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Name
Gouda
-
Profession
Question
After the ceasefire, how can Muslims help in rebuilding Lebanon?
Answer
Dear Gouda, thanks a lot for your question.
It is certainly through the Islamic charities that are working in Lebanon and there are several of them. They are still in need of a lot of your prayers and pro-active action wherever you may be through mobilizing public support to urge Muslim governments and all governments of the world to be accountable for the negligence done during this human tragedy and to pay for reconstruction. Also through action in the international crime tribunal to include the Israeli army and government crimes in Lebanon as crimes against humanity as they really are and hold Israel to pay reparation for the killing of innocent civilians and infrastructure which has been destroyed.
Name
Jawad
-
Profession
Question
How much losses that Israel suffered during the war?
Answer
Dear brother, whatever the losses it suffered, they are much less than the civilian and infrastructure losses it inflicted on the Lebanese people. I don't know the Israeli losses and we knew from past experience that Israel does not declare all actual losses.
Name
Jumana
-
Profession
Question
Will there be any impact on economy of the Arab world after the war?
Answer
Dear sister Jumana, yes, of course. Here are some:
1. Countries that received refugee guests have spent a lot of resources, by individuals and governments that won't be paid for by international agencies; these are mainly Syria and Jordan;
2. Some countries will have to pay part of the bill of reconstruction either out of their solidarity with Lebanon or out of the pressure from the USA, these are especially some of the Gulf countries;
3. Countries that have trade with Lebanon will also suffer, these include Egypt, Libya and to a lesser extent Yemen.
4. Many of the damaged properties in Lebanon are also owned by Arab individuals from other Arab countries.
Name
Kaaml
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Profession
Question
Do you think that Israel will abide by the UN resolution no. 1701?
Answer
Dear brother Kamal, I think it will because it wants a way out. This doesn't mean that if it has any opportunity to find a good hit on the Islamic resistance in Lebanon it will not use it; it certainly will use it and call it a miner violation!
Name
Sami
-
Profession
Question
From an economic point of view, how do you see this war? And how to overcome its financial impacts?
Answer
Dear brother Sami, economically, this war has very important and long term effect on the area there and has also effects on the USA companies:
1. On Lebanon: it certainly drives it back at least two decades. One of the aims of Israeli attacks on Palestinians and neighboring countries has always been reducing the economic ability of normal resident and driving him/her to poverty so that he/she may seek migration or reduce his family (and thereby population growth) and lose hope in domestic investment which keep others poor too. This is a war on human ability to live and prosper in the area that surrounds the land occupied in 1948. Israeli government and occupation always aims at making people lose hope in their land!
Here comes the important role of Islamic resistance in making people stick to their lands and keep developing it especially in Palestine, South Lebanon and other surrounding areas.
2. Countries that are badly affected by refugees will also suffer in the same direction.
3. Countries that will help pay the bill of reconstruction will also have to make this sacrifice caused by the Israeli aggression, this is depleting Arab resources.
4. American companies will collect the fruits of reconstruction: contracts of rebuilding. that will give better employment and better profits for these companies. It is like Katrina but the sufferers are Lebanese not Americans! This will also give more future donations to Israel from such companies. This is why the call for boycotting American and British products and companies is now more important than any time before.
Name
Hamad
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Profession
Question
How can Muslims in the West help Lebanon overcome the economic losses of this war?
Answer
Dear brother Hamad, thanks a lot for your question.
This is answered already, it is essentially by contributing to Muslim charities that operate in Lebanon.
Name
xyz
- Pakistan
Profession
Question
As-Salamu `alaykum, I have a few questions which have been confusing me
First of all, I want to know that is boycotting American and UK products mandatory? In some countries like Pakistan these products are extremely widespread ranging from drinks to even the cooking oil. However they are manufactured in Pakistan, but under UK and US company names. Is it a workable solution to boycott these goods even if it would effect the lives and jobs of hundreds of Muslims who are employed in these companies especially since Pakistan is a small country and boycotting these products may not harm US but it may harm the economy of the country. Would it do any good if a single person or a group of people boycotts them but the country as a whole doesnt?
Secondly is it permissible to eat from a person's income who works for McDonalds USA? Since McDonalds, Pepsi, Coca Cola support the military if not Israel directly? And I read on a site that McDonalds joined some American supporting campaign which claims "that our customers and all Americans support the military troops. I am currently in US for an immigration trip, and we have bought a lot of things for ourselves and relatives back home and have paid taxes on them, what to do with these things? And lastly, some authentic sites state that aiding non-Muslims against Muslims in such wars is kufr putting a person out of Islam, so if living in country like Pakistan where we buy goods from companies like unilever and P&G because of their qualities being good if we use something like soap even does that mean we are kafirs? Jazaka Allahu khairan!
Answer
Dear brother, wa `alaykum as-salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
1. the boycott called for by Islamic scholars is mandatory on every Muslim and violating it without good reason is a sin because it amounts to supporting the supporters of the aggression against innocent peoples and civilians,
2. local companies that produce on licenses from American and British companies do help these companies and it is always better to swish your consumption from their product to other domestic companies, this will also help them improve the quality. It is not haram however to buy these locally produced products as they are produced by local workers and materials.
3. Symbolic products such as McDonald and Pepsi must be boycotted even if they are produced locally because they represent a culture not only an economic issue.
4. Certainly any direct support to the aggressors on any Muslim land/people amounts to Kufr. But this does not apply to indirect support such as buying goods that should be boycotted!
5. We always refuse extremism and unbalanced position but we also stand for our rights firmly.
Name
Kamal
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Profession
Question
How to cope with the economic impacts of the Lebanon war?
Answer
Dear brother Kamal, this can be summarized by mobilizing political support for economic help and compensation of damage in form of war reparation and by donating for reconstruction through Muslim charities operating in Lebanon.
Name
Omar
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Profession
Question
What is the financial and economic impact of this war on Lebanon? And how to cope with the economic losses after the end of any war?
Answer
Dear brother Omar, this war was a war against the progress of the Lebanese people, it destroyed 95% of their infrastructure. The financial impact is definitely huge and the reconstruction work is extremely high (also there is no Rafiq Hariri to roll in his resources to finance reconstruction). There is a need to call through the UN to charge Israel and the US the cost of reconstruction and there is a need for the neglectful Arab oil countries to shoulder the cost especially where individual life resources are destroyed for individual families. Any Muslim can help through donations to Muslim charities operating in Lebanon.
Name
Humairah
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Profession
Question
As-Salamu `alaykum. Why is that in the beginning the Muslim countries, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, blamed Hizbullah for starting this war?
Answer
Dear brother Humairah, wa `alaykum as-salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Because of their shortsightedness. They don't see the full picture especially in historical perspectives and they don't see the Israeli preparation for an aggression on Lebanon or Syria, whichever comes first.
Name
Muaz
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Profession
Question
Is it true that the Lebanon's banking system is already heavily dollarised as it is not common in region to withdraw foreign currency from ATMs, as one can in Lebanon?
Answer
Dear brother Muaz, I don't know but it is very possible because dollar was the actual currency during the civil war of 1975-1990.
Name
Amr
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Profession
Question
In Egypt, the price of gas 90 increased 30%, is this because of the war on Lebanon?
Answer
Dear brother Amr, May be the war was taken as an excuse for the increase although most likely the reason is the rise in crude oil prices in which the contribution of the war on Lebanon was very little.
Name
Rasha
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Profession
Question
What is our role as Muslim Ummah to help and support those afflicted with war and crisis? What should we do to help them economically beside boycotting?
Answer
Dear sister Rasha , please read previous answers in this session, they give my suggestions in this regards, I don't believe in stopping at negative action (boycotting).
Name
Ali
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Profession
Question
As-salamu `alaykum. Do you think that what Hizbullah does is right? And how should Muslims react to being attacked, how should they fight back?
Answer
Dear brother Ali, wa `alaykum as-salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Individual attacks on persons and property anywhere in the world must be referred to the law. Attacks on Palestine and other Muslim countries must be resisted by people's mobilization, like the Islamic resistance in Palestine and Lebanon because at this stage it seems there is no hope from the Arab governments.
Name
Zeinab
- Egypt
Profession
Question
How long will it take to reconstruct Lebanon and make up for the great losses? And how to exert pressure on Israel to pay amends?
Answer
Dear sister Zainab, I think it will take no less than two decades, and the international public opinion through Muslim countries and Muslim communities in the Western countries will have to do their best to pressurize the UN and the US to force war reparation on Israel and on it weapon supplier the USA.
Name
Ahmad
- Egypt
Profession
Question
It goes without saying that the recent war on Lebanon exposed that the Arab rulers are not willing to boycott Israel. In light of this, how can the Arab peoples reactivate the boycott against the Israeli and American goods in order to achieve its desired aims?
Answer
Dear brother Ahmad, what is needed is people's pro-active mobilization by youth, Shari`ah scholars, social leaders, we need an alliance between all Islamists, liberals and Arab nationalists towards this cause.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
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Answer
Finally, we would like to thank our guest for speaking to Islamonline viewers today, and we also thank all those who participated in this dialogue. We apologize for not being able to accommodate all the questions within the time allocated to this session. We request our readers to join us in the upcoming sessions.
