Suit In Lebanon Charges Violations of Civil Law In Issuance of Fatwa

In Beriut, Lebanon, the Daily Star reported on a lawsuit that was filed last Thursday by eight intellectuals, human rights activists and legislators representing all religious denominations of Lebanon against the Shiite scholar and leader Sheik Afif Naboulsi. In December, Naboulsi purported to issue a fatwa prohibiting Shiite politicians from replacing current Amal and Hizbullah representatives in the Lebanese government with Shiites, saying that foreign forces are behind the attempt. The suit charged Naboulsi with "identity theft, threatening and terrorizing in an attempt to obstruct the practice of civil rights, instigating sectarian differences and portraying political disputes as disputes between religions and sects." It says that Naboulsi was not a member of the Shiite's religious committee and so could not issue a fatwa. In a statement released on Saturday, the Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights Federation supported the lawsuit.