November 1, 2026
Lebanon Today special
In times of adversity and harsh turns, masks fall and societies are tested at the core of their morals and cohesion. In this precise context, the supreme authority of the Druze Unitarian sect, Sheikh Abu Youssef Amin Al-Sayegh, took an exceptional stance that constituted a moral document and a deep analytical approach to the reality of the situation, putting the finger on the wound and warning against slipping into the quagmire of narrow interests at the expense of existence and common destiny.
Sheikh Al-Sayegh’s speech went beyond the limits of the traditional sermon, providing a precise dissection of the “psychology of crises,” as he aimed to dismantle the opportunistic mentality that feeds on people’s pain, to establish in return a collective awareness based on justice, dignity, and responsibility.
In an analytical reading of the contents of his message, essential axes emerge that draw a road map for societal survival:
Warning against exploiting adversity… and rejecting the “crisis trade”
With firm logic, Sheikh Al-Sayegh deconstructs the phenomenon of exploiting crises, warning against those who find in the group’s weakness and the need of its people a “golden opportunity” to achieve personal gain and expand their circles of influence. The danger he refers to lies not only in the exploitative act itself, but in the corrupt moral justification that accompanies it; Some people resort to beautifying their societal betrayals with glamorous names such as “acumen,” “good management,” and “realism.” The sheikh drew a strict dividing line between “constructive criticism” that aims for actual reform, and “empty slogans” that are used as a cover to advance personal interests, stressing that the balance of intentions is always revealed through the impact that the individual leaves in the lives of the oppressed and the tired.
The danger of selfishness and short-sightedness…the mutual ruin syndrome
Perhaps the most profound thing that Sheikh Al-Sayegh put forward is his analysis of the duality of “selfishness and stupidity,” where he considers that whoever invests in weakening his group is in fact committing postponed suicide, and will inevitably be the first to be affected by its collapse. He based his approach on an eloquent simile and symbolic story about a man who sold the stones of his village wall out of the hope of money, only to discover when the storm broke that he had not sold the stones, but had sold his “security and refuge.” This philosophical outlook culminated in a golden rule that the Sheikh launched as a warning bell for everyone, when he said: “When selfishness is blind to the common destiny, it makes the individual’s gain a loss for the group, and then the group’s loss comes back to knock on the individual’s door.”. Immediate gains based on selfish calculations are nothing but future ruins, and intelligence that lacks wisdom and insight turns into an instrument of self-destruction.
Preserving the dignity and rights of members of the sect…justice beyond fanaticism
The hadith was not limited to diagnosing the disease, but it also established a treatment that begins with “dignity.” Sheikh Al-Sayegh issues a clear and direct call to prioritize the common interest over fanaticism and narrow calculations, rejecting any compromise on people’s rights even in times of disagreement. He considered that there would be no salvation for any society if the pain of its people turned into commerce, and their disputes into ladders for the beneficiaries to climb. The Sheikh raised the concept of “moral honesty” to its highest level, when he stressed the necessity of rejecting and confronting injustice, even if it was committed by relatives or allies in interests, making “justice” the supreme authority that protects the rights of those who agree and disagree alike.
Moral responsibility in times of adversity… Belonging is an act, not a word
In the final section of his talk, the Sheikh redefines the concept of “belonging.” True belonging is not measured in times of prosperity, but rather manifests itself in practical situations when distress is severe. It requires the courage to admit a mistake, the courage to stand by the oppressed, and diligent work to restore what has been torn in the structure of the group. Moral responsibility requires that we do not burden the tired, but rather that we support them. Analysis of this situation indicates that societal cohesion is not built with good intentions alone, but rather with a “vigilant conscience” that holds itself accountable before it holds others accountable, and asks: “Am I seeking my own interests without doing injustice?”
Bottom line: In this message, which was crowned with expressive poetic verses and a comprehensive supplication, Sheikh Abu Youssef Amin Al-Sayegh wanted to write a document for history and conscience. Crises will pass, ordeals will pass, and names may be forgotten, but the impact of the situations is engraved in the memory.
Whoever takes advantage of people’s pain may gain money, but he will lose “trust,” which is the only currency that cannot be bought, while whoever preserves dignity and safeguards trusts, his noble influence will remain alive in souls.
It is an urgent call to regain insight, before we wake up one day to find ourselves stripped of all protection, in the midst of devastation that we were complicit in creating.
