Nour Rida

Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared via video link from the mausoleum of Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, who was elected as Secretary General of Hizbullah in May 1991. Yet, he was martyred when "Israeli" war helicopters targeted his convoy, along with his wife and son.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah referred back to the incident of Ashura, when Imam Hussein despite his martyrdom achieved victory through preserving Islam.
The events of Karbala reflect the collision of the good versus the evil, the virtuous versus the wicked, the collision of Imam Hussein (the head of virtue) versus Yazid (the head of impiety). Imam Hussein was a revolutionary person, a righteous man, the religious authority, the Imam of Muslim Ummah. As the representative of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam Hussein's main concern was to safeguard and protect Islam and guide fellow Muslims.

On the other hand, the staying power of the rulers (Mu'awiya and his son Yazid) depended solely on the might of the sword. They used brute force to rule over the Muslim empire even by all possible illicit means.
Thus, Karbala proved to be a clash involving Islamic truths versus falsehood, right versus wrong, belief versus disbelief, the oppressed versus the oppressor, faith against brute force. Karbala was about standing in the face of oppression, regardless no matter the cost. Thus, in Karbala, Imam Hussein, the 57 year old grandson of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), sacrificed his totality and all he had, for one goal. This goal was to let the truth triumph over falsehood eventually, and he did that brilliantly. His goal was to foil the plan that Mu'awiya had expertly developed for his son, Yazid, which was to establish a permanent Benu Umayya rulership over the Muslim Ummah (even by sacrificing the Islamic principles), but doing it in the name of Islam.

Brilliantly, Imam Hussein succeeded in foiling this plan and he exposed the disreputable nature of Benu Umayya though this was at the expense of his life.

From all this flashback, Sayyed Nasrallah concluded that Imam Hussein awakened the Ummah, the nation, and triggered the pride of the people and revived the spirit of sacrifice, loyalty, and rejection to oppression, and before that time, these feelings of righteousness were hibernating. His Eminence stressed that Imam Hussein preserved the religion and Ummah of his grandfather Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) after the Arabs were divided in the Arab Peninsula.

The events in Karbala proved like a powerful volcano that shook the very foundation of Muslims, it stirred their consciousness, ignorant or learned alike. For sincere Muslims, Karbala turned into a triumph. The tragic event became the very beacon of light to always remind Muslims to practice Islam honestly and sincerely, to do what is right irrespective of consequences, and fear no one except Allah. And this, according to Sayyed Nasrallah will remain to be the beacon to all Muslims in specific and to all humans in general until judgment's day.

Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that owing to the battle of Karbala and the sacrifices of Imam Hussein, Islam will triumph.
Relating the Karbala triumph to events from our days, Sayyed Nasrallah reminded of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini who toppled the Shah regime in Iran in 1979 after the Shah had allowed Iran to become a "Western and US" colony. He had also turned Iran into a supporter to the "Israeli" enemy which usurped the rights of the Palestinians, not to mention that he was corrupt and did not apply any of Islam's traditions or creeds.

Sayyed Nasrallah said that Imam Khomeini protected Islam when he first thought that the Shah has not served Islam at all and diagnosed the Shah regime as a threat to Islam, the people, and sanctities due to its support to the West and "Israel". And then, he gradually fought the Shah regime with words, speeches, advices, in order to protect Islam, then took action when words proved futile.

Imam Khomeini presented tens of thousands of martyrs to confront the anti-Islamic regime that supported the biggest US-"Israeli" empire at the time ruled by the Iranian Shah, and he succeeded in defeating this power, only owing to a blessed spirit, courage, perseverance, and sacrifice that was extracted from the school of Ashura.

Moving on to another example from Iraq during the sixties, when Imam Mohammad Baker Sadr, Sayyed Mohammad Sadr and others who issued famous fatwas on the importance of fighting occupations that exposed them to danger, yet they did not care as that was in defense of Islam. So was the case of the resistance in Iraq that has been fighting the presence of US occupation.

As for Lebanon, Sayyed Moussa Sadr is the example Sayyed Nasrallah gave, saying he had faced all dangers and challenges despite facing death threats, but he never hesitated as he defended Islam and revived it. Sayyed Moussa also fought to protect not only Lebanon and the Unity of Muslims, but also Palestine, Al Quds, and the sanctities of Muslims. He traveled all around the world and put great efforts for the sake of Islam, and this is the spirit of Imam Hussein, His Eminence explained.

As for the example from the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah said that this resistance sprung from Karbala and its teachings, and its roots are fixated in the grounds of Karbala. He reiterated that the resistance, which is ready to sacrifice and fight for the sake of its people and land, emerged from the school of Karbala.

"It is the school of Zeinab (pbuh) who sat before the shredded body of her brother and family, and tolerated the pain and calamity for the sake of God and righteousness. So is the case when the resistance society tolerated all the killing, the destruction, the pains and agonies, and struggled for a righteous cause," Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out.

Sayyed Nasrallah said that Sayyed Abbas and his wife Um Yasser are true examples to the students of the battle of Karbala. Sayyed Nasrallah seized the chance as speaking from the mausoleum of Sayyed Abbas Moussawi to give a testimony to the dedication and sacrifices of Sayyed Abbas referring back to the time he had directly interacted with Sayyed Abbas and lived with him for a while.

"People and all the coming generations should know the rank and sacrifices of these two students; they sacrificed for Islam, Lebanon, Palestine and the region," His Eminence stated.

"When we talk about this resistance, its victories, and achievements in face of the US and "Israeli" hegemony scheme in Lebanon and the region, we cannot but remember Sayyed Abbas. The character that was most effective, present, and insisting to establish the Islamic resistance in Lebanon was Sayyed Abbas Moussawi", Sayyed Nasrallah elaborated. Hizbullah leader also noted that "Sayyed Abbas was selfless and noble, he was very determined to free the lands from "Israeli" occupation, thus the 2000 and 2006 victories were owing to his perseverance and dedication."

He went on to say "Sayyed Abbas, through all his actions was a strong link between the Mujahideen and Imam Hussein, he was present at all times for the resistance fighters, the families of the martyrs, the needy and the oppressed."

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that Sayyed Abbas was always present on ground with the Mujahideen during battles. He also iterated that Sayyed Abbas had a lion's heart, he was fearless of death and only longed for consolidating Imam Hussein, and proving his loyalty to this great teacher.

Sayyed Nasrallah said that Sayyed Abbas and Um Yasser are ideals to which we can look up and learn a lot; learn how to love, forgive, help others, how to support the needy and the poor, how to feel their hunger and thirst, and share people their sorrows and calamities, which is true Islam.

Sayyed Nasrallah vowed to Imam Mahdi, the awaited savior, on behalf of the people that all, young and old, men and women, all are ready to sacrifice for the sake of Islam, and to continue what Imam Hussein started.