Moussa al-Sadr... Absent but Present
7 Min Read
In commemoration of Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr's occultation, we can't help but ask about this figure who is absent, yet always present for the many who, up to this very day, follow in his footsteps.
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Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr
On August 31 of the year 1978, the political leader and religious scholar Sayyed Moussa al- Sadr was reported missing after his family lost all contact with him during his trip to Libya. At the time, Al-Sadr was visiting Libya upon the invitation of the former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.
The truth behind his occultation is still masked up to this very day, but on the occasion of his disappearance, we cannot but dive into the life of Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr.
On June 4th, 1928, Iranian-born Lebanese Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr was born in the city of Qom. He moved to Lebanon in 1959 to the city of Tyre, with a vision he aimed to implement in the country.
Al-Sadr's vision for Lebanon
Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr made his way to the city of Tyre, aiming to shift the sectarian and secular system in Lebanon into a civil one and to mobilize the people against deprivation, poverty, and social injustice in the south, north, and the Bekaa regions of Lebanon.
Al-Sadr gave a lecture at St. Joseph School in Aintoura on April 20, 1970, addressing the sectarian system in Lebanon. He preached that God created Lebanon with so many sects, but He did not force upon its people to act with sectarianism, emphasizing the importance of abandoning the politics of sectarianism.
His speech was part of the many lectures and actions he initiated in favor of religious unity in the country amid the escalating friction between sects and in order to strengthen the country in the face of the occupation government lurking at the border and against political feudalism.
"Our people in southern Lebanon have two enemies, political feudalism and Israel", preached Sayyed al-Sadr.
Establishing "Harakat al-Mahromeen"
Sayyed al-Sadr was behind establishing "Harakat al-Mahromeen" (Movement of the Deprived) in 1974, which focused on fighting "Israel", at a time Lebanon was impotent.
He preached in favor of unity, disappointed by the fact that Lebanese groups have been armed under the pretext of expected internal dangers, instead of arming themselves and standing shoulder to shoulder against the occupation government.
"Weapons are the adornment of men in the face of feudalism and Zionism," said Sayyed al-Sadr.
Alongside the fight against "Israel", al-Sadr was an active supporter of the Palestinian cause, which he believed unites the Arabs.
The fight against political feudalism
Sayyed al-Sadr believed in eradicating political feudalism, through which he combatted poverty. His movement began in the city of Tyre with the aim of empowering the people and ending their state of poverty and injustice.
In the course of expanding the movement, the city of Tyre offered tens of thousands of armed men and the city of Baalbeck had thousands of men ready to fight political feudalism, threatening to take it to the streets of Beirut in protest against the unjust system.
In response to a question about the use of arms, al-Sadr explained that when weapons prevail, there will be no more room for tyranny and authoritarianism, as long as the real remedy, which is the protection offered by official authority, is missing.
He continued to highlight that at the time, when the southern region of Lebanon lacked any education due to the absence of schools, any services whatsoever for the people, and any honoring of competent people, political feudalism was to blame.
How did al-Sadr stand against sectarianism?
In 1975, a civil war broke out in Lebanon, constituting a step in contradiction of al-Sadr’s lectures on unity. No doubt, al-Sadr condemned the war and proceeded toward a hunger strike at a mosque in a local area in Beirut, in which he preached unity.
At the same time, he preached unity in a courageous move by choosing to address the people from the al-Kaboushia Church in Beirut.
He was known for his daring character, which most believe is what won the hearts of the people from all religions and sects.
An echo beyond Lebanon
Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr believed that Lebanon holds a message and is a model of coexistence that helps ease international relations between the country and foreign states. Therefore, he believed that fixing the situation in Lebanon is a prelude to save the situation in the Arab region and to set international politics straight.
Most of the countries that al-Sadr visited had an impact on Lebanon, and he put effort to keep the impact positive. He aimed at keeping strong ties in light of the Palestinian presence in Lebanon and the military and political resistance against the Zionist entity.
Moreover, during the civil war, al-Sadr dedicated his foreign visits to sincere endeavors meant for ending the war and restoring Lebanon's role in the Arab world.
Sayyed al-Sadr: We have united for the sake of mankind
Sayyed al-Sadr believed that humans have a social responsibility for the sake of mankind. He called for firmly seeking better education and consecrating social responsibility, paving the way for a united movement dedicated for providing an equal and just society.
As part of this movement, al-Sadr focused not only on eradicating poverty, but also on enhancing the role of women in society.
The empowerment of women
His Eminence believed that women should not be deprived of social activities and should play a big role in developing the community they are in.
In this context, his sister Rabab al-Sadr divulged in an interview for Al Mayadeen how her brother motivated her and pushed her to contribute to society. She was lectured by al-Sadr to believe that there is no difference between men and women, which the latter didn’t fail to preach on to the people.
“Without love, humans can’t live”, said Rabab al-Sadr in an interview for Al Mayadeen.
In a speech, he addressed women by highlighting their role in Islam. He emphasized how women in Islam adopted empowering roles, calling on them to uphold their strength and to mirror their perseverance.
Today, Imam Al-Sadr Foundation in Tyre, headed by Rabab al-Sadr, is dedicated for providing young girls with the proper education that teaches them how to be strong empowering individuals who aspire to contribute and make a difference in society.
Al-Sadr’s last trip
After Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr accepted al-Gaddafi’s invitation to Libya, his family lost all contact with him a few days after he arrived.
The former Libyan leader was blamed for his disappearance, however, no solid evidence was disclosed.
The real question here is to whose advantage is al-Sadr’s disappearance?
Given the aforementioned actions by al-Sadr against sectarianism and his efforts to create a strong united Lebanon, it goes without saying that the international community, in favor of destabilizing the country in order to maintain its weakness in the face of “Israel”, saw him as a threat.
Investigations are still ongoing to find out what really happened on that ominous day of August 31, but most analysts believe that Libya was a place where several international interests met to remove a major threat to the western agenda.
It is worth mentioning that only a few years after his disappearance, “Israel” invaded Lebanon in 1982.
