In the name of God the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Praise be to God, payer and peace be upon the master

of messengers, his family and his companions

Peace, mercy and blessings,

A face that is absent and a memory that remains.

On this day we stand with you in the twenty first commemoration of the martyrdom of His Eminence the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic El Sheikh Hassan Khaled.

          A man who lived a life full of education and religion, drinking in his early stages from the fountains of Shari’a laws and Hanif’s religion science; graduating from the education chair to logic and sober-minded thoughts paths. He fed from talking to believers through aiming eloquent preaching based on the wisdom essence. He was rooted in Islamic law through working in the judicial field. He was crowned in unanimity of all those around him to be a personality who deserved the Title of Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, he became in the Mufti position a symbol for the Moslems unity, a national Lebanese voice deep-rooted in his Arabism, as well as in Islamic and human dimensions equally. He who owned this prosper life earned a lot of honors, however the martyrdom honor alone elevated him to the top. 

          It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the writings, speeches, articles, lectures, positions and other similarities left by the Mufti El Sheikh Hassan Khaled make a civilized heritage given the diversity of its legal, jurisprudential, intellectual, social and cultural themes. What makes this heritage more important is that the martyr Mufti institutions preserved the meanings born from a sharp and expert mind, as well as the sober expressions not attracted by the composition as much as the good thinking.          

          Concerning the political and national view, we should carefully stop in front of many  words said by the martyr, that he wanted to be by his honesty actions expressed by the scenes of the Islamic and national unity during his reign, in addition to the positions related the major issue of the Palestinian Cause. Among what he said:  

“Our call for the Moslems unity is nothing than a call to the Lebanese unity.” 

“The rise and progress of Lebanon depend on the achievement of justice and equity between the Lebanese and their areas.” 

“Lebanon must be an image of magnificent harmony between all its confessions.”  

“The dearest call to my heart is to maintain the unity and the power of this nation, to live in its shadow as meeting and loving brothers in good and bad times. The real value of the citizen is through the talents he gives to his nation and not through the gains he achieves for himself.”  

          As for the Islamic and national role played by the martyr Mufti, we remember him calling for national unity, and one of the pioneers of the Islamic unity, a model of openness and Christian – Islamic dialogue.  

          The martyr Mufti was a unified position man represented not only in spiritual summits and religious meetings, we remember him here together with His Eminence the Sheikh of Druze Unitarian confession El Sheikh Mohamad Abou Chacra, and with the concealed Imam his Eminence E Imam Moussa El Sadr, as well as with His Eminence El Imam El Sheikh Mohamad Mahdi Chamseddine, but also in calling for the dialogue as a firm base for national unity and fighting rejection, for overcoming the contradictions trough reasonable commitment to the dialogue basis aiming to achieve the Supreme National Interest. He was the man of the blessed Islamic unity led by his photo praying for the soul of the martyr El Sheikh Halim Takieddine.  

          He also made Dar El Fatwa a center to the Lebanese meetings and a siege to launch the Islamic stabilities which prepared for the Taëf agreement.  

          As for the wounded Palestine his voice said: “it is time for the world conscious to move from emotional compassion phase with Jerusalem, Palestine, and Arab occupied Territories (which is compassion) free from any constructive optimism, to the phase of common human action to take a clear and effective measure for supporting the Arab and Islamic right in Palestine.” 

          It was a cry in the face of oppression condemning the Western bias to an usurper and calumniator force, and regretted the failure of the United Nations to play an unbiased and firm role, it is a cry having a contemporary presence for its authenticity and honesty in saying the truth.  

Yesterday was the sixty second commemoration of Palestine catastrophe and tomorrow will be the occasion of the humiliation agreement fall on the seventeenth of May. Today everyone is invited to work to urge the memory and learn from the past, what is required is a big effort from the civil society, the state, the institutions the political parties and the individuals in order to build a collective forgiving memory for the Lebanese based on peace, forgiveness, love and reconciliation to learn the lessons and change for a bright future, immunizing the generations with knowledge and education and keeping them away from ignorance, hatred and injustice.  

          The Druze Unitarian confession has a process covered with the martyrs’ blood. We salute all the nation, resistance and army martyrs, martyrs of the Arab and Palestine nation.

          We salute the small and the big family of the martyr.  

Your Eminence and your Excellency,  

          We were and we will remain your partners in Dar El Fatwa and in the Higher, Shiite, Islamic council for the Moslems unity and the Patriarchal Palace for the Lebanese unity in removing the susceptibilities and disputes which separate, and to consecrate the principles that unify.

May 16, 2010