Muslims need to unite

Tunisia's mufti Mohammed Mokhtar Salami on October 7 urged all Muslims to unite to face challenges which seek to undermine their religion, highlighting Islam's tolerant teachings.

Salami, who arrived in Beirut on October 4, met on October 7 with Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the higher Shiite council, Sheikh Mohammed Mahdi Shamseddine, and the Association of Islamic Philanthropic Aims (al Makassed).

"Islam is under fire everywhere. What is happening in Palestine, Syria, Pakistan and Turkey are just examples of large-scale assaults on Islam " Salami said. "These crises should encourage us to unite and to restore the image of Islam as a tolerant religion which gave birth to an exemplary civilization."

Salami, who was accompanied by Lebanon's mufti Mohammed Rasheed Qabani, hailed Lebanon's ability "to overcome the war as it had overcome the plight of imperialism," a reference to the 25 year French mandate.