Untitled report on an Islamic meeting in Lebanon

3/13

On 13 March 1946, which happened to be a Wednesday, a meeting took place at the Mufti of the Republic's place, and was attended by a number of religious leaders among whom was Sheikh Mohammad al Unsi; Sheikh Mohieddin al-Makkawi; Sheikh Ahmad Khaled; Dr Anis al-Saghir; Sheikh Ahmad al-‘Ajouz, President of the Islamic Makarem al-Akhlaq Society; and Kazem al-Solh, President of al-Nida's al-Qaomi Organisation. Also present were Sheikh Mohammad Shukri al-Istiwani, Damascus Deputy Sheikh Abdel-Hamid al-Tabba', and a member of the Islamic Society in Damascus which is headed by Sheik Mohammad al-Duqr, all of whom had arrived expressly for that purpose from Damascus. They discussed the formation of the Islamic Millah (community) Society and decided that it should be along the same lines as the Islamic Society in Damascus and work at strengthening the Islamic Association in the Arab countries.

Sheikh Ahmad al-‘Ajouz addressed the participants saying: 'The Christians in Lebanon are getting more united by the day, and have become even more so after learning that the French are about to withdraw from the country.' He added that since this unity is liable to pose a threat to the Muslims in the future, Muslim denominations have to seize this opportunity to start speaking with a single voice. The way this unity could be achieved, he said, is through the Islamic Millah Society ... Sheikh Ahmad al- 'Ajouz confirmed that when he was in the Hijaz three months earlier, he met with Iraqi, Syrian, Palestinian and Hijazi leaders and they expressed their readiness to help Lebanon's Muslims who still languish under Christian hegemony. He said that these leaders are ready to lend them material and moral assistance until Lebanon's Muslims are able to overcome the Christian dominance. He also confirmed that the British man, Mr Mersack, is a Muslim and assisting the Islamic Millah Society in Beirut.