Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine
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Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine (Arabic: محمد مهدي شمس الدين) or Chamseddine (1936-2001) is a famous Shia Islam scholar of Lebanon from Khabrihka in the southern part of the country. His lineage ends to Shahid Awwal who is also known as Shamseddine (Sun of the religion).
He was born in Najaf, Iraq as his father Ayatollah Abdul Kareem was studying there. At age 12 when his father returned to Lebanon, Imam Mohammad Mehdi decided to stay and finish his religious studies under famous scholars including Imam Abolqasim al-Khoei and Imam Muhsin al-Hakim. During his stay of over 30 years in Iraq he worked closely with the Imams Musa al-Sadr, Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, and Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, among others.
Upon his return to Lebanon in 1969 he helped Musa al-Sadr found the Supreme Shia Islamic Council that came to light in 1975, and became its first vice-president. Musa al-Sadr disappeared in mysterious circumstances during a trip to Libya in 1978. In April 1994 Shamseddine was elected president of the Council, which he led until his death.
Shamseddine was known for his moderation and diplomacy. He was a strong advocate of Christian-Muslim coexistence in a country which has struggled to overcome confessional divisions since the devastating 1975-1990 civil war. "There is no Lebanon without its Christians and there is no Lebanon without its Muslims," he once said.
He was a staunch supporter of the resistance against Israeli use of military force in the region. He formed the Wide Civil Resistance group in Lebanon after Ashura 1983 to counter the Israeli invasion of June 1982. He also established the Islamic University in Lebanon among many other institutions.
