Mohammed Rashid Qabbani

Who is Mohammed Rashid Qabbani?

Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani is the Grand Mufti of Lebanon and the most prominent Sunni Muslim cleric in the country. He was born in Beirut. Qabbani has succeeded former grand mufti Hassan Khaled. An alleged assassination attempt against Qabbani was foiled by Lebanese internal security forces on September 21, 2009 during Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Beirut.

In an interview broadcast on Al-Manar TV in September 2012, Qabbani stated that Jews "still deny the religion of Islam – even in the modern era" and charged that "Jews were behind secularism [in Europe], because they opposed the authority of the church, against Christianity." He also suggested that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were "orchestrated" by Jews in order "to justify the persecution of Muslims worldwide."

Qabbani is against the legalization of civil marriage in Lebanon. On January 28, 2013, Qabbani made a fatwa declaring any Muslim politician who approves civil marriage legislation, as an apostate.