Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech on The Wounded Resistance Fighter Day: May 2, 2017
In His Name
Speech delivered by Hizbullah Secretary General, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on the Wounded Resistance Fighter Day held on May 2, 2017.
I seek refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Peace be upon the Seal of Prophets, our Master and Prophet, Abi al-Qassem Mohammad, and upon his chaste and pure Household, and upon his chosen companions, and upon all messengers and prophets.
Brothers and sisters! Reverent scholars! The wounded brothers and sisters! Dear audience! Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
First, I would like to congratulate you and everyone on these days and great anniversaries in the lunar month of Shaban which are dear to us and ever present in our history, culture, and conscience. It is really remarkable that Allah Almighty destined that these great Karbalai heroes, who fought, were martyred, and were taken as captives in Muharram, were born in Shaban. It is the birthday anniversary of Abu Abdullah al-Hussein - the Master of Martyrs, Imam Sajjad - Zein al-Abideen, Ali ibn Hussein, Abu Fadl al-Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Taleb, and Ali ibn Hussein al-Akbar (peace be upon them). These anniversaries are great and dear to us. In the coming days too, we will witness the birth anniversary of Imam Mahdi, the Master of our Time (may Allah hasten his honorable relief).
Furthermore, the holy month of Shaban has an honor of its own. It has a spiritual connotation and a divine significance. It is the month of supplication, worship, night vigils, fasting, and preparing to receive the hospitality of Allah in the month of Allah - the holy month of Ramadan.
So I congratulate you on all these anniversaries, days, and occasions.
From among these various occasions, the birthday of Abu Fadl al-Abbas (peace be upon him) had been chosen many years ago as the Wounded Resistance Fighter Day. Every year, we meet to give a speech and talk with the wounded - whom we have the honor to meet - along with their families in the various regions, as is the case now. I extend my regards to the wounded brothers and sisters on their day for whom it deserves to belong, by virtue of their jihad, presence in the various fields, wounds, and patience towards wounds. Al-Abbas is the wounded fighter who continued his way until martyrdom, with which he concluded his life.
I ask Allah Almighty to accept from all of you - from the wounded brothers and sisters and their families too - their jihad, wounds, and patience, and may Allah assist you in sustaining the repercussions, on your perseverance, and on continuing the way. May Allah reward you with all that is good in this world and in the hereafter, God willing. We are proud of our wounded men and women, whether elders or youths. We are proud of their persistence and patience. We know that Allah Almighty had granted martyrdom later on to some of these wounded. Let's take for example brother leader-martyr Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine. Everyone knows that he was wounded in the Khalde battles in 1982; later on, Allah granted him martyrdom. Everyone also knows martyr leader Hajj Alaa Al Bosnia. He was hit and wounded, and after a period of time he returned to the field where he was hit and wounded again. His injury was very serious. Still, when he recovered he returned to the field where he concluded his life with martyrdom. Many of our wounded today returned to their field of work - no matter whether it is a field of fighting or any other field of work, in as much as their bodies bear - though their souls tolerate much more. Anyway, we are proud of our wounded, and we thank them for their perseverance and patience. Also on this occasion, I thank the brothers and sisters in The Wounded Association on their efforts, care, and full assumption of their responsibilities.
Brothers and sisters! Your wounds which we are seeing now and which the world is seeing now on the TV screen - especially the wounded in the first seats - are a vivid witness to the solemn responsibilities you have been bearing, and your procession has been bearing, in Lebanon and the region for over the past decades. They bear witness to the major and great challenges. This requires from us to continue bearing these great responsibilities for whose sake these solemn sacrifices were made: martyrs, wounded, prisoners, hardships, sufferings, blood, tears, pains, tolerance, and patience. Also parallel to your wounds, tower great and major achievements. The most important achievement is that which you would reap in the hereafter. The wounded brothers and sisters - by virtue of their pain - deserve a great reward which Allah Almighty will grant them in the hereafter. This is their fate should it not be changed by other reasons - God forbid. This is the senior status - the sublime rank which can't be achieved with hopes and wishes. It is rather achieved with good deeds and great sacrifices as you have done. This is the most important achievement. So guard it dearly and stick close to it and keep it for your hereafter.
In this world too, these wounds did not go unnoticed. These sacrifices were not withered in the middle of a desert. These sacrifices made Lebanon, the region, and the nation gain very great achievements and victories which are still there for everyone to see.
My speeches will be limited to two topics. The first topic is the "Israeli" topic. In the face of this occupation, these sacrifices led to the liberation of Lebanon, the liberation of the south, the liberation of the land, and the liberation of the prisoners, and it also led to achieving security, serenity, and safety for our people in Lebanon, and especially in the south and Western Bekaa - more precisely for the residents of the cities and towns which had suffered from the "Israeli" aggression and the "Israeli" occupation since 1948. Now, they are enjoying security, serenity, and safety by virtue of these sacrifices. These sacrifices led to the deterrence balance formula and gave the Army-People-Resistance formula a boost. All the achievements against the occupation and against the threats, foiling the Greater "Israel" scheme in 2000, frustrating the Greater "Israel" scheme in 2006, and confronting the "Israeli" greed were not to be made were it not for your wounds, sacrifices, and martyrs.
The second topic is the Takfiri terrorism. Should we talk from the Lebanese perspective only, everyone knows that years ago when several border towns between Syria and Lebanon - such as Quseir, Qalamoun, Zabadani, and Sirgaya - fell in the hands of the militants, we (began to) hear such threats. Some people in Arsal grew more wrathful too. They said they wanted to occupy the towns and villages in the area there and connect Homs to Bekaa to the north, reaching to the Mediterranean Sea. Today too, by virtue of your sacrifices, jihad, wounds, martyrs, and pains, these borders are witnessing a very important and radical change based on the latest agreements, the evacuation of militants from Madaya, Zabadani, Bludan, Sirghaya, Bakeen, and today from the town of Sidna as part of the ongoing settlement. We can say that the Lebanese border in general, from the south to the Bekaa, to the north, to the sea, and the eastern borders in particular - with the exception of the Arsal outskirts that neighbors a part of Qalamoun - that (these areas) have stepped out of the military threat arena. I am talking about the military threat and not the security threat. Later on, we will talk about that. The military threat means that there are no more launch-pads in towns, posts, mountains, hills, or positions in the hands of the militants from which they can pose a military threat to any town or region along the borders. They can't occupy any town or burst into any city or the like. As per the security threat too, I can say that it retreated to a very high degree because there aren't any launch-pads that pose such threats. They don't have dens where they can booby-trap cars to dispatch them via the borders. However, that does not mean that the security threat has totally come to an end. There are still the Arsal outskirts and an area in west Qalamoun. This is what must be resolved one way or another during the upcoming stage God willing.
This is also among the achievements. Many of the wounded we meet today in these halls were injured in such kinds of battles which were meant to drift these grave dangers away from our villages, people, nation, borders, and all the sects of this country. This achievement was successfully made, as was the liberation and the golden formula: the Army-People-Resistance. That's because when we talk about the border, when we talk about security and safety in this country, when we talk about confronting the military threat and the security threat, when we talk about coupling the efforts of the army with that of the security apparatuses, the resistance, and the popular support, aside from all viewpoints that oppose or object or express a different stance as far as this issue is concerned, what is important is action and efficiency. The achieved results which Lebanon enjoys now are tangible as per the first level - from the south to Rashaya, Hasbaya, and West Bekaa, and as per the second topic, along the border from the south to Bekaa to all over Lebanon.
This was a prelude to move into the new topics. In fact, I want to talk about three sections: a local Lebanese section, a section related to some events in the region, and a last section in which I will return to talking about the occasion. This division was made so that media outlets which would follow us in the first and second section would be free to join us or leave us in the third section. Anyway, Al-Manar will continue broadcasting until the end of the third section.
As per the first section, and based on the prelude I made - meaning the achievements of these sacrifices which we must safeguard, I say we must be very keen to maintain the security of Lebanon, safety in Lebanon, calmness in Lebanon, and we are most keen on that. That's because it was not achieved with words but rather with sacrifices: martyrs, families of martyrs, many men lost their limbs, eyes or ears, or were paralyzed or the like, for the sake of making this achievement. Thus this was the result which was not made for free, and we must be very keen to maintain the security, stability, and steadfastness of Lebanon, and we must not allow any event to tamper with this security because that would mean losing all of these efforts.
As far as the local issue is concerned, I have two points to tackle, the first is Labor Day, and the second is the electoral law and the upcoming elections.
As per the first point, I congratulate all workers, especially the Lebanese working men and women on their annual day - Labor Day.
Usually the laborers mark this day with a demonstration or a meeting to call for their rights and to remind the state and the community of their existence, suffering, and demands. However, unfortunately, we have moved into a more difficult situation. Before talking about the laborers and the rights of laborers and their demands, we must talk about job opportunities - this severe crisis Lebanon is suffering from. In fact, many of the states in the region and in the world suffer from unemployment. I do not have to elaborate or provide evidences for this severe crisis; I only want to highlight this crisis, which is one of the gravest crises. Just like products, crises are categorized: a first-rank crisis, a second-rank crisis, a third-rank crisis...Unemployment is a first-rank crisis which can't be put off. It must be given the priority. When there are jobless women and jobless men in particular without job opportunities, poverty and need will prevail. This consequently means family problems and thus divorce. Children won't be registered in schools, which leads to ignorance and illiteracy and fatal vacuum. Eventually, that would lead to drugs, theft, crime, and at times collaboration (with the enemy). Thus unemployment is the gate to many calamities. Unemployment leads to physical illnesses and psychological sickness and to depression for many. As such unemployment must be the concern of the state and the society.
Indeed this is the responsibility of the state in the first place. Parties, political forces, or so called civil society institutions can offer partial solutions; an association here, a businessman there, a commercial organization here, a supermarket there, may try to provide some job opportunities for some persons. However, around the world the states and governments assume the responsibility of such issues with such a magnitude.
In Lebanon, on Labor Day, I call on the Lebanese state and the Lebanese government, on the Lebanese cabinet, and the Lebanese official institutions to give unemployment their priority. In some world states, they formed a council to resolve unemployment. Now we are not calling for anything in particular. We are rather calling for finding a framework officially specialized to study the case of unemployment Lebanon is suffering from: its direct reasons, how to address it... It must set plans, provide the parliament with ideas and suggestions, and follow up the procedures and the details.
But the prevailing state can't help in solving such problems. There are issues which nobody knows who is responsible for and who is demanding them. Is it the responsibility of the government as a whole? There are many files which the government can't tackle. Today we call on the Lebanese government to form an official framework to this effect. This framework may be called a permanent committee, a Supreme Council.... The name is not necessary. Neither is the administrative and organizational level. The framework should include a group of people who will sit together, plan, study, and consider world experiences. There are many experiences around the world which resolved unemployment. However addressing lesser crises - though this too is rarely found - is not enough. This issue must be given the major and absolute priority because it concerns all of the Lebanese people, all of the Lebanese youth, the social, living, security, and political future of Lebanon.
The second topic is the electoral law. Indeed the electoral law is a very sensitive issue in this country. Many political forces and sects in Lebanon view this law and approach it as if it is a case of life or death. This must be understood, and it is not easy to see that the issue otherwise. Indeed, to a great extent, this is a case of life or death for many, and consequently and based on this view, this law in particular must be approached. This law in particular differs from any other laws discussed in the cabinet, and their drafts or draft laws are presented to the parliament. Some call it an organic act. Others call it a crucial law; no doubt it is one of the laws which are extremely important. I will go back to this point later on.
As usual, in Lebanon, when we are before a sensitive, important, and crucial issue, instead of dedicating ourselves to discussing it with the required seriousness, unfortunately some of the parliamentary and political blocs exploit the discussions or discords, or the different viewpoints, to settle political accounts, score points, sabotage alliances, or the like. This is very unfortunate, but it exists in the country, especially in a difficult and sensitive stage such as the current one.
I will tackle some points on the elections, and I want to comment on a point which was said during the past few months. I also want to talk about this moment and where we are heading, and what our view as per this issue is.
First, I would like to say that in the past few months and weeks, some people were quite busy with this issue. Now, I want to talk about Hezbollah in the first place. Some articles, some interviews, and some speeches were accusing Hezbollah in particular of seeking to prevent Christians from electing their MPs. So this is the first accusation. It is that Hezbollah does not want an electoral law that enables the Christians to elect their MPs with their own votes. The second accusation is that Hezbollah does not want an electoral law that grants the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces a third of the parliament.
It is enough to tell all those who made these accusations over the past period that their accusations are baseless. I refute all claims by saying just the very opposite. Some time ago - before the previous extension - the Orthodox Law was proposed. This law enables that sect from electing its MPs. By the way, the ideal formula for every sect to elect its deputies is the Orthodox Law. We are accused of being sectarian. However, we in Hezbollah agreed to the Orthodox Law which enables the Christians to elect all their deputies. It enables the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement of gaining more than one third of the parliament. Some might say we were wrong when we agreed. This is another story. However, we agreed to the Orthodox Law, and we do not withdraw this approval.
As such, I gave evidence to those who made these accusations. On a parallel level, I tell all the Christians in Lebanon: It is not we who must be charged with such an accusation. Anyway, when the Orthodox Law was proposed, some disapproved of it. Even some Christians approved of it and adopted it, and then disapproved of it. By the way, these are the people who accuse us most. So it is out of question that we want to prevent someone in Lebanon from whatever sect from voting for their deputies or from having their fair, just, and normal representation in the parliament.
Second: it was also said during the past period that "Hezbollah adopts proportional representation or an electoral law based on full proportional representation, and that Hezbollah wants to impose full proportional representation on the Lebanese - among the Christians they told them that Hezbollah wants to impose this law on Christians. So they also worked on this issue. They said that Hezbollah has weapons and a military force. I also want to discuss this point, not only to push away a charge but also to say from now on, how we will approach this issue.
As per proportional representation and a law based on proportional representation, from the moment we became a part of the parliament in 1992 and the discussions on an electoral law started, and with the approach of the elections in 1996, Hezbollah started talking about proportional representation. At that time, the alliances were not today's alliances, the situations weren't like today, and the conditions weren't like today.
In fact, this is a deep-rooted conviction from the very beginning. It is based on a national vision and a national interest. In it we were seeking a law that secures the best, broadest, and fairest representation possible which may be the pillars of a state. So we did not take the considerations of our party or our sect.
Here I want to add something, and I allow myself to talk on behalf of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement or the so called "Shia duo". Since the discussion on the electoral law is going on around the clock, allow me to say the following:
As far as we are concerned, if we want to take the interests of the party or the sect into consideration, I tell the rest of the Lebanese political forces: the decision is yours. Leave Hezbollah and Amal aside and go and agree on any electoral law. Our share is secured as a Shia duo regardless of whatever electoral law: 60, 70, 80, 120, a majority law, a district law (20 districts or 100 districts), or proportional law, a merged law, a rehabilitative law, a sectarian law, a factional law...No matter what the electoral law is, as a Shia duo, we have no problem at all - that is if we are taking into consideration the interest of the party (meaning what Hezbollah and Amal would gain) or the interest of the sect (what the Shia would gain). However, we are approaching the electoral law from a national perspective. The electoral law will bring along a parliament for Lebanon, will build the state of Lebanon, will lead to the election of the president of Lebanon, will give the vote of confidence to the government of Lebanon, and will set the laws for the people of Lebanon. Thus we are approaching the issue from this perspective.
This is what in fact led us to proportional representation. Our brethren talk often about proportional representation. That does not seek to practice pressure on anyone or to impose anything on anyone at all.
In fact, we talk about proportional representation to convince each other, to interpret it, and to clarify its fairness and the sound representation it secures. We mean to manifest the rightfulness of this legal track and to sit with the other political forces and clarify any ambiguities and wipe away fears and offer guarantees.
That's how we act and we used to act as per proportional representation. We never used arms in the face of anyone. We did not even organize demonstrations. We can - along with all of those who back proportional representation - call for demonstrations for one, two, three, four, five, or six days to impose proportional representation on those who object to it. However, we did not do that.
So I wrap this point up by saying that we do not want to impose proportional representation on anyone. We even do not want to impose any electoral law on anyone in Lebanon.
Hereof, I move to the following point. When we first started talking about the elections being an issue of life or death or elimination or survival or sizes or the like, I said that we must come to understand that. You can see that all sects in Lebanon have apprehensions and fears because of the circumstances prevailing in the region and because of the changes taking place in the region or the country. To many, the future is not clear. It is even obscure. Thus they are searching for guarantees - constitutional guarantees, guarantees via texts, guarantees via alliances...They are searching for guarantees.
All sects have fears. However, we must confess that Christians and Druze have fears more than Sunni and Shia do. That has to do with the population, migration, and various circumstances. The Christian and Druze populations are retreating in the interest of the Shia and the Sunni. That is true. Consequently, the Sunni, Shia, Christians, and Druze alike must take these fears into consideration.
In case of such fears, we can't say: let's move based on such laws, even if a whole sect disagrees to it. For example, if there is an electoral law which Christians or most Christians disagree on, we can't impose it on the rest to enable ourselves to form a majority in the cabinet or in the parliament, and consequently say that we want to impose this law against the wish and will of Christians. The same applies to the Druze. Here I am not talking about the size. If the Druze unanimously disapprove this or that law, are we to impose a law on a sect as a whole at a time when this sect considers that this law annuls or eliminates it, or is unfair to it or the like?
So here we are talking about a different law. We are talking about something crucial and organic. It is something that has to do with life or death. This is the terminology people in Lebanon are using. It is not I. Thus in this perspective, we are calling for reaching an understanding and agreement. We call for continuing dialogue to reach a result. This is possible as you will see when I wrap up this point in a while.
This is possible but it requires patience. It requires more objectivity and some compromises. As such we can reach a new electoral law.
For many years, we along with our allies called for consensus democracy. If in case of an essential issue such as the electoral law - which is an issue of life and death, fate, and existence and cancelation as some view it - we do not resort to consensus democracy, when will we resort to consensus democracy? As such, I briefly say: we do not want to impose any law on anyone or on any sect or on any political power. We rather want to convince each other. We want to work around the clock to reach a certain conciliation as per the electoral law.
After all, what we will achieve is conciliation. Some have fair, just, and true aspirations. However, in my opinion, in this country you cannot impose any choices of this kind, either by arms or by demonstrations. This is as long as we are talking about something which has to do with a state, an administration, a law, elections....
So after all we have to reach a settlement.
I will stop with this last point concerning elections to see what will take place on Thursday and what will happen from now till May 15th. Brothers and sisters! All political forces in Lebanon! In fact, we are running out of time. Now the whole country is on the verge of the abyss. Should we not reach a new electoral aw, all the other alternatives are bad. No one should underestimate that: extension is bad, vacuum is bad, and the 1960 majoritarian system is bad. I will not compare and say which is worst. In fact, all these results are bad. We are now on the verge of the abyss.
What I call for now is: do not push the country off into the abyss. No one is supposed to underestimate the ongoing discord in the country because in the status quo of the region and the world, if our country falls into the abyss, no one in the world has time for us. No one is able to help us.
In a while I will talk about the Palestinian prisoners: there are 1500 Palestinian prisoners on a hunger strike which has been going on for sixteen days. Where is the Arab world? Where is the Islamic world? Where is the international community? Who cares?
Our country is a trust in our hands - all of us, all the political forces, all the parliamentary blocs, and all the Lebanese people. It is forbidden for us to push the country off into the abyss.
Political maneuvers are over. If anyone is still hiding a card to disclose it later, time is over. All cards are revealed. All schemes have come to light. There is nothing more to discover. Some people talk about revealing the rabbits. There are no more rabbits. No one has any extra rabbit to reveal and to play with.
Time is over! Maneuvers are over. Everyone has to take full responsibility. I tell you from now: charging each other with the responsibility is fruitless. A dead man is of no use. A blazing house is of no help to anyone.
Everyone can say: I presented a law, but so and so did not approve of it. Such and such would say: I presented a law but so and so did not approve of it. All the political forces would say the same. What does that mean? We can hold others responsible, and we can all evade shouldering the responsibility. However, what would the result be?
Where are we going with the country? This is not a joke. That's why I want to say. Things must be taken seriously in the remaining time. Running out of time is a negative point but at the same time it is a positive point. Let's all show humbleness. Let's all sense the danger so as to make concessions and reach a settlement and rescue our country.
I move to the general situation in the region, and I want to tackle it with a couple of words.
The first thing that catches our attention in the general situation in the region is the battle of freedom and dignity fought by 1500 Palestinian prisoners for sixteen days now with their empty stomachs. They are backed with the solidarity of the Palestinian street locally and abroad.
As usual, we indeed support and show our solidarity and express our unstinting backing for this mighty, resisting, struggling step taken by the Palestinian prisoners who are demanding their just and normal rights. However, we want to see the moral in what is taking place. Based on that, we will decide our permanent political track, method, and path. On the other side, "Israel" is turning a deaf ear. It is not ready to make negotiations. It is not ready to respond to the demands of the prisoners - which are not to liberate Palestine or to liberate al-Quds. The demands of the prisoners have to do with the normal rights of prisoners. They are human rights.
"Israel" is turning a deaf ear. As usual, it is betting on the retreat and the exhaustion of the Palestinian prisoners. Consequently, this move would be no more than an outburst that would not lead anywhere at all.
This and nothing else is what is expected from the "Israelis" - the apartheid, terrorist, occupying enemy. However, have a look at the world. Where are the Arab regimes? Where are the Arab people? Where is the Arab League? Where is the Organization of Islamic Countries or the Organization of Islamic Cooperation? Where is the world? Where is Europe? Where is the west? Where is the United Nations? Where is the Security Council which grows wrathful over small incidents that may happen in some place in the world? Where are they?
The strike has been ongoing for sixteen days. Where is the world? Nothing took place.
On the anniversary of the Leader Martyrs, perhaps I was a bit harsh when I said that the international community and the Arab states themselves had led us and the Arab world and the region to a place in which Palestine became a forgotten cause. Well, this is a witness to what I said. Now tell me: where are the Arab kings and presidents? Tomorrow they will say Sayyed Hassan is attacking the Arab kings and presidents. Where are the Arab regimes? Where is the Arab League? Where are the serious moves? Where is the effective pressure on your American and European friends? Where are the human rights organizations? Where is the Arab voice? Where is the Arab media? Where are the Arab satellite channels? Where are the Arab pens?
Brothers and sisters! If the prisoners' strike was taking place in another country which is a non-US ally and which is not subservient to the US or in a country which is not a Western ally and which is not subservient to it, you would have seen the world acting differently. I will not say that should what is taking place be taking place in Iran or in Syria or any other state. I will only say in any country that is not subservient to the US and the west and to their dictation and will, or a country which is not part of the US project. In such a case, you would have seen the Security Council, the UN, the White House, the State Department, and the human rights organizations acting in another way. They would not have waited for the sixteenth day. They would have rather taken action from the first hour. They would have accused the state and the government which is not negotiating with these prisoners and not responding to their demands of being aggressive, brutal, inhuman, oppressive, and tyrannical.
However, this is "Israel" - the spoilt child of the US and the west's advanced military base in our region. No! Netanyahu is fully free to do what he wishes to do. He can take his time. There is no problem at all. He can take his time as he did in his wars on Gaza.
Now he has all his time as per the prisoners' cause, the settlements' cause, and all other causes.
There are several similar evidences. Less than a year ago and since 2003, the terrorist Takfiri groups had staged thousands of terrorists attacks - other than the suicide attacks - in Iraq, and killed many Shia, Sunni, Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen. They did not spare anyone from among the Iraqi people. Massacres were perpetrated daily to the extent that the booby-trapped cars incidents were a normal, ordinary, daily scene in Iraq. Still the world remained silent. The world knows who supports, funds, covers, and backs these terrorist groups on the media level.
Up until now, there are Arab satellite channels that currently support Daesh in the battle of Mosul. They are not with the Iraqi government and the Iraqi troops. Still the world is silent towards all those who support, back on the media level, fund and facilitate. Why? That's because it is required that the Iraqi people submit, to humiliate the Iraqi people, to silence the Iraqi people, and to make Iraq and the Iraqi people part of that scene.
Regarding Yemen, the UN Secretary General days ago sadly said that while he was talking fifty Yemeni children would be dying. The whole world is talking about millions threatened with starvation in Yemen. The whole world knows who is besieging Yemen, who is striking Yemen, and who is starving Yemen. Still, does anyone dare to say a word?
Now when I say the truth and say things with their names I would be harming tourism in Lebanon. Should I say that the whole world knows that Saudi Arabia and its allies are starving, besieging, and killing the Yemeni people every day and every night, I will be accused of harming tourism in Lebanon. I am just saying a rightful word. However, the world is silent towards millions dying of hunger, not to mention the hundreds of thousands who are being killed in strikes and hundreds of thousands who are being injured, and not to mention all the other crimes which the world acknowledges and which the UN acknowledges. However, simply because Saudi Arabia is a US ally and an ally of the west, and because it pays money, nothing is done. It pays hundreds of billions of dollars to the Americans, and now Trump also wants to take the rest.
As for the poor Yemeni people, they do not have money to pay the Americans. They do not have money to pay Trump, the British PM, and the French President to make a move and say: no, we want to lift the siege; we want to stop the war; we want to halt the aggression on Yemen.
Now see what took place in Syria. Days ago a massacre was perpetrated against the people of Foa and Kafraya while they were leaving their besieged town in the Rachidin neighborhood near the outskirts of Aleppo. A savage suicide bomber attacked the gathering buses. In the buses there were five thousand civilians. The overwhelming majority were civilians and the overwhelming majority were women and children. The outcome was hundreds of martyrs, wounded, and missing. What did the world do? The swap was agreed upon. The Syrian state and we guaranteed the safety of those leaving Madaya, Zabadani, Baqqin, Sirghaya, Bludan, and Bludan Tower, until they reach their haven in the city beyond Aleppo. As on this side there are no suicide bombers, suppose that one person took a machine gun and opened fire or shelled an RPJ on a bus and killed a group of people, what would have saved us from the rest of the world? What would save the Syrian Army, Hezbollah, and the sides which guaranteed the agreement? The Security Council, the US, Trump, and the whole world would have grown wrathful and might have staged an air strike too.
See, this is the true status quo. Indeed I am not saying anything new. I just want to stress an old idea. In fact, every day new events affirm it in contrast with the other viewpoints which we hope would convince us or provide us with evidence or data.
On the other hand, when Khan Sheikhon took place and the regime was accused of a chemical strike, we called for an investigation, but they did not want to start an investigation. Well, who knows whether the regime staged a chemical strike or not? They insist the regime staged a chemical strike. Well, what is the evidence? No one provides evidence.
Were the images which were broadcasted fabricated or new? Nobody knows. Well, why don't you dispatch an investigation committee such as (from) Russia or Iran? In fact, some world states were calling for an investigation committee. The Americans do not agree to the dispatch of an investigation committee so that we would know the truth in order to condemn the killer who used chemical weapons, no matter who he was. Still they do not want to form an investigation committee.
In fact, from the very first moment and as usual, Trump and the US administration appointed themselves as an attorney general, an investigator, a judge, and an executioner, thus striking Shayrat Airbase. They assumed that they made a great achievement, and they started receiving congratulations from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, some Gulf states, and some political forces to that effect: well done! That's great! Isn't this what they said?
Well, what are the standards they follow? They congratulated them because the target is not a collaborator who is subservient and who submits. In this way, they wanted to let him submit, to humiliate him, and to break him. This is the formula.
Now see what would have taken place if the following was taking place in a state which is not subservient to the US. There is a town which is totally besieged.
Hundreds of men and women are under the sun. Day and night they are guarding a chaste senior scholar - His Eminence Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassem in Bahrain. This has been taking place for seven or eight months now. A year will pass soon on that. The area is under a tight siege. Yet, all of this is forgotten. It does not concern anyone in the world. That's because that is taking place in a country which is part of the US project. So why should they practice pressure on it? Why would they call on this country to take any step? They will just encourage them to carry on.
I do not need to give more examples because time is becoming limited. However, the conclusion I want to draw is that we are talking based on experience. Brothers and sisters! I gave these evidences to assert the idea. In short, I tell you: our land was liberated, our prisoners in "Israeli" prisons were restored - though there are still some pending issues - and our country is safe in face of the "Israeli" threats. Still no one can take credit and expect thanks from us for that. Neither the Security Council, nor America, nor the west, nor the Arab League, nor international resolutions. You and only you - the honorable people, the army, the people, the resistance, the martyrs, and the wounded - made that. Lebanon today is enjoying freedom, dignity, and security thanks to your proud souls, bleeding bodies, the chaste blood of your martyrs, and your bodies which bled on the soil of this country and this region.
Do not expect from this world, from the international community, from the US, and from the west, to be fair and just and to seek to make justice. That does not mean that we must not call on them to be so. We must not stop calling on them, but likewise we must not feel sorry if they ignore us or if they did not take the required stance, or if they did not practice the required pressure. In fact, as the Quran says: {They are the enemy; be cautious of them}. They are the source of our calamity.
They whom we are calling on to take a stance, to speak fairly, and to take action are the source of the problem. As for the others. they are tools. They are subservient. They are chess pawns which serve the projects of hegemony over our country.
What do they want? They want to rob the wealth of our country and our treasures, oil, and gas. Now looting is increasing even more as there isn't much time. I will clarify this point when talking about the new American policy. Flagrant looting is taking place in daylight. So we can only bet on our presence in the fields and squares. We can only bet on our power.
I have always told you this, and today with all of these events and developments which are taking place I tell you: we are living in a world of wolves. It's not the international law which is ruling; it is the law of the jungle. The strong engulfs the weak. If we were weak, we will be engulfed. If we are strong, the world will respect us. We must be influential in formulas and equations. This world seeks interests.
There are no values. Thus our strength, our interests, our fate, and our future are linked to our strength, unity, the firmness of our people, and the awareness of our nation. This is what we must conclude from what is taking place now.
In the second point on the general situation, I will tackle just one incident. Though I haven't given a speech for over a month, still I will not give an outlook on the situation in the region because there isn't enough time. Perhaps on a future occasion I may talk about that God willing.
I only want to talk about the fighting taking place in eastern Ghouta. For days now, fighting has been taking place between the so-called Army of Islam on one hand, and the Nusra Front and Rahman Corps on the other. The Ghouta region includes a number of villages and towns under the control of the armed groups. It was turned into confrontation lines and into a region of bloody fighting. So far there are hundreds of killed and wounded. Just have a look at this scene. Perhaps someone may tell me: what do we in Lebanon have to do with this scene? The wounded are the people most concerned with this scene, and I will tell you how. See this scene: tough and hard fighting in which all kinds of weapons are used. Tanks, canons, rockets, ground advances, field executions (some cables for the militants talk about the burning of corpses), displacing families, raids, and large confiscations are taking place.
However, the most dangerous development is the religious and media speech among these groups. At times, they accuse each other of "Baghi" - tyranny. At other times, they use the term "Sayyal" - a fighting troop. At other times they use the word "khawarej" - a dissident group, "Takfiri" - atheists, and "dakheel" or intruding troops. They open history books and recall old sects such as Muyrji'a among others. There are some terminologies which I heard recently, and I will seek to have more information about. They are new terminologies which have to do with the intellectual categorization of the militants. These are the accusations exchanged among them.
Let's add the scene of what is taking place now in Ghouta to what took place previously between Daesh and Nusra and between Daesh and the armed groups, and what took place months ago in Idlib and Aleppo between Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham. Summing up all of these events, we will reach the following conclusion: - let's keep Lebanon, Iraq, and the region aside first - what would the fate of the Syrian people have been should these armed groups have managed to topple the regime, disintegrate the Syrian army and control the country? What would the scene in Syria have been like? Civil war would have flared in every city and in every town and in every region. It would have been a civil war without any control or norms or considerations or ceiling, and I am ready to argue with anyone who says that I am exaggerating. All of this is taking place in Ghouta which you say is under siege - which by the way is not a tight siege. You have that much ammunition, bombs, and capabilities! You slaughter each other while you are under siege and while the whole area around you is witnessing settlements and withdrawals. Still you are doing what you are doing with each other.
Well, why are you fighting? There is no ministry of finance, oil, gas, seaports, airports, millions of dollars, or world companies investing in Syria. Still they are acting as such.
The most dangerous topic still is religion. Should they differ on a small detail, on a center, on a hill, on a building, or on loot, they start exchanging accusations with each other: tyrants, atheists, dissidents, and they declare killing them lawful. This is something terrible. They declare killing each other lawful. There is no sanctity to any living being or to the dead or to honor. These are the groups who came from Saudi Arabia and some Gulf states, Turkey, America, and the west, to be presented to the Syrian people as an alternative to the current Syrian regime.
Now I address the Lebanese saying: should these troops have gained control over Syria, indeed they would not have stopped at the borders. It would have come to Lebanon, and they are. If only a little number exists in Arsal outskirts where there is no oil, no gas, and no oil, and every now and then we hear what Daesh and Nusra do with each other. They exchange accusations with each other: Khawarej, the hounds of hell, tyrants...Where to is it required that you take Syria, this proud and important country? Where to is it required that you lead the Syrian people? Where to is it required that you lead the Lebanese people and the entire region?
By the way, Daesh moreover is using the Sunni residents of Mosul as human shields. It prevents them from leaving and it is usurping power by using them. It opens fire killing whoever attempts to leave. Today a massacre took place on the Iraqi-Syrian border.
We are before a group of people who do not respect anyone. There is no danger (only to) Christians, Druze, Alawites, Imamates, Zaidi, Abadiyyeh.... Let's talk first about Sunni Muslims.
Those who are fighting in Eastern Ghouta are all Sunni. Still this group declares the other group as atheists, and vice versa. There is no security. There are no guarantees - no moral, religious, legal, or legitimate guarantees. If they were enabled to gain control over any region, they do not provide security. They grant you security guarantees but they do not respect it. If some of them respect, the others don't. I liked to depict this scene to comment on the argument prevailing in the country and the region: O' Hezbollah! Was the decision you took six years ago right or wrong? Some people daily write articles and talk and bring along people who send us open messages. Some people literally write: "An open message to Hezbollah's Secretary General". They start their article saying: I don't know whether you will read my open message or not. O' dear! Be assured that I read your open message, aside from whether those who write open messages are true people or write under pen names. That does not make any difference.
To these open messages, these calls, and these arguments, I say there is logic. We are before events which do not make only us - not me or my brothers in the Hezbollah leadership - but also our community, the families of our martyrs, wounded, fighters, and resistance men, day after day more convinced that the choice was a sound and rightful choice and was taken in its time.
Following the last speech I gave in which I talked about victory in Syria, some analyses were made to the effect of whether it is a victory or not. I will tell you what I mean by victory. Every moment that passes now in Syria is a moment of victory. What does victory mean? It means that those who fought and remained steadfast did not allow these terrorist groups to topple the state and the regime and disintegrate the army and gain control over Syria. This is a great victory. Indeed this is not a final victory. Still it is a great victory made by the people, leadership, army, and fighters of Syria, backed by friends and allies. It is a big victory and a great victory. There are many regions, cities, and wide areas in Syria where security and safety prevail. People are in their work, schools, hospitals, fields, and ranches, living a normal life. This was not to be had Syria fallen in the hands of these militants. Simply, we can see what these groups did with the Iraqi and Syrian peoples, what they are doing now in southern Yemen, what they are doing in Sinai, what they did in Libya, in Nigeria, and in every place in the world.
We are more convinced of our choice. By the way, some people are saying that Hezbollah wants to withdraw and get out of Syria. We will tackle this point in detail God willing in the coming few days when marking the anniversary of the martyrdom of martyr leader Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine (may Allah have mercy on him). However, I would like to say something today. Over the past six or seven years, we never gave a mobilizing speech. I usually give speeches in which I analyze and categorize. We fought "Israel" from 1982 until 2000. We used to give a daily mobilizing speech. We do not need a mobilizing speech as far as Syria is concerned. That's because our society, youth, and fighters and their families have enough insight, awareness, conviction, integrity, and rightfulness in making choices to the extent that they do not need a mobilizing speech.
Going back to the final section related to the anniversaries we are marking these days and choosing the birthday of Abi Fadl al-Abbas as the symbol of the Wounded Resistance Figher Day, I say that the great personalities of Karbala are a very big model for faith, conviction, and perseverance until the final breath and the last drop of blood. They are also a symbol for refusing security guarantees which are given to people to stay away from the battle. You know that in Karbala, on the tenth of Muharram, Shimr ibn Dhil Jawshan, who is from the tribe of Abi Fadl al-Abbas' maternal uncles, came and offered him and his brothers security guarantees. So he is a relative of Abi Fadl from the side of his mother Ummm al-Banin (peace be upon her). Al-Abbas (peace be upon him) told him: you want to give us security guarantees at a time when the grandson of the Prophet does not have these guarantees? May the curse of Allah be on you and on your guarantee.
Al-Abbas refused to step out of this battle because he believed in it. He was certain of its rightfulness and of the faithfulness of its Imam and Leader Al-Hussein (peace be upon him). He was offered security, life, comfort and luxury. He was not asked to move to the other camp which was fighting Al-Hussein. He was only asked to stay aside, to step out of the battle, and to quit the battlefield. However, Al-Abbas refused to quit the field. He remained there until the last breath and the last drop of water. When he advanced to fight, he let his brothers fight and be martyred before his hands. This is generosity and bounteousness. Al-Abbas is the symbol of altruism. God willing during the days of Muharram, if we remain alive, we will talk about this in more detail. Some people have lost the moral value of things to the extent that they can't comprehend the narration that says that al-Abbas reached the water and took a handful of water; he wanted to drink but he remembered the thirst of his brother Hussein. So he couldn't but drop the water out of his hand and recite the well-known verses: O' my soul! There is nothing as worthy as the soul of Hussein.
The materialistic mind does not comprehend this conduct. The mind that observes no values does not comprehend this behavior. The mind that does not know what love is and what devotion is can't comprehend this conduct. How does he drop the water out of his hand? The pragmatic mind that believes that the ends justify the means does not comprehend this conduct. However, whoever has a degree of knowledge, devotion, love, loyalty, faith, emotions, and an honest relation with his imam and leader who is defending the oppressed can understand this conduct and can see the greatness of this conduct - and not view as problematic this great, valuable conduct and act of altruism.
Al-Abbas (peace be upon him) is a symbol and model for the wounded brothers and sisters. He is the emblem of these values and concepts so that these wounded and us will follow his example and be people of faith, conviction, and patience, and so that we stay in the field and never quit it no matter what the temptations, the afflictions, the difficulties, and the doubts are; so that they be people of patience, altruism, and generosity; so that we offer all what we own - one's brother, soul, child, blood, spirit, and life - to serve the holy cause we believe in.
Brothers and sisters! After all, I do not want to reiterate what I said last year. However, I want to tell you that this world is limited. It is the place of afflictions and trials. So far you have passed this trial. You have acted in a very good way. You have proven to Allah Almighty and the angels that you are people of faith, good work, jihad, patience, sacrifices, and tolerance. You have to move along on this path with patience and rightfulness so as to guard this precious treasure you have collected and keep it for the eternal life - millions and millions and millions of years of eternal life. Doesn't this deserve from us to be patient with a wound here and pain there, hardships here and toil there, for the rest of our lives, especially since we know that Allah does not waste our sorrows and He will reward us for them in the Hereafter?
You too, strive to stay as such.
Again may Allah be pleased with your jihad and wounds - the Abbasi, Karbalai badge of honor on your foreheads and chests. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
Al-Ahed News
