Media Release for Public Opinion
About the so-called Sidon International Festivals
(Translated)

Under the auspices of the Municipality of Sidon, it will start on the 14th of this month in front of Sidon's Sea Castle, and the area of the municipal stadium and around it, dance and singing festivals, which we have seen and we have known its poor reality since it was held in 2016! But a group of politicians in the city of Sidon and the municipal officials, are still moving on this approach, which works to change the city's civilizational face!! This face, which is rich in its living Islamic heritage, through the mosques of the full of faith city, which reflects the true belonging of the people of the city to their doctrine striking in every corner of the city. They do so by bringing rave concerts at times, and turning squares of the city into singing and dancing arenas during Ramadan at other times, then claiming that this is the character of the city in Ramadan!!!

All of this, under the pretext of stimulating tourism and the economy. Did not they know that Allah’s Rizq (provision) is not sought by disobeying Him and humiliating His rituals, not to mention that these activities have only brought to the city traffic congestion and crises ... while they ignore or neglect the beneficial projects that improve economic movement and flourish city’s markets!

Let them look at some of the beneficial economic projects that the people of the South have set up, moving their towns and villages, which made them be in no need of the city of Sidon and its markets, until the markets of Sidon became desolate.

Let them have mercy on the sons of Sidon, and even the sons of the South, from the suffocating traffic crises as they pass through the city. Or perhaps the owners of these festivals and these "projects" see that congestion bring economic benefit?!

Let them give us the glad tiding of their unique outlook! And let them have mercy on the people of the city and its merchants from those false events that do not benefit and do not sing from hunger.

As this is the case, then for the benefit of who are these rave festivals except to be detrimental to the privacy, identity and culture of the city?!

O Muslims in the city of Sidon, especially the honorable scholars and sheikhs

Based on the saying of Allah (swt):

(وَٱتَّقُوا۟ فِتۡنَة لَّا تُصِیبَنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنكُمۡ خَاۤصَّة وَٱعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِیدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ)

“And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who oppress (but it will afflict everyone) and know that Allah is Severe in punishment.” [Al-Anfaal: 25]. And the Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allah (saw) as narrated by at-Tirmidhi:

«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْهُ ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَهُ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ»

“By Whom in Whose hand is my soul, you shall enjoin Ma’ruf and you shall forbid Munkar, or Allah may send His punishment upon you, then you will supplicate to Him and He will not answer your prayers.”

We in Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Lebanon dissociate ourselves to Allah from these disgraceful acts, and we deny this evil, which is a curse to the history of Sidon, Sidon, the city of mosques, scholars and martyrs...

So, raise your voice high with us and deny these actions and take the hands of those who are responsible for them, to satisfy your Lord and focus your aim towards the useful economic works that benefit you and benefit the neighboring people around you, until Allah (swt) authorizes the real economy based on Allah's law and religion, in a near future. And that is no great matter for Allah.

(وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ)

“And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.” [Al-A’raf:96]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Lebanon