Lebanese Shiite Scholar Calls for Separation of Religion and State

[AlAinJinn]

Middle east is Sunni Islamic

No Shia (Fake Islamic), No Atheism, No Communism

[AceofDlamonds]

Now this is a smart man. I just hope they don't GET him someday in the form of an angry mob, roadside bomb, or say, stoning.

[jomushin7]

hey finally a muslim I like.

[Fawazawar]

Separation of state and religion is the only answer to prosperity and satability in Lebanon. Unfortunately, the sickinig, ailing lebanese politicians have the most to loose and they will hold on to their chairs preventing the country to be the winner! politic

[minxmx]

this guys is the smartest scholar i ever seen

[thescorpionking2020]

is he still alive?

[kingAhiram]

What is the philosophical/social/political criteria that this Imam subscribes to? Government is erected by the people, sure! But this government is ruled by men of faith! Secular law is based on Divine law! If you don't believe in Wilayaat el Fakih, then you have a serious philosophical problem as a Shia muslim; because you believe in the infallibility of the 12 guided imams and that the hidden imam is the absolute religious authority on earth! Do you believe in an eventual religious gov?

[nokia5095007]

@kingAhiram there is no imam shut up

we need only follow Allah and Rasool SAWW not shia imams

so try these things in iran only

[7ayderi1]

@nokia5095007 12 imams peace be upon them are not shia imams they are grandsons of prophet mohammad(pbuh&HF) following them is following the prophet mohammad(pbuh&hf) , his sunna and the deen of allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

[nokia5095007]

@7ayderi1 i know only 11

i never find any evidence of the birth of 12th and his hiding lol

[Arabchick18]

well many shia sayeds and shieks are very open and wise when it comes to religions.So in shia islam its not rare to find wise leaders like this lebanese shia muslim scholar.

God bless this wise man

[7ayderi1]

@Arabchick18 that 100% true shia lebanese and proud:)

[nokia5095007]

@7ayderi1 shia are on the non islamic path

[7ayderi1]

@nokia5095007 right! shia are on abullah ibn saba path, another wicked wahabi, may allah guide you say ameen

[ass711]

@ethan666fire

'Someone give this guy the respect he deserves!'

a fatwa calling for his death due to his heresy (i.e. secularism)

[ass711]

@lazyd0g likewise, combine the coercive power of the state with minds destroyed by secular ideologies (i.e. communism, national socialism) and you can create mass genocides, killing, and famine of humans unparalled in history even when compared to religions (we're talking in millions)

makes you think that there are other ideologies more brutal, and dangerous than religion, doesn't it?

[Hillsillverr]

hey look its a smart person in isLAME..

[ThePurple007Haze]

@Hillsillverr cuz he is shia not wahabi scum

[Hillsillverr]

@ThePurple007Haze shiatt?

[ThePurple007Haze]

@Hillsillverr yes shia or Shiite is the same sect

[Arabchick18]

@Hillsillverr The only depressed and lame person here is you fuck face.Get a life instead of hating on a religion you don't know anything about.I am sure you hear garbage from your nice Fox news media.

Ass wipe!

[Hillsillverr]

@Arabchick18 lol... sweetcheeks, i dont watch propaganda news or follow any religious programs. Yet i still see islam being bad for humanity. And u can tell how bad islam is to humanity, by looking at the islamic countries its advancements. There is no such thing as good islam for humanity. Islam is only good for the tyrant dictator who holds the power! This is why most islamic countries are the poorest and they relly on western aid supplies..

[Philip0209]

wow this brave guy is trying to drag the middle east into the 21st century, good on him.

[burchdc]

It's amazing that this guy gets it, and yet so many Christians in this country can't seem to see why separation of church and state helps us all.

[MrMacnova]

Its good to hear a voice of reason. Only thru understanding and dialogue will we have peace.

[RemixedVideoDJ]

I think this guy is a "HOPE" to HIS country!

[6goth6zombie6]

he is talking Against the spirit of religion and islam cuz the definition of religion is way of life and in way of life every thing is involve surrounded by us tangible or intangible , state government every thing , when you separate them catastrophic things happens like these days in this beautiful planet earth, islam is peace and it required every where and in every corner . so stop praising that guy and start research you will find cure .

[burchdc]

@6goth6zombie6 Islam, like all religion, is a scourge on humanity. It is embarrassing that in the 21st century the vast majority of people still believe bronze-age myths, and allow them to dominate their world views.  As far as the environment is concerned, what motivation is there to protect and preserve our planet if you think we're near the end times? I will never support a mandatory suppression of religion, but it is essential that it stays out of government. Period.

[6goth6zombie6]

@burchdc i agreed with you that It is embarrassing that in the 21st century the vast majority of people still believe bronze-age myths, and allow them to dominate their world views but it has nothing to do with the True Religion people like you and people who so called follow religion as well dont even know wht s its philosophy and who are actully the representative they only see the true act of true Hijackers who hijacked this life saving Boat .

[6goth6zombie6]

@burchdc and i wasnt mean any environmental concerned with catastrophic things to beautiful planet earth but if u take it in broader perspective yes its also effected, and those who condemned religion r it self created a religion becuz of there own believe system.

[burchdc]

@6goth6zombie6 Not every belief system is a religion; only those that are based on no evidence. There is no such thing as "the True Religion".  Every religious person thinks that their particular brand of their particular religion is the "true" religion, yourself included. That is exactly what makes religion so exclusive, and the reason why people from different religions will never see eye to eye, so long as they cling to their mythologies.

[burchdc]

Islam may not come out of the bronze age, but the basis for it certainly does. Without the mythological figure known as Jehovah, Islam and Christianity would not exist. So, yes, it has everything to do with what you call the "True Religion". I could care less how good the philosophy is; that doesn't make the supernatural claims true. Also, I think you and I would disagree on what a "good philosophy" is for life, and what constitutes moral and ethical values and behavior.

[burchdc]

For instance, any system that places men and women in different classes in society is immoral, IMO. Any system that legally allows for child marriage (especially forced), is immoral. Any system that suppresses human rights in any way is immoral. A government that mandates religious laws is immoral. A holy book that predicts world domination is immoral. Any religion that demonizes natural human traits and promises a reward after death is immoral.

[burchdc]

On the other hand, things that some religious preach that ARE good traits are universal to all humanity. For instance, the concepts of helping those in need, giving selflessly to others, loving your neighbor, and forgiveness can be found in religious and non-religious people alike. There is no need to invoke belief in a higher authority to see the value in these kinds of virtues. In other words, religion has become obsolete in society. Today, it only serves to divide.

[Alimaddad]

dhal mudhil

misguided and misguiding

so now, what is the punishment for him?

anybody?

[PassTheKoolAide]

this is a smart guy but I don't foresee Hezbollah willing to give up their religious attitudes in politics

[lord0never0there]

finally someone somewhat sane

[Migueljs16]

Why is religion in politics in Lebanon?

What does a Rabbi, a father or a Imam knows about economy, national trading, diplomacy?

Lets stop living in the 10th century people... church and state, always must be separate.

A religious person in charge? so in other words, his preference and religious views is what goes into planned, not the well though out diplomacy of graduate individuals who have experience in such things

[Brushles83]

wow never thought i would see the day...

[OmarBravo1703]

KAFIR!!!

[AnticDispossession]

But there are probably people in the US who think they need a Christian theocracy, and those people are usually ignored. Does this guy speak for anyone or is he also ignored? I think Iran will change before any other place in the Middle East. I wish this guy luck though.

[ThaGMan51]

I agreed with everything except the last point.

[blackwolf1272]

A scholar from Lebanon named Hasan al-Amin died in 2002. This is not him, correct (date of interview)?

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

Were you able to understand my last post?

[Saromatae]

Things like this never make it to the mainstream media in the U.S. All we ever see are people with Ak 47's held over their heads screaming.

[MrEliasSilverio]

Here in Brazil is the same. Our media never show us Muslims like this, when they speak the word "Muslim" it is always followed by the word "terrorist".

It's a demonization of the Muslims and the Arab people in general.

[dadecountyhustler305]

@MrEliasSilverio

Dont blame the media. Remember terrorist attacks come FIRST. Then the media reports it SECOND. Not the other way around.

Maybe if Muslims did something newsworthy other than suicide bombings. Like have a space program, win gold medals, etc. then this stereo-type wouldn't stick...

[MrEliasSilverio]

You speak all Muslims are terrorists, but really few of the are terrorists. The Media want to show us they are evil... USA Government is evil!

The United States is destroying Iraq and it is giving billions to the Ethnic Cleasing of Palestine... May I say the American people are terrorists?

You can't blame the Muslims for terrorism and you can't blame blame the American people for the despotic and cruel government they have (cruel for the Arabs and some others).

[burchdc]

@MrEliasSilverio You can't blame all Muslims for terrorism, but you CAN blame the Koran when it explicitly supports jihad and martyrdom. As for Iraq, you can thank Bush for that.

[rhadiel]

I haven't heard someone making this much sense for a long time. A religious person, moreover. Hat's off to you mister Al-Amin.

[analubalitious]

To have a civil state, one must remove religion from it. To have a civil self, one must do the same.

[ass711]

@analubalitious hence why people like stalin and mao were SOO civil to themselves...

[analubalitious]

@ass711 Removing religion is a necessary condition for personal and social well-being, but it is not alone a sufficient one. There are many steps on all long paths.

[ass711]

@analubalitious actually the opposite is true, Removing religion is a necessary condition for moral decadence such as prostitution, drug abuse, high crime rate, higher divorce rates etc. this can only be solved through the sharia (islamic law). however, you are right that this alone is not a sufficient one. A ministry has to be created that propagates morality (such as the ministry of propagation of virtue and vice), and necessary morality police have to enforce the sharia like in saudi arabia

[analubalitious]

@ass711 You are simply factually incorrect. The correlation isn't even debated anymore. Increased religiosity corresponds to decreased social conditions.

Sharia law, specifically, is about as far from a moral social order as one can get. It is oppressive, barbaric, draconian and evil. 

[nokia5095007]

@analubalitious shut up, he is ignorant .... religion will never remove by your word but you are surely going to die... do whatever do you want..... try to remove religion and prepare for new war religious vs atheist :)

[analubalitious]

@nokia5095007 Ok, we get everything science has given us: Clean water, antibiotics, satellites, stealth bombers, high powered sniper rifles, night vision, and the most powerful informational infrastructure in the world. And the pious get their sticks, stones and prayer.

[TheLogicalTheist]

WOW. That is amazing to see. this guy...I like.

[ExtremeBogom]

Hey show some decorum. No racism.

[juggep80]

Finally a smart toweldude on tv. Ive been waiting to see this.

[spamvigilante]

A smart what?

[paperattack]

He meant raghead

[spamvigilante]

Raghead. What exactly does that mean?

[spamvigilante]

A WHAT dude?

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

"All of the candidates claimed to be religious."

Wrong.

You argue like a idiot.

[omegavalerius]

A few sane words from the middle east! More of this please. (who know, maybe they recognize religion as man made too some day).

[darkillity]

@omegavalerius Even if he really did think that religion is man-made (which, in my opinion, he does because of his reference to non-believers), he wouldn't have been able to mention that on TV. Talking of secularism in Lebanon (or calling for it, for that matter) is not a taboo as with the case with other Arab and Muslim countries.

[Fordi]

That's two. One more and I'll feel comfortable calling this an edifying trend.

[agentsback]

A fatwa is on his way now!

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

Most atheists are liberal and the majority of liberals in America voted for Obama.

And Obama is a Christian.

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

Obama's mind is sound enough for American atheists.

[adzug]

prob is and this goes for mosaic law as well, is that the bible/koran set policy. you can/cant do this or that which is law which sets policy which is the basis for govt, we have secular law in the usa based on the constitution comming from frenchenlightenment philosophy which butts head with religous law see abortion, free speech issues, which is why you have ppl claimin the us a christian nation to favor religous law instead of secular.

[dubaipete]

No doubt this somewhat enlightened cleric has a limited life expectancy. All religion is dogmatic delusional nonsense and certainly no basis for societal structure (state). Religion divides us and sustains archaic ideas which were borne out of the bronze age - a time dominated by violence, fear and ignorance. We know too much now. End all religion before it ends us.

[stlcityboy]

Bravo sir!

[prospero811]

That would be nice. Lebanon was a Christian country, and over the last few decades the Muslims drove the Christians out.

[nerdy86]

Lebenon never was a country untill the French created it. It was simply a region in the wider Syrian region. Heavily populated by Christians, but never a country. When did Christians get expellled?

[prospero811]

In the last official census dating back to 1932, the mostly Maronite Christians constituted 63% of the population. Muslims were around 35% and the other 2% belonged to smaller denominations. Today estimates put Christians at 32% of the population. The exodus continues to this day, and it's a result of the intolerance of Islam.

Of course Lebanon was not traditionally a country. The same is true of Jordan and Iraq. They were carved up by the British after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

[nerdy86]

And the Maronite Christians have been an example of holy tolerance? Christians of Lebanon have done a lot of killing and preaching of hatred. Not very tolerant.. How is the 'exodus' a result of the intolerance of islam? What danger or immediate threat have the Christians seen from Islam? In 1932 a majority of Palestine was Muslim, nowadays its mostly jeiwsh. Palestine's demographics was changed by violent means, Lebenon's was not. Yet you (Christians) time and again chose to support Israel.

[Clamms]

Wrong in 1932 Palestine was already sectored because of Jordan being created by British in 1914 because Arabs helped British defeat the ottomans. Therefore the Palestine issue is Jordan and then Israel. Lebanon was created for Christian Arabs by the French, and then the Muslims from Syria took over. Leave Lebanon, and Israel alone..There are 20 more Arab forged nations from Morocco Iraq.

[TurboDally]

Wow, that is more like it...

But I do expect him to be hated/attacked by fundies :S

[nidodson]

MTV News worth watching.

While the US news, mostly Fox, is becoming more wild and less factual, it is nice to see other countries trying to go the other way.

[HiveDes]

The US in terms of news, on television anyway, is mostly a joke. On the rare occasions that they do actually broadcast a real news story rather than sensationalized bullshit, there's almost always a political bias.

I usually go with the BBC or online news sites.

[zo1dberg]

Its great to see sentiments like these from these scholars - but they are largely incompatible with Islam - either he's ignorant or he's lying (or perhaps its wishful thinking?). If Islam shouldn't get mixed with the state, as he says, how does he explain the Zakat tax or the Jizyah tax for the non-Muslims?

[LikeAPossum]

The guy has arguments. Even Islamic mentalists complain about the king of Saudi Arabia. What they don't understand is that there is nothing better to replace him with in a strictly religious state.

[lorescro101]

That man`s mind is the future of his country

[FLUSEM666]

I hope they look after this guy well. he could be the future. Nice man.

[jt263]

Soon someone will appear with assault rifle. I guarantee that.

[southparkgtaca]

Wow.... Pretty wise for such a religious part of the world. I hope they listen and don't stone him to death....

[lyntonio]

about time ....he will be dead soon

[GodMarley666]

yeah he with be dead at the hands of fundamentalists. He is talking complete sense bravo to him!

[sp00x]

Well, he IS talking about religion as "sacred" and obviously does believe in some kind of deity, so it's not by any standard "complete sense". It's however a rather welcome change to the regular thing coming from that general direction.

[DescartesPupil]

Religion is sacred in that it is held as such by its adherents. Furthermore, he is a Muslim in a Muslim country? Do you think he could say any less and expect to keep his life? This is as liberal as it gets I'm afraid.

[sp00x]

I was reacting to the statement that it made "complete sense", and DID say it was a welcome change. I didn't expect him to jump out and embrace atheism. This is going to be one small piece at a time..

[ass711]

@GodMarley666 if he was talking on behalf of christianity (just a belief) then it would make sense

he instead is talking on behalf of islam, which calls for the opposite through sharia law

by his statements other muslims are going to try getting him killed

[Chiflado21]

Great video ... and I'm glad to see MEMRI doesn't just show the scary crackpots anymore

[sammygee17]

this man will be stoned for this

[MrEliasSilverio]

He is from Lebanon, guy! They don't stone people in Lebanon.

[HiveDes]

I don't want to sound overly optimistic, but there seems to be more expressions of Islamic free-thought and secular ideas coming out as of late. Even Ayatollah Montazeri just issued a fatwa against the oppressive Iranian government, which means he probably favors a more liberal and democratic system. Gives you some hope that the religion and its culture may soon come out of its dark ages.

/yeah it would be great if religion didn't have such a stranglehold at all, but progress is progress

[ass711]

@HiveDes well in case you didn't know, islamic free thought have been coming out of the muslim world since the 60s

-a fatwa was released declaring shias to be muslims (before they were viewed as unbelievers and treated socially like blacks in america)

-knomeini declared that women should vote (after the revolution) and allowed sex changes

-more calls have been made for interfaith dialogue

[yo1o2eggs]

Wow...does my eyes deceive me?

This man can single-handedly drag the Muslims to the 20th century.

[WillSKB88]

Sorry yo1o2eggs, but there are so many people willing to drag it back that, sadly, I doubt he could do it alone. Look at America, supposedly free and liberal but there is a large & influential bunch still successfully promoting their old-fashioned beliefs.

[yo1o2eggs]

You're right.

But I can dream...can't I?

[Hall1263]

immediate favorite!! great vid!!

[chainzdown2dadik]

holy shiite batman!

[ctressle]

I disagree with him on one point... anyone should be allowed to criticize *any* idea, including tenets of any religion. Just in case.

[agentsback]

I bet they ll label him as cafir.

[elindred]

this guy earns a lot of credit for his creed. The leaders of our "secular" society could take a few lessons from him. I wonder how well regarded he is in his country and how valuable he and his ideas are to them.

[shubidubar]

That guys has balls

[dreamdewil]

I like these clips from memri tv showing middle eastern scholars speaking against theocracy. Takes balls.

[GuyInvincible111]

Religious freedom is usually conceived by religious people exhausted by religious war.

[poweredxbyxhope]

Alcoholics Anonymous is usually filled with people who were alcoholics.

[Greywyn7]

Touche.

[jmsimpson11]

i enjoy middle eastern interlectuals speaking out. very dangerous for them but.

[CopperGaut]

Craizai in my naizai.. in my nasal cavity. so

[RadarKat73080]

Holy shit! A religious leader who does wanna mess with the laws!?!?