Sayyed Nasrallah Political Speech During the Leader Martyrs’ Day Ceremony

...On the anniversary of these Leader martyrs - Sayyed Abbass Moussawi, Sheikh Ragheb Harb, and Hajj Imad Mughniyeh, we must preserve their great legacy. When we mark their anniversary, we are reminded of their legacy, and we remind others of their legacy. We must also perceive the importance and the greatness of the legacy they inherited all of us. It is the legacy of the resistance which they lived for and were martyred for. They recommended that we take good care of it. With this resistance, we liberated our land in 2000; with this resistance, we restored our dear prisoners; and with this resistance, we achieved security, serenity and stability along with dignity and respect to our people.

With this resistance, we crushed the most dangerous US-"Israeli" projects which used to target Lebanon and the region especially the Neo Middle East project in 2006 which was a project of dissection of the region on sectarian, factional and racial bases. It aimed at dividing the region on explosive, destructive and demolishing grounds so that "Israel" remains the most powerful state. With this resistance, we guard our country, we protect the wealth of our country, and we restore the rest of our occupied territories. With this resistance, we face all the challenges and threats. Days ago, we heard quotes for the enemy's PM (Benjamin) Netanyahu threatening of striking Lebanon and destroying it. He said that in the new world map there is not any country called Lebanon.

Then he denied that. I myself do not really know whether Netanyahu really said that or not. I asked my brethrens who follow up with the "Israeli" media to make their search, and they did. They said they did not find such a speech in the "Israeli" media. Anyway, this is remarkable. However, he was quoted as saying so, and whether he said that or not, this speech reflects the "Israeli" mentality.
Here we reopen the very file anew. This "Israeli" enemy and this "Israeli" project is a mentality of permanent threatening, annulling others, canceling others, destroying others and killing others. Based on this mentality and through these practices which express this mentality this entity was found. In fact this entity was established on killing, terrorizing, displacing the Palestinian people, committing crises against women and children, ripping open the wombs of pregnant women, usurping sanctities, aggressing on Arab states and Arab peoples and threatening the states and the peoples of the region since the very first days of the Zionists terrorist organizations; and this is still going on.

On the anniversary of the leader martyrs we must remind of this enemy and its mentality, dangers, conduct and performance.
Today in Palestine this is still going on. There is more land seizure. Where is that taking place? That's taking place in the West Bank which is supposed to be part of the Palestinian state in case of a settlement. Territories are being seized there and new settlements are being erected. The latest settlements were erected between Nablus and Ramallah. So there is more and more control on territories, uprooting of the plantations of the Palestinians, killing of the Palestinians, detaining thousands of the Palestinian captives and prisoners in harsh conditions, and profaning the sanctities of Muslims and Christians whether in the Church in al-Quds or in al-Aqsa Mosque days ago. Today and while I am talking to you, one of the brethrens told me that confrontations are still ongoing in al-Aqsa Mosque in defense of the sanctity, holiness and dignity of al-Aqsa Mosque.

We must search for this "Israeli" mentality and these "Israeli" hands which are behind much of the practices and events which happen today around the world. As an example, we take burning copies of the Holy Qoran in the United States or what took place in Afghanistan days ago. Then when people went out to demonstrate in a show of condemnation of the aggression against the Holy Qoran, fire was opened on the demonstrators by US soldiers, and scores were martyred and wounded.

I say that the US administration and the US mentality do not spare any devilish aspect. However, this kind of conduct and this kind of aggression on holy books, prophets, the sanctities of prophets and the sanctities of others is an "Israeli" - or let's say "Jewish"- conduct. They may say this is anti-Semitism. The Holy Qoran told us about this group of people: How they aggressed against their prophets, how they killed their prophets, how they harmed their prophets, how they offended Jesus (Peace be upon him) and how they hurt Lady Mary (Peace be upon her) and how they offended Allah's great Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him and his Household). This pattern - namely aggressing against the holy Books, prophets, messengers and sanctities reflects their mentality. It might also be that they want to push more and more towards a religious conflict in the world.

Today what is the battle with the United States for? Let's say fighting the Americans in Afghanistan or when the resistance in Iraq was fighting the Americans or the fighting in Afghanistan. So if the Americans occupy any country and the people of this country fight them, the fighting would be pursuant to a political basis: there is someone occupying my land, and I am fighting him. It's not the fighting of Muslims with Christians; however, the Zionist project always tries to depict it as fighting between Muslims and Christians. It always tries to turn the struggle against the colonizing powers and the hegemonies to a religious conflict and to a sectarian conflict. They push things in this direction. Indeed we as Muslims must be very careful when defending our sanctities, Qoran and prophets not to desecrate the sanctities of others and the ideals of others because in that we fall in the "Israeli"-Zionist trap which wants to turn this wrongdoing into a religious conflict.

Likewise we must search for the "Israeli" hands behind the chaos spread in our region. Let's take this painful phenomenon. Bombings took place in Baghdad lately what led to the martyrdom and injury of scores of victims. More than 50 people were wounded. These cars which are booby-trapped in public roads, near schools, mosques, churches, husseiniyas, markets and bookshops and lead to terrible killing are not something new. It happened lately, and happens every now and then.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed so far in booby-trapped cars and suicide attacks besides those killed by the occupation troops' fire. This is witnessed and documented. However, that does not mean that the occupation troops held a machine gun and opened fire on the chests of the Iraqis. That's namely bombs, booby-trapped cars and suicide attacks. Why are these taking place? What is their aim? Why is the blood of the Iraqis (all Iraqis of all sect and races) deemed lawful? Who wants to destroy Iraq? I want to remind of some words my brethrens and I used to say on the onset of the US occupation of Iraq. We used to rely on studies, books, researches, publications and "Israeli" reports. We used to say decisively that the "Israeli" scheme is to destroy and impede the foundation of a state named Iraq. That's because if Iraq is given the chance to rise anew it will be a rich, strong, country with enormous potentials.

We all know that the Iraqi people are educated, and they like reading, learning and education. Consequently, they might be a new sample to be followed. The "Israelis" don't want this Iraq because of their religious, historic and convictional backgrounds, prophecies and expectations on the future. That's because the "Israelis" believe that troops which will come and strike this usurping entity in Palestine will come from the East. The East is Iran, Iraq and all the countries to the east of Occupied Palestine. Thus, they want these countries to be stricken with seditions, fighting and conflicts. They want these countries to be destroyed. So even if the cover of some of these attacks is Islamists groups or groups that talk about Islam or have an Islamic name, we must take it for granted that there is a deep penetration into this kind of Takfiri fighting groups by US and "Israeli" intelligence. I do not claim that; the Iraqi brethrens rather have information and data to this effect. We must search for the "Israeli" mentality, conduct and hands behind what is taking place in Iraq.

Moving to Pakistan and Somalia, we see this horrible daily killing. Also we must search for this mentality, conduct and performance in the Arab countries which were target to killing and chaos. We must say and warn that the actual US-"Israeli" project - when failing to control over the authority of an Arab or Islamic country - is to demolish and ruin this country and to turn it into chaos. Consequently the humanistic, moral, religious, and national - among every other norm - obligation is to confront this ordeal, chaos and efforts to destroy because this is an evidence of the Zionist-US project and an achievement of the "Israeli" aims.
Anyway, this is the mentality that is behind threatening striking Lebanon and destroying it.

On the other hand, first, we have learnt from our leader martyrs - Sayyed Abbass, Sheikh Ragheb, and Hajj Imad - that we should not fear. The statement made by Netanyahu does not frighten us. Neither Netanyahu nor Barak nor Olmert nor the former war minister nor Halotz nor anyone else scare us. Let them say whatever they want, threaten with whatever they want, and do whatever they want.
In the past, when "Israel" was viewed by people as strong and invincible, it did no scare us. Will it scare us today? In the past, when we were few in number and with little ammunition - and you heard Martyr Sayyed Abbass Mussawi saying that he would be content if five or six men come from Lweizeh, another five or six from Ain Buswar, 11 or 12 from Tyr - and when "Israel" was in the era of its senior major generals like Sharon and Rabin, it did not scare us. So will it scare us today?

As we are in the neighborhood of the resting place of Sayyed Abbass, we tell him: these fives and tens and twenties have become tens of thousands who carry your intellect, spirit, blood, firmness, courage, will and determination to make victory for this country and this nation. For sure, these don't scare us at all. These "Israeli" statements are part of the psychological war. Indeed we are also involved in a psychological war with this enemy. We do not come under the influence of this psychological war even for one moment.
Second, in face of this bullying and intimidation, we must be cautious and aware of all what is taking place around us - of what is taking place in the entity first, and second of what's taking place in our region and in our country.

The entire region including Lebanon - we are part of this region - is passing through a sensitive, crucial, historic and fateful stage. There is a remolding of the region. You remember that we always used to say that we can't deal with Lebanon as an island in the Indian Ocean. Are we detached from what is taking place in our region? No! We are part of this region, of the peoples of this region, and of the countries of this region. Our security is pursuant to the security of the region; our stability is pursuant to the stability of the region; what's being schemed to the region is schemed for Lebanon. All repercussions befall our country. We influence the region and are influenced by it. Indeed, this characteristic was found by the resistance in Lebanon. Lebanon had always been a country which is influenced by what is taking place in the region but it didn't have an influence itself. It had always been in the position of the influenced and not in the position of having an influence.

The resistance, these leaders, and these martyrs moved Lebanon to the stage of action and having an influence as well. Thus when anything is plotted for the region by the Americans and the "Israelis", they can't overlook Lebanon's position, Lebanon's role, and Lebanon's influence in the formulas of the region thanks to the existence of the resistance and the threefold formula - the army, the people and the resistance. This has been clear today when talking about axes, lining up and camps. The story of staying apart is just a settlement evoked so that this government remains in power; or else how is it possible to remain apart? Anyway, we must be careful and aware of what's taking place in our region and assume fully the responsibility.

Accordingly, and as we are marking the 20th anniversary of Sayyed Abbass, we still have the same convictions and principle as in the past. We still see that the greater intimidation is the "Israeli" threat to Lebanon, the people of Lebanon and the entire region. We still see that the absolute priority is confronting this threat to Lebanon and the region, and our means to confront this threat is the resistance and the threefold formula - the army, the people and the resistance. Accordingly, we build our positions, policy, vision and relations as I said in the ceremony held in Beirut.

Hereof, I would like to stress on several points before I draw my conclusion.
First: In this situation prevailing in the region and from the position of the resistance and the priority of confronting the "Israeli" threat to Lebanon and the region, we stress on our interest in security stability in Lebanon and political stability in Lebanon. Those who seek chaos in the region seek chaos in Lebanon too. Those who wish to push Syria towards a civil war or towards a factional and sectarian war and those who pushed Iraq towards a civil or sectarian war, those who wish to push a country like Libya whose people are of one faction and one sect to a tribal war or a war between the east and the west of the country are determined to spread chaos in the region, and Lebanon is part of the region.
In face of this project, we assume a great responsibility which is sticking to security stability and political stability in Lebanon. Consequently, everything which helps to evoke sedition and pushes towards sedition must be evaded verbally and in action.

Everyone of us may express his political stance even over the disputed causes whether the internal or the regional and even as far as Syria is concerned. However, all of us may express our positions from the events in Syria no matter how different are these positions among us without resorting to the language of sectarian and factional language. That's because we must keep Lebanon apart from this issue. Look at the region as a whole. There is fighting here and explosions there, chaos here and war there. Even some countries which toppled their regimes and are heading towards freedom, a just country, construction and democracy are suffering. However the Lebanese so far and until this moment have been able to preserve security stability and political stability in their country in general. This is what we must guard.

Before all these attempts to cause ordeals in our region and milieu, the method of dealing must be containing the ordeal in any country, preventing its expansion to any other square, working at putting the ordeal off in its very square. This is the humanistic, moral and legitimate obligation of any cautious faithful human being.
Brothers and sisters! We, as human beings belong to the religion of Abraham. We belong to Abraham, Mussa, Issa, and Mohammad (Peace be upon him and his Household and upon them all). We are the people of mercy and compassion. We grieve over the blood shed in any place whether in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan, Iran, or Afghanistan. We feel sorry for every child who is orphaned, every woman who loses a child, for every house which is demolished, and for every pain that sickens the heart and strikes any house or family. This is normal. However, it is not enough to feel for them. We must search for the position and the performance that will shut tight the gate of sedition, conflict and pain.

Second: From this perspective, the current government must guard security and political stability. However, this should not be an excuse for any member or side in the cabinet to be unproductive and inactive. No one is allowed to say our pretext and our excuse is that this government is preserving security and stability in the country. Well that's good; but is that enough? Indeed that is incorrect. This must be preserved but that is not the only obligation of the government or the members of the government. When a government assumes the responsibility of a country on its security, political, development, financial economic, social and administrative levels, it must assume the absolute responsibility. It must be productive, and it must be active.

Indeed many members in the government - including our members - at times complain over the efficiency and productivity of the government. At times you feel that you wish the government move in this direction. However, I don't know who pushes it in the other directions. In fact, some are trying to cripple the government, to make it an inefficient and inactive, and to topple this government if able to. You know that from the very first day, this government was not given any chance even if for weeks or months. War was declared against it. The international community was ignited against it to boycott it. However, all of that was fruitless because the international community deals in a pragmatic actual way and not according to wishes. Anyway, this is another field of study.

Today, I also renew the call and stress again on the necessity that this government holds new meetings as a component of this government. Indeed March 14 Bloc will every now and then make its violations while talking about the guide. This is meaningless. Their story from the very first day on which the government was formed is that this is the government of Hizbullah. They know that it is not the government of Hizbullah. However, they called it so only to evoke the Americans, the west and the "Israelis" to boycott it on the international and Arab levels. They know that it comprises various and at time unharmonious components who meet on some points and differ on others. I would also allow myself to say that we are in this government the humblest in influence and benefits through our presence in the government which was called from the first day the government of Hizbullah; however, day after day it is proven that it is not so.

Indeed, we are exerting every possible effort. I will be very clear with you. We are exerting every possible effort. We are offering concessions. We are postponing files which must not be postponed so that the government remains in office, so that the government members cooperate and so that the government does something for Lebanon and the Lebanese people. However, efforts must be incessant and this government must assume its obligations in this perspective.

Third: I must remind - and others must remind too - when the government is productive again - of the gas and oil file. After all, if this country remains living in debt, taxes, poverty, taxes and VAT, it will have no horizons for a better future. The debt will mushroom, and deficiency will increase as well as the inability to meet the social, living and developmental needs. Well there is a way out. There is a blessing Allah Al Mighty bestowed on us and deposited it at least in our sea and water. Can't you see Netanyahu? Unfortunately we draw lessons from our enemy. He is working day and night in this perspective while the oil is not theirs and the fuel is not theirs.

This oil is for the Palestinians, and this gas is for the Palestinians. What's taking place in the Palestinian regional waters or in Occupied Palestine's economic borders is plundering and spoliation practiced by the cabinet of "Israel" which occupies Palestine. This is the money and the wealth of the Palestinian people which "Israel" is industriously plundering. The man went to Cyprus to ink security agreements and is making security plots to guard the oil edifices. The "Israelis" are dealing with this matter with a high degree of seriousness. While some in Lebanon are discussing the arms of the resistance, the "Israelis" are putting plots and making budgets for means to guard their oil edifices from the arms of the resistance! Well, what are we doing in Lebanon?
With utmost difficulty, the Oil Law was issued; with utmost difficulty the decrees were issued; with utmost difficulty the concerned committee was formed. Well, until when are we to carry on this way?

This issue must make us assume a great responsibility because it is a way out. In the coming days, the budget will be discussed anew along with the social and living statuses. This file is always open. How are we to address it?
Are we to address it with foreign aids? Through previous experiences we came to know that nobody offers help for free. Never! See Egypt. Today it is said that the Egyptian Treasury is empty. It is said that they hardly have the wages of the employees and the army to cover two or three months. The United States as well as Europe is practicing pressure on them with money. So they are holding the Egyptians by their stomachs. Don't ever think of your honor, dignity, pride, Palestine, Gaza and the people of Gaza. Why is Gaza still besieged? Why are the borders closed except for the wounded, the sick and the students? Why in the past few days when power was off, the government in Gaza said that it provided some fuel for the power station through the tunnels?

Well, this is Egypt which made a great revolution! Look where does America hold people? Look where do the west grab people? They hold them by their hunger, debts and deficiency.
Do you believe that America and Europe offer aids to Lebanon for free? Are they passionate of the Lebanese? No! It is rather because they want Lebanon to play a definite political role and to have a definite political role in their agenda.
Lebanon can not have true sovereignty, true independence, true freedom and the true independent decision while it is completely reliant to foreign aids. This is the condition for independence, sovereignty, freedom, the independent decision making and the establishment of the state. Well, we are able to achieve that. Why aren't we working to this effect? A thousand questions are posed?
Fourth: We will remain cautious amid the atmosphere prevailing in the region from the rumors and distortions especially concerning Hizbullah and more precisely the resistance.

We must be aware of this distortion of the image of the resistance and Hizbullah the last of which took place a couple of days ago. See what was issued by the Interior Minister under Husni Mubarak who is behind the bars and who is being tried for opening fire on demonstrators? Do you still remember the demonstrations which were staged in Cairo, Alexandria, Sues, and other regions in Egypt? He said he did not give an order. He said that in fact it is not the police who opened fire on the demonstrators? Who opened fire on the demonstrators? They were members from Hizbullah and Hamas? Good we are not alone. He accused Hamas too. He claimed that members from Hizbullah and members from Hamas sneaked among the demonstrators and opened fire on the demonstrators. So we are not through yet with Hizbullah cell which aimed at toppling the regime, changing the structure of the regime and spreading the sect of Shiites in Egypt. Now it turned out to them that we killed demonstrators in Egypt while we do not know of that. Well, this is a minister who considers himself a respectful minister. He is the interior minister in the greatest Arab country. You see him all of a sudden standing there behind the bars in the court and before all people saying these words.

I believe that some people in Lebanon might have adopted this theory too and promoted it were it not for their belief that they will be mocked by others.
Moreover and all of a sudden as well "Israel" says that Hizbullah is building bases in Latin America. Thanks Allah we have not heard this story for several years because there is nothing of this sort. Now Hizbullah is setting bases in West Africa. The same applies to what took place in India, Georgia, Thailand and Azerbaijan. If only we were as such. This accusation does not make us fear sad; however, it is not true. If only we had this expansion and presence. That would have made us feel strong and efficient. That would have made us feel able to form a kind of deterrence not only in Lebanon but around the world.

Anyway, we will always hear this as we have always heard it in the past. Tomorrow you must not be surprised if in case any events took place in any Arab country or any place in the world and Hizbullah was accused that it is involved and that it fights and is killed. Thanks Allah they haven't accused us of much of what is taking place in Nigeria so far.
Anyway, we have taken this into consideration from the very first day. Thus we must not be affected by all what is said in this perspective. We respect all of these peoples, and we don't interfere in the affairs of others. We only take political stances, especially if they were related to our central cause.
The final thing I want to tackle is renewing the general call in our Arab world and the Islamic world to address the crises and dilemmas politically and through political dialogue.

How strange! See the theories the Arabs used to preach us of in Lebanon when the Lebanese used to conflict among each others and fight. Arab delegations used to come all through 30 years. They used to preach us finding a political solution to the crises. People must sit on a round table for dialogue. People must offer concessions. People must not go to extremes. They used to give evidences from verses of the Quran and Prophetic Traditions besides morals and norms from history as well as threats and risks.
However, when it is their turn, how do they address their crises? It is evident how they do that.
We have tackled Syria extensively. I do not want to repeat. There is insistence on having no political solution in Syria. So they do not want a political solution. Thus there is no solution.

I really wonder how the Arab Peace Initiative which was on the table and suddenly they said it will not remain on the table for long. Since several years ago they said it will not remain for long on the table. However they left the door of dialogue open. Still with Syria there is no dialogue and there is no political solution. Let's go for fighting and destruction. Now who assumes the responsibility for fighting and destruction? Let's clearly say who is responsible. Yes there are two fighting sides. Let's see who is insisting on fighting, who is insisting on refusing any political solution, and who is insisting on refusing any form of dialogue, and who is provoking and pushing things towards more fighting. Well listen to what US Secretary of State Clinton said yesterday. Listen to what the "Israelis" were saying. Listen to what the west was saying.

Indeed they want Arab fighting. Neither America nor NATO is willing to dispatch troops to Syria. We have all heard what NATO Secretary General said. He said he will not dispatch troops even if the Security Council commissioned him to do so and even if only for human passages. He does not want to interfere, and he does not want the French troops to be killed.
Syrians of the black eyes are to be killed. As for the French of the blue and green eyes, they are not supposed to be killed. This great European people must not be killed. So they keep themselves apart. Even the United States is not ready to send troops. Yes, they dispatch arms and money and they instigate the Syrians to kill each others. They call on the Arabs to gather the fighters they have in this country and that country and whom they used to dispatch to Iraq to destroy it and dispatch them to Syria to destroy Syria. Isn't this what is taking place?

On the other hands, all gates are shut tight in any place. In Bahrain the door of political solution is shut tight. I am talking about a political solution. However the Bahraini people might be aiming at toppling the regime and their ceiling might even be more than that. This is their own affairs. We do not interfere. However we are saying that we must search for a political solution everywhere and we must bridge gaps. A political solution is forbidden in Bahrain. I tell you even more than that. Even if the government in Bahrain moved towards a political solution, it will be not allowed to do that. There is a regional and an international prevention of achieving a political solution.

In Saudi Arabia itself, how are they responding to the people demonstrating in streets in Awamiyeh and al-Qatif? They talk of a moral basis. In Qatif and Awamiyeh they are calling for toppling the regime or anything of this sort. They are only calling for some reforms, rights and developments in the regions where the poorest people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia live but which are in fact the richest areas as most of the oil is underneath.
How do they respond to the demonstrators? They are responded to with bullets, tanks and calls for a military solution. The Mufti said these people are devious from the right track. He labeled them as the devious group and the criminals. Well, slow down a bit.

Well! In one country what is demanded is reform, the resignation of the president and succumbing to the will of the people. In another country, if a human being yelled saying: "I am hungry. Please recognize me. I am a second class and not a first class citizen", he is instantly confronted with tanks and accused of being devious and a criminal.
Let's talk. It is forbidden that we talk. Let's have dialogue. Dialogue is forbidden. Listen to us. They won't listen. Isn't this the case today?
Here we want to stress this broad line. We conclude saying: It is true that the US-"Israeli" project, devastating the region, spreading chaos, demolishing the region, igniting sectarian, factional, national, racial, and tribal conflicts in every region is because they are desperate of having people come under their control.
I am one of the people who are not afraid if the Americans come back to better their image in the region. Never!

The peoples in the region might differ over various files. Here we differ over Syria. We differ over Bahrain. We differ over Iraq. We might differ over Iran. Indeed we agree over the issue of "Israel" and Palestine. No matter how much we differed, there is one clear truth today along the Arab and Islamic world. It is the broad awareness towards the US projects and the "Israeli" schemes. America can't come again and charm the hearts and minds of people even if some Arab rulers and satellites try to do so.
As long as America and the west are adopting "Israel" which is daily profaning al-Aqsa Mosque, churches and mosques in al-Quds and Palestine, killing, seizing territories among the other deeds it perpetrates, America will not be accepted. "Israel" will not be accepted too. So as they are not accepted, they are pushing the region in this direction.

Here comes the great responsibility. Here comes the urgent need every day and every hour and on every occasion to the intellect of Sayyed Abbass, Sheikh Ragheb and Hajj Imad, to the awareness of Sayyed Abbass, Sheikh Ragheb and Hajj Imad, to their will, determination and resolution as well as the priorities and the jurisprudence of priorities, being faithful to these priorities so that we be able to overpass along with our country and region this stage which will not be gravest than the previous stages.
The past decade - from 2000 to 2010 - was a very dangerous decade in the region. An absolute US hegemony was recommended. A settlement was recommended for Palestine. The Palestinian cause was supposed to be liquidated according to "Israeli" conditions. A Neo Middle East was demanded.

People collapsed and gave in. They felt desperate. They felt that all doors are shut tight. However the determined, confident, self-offering fighters in more than one country and in more than one region could push away this dangerous storm, and will do so with the upcoming storm too through awareness, faith, determination, patience, unity, confidence and trust in Allah. They will do so with ever being present, faithful and willing to offer sacrifices. We are able to confront this storm and to push it away and to achieve the expectations of the martyrs of freedom, liberation, sovereignty, pride, dignity, security, stability and serenity.


Source: Hizbullah Media Relations