Shiite Muslicm Cleric Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah, Dies

(July 4) -- Shiite Muslims the world over are mourning the death of Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, who died today after a long illness. He was 75.

Fadlallah was known for his anti-American views and he escaped several assassination attempts, including one that was widely believed to have been ordered by the CIA in 1985. A car bomb near his home in the Bir el-Abed district of south Beirut killed 80 people. Fadlallah was linked to Iranian-backed Shiite militants who kidnapped Americans during Lebanon's civil war in the 1970s and 1980s and bombed the U.S. Marine barracks in 1983, killing 241 U.S. servicemen. That bombing led to the U.S. withdrawal from Beirut three months later.

Hussein Malla, AP

Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon's top Shiite cleric, died Sunday.

During the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli warplanes bombed his two-story house, completely destroying it. Fadlallah was not home at the time.

Fadlallah was also frequently described as Hezbollah's mentor, a title he rejected although he did defend the use of violence.

"When one fires a bullet at you, you cannot offer him roses," he said.

Fadlallah's influence went well beyond Lebanon. He was one of the founders of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's governing Dawa Party (which means "the call") and was described as its spiritual guide until recently.

Fadlallah's harsh rhetoric in the 1980s toned down later in his life. He sharply criticized the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S. More recently, he called for a Muslim-Jewish interfaith dialogue.

"Islam recognizes Judaism and rejects any offense against Jews or Christians...we have no complex toward Jews at the religious level," Fadlallah said.

Yet he remained a sharp critic of Zionism and Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

He was also known as moderate on social issues. He issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, that wives whose husbands beat them are allowed to hit back. Most Muslims believe the Koran allows husbands to hit their wives if needed to "chastise" them.

The majority of Muslims in the Arab world are Sunni. The Shiite are a descendant of Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law. In Lebanon, approximately one-third of the Muslim population are Shiites and Fadlallah demanded equal rights for them.

He had been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure for several years but deteriorated quickly after he was hospitalized on Friday. A doctor said he died from bleeding of the stomach. He is survived by his wife and 11 children.