The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council has filed a lawsuit against director Youssef al-Khouri over statements about the Battle of Karbala, sparking a dispute over religious interpretation and freedom of expression.
The complaint centres on al-Khouri's description of the seventh-century Battle of Karbala. Al-Khouri said he has not formally received the complaint and learned of it through media announcements by the council.
Al-Khouri said his comments treated Karbala as a historical and military event, not a matter of religious doctrine or Shiite belief. He said he was responding to remarks by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem about the possibility of fighting a Karbala-like battle.
Al-Khouri used the term suicide to describe entering a militarily unbalanced confrontation, he said, not to insult Imam Hussein. He argued that when power is unequal and the entire country is pushed into conflict, the danger threatens all Lebanese.
He said the issue for him concerns who invokes Karbala today to justify a new war, not Imam Hussein himself. He rejected accusations that he disparaged the imam, saying he offered a reading of a historical battle marked by a severe imbalance of forces.
Al-Khouri said lawyer Hassan Fadlallah misrepresented his words and reframed a political and military position as a religious insult. He said the debate should focus on what was actually said, not interpretations presented as fact.
Fadlallah countered that the Karbala event represents a stand against injustice and refusal to swear allegiance to an unjust ruler, not suicide. He said Imam Hussein was besieged and faced the choice of submission or death, and his sacrifice became a symbol of human dignity and steadfastness for justice.
Fadlallah said describing the event as suicide offends the beliefs of a broad segment of Lebanese, and the council pursued legal action to defend the sanctity of sacred matters and prevent sectarian incitement.
Al-Khouri responded that Fadlallah's account includes Imam Hussein requesting permission to leave, which he said warrants a historical discussion free from slogans and doctrinal language.
Al-Khouri said he will not retreat from his position or stop expressing his political views. He suggested the legal action may be an attempt to silence criticism of choices driving the country toward conflict.
He expressed concern the matter could extend beyond the current complaint but said he will continue speaking, responding and clarifying his position, and will not accept being blamed for an offense he did not commit.
