The Hezbollah-Salafist Memorandum of Understanding

• Country/entity

  Lebanon
  
• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  
• Agreement name

  The Hezbollah-Salafist Memorandum of Understanding
• Date

  18 Aug 2008
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( Lebanon's Political Crisis (2005 – ) )
• Stage

  Ceasefire/related
• Conflict nature

  Inter-group
• Peace process

  Lebanon peace process
• Parties

  Hezbollah Movement in Lebanon - Sayyed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed - Head of the political council
  
  Salafist movements in Lebanon - Sheikh Dr. Hassan al-Chahhal - Representative of the Salafist forces in Lebanon
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  A short eight point ceasefire type agreement which establishes a mutual 'no first strike' deal between Lebanese fighting movements. The agreement calls for no attacks by Muslim groups on other Muslims and addresses discriminatory Takfiri ideologies. The agreement commits both parties to stand by each other in the instance of aggression by other forces or conflict parties. The agreement also makes provision for a committee of senior Salafist and Hezbollah scholars to address points of dispute between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

• Agreement document

  LB_080818_TheHezbollah-SalafistMemorandumofUnderstaning.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

The Hezbollah-Salafist memorandum of understanding

On August 18, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar website carried the following report:

This morning, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Hezbollah and the Salafist

movements in Lebanon in the As-Safir Hotel on the Beirut Corniche.

From Hezbollah's side, the

paper was signed by the head of the political council, Sayyed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, and from

the Salafist movement by the representative of the Salafist forces in Lebanon, Sheikh Dr. Hassan

al-Chahhal, in the presence of leaders from both sides and a media crowd.

The Hezbollah-Salafist Memorandum of Understanding stated:

In light of the major challenges faced by our Arab and Islamic nation, the most angry of which

being the instigation of sectarian and religious strife to attack the region and pillage its wealth

and serve the interests of Israel and America, and in light of what is happening on the Lebanese

scene in terms of the dangerous repercussions serving the Israeli enemy, since Israel wants to take

from the Lebanese what it could not take by use of arms – especially after the July War – and with

respect to our Islamic duty, we have tried to eliminate strife and contain the dispute between the

Sunnis and the Shia within the intellectual and scientific context that is handled by scholars from

both sects and the exploitation of which is prohibited to the public.

Among the most prominent factors in the management of this dispute are the protection of the

specifics of each sect and the respect of their principles... while bearing in mind that the acute

political disputes between the different sides bear negative repercussions affecting the people,

the Lebanese arena in general and the Islamic arena in particular.

It is based on the

aforementioned that the Salafist forces and Hezbollah's leaders met and agreed on the following

points:

Firstly, based on the sacredness of Muslim blood, we ban and condemn any attack carried out by

any Muslim group against another Muslim group.

In case a group is attacked, it has the right to

resort to the legitimate means to defend itself.

Secondly, we abstain from instigating the public, since that contributes to fueling strife and takes

the decision out of the hands of the wise and places it into the hands of the enemies of the

Islamic nation.

Thirdly, we will stand in the face of the American-Zionist project, the most prominent tools of

which being strife and division.

Fourthly, we will exert all possible efforts to eliminate the Takfiri ideology of the Sunnis and the

Shia, since accusing all Shia of being infidels is rejected by the Salafists, and accusing all Sunnis of

being infidels is rejected by Hezbollah.

Fifthly, if Hezbollah or the Salafists are ill-treated by domestic or foreign sides, the other party

should stand by it with force and determination as much as possible.

Sixthly, a committee of senior Salafist and Hezbollah scholars is formed to look into the points of

dispute between the Shia and the Sunnis, in what would contain the disputes within the context

of the committee and prevent them from reaching the street.

Seventhly, each side enjoys the freedom of belief, and no side has the right to impose its ideology

on the other.

Eighthly, both sides believe that the understanding will deter strife between Muslims and enhance

peaceful living and coexistence between all the Lebanese.