Heading a large delegation of scholars, Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, visited the tomb of the martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in downtown Beirut on the occasion of the anniversary of his martyrdom. After reading Al-Fatihah and dedicating it to the soul of the martyred president and his righteous companions, the Mufti of the Republic said: “In the extremely dire circumstances we live in Today, we remember the martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, a statesman who had great interest in people, reconstruction and architecture. We remember his loyalty to national principles, and his sincerity in political dialogues at a time when lying to people has become not just a social and moral vice, but a pillar of the policy of a state that stands today on the verge of collapse, if it has not already collapsed.

He continued: “Rafik Hariri emerged from under the rubble and ruins of a vanished country and carried on his shoulders the task of rebuilding and reconstructing it, until the treacherous explosion killed him, so he rose as a living martyr to his Lord, and the Almighty said in the Holy Qur’an: And do not think that those who were killed in the way of God are dead, but are alive with their Lord.”

Derian added: “Lebanon, which is mired today in the abyss of moral corruption, political failure and financial and economic collapse, remembers with appreciation, and remembers with respect the rescue initiatives undertaken by the martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, who rose Lebanon, and Beirut in particular, from under the rubble. In order for Lebanon to resist despair and surrender to the status quo, it needs to renew the work of the martyr’s principles, with its lofty morals, constructive initiatives and a clear vision.

Derian concluded: “A life without meaning and purpose is an early death. The meaning of our lives is to be in a homeland that benefits people and brings them together. It preserves their dignity and preserves their rights, and the message of our lives is to reach a culture of one national life and respect for human dignity and citizenship rights.” Derian concluded.