kdCcAG |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711235851/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116853#ixzz0t2kdCcAG |archive-date=11 July 2010 |access-date=8 July 2010}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|Kuwait}} [[Emir]] [[Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]] also sent his condolences to the family of Fadlallah saying he prayed to [[Allah|Almighty Allah]] to have mercy on the soul of the deceased. National Assembly Speaker [[Jassem Mohammed Al-Khorafi]] also sent a cable of condolences to his Lebanese counterpart consoling him on the death of Fadlallah. Al-Khorafi expressed his heartfelt sorrow at the news, asking God to have mercy on the soul of the deceased. He also sent a similar cable to the family of Fadlullah.<ref name="almanar2"/>
*{{flagicon|Palestine}} President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] sent his condolences to his Lebanese counterpart. The head of Hamas' Political Bureau, [[Khaled Meshaal]], sent a letter to Fadlallah's son lamenting the loss of his father. "The dear deceased was one of the nation's special and great figures, with his knowledge, grace, moderation, mediation, forgiveness and openness to others, in addition to his courageous stances regarding the nation's issues, especially towards the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Zionist struggle. His eminence was one of the greatest symbols and scholars defending the choice of resistance and Jihad against the occupation, in support of the Palestinian strife and our people's right to freedom, liberty and liberation."<ref name="almanar2"/> An Hamas delegation from Gaza headed by Marwan Abu Ras was also present at the funerary services.<ref name="dailystarleb"/>
*{{flagicon|QAT}} Emir [[Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani]] offered condolences to the Lebanese people on behalf of Qatar, its Emir, government and people. Upon arrival in Beirut, al-Thani praised the "commendable attributes of Fadlallah and his relentless efforts in seeking rapprochement and conciliation among various Muslim sects."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=372713&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56|title=Qatar's top-selling English daily newspaper|publisher=Gulf-times|date=6 July 2010|access-date=7 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607145556/http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=372713&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56|archive-date=7 June 2011}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|TUR}} Prime Minister [[Recep Tayyip Erdogan]] called Hezbollah leader [[Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah]] to offer his condolences and asked to relay them to Fadlallah's family and the Lebanese people. Nasrallah responded in appreciation and for Erdogan's stance on the Palestinian issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=180721|title=Erdogan sorry for Fadlallah's death |date=22 January 2009 |publisher=Jpost|access-date=7 July 2010}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|UK}} The British ambassador to Lebanon, [[Frances Guy]], also wrote: "I remember well, when I was nominated ambassador to Beirut, a Muslim acquaintance sought me out to tell me how lucky I was because I would get a chance to meet Sayyed Mohamad Hussein Fadlullah. Truly he was right...I usually avoid answering by referring to those I enjoy meeting the most and those that impress me the most."
*{{flagicon|UK}} The British ambassador to Lebanon, [[Frances Guy]], also wrote: "I remember well, when I was nominated ambassador to Beirut, a Muslim acquaintance sought me out to tell me how lucky I was because I would get a chance to meet Sayyed Mohamad Hussein Fadlullah. Truly he was right...I usually avoid answering by referring to those I enjoy meeting the most and those that impress me the most. Until yesterday my preferred answer was to refer to Sayyed Mohamad Hussein Fadlullah. When you visited him you could be sure of a real debate, a respectful argument and you knew you would leave his presence feeling a better person. That for me is the real effect of a true man of religion; leaving an impact on everyone he meets, no matter what their faith...Lebanon is a lesser place the day after but his absence will be felt well beyond Lebanon's shores. If I was sad to hear the news I know other peoples' lives will be truly blighted. The world needs more men like him willing to reach out across faiths, acknowledging the reality of the modern world and daring to confront old constraints."<ref name="britambassador">{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145360&language=en|title='Whoever Had Chance to Meet Ayatollah Fadlullah Was Lucky' 7 July 2010|publisher=Almanar|access-date=7 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The UK foreign office said it had taken down the message after "mature consideration."<ref name="bbcisrael"/> They also added that "the ambassador expressed a personal view on Shiekh Sayyid Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah describing the man as she knew him. We welcomed his progressive views on women's rights and interfaith dialogue but there were also areas where we had profound disagreements, especially over his statements advocating attacks on Israel."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145626&language=en|title=Al-ManarTV:: Britain's Ambassador Takes down Obituary to Sayyed Fadlullah after Criticism 9 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*[[Robert Fisk]] wrote in ''[[The Independent]]'' "I do believe that Fadlallah was a very serious and very important man whose constant sermons on the need for spiritual regeneration and kindness did more good than most in a country constantly flooded in a rhetoric bath. Hundreds of thousands attended his funeral in Beirut on Tuesday. I am not surprised."<ref name="fiskmanar"/> ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'s'' executive foreign editor [[Con Coughlin]] wrote an article saying "Don't be fooled by all the tributes that are pouring out following the death in Beirut at the weekend of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, the so-called spiritual leader of the radical Shi'ite Muslim militia Hizbollah. The U.S. State Department's classification of Fadlallah as a terrorist was spot on, and when you look back at his track record you can see he was right up there with other infamous terror masterminds, such as [[Abu Nidal]] and [[Carlos the Jackal]]."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100046096/sheikh-falallah-was-the-terrorist-mastermind-behind-the-lebanon-hostage-crisis/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708193011/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100046096/sheikh-falallah-was-the-terrorist-mastermind-behind-the-lebanon-hostage-crisis/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 July 2010|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|title=Sheikh Fadlallah was the terrorist mastermind behind the Lebanon hostage crisis|date=5 July 2010}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|Yemen}} President [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]] also sent his condolences to his Lebanese counterpart.<ref name="almanar2"/>
*[[CNN controversies|CNN]]'s Lebanese senior editor of Middle East affairs [[Octavia Nasr]] was fired after a ''[[Twitter|tweet]]'' saying she was "Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah...One of Hezbollah's giants I respect[ed] a lot."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ifkNbXIWWZsct3KgSrrGPLjLBzGw|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711073142/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ifkNbXIWWZsct3KgSrrGPLjLBzGw|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 July 2010|title=AFP: CNN Middle East editor leaves after Fadlallah 'tweet'}}</ref> Hezbollah condemned her dismissal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145645&language=en|title=Hezbollah Condemns Firing of CNN Mideast Editor 9 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Robert Fisk criticised CNN for the firing saying "Poor old CNN goes on getting more cowardly by the hour. That's why no one cares about it any more."<ref name="fiskmanar">{{cite web|url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/index.htm?id=145772&language=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130219002114/http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/index.htm?id=145772&language=en|url-status=dead|title=Manar TV :: Live Broadcast|date=19 February 2013|archive-date=19 February 2013|website=archive.is}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Fisk|first=Robert|title=CNN was wrong about Ayatollah Fadlallah|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|location=London|date=10 July 2010|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-cnn-was-wrong-about-ayatollah-fadlallah-2023179.html|access-date=18 July 2010}}</ref>
 
== See also ==
Line 150 ⟶ 129:
Kramer, Martin (1997), [https://martinkramer.org/reader/archives/oracle-of-hizbullah-sayyid-muhammad-husayn-fadlallah/ "The Oracle of Hizbullah: Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah"]. Full Text with footnotes published in Appleby, R. Scott, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Q0EjnmhQ3tUC ''Spokesmen for the Despised: Fundamentalist Leaders in the Middle East''], pp. 83-181, Chicago, University of Chicago Press (1997), ISBN 978-0-226-02125-6
 
Ranstorp, Magnus, ''Hizb'allahAllah in Lebanon - The Politics of the Western Hostage Crisis'', Palgrave Macmillan,1997
 
==External links==
Line 157 ⟶ 136:
* [http://www.bayynat.ir Official Website (Persian, Urdu)]
* [http://www.martinkramer.org/sandbox/reader/archives/oracle-of-hizbullah-sayyid-muhammad-husayn-fadlallah/ The Oracle of Hizbullah: Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah] by [[Martin Kramer]]
* [http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=145199&language=en Sayyed Fadlullah's Funeral…Funeral... in Photos]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://archive.today/20130212045808/http://en.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-476/_nr-1358/i.html On the Death of the Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah: "Religion Serves the People"]