SourceThe London Arabs
Although more than two years have passed since the death of the head of the Higher Islamic Shia Council in Lebanon, Abd al-Amir Qabalan, the presidency of the council remains occupied by deputizing Vice President Ali al-Khatib, due to the lack of agreement between the Amal Movement and Hezbollah on a plan to invite the Sharia and Executive Councils to be elected according to the law.
The composition of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council constitutes a dilemma for those concerned due to the expiration of the term of office of the president, his deputy, and the commissions and committees, and the failure to issue a law by the House of Representatives to extend it.
Well-informed Shiite sources believe that the need for this Supreme Islamic Shiite Council has become negated, as there is no one in the Council who constitutes a need for the two parties, neither for the Amal Movement nor for Hezbollah, neither in the religious field nor in the political field or in the cultural field.
Observers say that the names and personalities, which constitute a consensus and a comprehensive popular situation that have a political, moral and popular influence that qualifies them to be in the presidency of the Supreme Council, do not exist and no longer constitute a cover, at least for Hezbollah.
And while Shiite political and spiritual leaders look forward to the necessity of resolving this entitlement soon so that the President of the Council can play his sectarian and national role alongside the rest of the heads of other sects, others believe that there is no need to rush to close the file, considering that national entitlements and economic and living files take precedence over others.
Despite Shiite sources denying the existence of differences between the Amal movement and Hezbollah regarding filling vacancies in the Islamic Supreme Council, the opposite is widely circulated, as the head of the Shiite Amal movement, Nabih Berri, wants the council president to be from the “legitimate body of the Amal movement,” which he did not accept. Hizb allah.
Shiite sources denied that there is a disagreement between Amal and Hezbollah over the name of the president who will assume the presidency of the Council or elect its legal and executive bodies, noting that “the opposite is true, in the sense that the two parties are unanimous at present that consensus is the slogan of the stage that requires a complete departure from the matter.” elective. From here, we can confirm that the Shiite Council elections as a whole, including filling vacancies in its presidency as well as other files, are postponed.
And the sources add, “There is no priority for a position or position here or there, despite its importance, because people and their interests are in no place. Therefore, the work of the two is focused on enabling the civil society to stand firm and providing the necessary ingredients for it, including food, medicine, and hospitalization.”
The sources indicated that Vice President Ali al-Khatib is carrying out the tasks to the fullest, noting that there are many great religious references that are ahead of the names offered to fill the position, including young muftis and sheikhs who are still at the beginning of the road compared to the previous big names that assumed the presidency, such as Imam Musa al-Sadr and the two sheikhs. Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din and Abdul Amir Qabalan.
Observers of Shiite affairs in Lebanon question Abdul Amir Qabalan’s ability to manage the council and achieve the required religious and political balance and weight, unlike those who preceded him in presiding over the council, namely Imam Musa al-Sadr and Imam Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din.
They add that Sheikh Abd al-Amir Qabalan did not have great potential to form any need for anyone except that he was present with the strength of continuation of the two previous imams al-Sadr and Shams al-Din.
While the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council had great independence during the time of Imams al-Sadr and Shams al-Din, and the Parliament had pacted independence represented by President Hussein al-Husseini, the Shiite institutions, following these great statures, turned into partisan circles of the Amal Movement and continued to live strongly until the need for them was buried alongside the Sheikh. Abdul Amir Qabalan.
Observers wonder, “Why is there still a need for this council if Nabih Berri wants its president from the legitimate body of the Amal movement?”
