By Owei Lakemfa
THE British Government angrily yanked the blog from the website of its ambassador to Lebanon, Frances Guy in which she had praised the Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, the famous Lebanese cleric who passed away on July 4.

The top British diplomat who had confessed that Fadlallah was one of those who had made the greatest impact on her had written that a visitor to him “would leave his presence feeling a better person”.

She also argued that: “The world needs more men like him willing to reach across faiths, acknowledging the reality of the modern world and daring to confront old constraints”.

The problem is that this first hand assessment of Fadlallah does not fit into the Western characterisation of the cleric as not just an intolerant Islamic fundamentalist but also a father of terrorists.

The ambassador is not the only person to be censored by the Western world which claims to champion freedom of expression.

The Cable News Network(CNN) fired veteran Middle East Editor, Octavia Nasr for writing on Twitter that she was sad at the passing away and that Fadlallah was a person she respected a lot.

The CNN claimed that the positive comment had “compromised”
her credibility; it sacked her.

To the West, Fadlallah was a terrorist who deserved to be extra-judicially executed. It had actually set out on a number of occasions to murder him.

On October 23, 1983 a Mercedes truck laden with explosives had driven into the compound of the American Marines who were then in Beirut. The resultant explosion killed 241 American soldiers.

Israeli intelligence fingered Iran and Syria as being behind the bombing. They also claimed that the then 48-year old intellectual, Fadlallah must have been involved because he had become the rallying point of Islamic radicals in Beirut.

The American Central Intelligence Agency did not reach the same conclusion as the Israelis, saying that “there is no smoking gun”.

The Americans and their allies, however, agreed that Fadlallah was a dangerous person who deserved to be killed. The Saudis also agreed.

According to famous American writer, Bob Woodward in his book, Veil: The Secret Wars Of The CIA 1981-1987, the then CIA Director, William J Casey revealed that the Saudis through their ambassador in Washington, Prince Sultan bin Bandar gave the Americans $3million to fund Fadlallah’s murder.

On March 8, 1985 the CIA assassination team drove a car packed with explosives to within nine to 45 metres from Fadlallah’s high-rise residence and timed it to go off as he and other worshippers were leaving Friday prayers.

The explosion destroyed a seven-storey residential building, a cinema, killed 80 persons, mostly girls and women, and wounded 256 others. But Fadlallah, the target of this heinous act of terrorism, escaped unhurt.

There were other attempts to kill him, including a 2006 Israeli bombing of his two-storey home in southern Beirut during the Israeli- Hezbollah war. The building was reduced to rubble but he was not at home when death came calling.

All these further raised Fadlallah’s profile and prestige in the eyes of his followers.

But why did he inspire so many Lebanese, especially the poor, and why was he highly respected across the ideological , political and religious divide of the fractured Lebanese society? Why are there people across the world like Ambassador Guy willing to testify to his high intellect, principles and liberal views?

Although a religious leader, Fadlallah was essentially a principled intellectual who authored dozens of books. He believed that education was key to development and went on to establish at least eight schools, including five secondary schools. He built a public library and established six orphanages, eight Islamic centres, a medical clinic and a women centre.

The West described him as the “spiritual leader” of the Hezbollah not because this was factual, but due to the major influence he had on Muslim Lebanese youths. He demanded armed resistance against Israel for its occupation of Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.

He called for the boycott of all American and Israeli goods and
believed that a war is being waged against Islam in the guise of a war against terrorism.

He did not see any reason why America should intervene in the internal politics of Lebanon and while he welcomed the Barack Obama administration, he criticised it for not having a clear programme that can resolve the Middle East crises.

Although a Grand Ayatollah, Fadlallah did not lean towards theocratic rule ; he taught that no religious leader has a monopoly of the truth.

But it is on the women question Fadlallah’s liberal views are most visible. He taught his followers that men and women are equal with equal rights as citizens.

He said that men are not more intelligent than women and saw the Hijab as a clothing that does not allow men to see women merely as sex objects. He was particularly pained about violence on women for which he issued a fatwa.

The woman, he taught his followers, has the right to defend herself against any act of violence. Islam he said, forbids men depriving women of their legal rights.

He also issued fatwa against female circumcision and honour killings. Although he opposed abortion, he argued that it is permissible if it is a problematic pregnancy.

Although Fadlallah was not consumed by the American, French and Israeli state- sponsored terrorism against his person, he doubtlessly carried the scars in his heart especially of the 80 innocent souls taken in the 1985 attempt to assassinate him.

It is such mindless and reckless acts of terrorism by states, groups and individuals that led to the criminally insane September 11 attacks in America which claimed some 3,000 lives, and the on- going carnage in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Pakistan.

It has seeped into other countries; from Somalia to Colombia. Almost everywhere, terrorism is becoming a weapon of first choice. To save humanity, all must stand up against terrorism no matter the perpetuators or the perceived correctness of their cause.