Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full speech on the Int’l Quds Day
In His Name
Full televised speech delivered by Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on al-Quds Day on Friday July 2, 2016.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed 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 all messengers and prophets.
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
We consider this day to be a great and glorious day because it comes in the third ten days of the Month of Allah and the Month of Ramadan. The occasion was announced by Imam Khomeini (May Allah sanctify his secret), an International Day for al-Quds.
In the time given, I would like to tackle several points today: the first topic has to do with the occasion, International al-Quds Day, the struggle with the enemy, and the Palestinian cause.
The second topic has to do with the "Israeli" threats to Lebanon in general and to Hizbullah in particular, which were heard in recent weeks and especially during the Herzliya Conference. I will tackle this issue in detail God willing.
The third topic is the security situation in Lebanon and the recent al-Qaa incident, as well as the repercussions and obligations.
It is well known that the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 caused a very great turn in regional circumstances and the situation of the nation.
The regime of the Shah collapsed. The Shah regime was an agent of America, a servant of the "Israeli", and a police of the Gulf in the full sense of the word.
The primary ally to "Israel" in the region fell. The Islamic Revolution in Iran gained victory. Ties were severed with "Israel", and the "Israeli" embassy in Tehran was closed, while the Palestinian Embassy was opened.
The opposite also took place. To guard their existence and status, some Arab regimes and thrones have always been working openly or secretly to serve "Israel" and come closer to it and gain the protection of the US. Since the first day and in the time the new regime was in need of international protection, cover, and neutrality, at least to be given a chance, Imam Khomeini (May Allah sanctify his secret) took this decisive, fundamental, doctrinal stance and severed ties with "Israel" and expelled the "Israeli" diplomatic staff and turned the "Israeli" embassy into the embassy of Palestine. Then he chose this day - the last Friday of the holy Month of Ramadan - with the holiness that it signifies, especially for Muslims, as an International Day for al-Quds. He did not choose it as an international day for Karbala or Najaf or Tehran, or for an Iranian national cause. He chose it rather for the cause of the nation and the cause that has human, Islamic, and moral dimensions...namely the cause of al-Quds.
One of the goals of this announcement, which has a number of goals as the Imam himself used to say and as we had always reiterated in previous occasions, is to keep this cause vividly alive in the minds and souls of the people, so that the peoples and nations, especially the fasting, praying Muslims, do not forget it, and so that they comprehend that it is part of their religious commitment, and part of their prayers and fasts. The announcement was meant to say that it is impossible for man to claim true commitment to Allah Almighty while he leaves the "Israeli" entity occupying the sanctities, attacking the Palestinian people and the peoples of the region, conspiring against the nation, and spreading corruption. So the aim is to keep al-Quds in the mind - every year on this very day - on the level of the nation and on the level of the world, and also to highlight the cause of Palestine, the Palestinian people, the sanctities of Palestine, and the thousands of Palestinian and Arab detainees in "Israeli" prisons, besides the siege, the pressure, and the tough hardships of the Palestinian peoples, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, or in the territories occupied since 1948, or in exodus.
So this day aims to recall and highlight this catastrophe and this great cause. It is also a day to choose the right track and specify obligations clearly, away from diplomatic and political courtesies.
In this framework, we must highlight and assert the clear right which must be spoken of on this day -International al-Quds Day. It must be strongly said that Palestine is from the sea to the river, and that its land is occupied, usurped, and stolen from its legitimate people and owners. It must also be asserted that time does not change the usurped and robbed to a legitimate property for the robber and looter, and even if the entire world acknowledged that. Thus "Israel" is a usurping, occupying, robbing, looting entity, and it had perpetrated all of that through terrorism. It is forbidden to recognize this entity and give in to it and offer concessions to it. It must rather be wiped from existence and the right must be fully restored to its owners.
In the Month of Allah, the month of fasting, the month of the Holy Quran, the month of worship, and the month of righteousness, this is the very right and nothing else is right. This is religion for everyone who wants to talk or start from religion or talk in the name of religion. Any other speech is invalid deception and falsity that transcends the facts about religion, morals, and human and historic values.
Second: in the worst conditions and circumstances, a certain people, government, or state may feel weak, and its officials may say that they are weak. We can't fight, we can't go to war, and we are not able to open fronts.
So in the worst conditions and circumstances, weakness may justify not going to war; but it never justifies giving in to the enemy, recognizing the legitimacy of the enemy, accepting the enemy, and agreeing to give the land to the enemy, besides normalizing with the enemy and making commercial, diplomatic, and security relations with this enemy. Moreover, they conspire with this enemy against the resistance men and the steadfast men who refuse to give in and succumb. This is what is taking place now unfortunately on the level of some Arab regimes. Imagine that some Arab states voted in favor of "Israel" in the elections of one of the important commissions in the United Nations. What is the pretext? What is the evidence? Why? Is it that you are weak and unable to wage war? You are weak to the extent that you acknowledge that you are weak; you give in and you vote to cleanse "Israel" before the world and purge it from its crimes and felonies and defend it? No logic, no mind, no religion, and no morals justify these conducts.
On al-Quds Day, we tell all of these: do not recognize "Israel" or give it legitimacy. If you are weak and impotent, if you are not fit for this historic, decisive battle, leave this to the coming generations and the future. {Allah will bring along a people whom Allah loves and who love Allah}. There is a Divine Law which is the law of replacement. Perhaps the previous generation and some rulers in this generation and some people in this generation are impotent, or weak, or submissive, or yield (to the enemy), or suspicious, as per the priorities. However, Allah Almighty will not forsake his deemed-weak, oppressed, and tortured slaves in Palestine and the region. He will not forsake the sanctities and {the land with the blessed surrounding} for these corrupt, murderous Zionists. He will replace this generation with another generation more fit, able, competent, and ready to liberate the land and the sanctities, and to extract this cancerous gland from the body and corpse of this region.
Third: we do not need to talk much because facts and experiences since 1948 to our day assert this truth. The only path available before the Palestinian people and before the peoples of the region who are being targeted and aggressed against, and whose territories are being partially occupied by this entity which longs to engulf its territories and wealth, is the patient, steadfast resistance. What did negotiations lead to? Negotiations led to recognizing "Israel", to giving the larger part of the land of Palestine to "Israel", to opening the gates to the succumbing Arabs to normalize and make ties with "Israel", to containing the resistance men, to imposing the most difficult living conditions on the Palestinian people and peoples of the region.
This road is clear. It does not require much explanation and rational and logical evidence backed with historic evidence. The facts we, as well as several generations in the region lived (through) since before 1948 to our day, assert this. However, what I want to highlight on this occasion -International al-Quds Day - is the current situation which we have reached. What is really eye-catching is that people are still the same. What is taking place today?
At least in recent decades, especially in the last two decades, a change - namely the project of the resistance in Lebanon and the resistance in Palestine - started to take place. The Resistance Axis started to be formed one way or another. Its main support is the Islamic Republic in Iran and Syria, and many of the peoples and active forces in the region, and some states, the stances of which was somehow positive. The resistance option started making victories and true achievements in Lebanon, Palestine, and at the level of the region. What is taking place now? At the peak of the resistance project on the level of the nation and on the level of resisting the Zionist project and the "Israeli" occupation, and at the peak on the level of the nation and the will of the nation, the culture of the nation, the support of the nation to the culture of the resistance, and in the framework of the major changes that were taking place in the region, we found that a side appeared to forcefully frustrate this axis and this project and to topple it, making use of two tracks:
The first track is pushing the entire region to wars, confrontations, and ordeals under false titles: freedom, democracy, sectarianism, factionalism, fabricating enemies, fabricating threats, fabricating dangers, and pumping enormous human, financial, and military capacities in this war. The true target behind these wars is hitting the resistance states and the resistance movements on the one hand, and hitting the culture of the resistance among the peoples of our nation and the will of the resistance among the peoples of our nation. The goal is that we all become desperate. Who is still thinking of Palestine, who is still fighting "Israel", who is still standing in face of "Israel", and who is still thinking of al-Quds?
This is the first track they worked on and are still working on to this very moment in which I am talking to you, in Syria and Yemen and in more than one area, on the level of wars and on the level of ordeals, whether in Bahrain, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Egypt.
The second track is opening the gates before "Israel" to normalize ties with it, hold open meetings with it, and cooperate with it on the media level, and finally voting in favor of it in the United States, and attempting to present it as a friend or an ally, or as a part of the campaign. Today it became a part of the camp fighting ‘terrorism', which is the resistance and the axis of the resistance.
This is what is being worked on at the time being. It is noticed that the same ruling regimes - and allow me to say that the same dynasties - which going back to the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties of the past century, worked from the very beginning to open the way before America and Britain to establish the state of "Israel" in order to guard their thrones in exchange, (these same regimes) are still fighting to keep these doors open before "Israel". They fight during every possibility to resist, whether in Egypt in the past, or in Syria, or in Iraq, or in any other place, so that they safeguard their thrones. It is the very same equation, the very same facts, and the very same sides. History is repeating itself. They themselves decades ago and with the onset of the past century did not fight "Israel" and did not permit others to fight "Israel". They even helped in establishing "Israel" and frustrated the will of the nation to confront "Israel". When the armies and governments rose to fight "Israel", they conspired against them and fought them and fought every resisting, national Arab, with pretexts similar to the pretexts they are currently giving. They are similar to them and not the same pretexts. They did not use the sectarian title in the past. They used other titles, and now they are once more confronting the axis of resistance.
So today it is not by chance that if you u
ncovered the backs of those who are marking al-Quds Day in more than one country - Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, and many other countries in the world, and I listed these states because there is a common factor among them - you would have found the marks of whips of these sides - meaning the Saudi regime and the Saud dynasty. Should you uncover their backs, you would find the marks of whips of these (the Saudi regime). Is this not an astonishing coincidence, that those who on the day of al-Quds Day, voice their support for Palestine and announce their willingness to back Palestine - despite all the oppression that has afflicted them - that their backs have the marks of these whips? This is quite eye-catching.
Anyway, the message which I want to deliver today is: first, all the tools and servants of "Israel" and the US in the region must understand very well, and feel despair towards the possibility of our peoples, movements, and active forces giving up Palestine, al-Quds, and the people of Palestine. No matter what you do, you will not achieve that, and the evidence is what you see every day. This is Yemen which has been in a violent war for a year and a half in the name of Islam. Unfortunately, some use the phrase ‘in the name of the Sunnah and Jamaat' and ‘in the name of the Two Holy Shrines' to kill children. The cowardly United Nations confesses that and still, it retreated from donating the money. The human rights organizations in the world also confess that too. What has been perpetrated in Yemen over a year and a half is appalling, dangerous, and catastrophic. Still, did the people of Yemen say that they do not believe in Islam, in religion, in the holy shrines, in the nation, in Palestine, in al-Quds, and in the sanctities anymore? Never! They hit the street to say that they adhere to this Islam while you have nothing to do with it. They hit the street to say that they adhere to the nation, to Palestine, to al-Quds, to the people of Palestine and will not abandon it.
The same logic applies to Bahrain, and to Nigeria, whose army, upon the provocation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to all information and documents - killed a thousand human beings and arrested their leader only because they are in this axis and on this track. They hit the street to show loyalty to the martyrs who were killed through provocations against Sheikh Zakzaky and his group in Nigeria. They were staging demonstrations on al-Quds saying: Death to America! Death to "Israel"! The same slogan was raised in Sana'a, Tehran, Baghdad, Beirut, and Damascus. Despite everything, they did not give up.
This message is clear. You can't force the peoples and governments of this axis - even with the power of iron, fire, killing, massacres, wars, media deception, sectarian instigation, and accusations - to abandon Palestine, forget Palestine, or to permit "Israel" to control this blessed land and these sanctities, and devastate our region.
Second: the Arab and Islamic peoples must wake up and flee the hegemony of the misleading media and investigate the facts to know very well about all that is taking place in the region today under the title of freedom, democracy, sectarianism, and defending so and so... This is a collection of lies, and the true goal is to demolish the resistance states, armies, communities, peoples, and movements, besides devastating the region and disintegrating it to safeguard "Israel" and the survival of "Israel", which in 2011 and before the popular intifadas in the region, was talking about the new danger to its existence. Accordingly, it formed new divisions along the border with Egypt and Jordan. The fear which invaded "Israel" due to the demonstrations which conquered several Arab capitals made it stand again before a threat to its very existence. Who helped it emerge from this existential danger? Who turned this threat to an opportunity for "Israel", which expressed that in Herzliya Conference? This is what I will talk about in the third point.
The third point: the path of the resistance leads to achieving victory and liberation. It is not a difficult path. It only needs will and determination. O' peoples of the region! O' people of Palestine! If only the human and financial efforts exerted - not in the entire region but only in Syria and Yemen - were exerted in Palestine, that would have been enough to liberate Palestine 10 times.
There isn't weakness or impotence. This nation is not poor either. In the peoples of this nation and in the governments of these nations, there are armies, capacities, money, generals, and wills. However, there is a group of servants to the US and "Israel" who are still having the upper hand and controlling the nation and the peoples of the nations, and preventing them from fighting "Israel". Whenever the nation awakes and becomes aware of its wealth and moves forward, they put before it impediments and obstacles and impose wars on it to head and fight in any square except in the battle of Palestine. Fight wherever you want but you are not allowed to fight in the battle of Palestine.
So the path of the resistance is possible, and it leads to liberation, but all the peoples of our Arab and Islamic world must strike firmly on the hand of those who are making wars and imposing wars and insisting on moving along with wars. They cripple any kind of political solution in Syria, in Yemen, in Bahrain, in Libya, and in any other country, and they support the Takfiri movements and the terrorist movements which were raised up in their minds and in their bosoms and dens.
When the nation takes this decision, these wars can come to an end, and this ordeal can be quenched, and we can all return to the true path and the real battle in which we can all gain victory indeed.
The second topic that I want to tackle and which is related to the first topic is the Herzliya Conference. Unfortunately, this year in the Herzliya Conference there was Arab participation at a time when the conference has to do with "Israeli" national security, the future of "Israel", and the special strategic environment for "Israel".
Arab humiliation, Arab disgrace, and Arab succumbing reached the extent that they went and partook in this conference. Indeed, the star of this conference was the representative of the Syrian opposition who partook in the conference. So the aim of the opposition is quite clear. This foretells that the Syria which the Syrian opposition wants and which this representative represented is similar to the Herzliya Conference. In the conference, we heard many words. Indeed, I will mention only titles because I want to comment on the threats that have to do with Lebanon.
Contrary to 2011, the Herzliya Conference in 2016 is very different. In 2011, they all talked about "Israel" living in a very strategic environment and in a very dangerous situation...I do not want to reiterate. In 2016, the "Israelis" seem to be very much relaxed. They talk about new opportunities with the Arab states, especially with Saudi Arabia. They talk about demolishing Arab armies, as what took place in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and in other places. They also talk about exhausting the Arab armies, as what took place in Egypt. They are very much at ease. This is the status of the Arab armies. This is the status of the Arab communities. This is the evaluation of the war. Then they wanted to be accomplices in the war on terrorism. What terrorism? This is at a time when the "Israelis" are on the borders with Golan, backing al-Nusra and providing the armed groups with weapons and money, and taking their wounded into their hospitals, and providing their fighters with ammunition, food supplies, and information.
In this conference, I would like you to consider a very important point which more than one person tackled, because these speakers are generals and current and former security, military, and political leaders, and guests from abroad. They talked with much concern about defeating Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] in Syria. Why is "Israel" worried that Daesh would be defeated in Syria? Why is "Israel" concerned that the axis of resistance will gain victory in Syria? I hope that those who still have doubts or do not have a clear vision or do not have clarity would bother themselves a little bit to have a correct reading and take the correct decision and choice. Everything is published in the media, and we are ready to provide whoever wishes with the full translations of what was said in the Herzliya Conference. Let him see what the "Israeli" evaluation is in the case that the resistance axis gains victory in Syria and defeats Daesh and the armed groups. What are the strategic repercussions and risks on "Israel"? Consider all of that so that you know in which line to stand and which front to back.
Anyway, they talked about Iran which had the lion's share in the conference. Indeed, what I said several days ago is not new. Some people benefited from this recognition. This is not recognition. This is an old speech and not recognition. His eminence the Leader Sayyed (Khamenei) (May Allah guard him) and the officials in the Islamic Republic overtly say that they support all the resistance movements with money and arms, and they are proud of that. They support the resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine. Between parentheses, it is not true to say that support stopped to some Palestinian movements or organizations because of the different stance they have on Syria. Never! This is not true. This is the stance of the Islamic Republic and the stance of all the resistance axis, especially that of Hizbullah as far as Syria is concerned: true we differ in our viewpoint with some Palestinian factions, we did not demand from them or practice pressure on them or quarrel with them on this issue. We used to tell them: you are free to take the decision you want. We hope that you understand our stance. But as far as Palestine is concerned, there is no difference. As per the battle with "Israel", there is no difference. As per supporting the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Resistance, there is no difference. This is between parentheses.
There was noticeable stress on Lebanon and particularly on Hizbullah in Lebanon. I believe that most of the words tackled Lebanon and Hizbullah. What is the nature of the threat which is posed? A broad and wide campaign was launched. There is a number of threats and (words of) intimidation which I want to comment on with a couple of words. What I want to say today is my view point on the threats and (words of) intimidation. I want to tell the "Israelis", and I would like the people to know: O' "Israelis"! There is nothing new in what you said and regarding your status. There is only one new thing which is that you have become talkative. In the past, you weren't as such. Decades ago, you were not as such. Now you have become very talkative, and I believe that this is something new as per the "Israelis".
Apart from that, what is new? You say you want to destroy. You have been demolishing since before 1948. You destroyed Palestine. You destroyed Lebanon. You demolished Sinai, Golan, and the region. In the near past, you destroyed in 1982, during the wars in Lebanon, in 1993, in 1996, and in 2006. You destroyed in the Gaza Strip during the first war, the second war, the third war. You destroyed during the war in the Month of Ramadan some years ago. There is nothing new. You show up to say that you will destroy. It is known that you destroy. Do you have any other thing other than destruction? This is not new. You say you will kill. In fact, you are an entity based on killing. Do you threaten us with killing us, slaughtering us, and scaring away our women and children? In fact, you have been doing that for decades, and you are still doing that. That is natural. It is expected that an entity like yours acts as such.
So what is new in this perspective? Is it that they said: If only Hizbullah and so and so - because they addressed me - know the information we have about them, they would have become perplexed. Well, this might be the case. Indeed, they must have information about us. After all, you have very strong security apparatuses and reconnaissance planes which are operating in Lebanon day and night. Moreover, the foreign security apparatuses are all at your service, and the CIA in Lebanon is mobilized to serve you. The US intelligence and part of the Arab apparatuses also serve you. So this is normal. You may have a large sum of information. That is possible. Why not? Still, what difference will that make? In 2006, did you not have a large amount of information about us? What was the outcome of the war? Who produced surprises during (the) July 2006 (war)? Was it you or we? That war was normal for you: shelling, demolition, displacement, attacks on villages, and bombing highways and infrastructure. This is what you usually do. However, it is the resistance which produced surprises in 2006, even if you had much information about us.
Anyway, this is first. Second, what is new and what is important is the amount of information which we have about "Israel", its army, its capacities, its capabilities, power stations, petrochemical stations, nuclear stations, nuclear plants, and economic weight, as well as the psychological composition and internal disposition, the climate and the internal front. So what is important now is not what you know about us. What is important is what we as a resistance movement know about you.
Perhaps this is the first resistance front or the first Arab front that fights "Israel" and owns this enormous amount of information about this enemy, its points of strength, points of weakness, its capabilities, its capacities, and the way to defeat it. This is what is new. As for you having information about us, this is not something new.
Or is it that: ‘You so and so...' - and they are addressing me as they want me to feel afraid - ‘...in the next war we will kill you'. Well, is it that in the previous war you did not want to kill me? Is this something new? Didn't you perpetrate massacres to kill so and so in the previous war? Aren't you operating day and night to kill so and so? This is an open war between you and us.
Thus I believe that in this great conference which was blessed by the attendance of Arabs, as far as we are concerned, the "Israelis" do not have anything new that makes any difference. Well, what is new is in our possession. We own the new element now or at this stage. We are the new element in the Arab world. This address is for the foe and the friend so that he would come to know: Today there is a resistance in the face of "Israel" which owns the will to fight and owns the ideology to fight. Facing you there is a resistance that does not consent like slaves, flee like humiliated slaves, recognize you, (rather it) fights you and defeats you. It prepares to fight you day and night, does not fear you and your masters, is not terrified by you or does not dread from you, and owns the true human and military capacity which has imposed itself on you, on your schemes, on your drills, maneuvers, internal front, armaments, and equipment.
Well, this is the new element. What is new is that "Israel" as a whole stands in Herzliya and acknowledges that there is a true power today that exists despite all this destruction that is spreading in the region, and that this power is called Hizbullah, which owns the will, faith, ideology, and power to stand steadfast, fight, and face the threat with a threat. It confronts deterrence with deterrence and the slap with a slap. It owns the perseverance, determination, confidence, faith, and trust in Allah Almighty that enables it to do that, whereas all the nonsense you are saying in Herzliya does not make any difference. We know your people, and you know our people. We know your soldiers, and you know our fighters. We know your enormous capacities, and you know our capacities which, should it be added to our fighters, people, faith, and trust in Allah Almighty, does not make us expect from this path anything other than more defeats to be afflicted on you and more victories to be achieved by us.
Well, we will stop here in talking about Herzliya to leave some time to tackle the security situation in Lebanon, which is indeed an important issue that is preoccupying all of the Lebanese as well as our friends and dear ones in the region who care for what afflicts our country.
We will start with the recent terrorist suicide attacks staged by Daesh in the town of al-Qaa, targeting al-Qaa and its people. No doubt, these attacks and operations formed a dangerous development recently from all perspectives. Indeed, like all Lebanese, we condemned these terrorist attacks and aggressions and offered our condolences over the martyrs, and showed solidarity with the residents of al-Qaa and all the people of the region, and we stood by their side. This is the least of the moral, human, national, and religious obligation. Still, it is clear that Allah Almighty showed mercy on all and pushed away what was even worse. Certainly I will avoid debate which I believe has been surpassed in Lebanon to a great extent, except for some who are acting stubbornly. It became clear and evident to everyone through the facts on the ground and not (mere) claims, that the attack that targeted al-Qaa was meant to attack al-Qaa and the people of al-Qaa, this Christian town in Bekaa. I mention this for those in the Arab world to know about (the nature) of the town in Bekaa which we are talking. This town and its residents were targeted, regardless of all the analyses that may come afterwards. Why were al-Qaa and the people of al-Qaa targeted? I do not want to tackle much of the analyses which were written and said; I only want to tackle the issue from one perspective that is beneficial for discussion.
Through the ongoing security investigations, I believe that in a brief period of time, some will discover who are the managers and employers of these suicide bombers who sent them to al-Qaa willfully and on purpose. A time will come in which we will talk about all of this. A useful detail is that all information - as well as our information - says that they did not come from the camps of the displaced in the al-Qaa projects. To say the truth, they came from the barren areas in Arsal. So we can say that they came from inside Syria. But what was there destination? They came from inside Syria and jumped to al-Qaa or settled in the barren areas in Arsal where Daesh is present and is provided with its food supplies, provisions, and needs, and its leaderships move freely.
There are also political forces in Lebanon who, one way or another, form a political cover for this terrorist armed presence in the barren areas of Arsal. So they stayed in the Arsal outskirts for a long period of time, waiting to execute the mission required from them. It was expected that they stage this aggression during the Month of Ramadan because they understand religion in a wrong way. To them, the Month of Ramadan - the Month of Mercy - is the month of killing. Thus they were in a hurry. They wanted to make haste before Eid. They wanted to perform their religious rituals in this religion of killing to kill. They have nothing other than killing. I will talk about this point in a while.
Anyway, everything will become clear. Well, as per this security situation, this new development in al-Qaa, and the discussions that took place in the country, I want to mention three points very briefly.
First, some were perplexed. They wondered why al-Qaa and the people of al-Qaa were targeted. What is their sin? What did they do? What wrong did the people of al-Qaa perpetrate? This is in line with the idea that when armed groups stage aggressions or bombings in Lebanon or detonate booby-trapped cars, they always have pretexts to do that. It is understood why they staged aggressions in Nabi Othman, Hermel, Borj al Barajineh, and the Iranian Embassy. The pretexts for all of these aggressions are understood. It is that Hizbullah went to fight in Syria, and this is the reaction of these poor oppressed groups. The people of Hermel, Nabi Othman, Dahieh and whoever deserve that because they are the supporting environment for Hizbullah, who went to Syria to fight these ‘rebels'. This is what they say.
Well, why did these rebels take you by surprise and stage this aggression against al-Qaa and its people? Well, to be frank, the people of al-Qaa are not Shia. There are several Shia houses. Perhaps this is by chance. But the al-Qaa town is a Christian town. They do not form by any means a supporting environment for Hizbullah, which is fighting the ‘rebels' in Syria. The residents of al-Qaa did not send fighters to Syria, and the municipality of al-Qaa is politically affiliated to an opposing political line which backs the rebels in Syria. Why did these rebels come to al-Qaa then? Indeed, some people will provide answers which demonstrate that this was meant to push Christians to put pressure on Hizbullah to withdraw from Syria. Okay, no worries. Let's complete the first part.
Let's take lessons from the incident that took place days ago when a triple suicide attack struck Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. I do not want to talk facts. We do not have any need for theories, slogans, and zealous speeches. I will talk calmly. Three Daesh suicide bombers attacked Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. It's not I who is saying they are from Daesh. The Turkish prime minister said they are from Daesh, and their nationalities and identities were specified. Istanbul is a major touristic city, and it is the economic capital of Turkey. Well, at a time when the government in Turkey is exerting its efforts along with the "Israelis" and the Russians, and at a time when it apologized from Putin and gave concessions as per Gaza because it has a certain economic situation and wants to guard its tourism, Daesh hits the airport in Turkey. We all know what hitting the airport in Istanbul means for Turkey and Istanbul on the economic and touristic levels. Why? I would like to ask a question not to our bloc or to the other Lebanese bloc. No, I want to hold a discussion on the level of the nation. Let's talk about Lebanon, and I want you to answer me...
Let's put Bekaa aside. Why did Daesh hit Istanbul airport? Let the Lebanese answer me. I will tell you the answer. Bear in mind that Turkey did not attack and fight the opposition and the rebels in Syria, it did not dispatch fighters to fight them, and it did not wage a war on them in Quseir, Qalamoun, Zabadani, Damascus, Homs, and Aleppo. On the contrary, it adopts them politically, it opposes and fights the regime in Syria, and it opened and is still opening the borders before thousands and tens of thousands of fighters who came from around the world. All the Gulf arms, ammunition, and money are pumped via Turkey. Turkey opened its hospitals and housed the displaced. Daesh oil is fetched by Turkey to facilitate selling it. Turkey did everything possible for Daesh.
Why did Daesh then perpetrate this operation? By the way, this is not the first operation for Daesh in Turkey. Similar operations were staged previously in Ankara, Istanbul, and several bordering towns. The Turkish government officially said - and not we - that the perpetrator is Daesh. Turkish members of Daesh also partook in executing these operations. Why? Politically speaking, Daesh must not stage operations in Turkey. This is what the mind and logic says. Let's put religion and morals aside. Logically speaking, if a state is backing you, fighting with you, opening up the borders for you, offering you financial facilitations, and is doing for you everything that you want, why do you blow yourself in it? Do you know why? The problem is in the ideology of Daesh which is the very ideology of al-Nusra, al-Qaeda, and the Takfiris. This is for no one to say that Daesh differs from al-Nusra. They share the very same ideology. Do you know whose ideology is the one that they hold?
Watch the Saudi media which is pregnant with such incidents. Today there is much uproar in Saudi Arabia because of the story of the two brothers whom they say are Daeshi. What does ‘Daeshi' mean? Does it mean that they are members of Daesh? No, it means that they bear the same intellect which is the very Wahhabi intellect (itself) and the very Wahhabi ideology (itself) which labels others as infidel haphazardly and for the simplest of reasons. They give legal (jurisprudential) opinions on the obligation to kill or the possibility of killing the infidels, and you would be rewarded by killing them even if these infidels are your father and mother. This ideology pushed two Saudi brothers to kill their mother and stab their father. Is this the religion of Islam? Is this the Quran? Is this the aim of the Month of Ramadan? They also sought to kill their brother who is now in a critical situation in the hospital. Then they fled.
Perhaps they were arrested later. I am not sure. Why?
They say that they are Daeshis. Does that mean that Daesh told them to kill their father and mother, or (rather), that this is the culture you are raising generations with in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Daesh brought this culture to Iraq and Syria. You sent this culture to Pakistan and Afghanistan and to other regions. I am saying this for you to know why the killing took place in Istanbul. That's because according to Daesh and the ideology of Daesh, Receb Tayyip Erdogan is an infidel even if he is an Ottoman caliph. The Justice and Development Party is infidel even if it is an Islamic party. The Turkish government and the Turkish army are infidels as well as the Turkish people because they partake in elections. According to Daesh, he who partakes in the elections is an infidel, and it is permissible to kill him. In the Month of Ramadan, these groups want to struggle to be rewarded in Heaven. The Turkish people are infidels regardless whether they are helping them or not. They do not take this detail into consideration. This is a worldly detail. This is their culture. Aren't we supposed to understand this culture? In Kuwait and in Saudi Arabia, you find he who wants to kill his father and phones security to tell them to come and arrest him before he kills his father and mother. Another killed his brother. What is the reason behind that? This is the result of this culture.
We are giving an example for you to know who the infidels are in the eyes of the Wahhabis. One of the senior Wahhabi Muftis - I will not mention names so that no one would say that I am evoking a problem - said that whoever says that the Earth rotates around the Sun is an infidel. I say that the Earth rotates around the Sun. This is what we were taught in schools. This was scientifically proven. Astronauts and physicists and almost all humanity unanimously agree that the Earth rotates around the Sun. The astronauts who went to space saw that and carried out research on that. The system on Earth and the system of communications and satellites is based on this. Well, if the Wahhabi Mufti and their senior sheikh say that he who believes in that is an infidel, then you would be labelling all people as infidels. If a Muslim bears witness that Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah, fasts, prays, performs night prayers, pays zakat, and fights for the sake of Allah, yet believes scientifically that the Earth rotates around the Sun, he will become an infidel who either must show repentance or be killed. This is the rest of the fatwa. Such fatwas are being taught by Wahhabi scholars and the Wahhabi Mufti in Saudi Arabia. This is the official Mufti in Saudi Arabia. Well, if you educate people such fatwas, besides fatwas on killing one's father and mother, the easiest thing according to your religion and culture is that people become infidel and disbelievers who must be killed and slaughtered.
Well, O' Lebanese people with all your sects and political forces! This is what you must think about before talking politics when discussing why Daesh sent eight suicide bombers to a village. What did they mean to do with its people were it not for Allah's mercy. The courageous men stood and confronted. They were very alert, and the people of al-Qaa acted with wisdom and responsibility. What did these eight suicide bombers want to do with the people of al-Qaa? That is if there weren't others who (may have) not reach (the area) or retreated or anything of this sort, because there are some information to this effect.
Anyway, what was to take place? The issue has to do with politics and this culture and this mentality and understanding. The culture of this people is killing. Their religion is killing. What do they have to do with the Prophet when they say we came to slaughter you? This Prophet is the Prophet of mercy whom Allah Almighty says about him: {We did not send you but as a mercy to the world}. Still they say we came to slaughter you. When the Prophet - whom Qoreish harmed and harmed his companions, killed his companions, killed Sumayya and Ammar, and tortured them, displaced them, and embittered their lives - (when the Prophet) conquered Mecca, he did not take revenge from anyone. He rather told them: ‘Go, you are free!' Is this the Prophet whose religion is ‘We came to slaughter you'? Is his religion that of killing? This is the problem. This is the true reason. In politics, you can say whatever you want. You can analyze. This is the first point I wanted to tackle.
The second point in this framework is that some people said: You went to stage a preemptive war in Syria, in Quseir, in Qalamoun, in Zabadani, in the Eastern Mountain Range, and in Damascus. You said that this is a preemptive war so that they do not come to us, but they came to us anyway. So your war is a failure. This is a fallacy. This is ignorance. Do you know what the difference is? The difference is that were it not for this preemptive war - meaning that if they were along the Arsal barren mountains and along the borders and later in Qseir, Qalamoun, and Zabadani, you would have witnessed eight suicide bombers entering the Lebanese towns in Bekaa, the north, and the various Lebanese regions every day, and instead of the car - which the security apparatuses and us search for every month or two - you would have witnessed tens of cars entering the Lebanese towns, cities, and villages every day. Doesn't this make a difference? Isn't this a favorable result?
There is a big difference between a suicide attack every several months and a number of suicide attacks every day. See what is taking place in the region because they are running freely. They have the motive; they have a great number of suicide attackers; they have money; all of this is from the Gulf; they have booby-trapped cars; they have the religious motive. So let's not simplify things and deceive people. Were it not for the great effort exerted by the Lebanese army, the security apparatuses, the preemptive war of the resistance and the Lebanese army, Lebanon would have been in a worse situation with neighbors and savages of this kind. There is nothing that drives him away from Lebanon, he who kills his father, mother, brother, and uncle, in line with such a culture, he who kills, bombs, and kills 42 and wounds hundreds in Istanbul, which is helping and supporting him, and opening the borders to him. The preemptive war, the effort exerted in the Eastern Mountain Range and the borders with Syria by the Lebanese army and the resistance, in addition to the internal Lebanese efforts, are what prevented and are still preventing such dangerous events from taking place frequently. Well, yes, a penetration may take place. Some may infiltrate into (Lebanon).
The third point is that I want to tell the Lebanese: let no one horrify and frighten you by saying that the security situation in Lebanon is very dangerous and will deteriorate. Let no one tell you that there is a security catastrophe in Lebanon. No, there is nothing of this sort. This is untrue. The security situation in Lebanon is much better than the situation in most of the countries in the world and at least in our region, despite all that is taking place.
With our available capacities, we offer help, and the security apparatuses from time to time discover a group here, a cell there, and an explosive belt there. This is evidence that security is under control. Yes, there is security control in Lebanon. Nothing requires fear and horror or feeling anxious over tourism, agriculture, economy, traveling. On the contrary, this must increase our confidence. This must call upon the Lebanese - and I also call upon the peoples of the region - to trust in Lebanese security and the capability of the Lebanese security apparatuses, the Lebanese army and the Lebanese people, who help on the level of security, stability, and disclosing these groups and these cells and networks.
Relatively speaking, the situation in Lebanon is incomparable to that in many states in the world today. Now, a breach took place in al-Qaa; that is normal. Who is saying that things are 100% under control? Well, this is Turkey. It is a major state with an army and security apparatus. It is a NATO member. Still, many bombings are taking place in Turkey. Though Turkey supports the opposition in Syria, nevertheless many bombings are taking place in Turkey. Well, this is France, Belgium, America, and Russia. They are great states. They have tens of security apparatuses. In fact, they have the strongest security apparatuses in the world. Still, there remains a possibility for someone to penetrate.
Even as per the al-Qaa event, should the preemptive war have been continued, the al-Qaa incident would not have taken place. You know what the atmosphere in the country is like. You know how things are being tackled, viewed, and read. Should the military operation have been continued in these outskirts and had the Lebanese army reached the borders with the vigilant eyes of the residents, even the al-Qaa event may not have taken place. That is in addition to the awareness on the level of the Lebanese interior.
I call for placing trust in the Lebanese ability to control security and to spread security. So there is no need to feel fear or horror or anything of this sort.
Well, someone may ask us: Why did you cancel the marking of the Night of Destiny in Sayyed al-Shuhada Complex then? Doesn't that mean that the situation is very dangerous? No, there is a difference. True, we canceled the marking of the Night of Destiny in Sayyed al-Shuhada Complex, but we marked it in hundreds of mosques which were crowded with people and which were intensely guarded. If the situation had totally deteriorated, marking the Night of Destiny would have been canceled in all mosques. This is one. Also as per Sayyed al-Shuhada Complex, it may be a target in itself. There would be large masses of people. So the brothers found that the security measures that would be undertaken from so and so hour to so and so hour would be a heavy burden on the residents of the area. So the security measures would be extraordinary.
The same applies to al-Quds Day. Frankly speaking, we can undertake security measures and guard Sayyed al-Shuhada Complex and the rituals of the day. Still, we found out that the measures would be a heavy burden on the residents of the area, on us, and on people in general. So we found that we can mark this occasion in another way without exposing people to any danger by gathering in that place which may be a target because they have certain targets which they want to reach and hit. The rational person would say that he has no problem in postponing things. Still, that is not an indicator to our reading of the security situation in Lebanon. Not at all!
Here I am telling you that the security situation is under control. Things are being followed up around the clock and as seriously and precisely as required. Well what is required is what we talked about several years ago when we were told: You made us involved by requiring from us a defense strategy. Yes, we are in need of a national strategy to fight terrorism to emerge from these avenues in which every one of us is awaiting (something) from the other.
O' my brother! There are martyrs; there are people and villages which are threatened; who among us is right? This has to do with the reasons and the results. Lebanon is in need of an official national strategy to fight terrorism. Let's approach all issues from this perspective while taking into consideration the humane, moral, national, and legal dimensions as well as the issues of the displaced, the camps, the barren areas of Arsal, and the borders.
Anyway, I would like to wrap up this section by addressing the people of northern Bekaa, especially the people of al-Qaa who faced a tough calamity in the past few days. As for us - I am talking about Hizbullah, and I can add the Amal movement and all the residents of Bekaa who are your people and neighbors who always back you - we would like to tell you: Al-Qaa to us is like Hermel. Ras Baalbek is like Baalbek. Fakiha is like Nabi Othman, and Arsal is like Labweh. The issue is not sectarian or factional. All the residents of Bekaa are our people, and the responsibility of the state is our responsibility too as well as the responsibility of the people. People must assume the responsibility to protect themselves when others abandon their responsibilities. We are one people, and we are neighbors. We (face) one situation, and our fate is one. We will not allow anyone to harm you. We will not allow any displacement from the region under any title or pretext or for whatever reason.
The Lebanese army and the Lebanese security apparatus are responsible in the first place. But we are all with them, and we back them. If they want us to be before them we will be in front of them. With our eyes, ‘with our eyelashes' (as Sayyed Abbas use to say), we will protect the entire region and all the residents of the region, and every town and neighborhood in the region.
Indeed for us, that is our national, humane, moral, and religious commitment. This is our track. This is the trust of our great and grand Imam Sayyed Musa Sadr (May Allah return him and his friends and companions safe and sound). Thus the people there must calm down and feel assured. What took place is very painful; still it must not push anyone to feel fear and anxiety or to migrate or to reconsider his existence in the region.
It is required that we remain steadfast there and cooperate. Simply, we can afflict defeat on these terrorists. So far, all our battles with them have afflicted them with defeat and expelled them and kept them away. We are able to do that. However, what is important is to show solidarity, cooperation, and national unity. Furthermore, there must be a state that assumes its responsibilities in the first place. Should the state assume its responsibilities, we will stand by its side. Should it want us to be before it, we are ready. However, as usual, we do not take criticism and slogans very seriously. When the blood of people and their lives and survival are at stake, we are ready to assume the responsibility without any hesitation or categorizations or discrimination.
This is the message which I wanted to deliver.
Finally, on al-Quds day, we hope that - God willing - we will be able to defeat this Takfiri terrorist wave with patience, perseverance, steadfastness, and sacrifices at the level of the entire region. We hope the axis of the resistance will recover so that "Israel" will discuss in any new Herzliya Conference in any year to come the threat to its existence that surrounds it because it is an abnormal entity, a germ of corruption, a cancerous gland, and an absolute injustice that has no future in the region. This is the Promise of Allah. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
Source: Hezbollah Media Relation, Translated by website team
