Iran Press/ Middle East: Imam Musa al-Sadr, a prominent Iranian-Lebanese Shia scholar, disappeared with two companions on August 31, 1978, during an official visit to the Libyan capital Tripoli.
The Story of Sayyed Musa, or what is considered to be the most negotiable yet confusing, would be in Libya, linked with his disappearance.
The only verified fact concerning Imam al-Sadr’s case was that he arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli at the end of August 1978 with two companions: Sheikh Mohammad Yaacoub and the journalist Abbas Badreddine.
Back then, the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi had claimed that the three men boarded a flight to Italy on August 31. But al-Sadr and his companions were never seen again.
Many had hoped that the fall of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi would reveal the secrets about the disappearance of Sayyed al-Sadr. But those secrets were buried by the Libyan dictator, which led to a dead-end investigation.
On Thursday at the ceremony to commemorate Imam Musa Al-Sadr kidnapping, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that the kidnapping of the prominent Shia cleric was a crime that is a sovereign Lebanese case.
Who is Imam Musa Al-Sadr?
Imam Musa al-Sadr was born in the Holy Iranian City of Qom in the year 1928 to the Sadr family, which was known to be a family of theologians. His father was Ayatollah Sadreddine Al Sadr, and Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir Al Sadr was his cousin.
Al-Sadr attended his primary school in Qom and later moved to the Iranian Capital, Tehran. In 1956, he received a degree in Islamic Jurisprudence and Political Sciences from Tehran University.
After that, he moved back to Qom to study theology before leaving for Najaf in Iraq in the year 1954 to continue his theology studies under Ayatollah Sayyed Mohsen Al-Hakim and Ayatollah Sayyed Abdul Qassem Al Kouei.
Sadr moved back to his homeland
In the year 1955, Imam Musa al-Sadr came to his home country, Lebanon, in Tyr and Shuhoor and was the guest of honor at Ayatollah Sayyed Abed Al Hussein Sharafeddine's house.
Ayatollah Sharafeddine saw the talents and skills of Imam Musa al-Sadr and gave a glimpse that Imam Musa al-Sadr would be his successor.
In this context, and at the end of the year 1957, after Sayyed Sharafeddine's death, the city of Tyre sent for Imam Musa al-Sadr from Qom, and by the end of the year 1959, al-Sadr came back to Lebanon and settled in the city of Tyre.
As he started to appear widely in social affairs, Sayyed Musa started with religious and general activities, spreading their range through seminars, meetings, and visits, where he was able to relate religion to social affairs.
Supporting Palestinian, facing Israel
As Imam Musa Sadr started his way as a prominent Lebanese figure, the "Israeli" brutal aggressions and assaults in south Lebanon had been taking place.
In this context, he started urging Lebanese authorities to help and protect southern villages and arming southerners, and train them to defend their country.
The year 1970 was a rich year in the accomplishments Sayyed Musa achieved for the benefit of the Lebanese people, especially in light of the "Israeli" aggressions.
While the South was the most or the only damaged area as a result of the enemy aggression, Sayyed Musa sought to establish the "South Council," which mainly dealt with making up for all damage caused by "Israeli" assaults, in addition to agreeing upon some projects that aim at enhancing the social situation in the south.
Imam Musa Al-Sadr and the Lebanese civil War
The Lebanese civil war was not any less important than the "Israeli" war against Lebanon, for all he cared for was the wellbeing of the people of his country.
For that, Sayyed Musa exerted too much effort for this cause, traveling from one Arab country to another, aiming to come up with an Arab resolution and decision to stop the civil war in Lebanon.
He was finally capable of imposing a decision after an Arab Summit in Cairo on October 25, 1976, which agreed on sending Arab troops to Lebanon to stop all internal aggressions.
Although the civil war ended, the "Israeli" assaults continued in southern Lebanon, to the extent that the Arab troops sent for internal Lebanese peacekeeping were not able to enter the southern Lebanese territories.
From here and so, Sayyed Musa's main concern was to liberate south Lebanon and stop all forms of aggression against Lebanese civilians.
Imam Musa Al-Sadr is the founder of the Shia Supreme Assembly and Amal Movement in Lebanon.
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Read Full Story Here:
Anniversary of disappearance of top Shia cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr, a fighter for freedom
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