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Hizbullah Secretary General speech at Faithful Pledge Martyrs Ceremony for 1734 university graduates

Hizbullah Secretary General speech at Faithful Pledge Martyrs Ceremony for 1734 university graduates
folder_openSpeeches-2007 access_time16 years ago
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Source: Moqawam.org, April 8, 2007


In the name of God most Merciful, most Gracious

At the outset, we must congratulate Muslims and Christians currently celebrating their glorious festivities and anniversaries, especially the anniversary of the birth of the seal of the prophets, lord of humanity and god's messenger Mohammad (PBUH)...
On this blessed celebration I wish to divide my speech in two sections:

1. The nature of the occasion
2. The unfolding political situation.

First: it is my duty to first address all the parents, the mothers, fathers and families who tirelessly worked hard under difficult living conditions, to provide for their sons and daughters university education until graduation...

These are but some examples of Jihad, for according to the prophetic Islamic concept, Jihad is not restricted to militancy and fighting, even if sacrificing one's life and soul through fighting to defend one's homeland, dignity or honour is the supreme form of Jihad, its meaning remains broader. As mentioned in the sermon (Hadith) given by greatest prophet (PBUH): "He who toils for his dependent family is as a Mujahed for the sake of God."

Father, mothers and families work hard enduring difficult living conditions, to secure an acceptable and honorable life... This is jihad for the sake of God.
I would like to thank them for believing and for spending all this effort for their children to continue their education and seeking of knowledge,.

Among these decent families, I wish to address the martyrs' families in particular... Families of students who fell martyrs in July war, who were supposed to either receive their university diplomas in 2006 or continue their education in universities.
At this moment, these families may experience a special emotional feeling, especially when the brothers and sisters first entered the room, parading their blessed presence here before our eyes.

We simply understand the feelings of every mother and father, as well as those who assumed or hoped would see their children among the graduates...
To them I like to say a word of consolation.

The place where your children went should be, as it was in deed, the subject of your pride.

If today the brothers, officials and scholars celebrate the young female and male graduates, the prophets of God, his angels and messengers, however, are celebrating your martyr children in the eternal world of eternal peace.
As the case is with most of the small and oppressed families, the mother and father toil in the hope that their son or daughter grows up to become able, especially the sons, to get an education degree that provides him with a profession, or a position, so that he may support them when they grow old.

To the martyrs' families who may miss their children I say the following: the son who remains alive, and we like them to stay alive, will help you in the world; but this is a transient world, and your martyr children will help you on Judgment Day.
My thanks go to the universities, department heads, managers, teachers and administrative and educational crews of the Lebanese University for their support towards making this success and achievement a reality.

Thanks also go to the brothers in the educational mobilization centers and institutions that work in this field and the sides that assist in the educational process...
To the graduate brothers and sisters I say: your graduation was a target which you achieved, but it is an accomplishment of your plans and path.
God bless you through this scene you provide, and may he enlighten your faces in this world and the afterlife.

I thank you for your efforts, studies and diligence especially in the year 2006, which was difficult through what we faced in the "Israeli" war on Lebanon and the difficulties and tensions of the internal political situation.
In light of all these circumstances, political, social and harsh security conditions, you carried out your studies, continued your efforts, and revealed yourself to possess a staid will in this area.

Your success today is a message in the full sense of the word.
This is an expression of your affiliation to one of the facets of faith and jihad, ‘success' being the most important title of this facet.
Since the start of our journey in 1982 as a noble intellectual, faithful, nationalistic, and principled reaction to the "Israeli" invasion of Lebanon and the attempt to usher Lebanon into the "Israeli" age, this year marks the 25th, since the start of Hizbullah and the Islamic resistance in Lebanon...

From the onset, the seal of success and victory was printed on the brows of that small group of faithful believers who sold their souls to God
In 25 years, we have not experienced a single defeat ever, and the entire world can debate this point with us.

Based on this past and for the future I say in the face of all the challenges and the local, regional and international transformations and stakes, I assure you that God willing we will not be defeated at any of these days.
Today you present this title...

What does it mean for more than 1700 female and male students to stand in line as university graduates that belong to a certain movement or particular side or group?
This has great significance, since it heartens those who look upon you today with love and trust, filling their hearts with joy, and those who look at you with hate, rejecting your existence, with envy and disappointment...
Yes, this is us; one more title of Hizbullah's ...
Watch the vitality, Hizbullah's vitality.

The vitality manifesting today is one of the most important phenomena currently in existence in Lebanon, the Arab and Islamic region. It is one of the rare dynamisms in manifestation.

I am talking about a movement that possesses a high degree of awareness, faith and knowledge that is popular and filled with passion and enthusiasm. It knows its path and is committed to its objectives with the vibrant determination of the youth.
The various scenes in which this vital phenomenon reveals itself include: the resistance, political work, university presence, various institutions, diverse activities and all the fields and arenas. Regardless of the special focus placed on the resistance or political sides only, due to the country's current preoccupation with these two aspects, enormous efforts continue to be made by our brothers in all institutions, scopes and spaces, right through the entire homeland on all dimensions...

Today we are witnessing a movement of such vitality, strength, honesty, perseverance, commitment, hope and a horizon that is open to the future.
Naturally, the enemies of Lebanon and the nation do not want the existence of such vitality in Lebanon, Palestine or in any region...

They want us an inactive people, mired in illiteracy, darkness and despair, stuck in hang-ups of inferior complexes, a people void of hope for victory, dignity, honor or civilization without a material, moral or political future...
They want us to remain their slaves.
They plunder our wealth, use us to run their factories, consume their products, not only their economic goods, but also intellectual habits and traditions.
They refuse a certain freedom to spring from our society's will, thought, culture, civilization or faith, customs or traditions.

There is nothing new about the objective declared by American and "Israeli" officials for the recent July-war: ‘the destruction of Hizbullah and the resistance infrastructure'. It is an old objective.

They have been trying to achieve this goal for 25 years, and they continue with their attempts.

We have been persecuted since the start. We have being killed, sent to prisons, subjected to psychological warfare, financial, political and economic pressures were used against us as well as the environment that embraces us.
We lived through this situation, to come out stronger than any threat, siege or intimidation.

Yet, they have not given up and still continue their efforts.
Not a year or two go by without them announcing ‘Hizbullah will end this year'. However, in the face of each and every challenge, plight and difficulty, Hizbullah, with God's help, emerged stronger, tougher, ‘swords sharper', mightier than any time before.
Even in year 2000, when talk of a withdrawal began, numerous articles were written on the subject of the withdrawal being the end of Hizbullah; ‘because the party would lose its raison d`être', as if the reason for our existence is the existence of occupied land here or there.

During this recent war as well; there was Arab and international stakes placed on ending Hizbullah, hence, the July-2006 War was rightly described as a ‘World-War'.
But in this global war we succeeded against all those who placed their failed hopes on our defeat, destruction and annihilation.

At times this vitality is confronted with titles of ‘curtailing the resistance', ‘the lack of its need', ‘who makes the decisions of war and peace', etc... At different times it is confronted for its social and political dimension with the argument of being a ‘state within a state'.
So say what you will about the resistance, it matters not.
Basically, when you become a state, come and ask us not to be a ‘state within a state'.
For a state that allows the invasion of Lebanon and the occupation of its capital, is not a ‘State'...

The ‘State' that does nothing to restore the occupied Lebanese territory is not a State.
The ‘State' that is only able to extend its rule over its territories with the help of its enemy and by fighting its own people is not a State.
The ‘State' that colludes against its citizens, sons and the most honorable of its people, is not the State...

The ‘State' that does not defend its people in the July-war is not a State.
The ‘State', which stores in safes funds received from Arab nations and donors while leaving people`s homes destroyed, without offering help or assistance is not a State.
The ‘State' which knows only the collection of taxes, nothing but account keeping and calculations- subtraction, multiplication and addition- is not a state, nor does it qualify to be a State.

Therefore, I do not agree that we are a State within a ‘State'. However, should I regard this statement as true, such an issue is as simple to solve as that of the resistance subject.

On September 22, I said create a capable, strong and competent state that is able to protect Lebanon, its land and water. A large proportion of plants and animals will become extinct, a water crisis in Lebanon's horizon while its water goes to the sea.
Is there a State that is able to protect our waters? At least the Wazzani water spring?
This is why you do not need to trouble yourselves with declaring war against the resistance, nor through isolating, surrounding and inciting people against it.
You ought to give up on that.

The only solution to the resistance is through having a strong State and army that the people feel are capable of facing any aggression, just as the resistance did in July-war.
We are not asking the army for miracles.

We want a nationalistic Lebanese army that protects Lebanon's land, water, sky and people. A solution for the resistance can easily be found then.
Talk of ‘a State within the State' comes from George Bush, because such generalization comes from there, and nothing new about that.

I assure you that they are incapable of eliminating this vitality because it stems from firm foundations, with elements of sustainability.

It is home-grown and not imported, for we are the followers of Noah, Abraham, Jesus, Moses and Muhammad. These are the prophets of these peoples and this region.
We come from the mother land of religions and cultures, we are not imported.
We are a movement with its own credibility, filled with the element of youth, which possesses honesty in its performance and conduct and a legitimate and sacred cause. Therefore, they will have to deal with us for a while to come.
The party is 25-years-old, which means they are "stuck" with us while we are in our youth at 25 years of age.

Additionally we can go on for another 25 years till as a completion of our manhood...so they are stuck with us for 50 years, yet you will not have to wait 50 years before we witness regional and global changes.

No doubt the political situation we are in is at an important and crucial phase in the history of Lebanon. These are not mere skirmishes or tactics taking place in the political arena or even a struggle linked to partial issues, it is said by some that the conflict is over Lebanon's identity, its affiliation, essence, position and truth.
Hence they are waging a struggle to change the identity, position and essence, and not the cabinet formulas of 19-11 or others; the issue is deeper and much more important?
Since the assassination of the martyr President Rafik Hariri, a group was clearly formed with strong international backing. I do not think any political team in Lebanon ever received international support on such a scale.

A team that put in place a project of dominating Lebanon, particularly the state's political, legislative, executive, security and military institutions.
From the beginning this internationally trusted team decided to implement the task of shifting Lebanon completely over to the American position, along with the required regional obligations and neighbourly animosities; along with pledges to "Israel" regarding the resistance, settlement of refugees and security arrangements.

I was blamed by some when I asked not to employ his blood politically, they still did and confronted us with ‘he who does not vote for their candidates' lists, is the murderer of martyr Hariri'.

Today, whoever calls for a national unity government, or a government of 19-11 is the murderer of Hariri.
They provoked a great deal of emotions and feelings placing Lebanon in the face of a real challenge. Implementation of the plan had commenced.
The first step was to take control of the parliament.

Elections took place in haste. They said "we are unable to postpone the elections because President Bush said the elections will take place on that date; and that they committed themselves to a promise to Bush."
Even His Eminence the Patriarch nearly launched a great uprising because this election law does not represent the Christians.

They managed to calm the Patriarch and the elections were held.
Everyone says the 2000 election law is unjust. Some tried to blame it on Amal and Hizbullah, but failed.
Now I want to talk about Hizbullah and Amal, especially after President Berri announced the approval for a district constituency Law. To us any law suffices, no matter the size of the zone of the constituencies.

This parliament was established on an unjust parliamentary election law. They made alliances with us they had intended to revoke from the beginning. Premeditated and intentional falsehood and deception was exercised against Amal Movement and Hizbullah.
They obtained the parliament's majority through an outdated law and a deceptive alliance.

Complete control of the parliament was not achieved because of the strength of Amal Movement and Hizbullah in the political arena. It was difficult for that team to go over Amal and Hizbullah in electing the Head of Parliament; even after they had intended to have an MP member from their partisan parliamentary block as president of the Parliament.
They failed.

The settlement reached by electing President Berri, meant that a guarantee now exists to prevent manipulation of the law, institutions and the constitution, which is what President Nabih Berri represents today.

Let us say they achieved partial success.
They say that the parliament is stalled, but it is not.
They came to form a government, deliberately excluded certain political forces who disapproved of the plan and did not go along with them on it.
Ministers from Amal, Hizbullah and President Lahoud joined the Cabinet as political guarantees, on the basis that our presence in government prevents tutelage...and now the mission to carry out the plan has not been achieved.
They took the government, but six ministers walked out of Cabinet at a moment of deliberate and well-calculated timing when a great number of commitments, obligations and schemes were uncovered, thus leaving the government under the guillotine of legality and the Constitution.

The President together with 57 MPs in addition to more than half of the Lebanese people say that this government is illegitimate, thus making the status of the executive power legally questionable.
After forming the government, they considered that there was a firm and solid foundation which is the post of the Republic Presidency. Then they began campaigns against him, including the "Fill" ‘leave' campaign.

But they left and he did not.
They threatened with taking to the street, and with woes and troubles, whereas the international community supported them as they boycotted the president.
Two important factors stopped them from achieving the goal of undermining the President of the Republic, who will be staying until the last moment of his mandate.
The first reason is that President Emile Lahoud is a "Zalami" a ‘committed person or a man to be reckoned'.

Any other person may not have endured the curses, insults and personal prejudices.
They did everything they could bar his physical liquidation, yet he remained firm. He was in Beirut, and went to both Khartoum and Riyadh Arab summits, to represent the true defender of the Lebanese principles and constants.

The second reason is the strength of the opposition which prevents any removal of President Lahoud. There is strong resistance stopping that from happening.
They succeeded in canceling the Constitutional Council. Moreover, President Berri said that they do not need a Parliament because they have a Security Council.
I also say they no longer need a Constitutional Council, since Ban Ki-moon and international officials have become experts in the Constitution, since from the onset they did away with any constitutional authority that can be resorted to.
On March 8, I said that Lebanon is not Ukraine, but it seems that Ukraine has become like Lebanon, except unlike the case in Lebanon. In Ukraine, they are nationalistic enough to resort to the Constitutional Council.

Soon we will face another trial over the quorum of the parliament, they will not need a constitutional council when there is a Security Council and George Bush will tell them who is to become President, because they are accustomed to be told what to do next.
As for the International Tribunal, they believe its authority overrides the Lebanese judiciary. Hence, it has the power to try a person already tried by the Lebanese judiciary, indicating ineffectiveness of the Lebanese judiciary.

Every day they say that we have not announced our list of remarks on the IT. Unfortunately the majority never wanted us to seriously debate them with us, which is why they smuggled out their request on the day of MP Gibran Tueni was assassinated, and ratification of its system was also smuggled out on the day Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated.

We are committed to the IT, but will not publish our remarks through the media.
The Saudis, Iranians and Syrians asked us for our remarks. The Saudis also asked the Iranians and Syrians for them. When we choose to hold onto them for now because we are committed, particularly since the issue has exceeded the constitutional institutions.
We may announce our remarks on the IT at a later stage only to raise public awareness of the risks involved.

What was said about a petition by opposition MPs to be sent to the Security Council is untrue, because doing so confirms the division within Lebanon, which turns the Security Council to an authority body, and confirms non-recognition of the Lebanese constitution.
We will not be partners in this smuggling process to the Security Council, which is not the appropriate authority to handle our remarks. The only viable side is a national unity government headed by the President of the Republic. Only then we will present our remarks for later ratification.

The day will come when we announce these remarks.
Quite frankly, this IT system is written on the basis that there are ready-made and complete judgments, with a court being formed only to release these judgments.
For a glimpse of this IT system, just consider the four senior officers. They became political detainees whom the Lebanese judiciary does not dare take the decision to place them under house arrest, simply because they are afraid of these politicians coming out hurling abuses at them.

This is a sample, when the IT system is established; many political arrests will be made under the slogan of Rafik Hariri's blood.
It is time to stop the political arrests.
Never did we offer an exchange. We talked about the government but not the IT, whose draft we always said we would discuss when it arrives. It is no longer necessary for me to mention names as to who proposed a swap since they are known now, and the procedure was for its endorsement to take place within the Cabinet.

I do not want to predict things, but the adopted problem at the International Tribunal is for the ‘majority' team to put an end to the Lebanese sovereignty in its judicial domain, its aspects of investigation, trial and ruling. Should the court endorse such a law, the majority team will have toppled the judicial authority, which we are unable to defend as it should defend itself; and it is not doing so.

On the economic level, it is clear that there are conditions placed by donor states, which is why we ask for where the Paris III funds have disappeared to?
As for security, there was an attempt by the Information Control Office to take over security files, and be made up of Lebanese and international officers.
We were still in government then, and they cannot deny this truth as it still exists in printed text. The goal was the full take over of security apparatuses, which they feel they have not been able to achieve.

You may have noticed the daily campaign against the security apparatuses and the army which they failed to control.
They don`t want a national army. They want a sectarian one that they can manipulate into pressuring the opposition. And in the first place, they do not want a non-factional army, because their aim is to have a multi-national force which they openly called for.
The ruling team is attempting to take by increments what they could not do in one hit, but the army has proven itself nationalistic on both leadership and officers' levels, which is why they are applying pressure everyday and constantly hurl abuses against it.
They are now as they were before, still trying to push the army into conflict with the resistance, but the army refuses. Moreover, due to their inability to control the army, the promised assistance has not been received yet, otherwise where is all the promised assistance?

Will aid come in the form of some trucks? Why, because the Army is seeking to be a national army and refuses to bow to a government of militia leaders who worked to break up and weaken this army... naturally such army will not receive assistance.
But when will the promised aid arrive?
When this army changes its fighting ideology.

What is required for the army is to swap its patriotic path, ideology and nationalistic stance and become a repressive apparatus.
Today, the most important guarantee is the presence of patriotic commanders, officers and soldiers in this national army, which can become a factional army once unpatriotic officers are appointed in its leadership.
But there is no hope that to occur.

There is a team that wanting to control the country by using the international situation, the IT, the international committee where the Security Council becomes the House of Reps and constitutional council.
They failed to control all the state's institutions. Also, they claim that those institutions outside their control and free of their will to be paralysed.
All their yelling is because of their failure, for which they were reproached by their American masters. They gambled on the July-war and lost.
Today, they are betting on an American strike against Iran, and so they are talking of that with their cadres and in their partisan meetings. They are arranging their partisan matters on this basis.

They say an assault will take place in April, May or June. This is the hope they carry through these months. The April 6 lie was that an attack on Iran was about to commence. Some people stayed up all night until dawn waiting for the event.
April 6 passed and they are still betting on an attack being launched.
I tell them they are wasting their and the country's time.

Should matters tilt in favour of a settlement rather than a war, such a settlement will be at your (the ruling majority) expense; should the situation remain as it is, it will be at the expense of your backers, the Americans, therefore yours again.
Should a war be waged against Iran, God forbid, have you prepared your selves and your choices for such a scenario?

Do you have clear outcomes on the various data and possible results of such a war?
What if America lost this war, what are you going to do?
A different situation will then prevail, with completely different categorizations. Such gambles are unsuccessful and disappointing and those who bet on outside forces cannot run a country.
Bilateral discussions reached a stalemate.
The distribution equation of 19-11 ministers was seen as "political suicide" according to all but one member of the ‘February 14' bloc, and now they all say that.
Political suicide for whom?
Imagine! How can a national unity government that has the participation of all people be political suicide!

Yes, it is political suicide for them because they have made security, military and political pledges. Should a national unity government be formed they will be held accountable by their bosses and therefore they consider it political suicide.
They say the 19-11 cabinet is political suicide and we say that we will only accept a government with this equation.

The Parliament President Berri suggested for Riyadh to host dialogue on the matter which the ruling team rejected.
We cannot blame as we understand Saudi Arabia for not being able to accept a mediator role, since no one wants to host a dialogue that may lead to failure.
Hence, what to do?

They take advantage of a shining and bright quality in the character of the opposition, the rejection of any form of civil war.
They claim they prevented civil war. Let us review the press conference held by Samir Geagea, in which he said that had they not taken to the streets, power will have shifted to the ‘March 8' bloc, combined with reproaches they received from their US masters for failing to drag the country into civil war.
Patience and prevention of bloodshed was never a weak point, and we are committed to doing so in the opposition.

There are people creating sedition while they claim they are the ones preventing it, and this is the group with who we are in conflict.
Hence, the step forward is to return to the people, why turn to the outside?
There are several versions to a solution in Lebanon but dialogue with such a mentality will inevitably fail.

Do you not say that the people are the source of authority? Then, let us resort to the people, let the people decide and have their say.
They claim the sit-in is the cause of 40 billion dollars debt they stole.
Two legal formats are now being used in the world, long established democratic traditions: either a referendum, for which we come together to agree on a format for a national poll and then accept what the public decides, or carry out an early parliamentary elections.

Today, the courageous decision is to return to the will of the Lebanese people.
We no longer want the 19-11 equation, as it has become ridiculous.
You can keep this illegitimate government, and if you can substitute the resigned ministers in your Cabinet, then by all means do so.
The solution is in resorting to the Lebanese people.

You are waiting for international changes. We do not wait for anything, neither regional nor international changes, nor are we afraid of them. We stand on solid, sturdy and strong ground, and we trust the National opposition and the Lebanese people.
Suppose they did not accept a referendum or early elections, then only two years remain of their term in office. During this time we will not be dragged into a civil war. We will continue to exercise our right through constitutional and democratic means until that time comes to settle our differences in that election.

In the coming elections, regardless of the election law, I would say the people have tried you. You still have a chance now to reach an agreement, when now costs less than later, because by that stage we will have to consider whether to give you the 11 in a Cabinet equation or not.