Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech on the Day of the Wounded Anniversary

Translated by Staff

Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech delivered via link & addressing latest developments on March 28, 2020

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Master and Prophet, the Seal of Prophets, Abi al-Qassem Muhammad Bin Abdullah and his good and pure household and his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers.

Peace and Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you all. 

I thought that tonight’s address would be aired just on Al-Manar as a cultural lecture and an oppurtunity to welcome a great religious occasion, the month of Sha`ban, which is an introduction to the holy month of Ramadan. However, recent developments in the country and the region as well as some issues that our people are facing prompted me to address the emerging and existing circumstances related to the war against the coronavirus and its repercussions. As we said from the beginning, this is a war, and it might be a long war. We do not know how long it will last.
 
But first allow me to briefly talk about these auspicious occasions, which I will also touch on in the coming days. We congratulate everyone on the arrival of the blessed month of Sha`ban. This month paves the way for the month of Ramadan, the month of God, with its blessings, exceptions and very great characteristics.

Mankind today is in dire need of these blessings. The Messenger of Islam (PBUH) declared this month as the month of Sha’ban. This means that it is the month of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). We get blessings from great religious occasions. At the beginning of this great month on the 3rd of Sha’ban, the Master of Martyrs and the Master of the Youth of Paradise Imam Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) was born. He was the grandson of the Messenger of Allah and was regarded as his son. The Messenger of Allah said: “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him. May Allah love those who love Husayn.” It’s interesting that when we look at some religious occasions, we find that a number of key figures of Karbala were born in Sha’ban.

This is what we need these days and during such tribulations. The fourth of Sha`ban is the birthday of Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh), or Abi Al-Fadl. He was a brave and loyal leader who stood in the battle of Karbala until the last moment, the last drop of blood, and the last part and organ of his noble body. On the fifth of Sha`ban, Imam Ali ibn Husayn, also known as Zayn al-Abidin, was born. He was the captive leader who carried the voice and word of the martyrs to the world. On 11 Sha’ban, Ali Al-Akbar bin Husayn (PBUH) was born. He was the role model for the young Mujahideen. He was loyal and made sacrifices. We also have the eve of mid-Sha’ban. All Muslims unanimously agree on its blessings, greatness, and the manifestations of divine blessings. It is observed with supplication and prayers. We, in particular, mark the 15th of Sha’ban which is the birthday of Imam Mahdi or Saheb al-Zaman (pbuh).

These occasions give us the strength to be steadfast, patient, and persistent during the existing ordeal. We draw inspiration and learn lessons from Karbala, its personalities, and positions. It also gives us hope. 

The nights and days of the month of Sha’ban, especially the eve of mid-Sha’ban, give us the opportunity to say prayers and supplications, plead and return to God Almighty, and seek His help. We are in desperate need for this opportunity. We need to knock these doors because they are the strongest and most efficient weapons in facing this ordeal. 

We should also congratulate all the wounded mujahideen, who made sacrifices, on the Day of the Wounded. This day falls on the birthday of Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas (pbuh). And we must always appreciate their sacrifices, their jihad, their patience and perseverance. We should appreciate their wounds. We must also show respect to what they, as well as martyrs and the mujahideen, gave to this nation, country, and people. 

Let us go back to the coronavirus and the war against it. I have several points on this matter. The first issue concerns Lebanese expats and other Lebanese nationals abroad. Call them what you want. The expatriates are the Lebanese people who have homes, families, and work abroad. They include students who are studying abroad. But this group also comprises of Lebanese people who travelled abroad for any number of reasons, including business and tourism and did not return within the time limit set by the government – whether it was their fault or not. 

It happened, and they remained abroad. Hence, all the Lebanese abroad want to return to Lebanon now. This has been a prominent issue in the country for several days. It makes the government, the state, and the Lebanese people responsible because everyone is responsible in this battle. We always say that everyone is responsible. The repercussions of any decision affects everyone. If it was a right decision, everyone will benefit from its positives. If it was wrong, everyone will be affected by its negatives. Basically, there should not be a debate on this. It is the right of the Lebanese people to return to Lebanon. 

Whatever the circumstances, risks, difficulties, and challenges, it is their natural right, their right from their country, their state, their government, and their people in Lebanon. Before we talk about other matters, this is a very natural matter. it is not a subject for discussion. It should not even be discussed if it was the responsibility of the state and the government to bring them home. As part of the state, the government as well as the state should ensure all the requirements for their return. They must assist them, bring them home, enable them to return, and make every effort in this respect.

In addition, we also believe that there should be no discussion on the necessity of bringing them back as soon as possible. I am not talking about being hasty. I will mention some remarks. We are talking about quickly secure the return of people who want to come back to Lebanon. there should be no discussions regarding this. In fact, in the past few days, the discussions were not about principle or right. The discussion was about the timing – can we bring them now or not, let us wait before April 12 or after April 12. It was clear that there were reservations, and I am not speaking about the principle.

I will make a remark at the end of this point. It was clear that some government officials were afraid of this step. Of course, some people in the country feared this move and objected to it. How are you going to bring all the Lebanese from abroad? This means that the disease will spread and will spiral out of control. We will not be able … etc. It was clear that there were reservations, and no one underestimated the issue. And today among those demanding their return is Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose call has been louder than ever. We have been contacting and talking since the beginning to try and find a solution for the issue. No one said that it is easy and that you are running away from something that is easy. No. Everyone knows that this is a big and difficult file. It is a historic challenge for the Lebanese state, government, and people.

But we have to shoulder this responsibility. The state and the government must assume this responsibility, and the Lebanese people should must them because when we talk about those residing abroad, the travelers, the students, etc., unfortunately, we have to say that this issue does not concern one Lebanese area, sect, or party. These people belong to families from different areas and sects. And now they are abroad, and a lot of them are asking for help. So, no matter what the challenges or the dangers are, we say we must heed this distress call. What if we were able to cope this matter! We are not heading towards the unknown. We are able to cope with this matter with all our cooperation. And I believe that the step the Lebanese government took in shouldering this responsibility with the help of the Lebanese people will be the pride of the current government should this major and historic humanitarian mission succeed, God willing. It will be a true pride for the current government. In this regard and framework, no one suggested an uncoordinated return. This is to reassure people with reservations. No one said send planes, let people board left, right, and center, and fly them to Lebanon. Would the Lebanese people abroad accept to come to Lebanon in this manner? They, too, are concerned for their lives and health. I do not want to go into practical, operational and procedural matters, but officials have now discussed and come up with some ideas. It is easy to take measures that guarantee. For example, one of the first questions asked during research is: can we board two or three people infected with the coronavirus onto a plane transporting 200 to 300 healthy passengers? Of course, no one will accept that. Neither will the 300 passengers accept to board a plane in this manner. But it is possible to separate them. Medical and health measures can be taken, etc. the most important thing is that we take a decision. When the decision is taken, then it is time to achieve the task, and lay out the dangers, challenges, the available capabilities. With will and determination, we begin to implement. This is how things usually go. 

During military, political, and economic wars, in elections, in epidemics, in difficult social situations, in state of emergencies, in earthquakes, and in painful events, people behave in this manner. We don’t stand still and fret because of some difficulties and dangers. Then, leave everything to God, abandon our responsibilities, and leave people asking for help abroad to their fates. This is not permissible and unacceptable. It is inhumane, unethical, illegal, and irresponsible behavior. We are talking about our people and our loved ones. Hence, it should be a safe, coordinated, and quick return, not after or before April 12. It should be now.

Because I know – I will comment on this topic – that we must seriously enter into the executive framework of this matter and steps. Therefore, we must start securing, opening the doors, and preparing for the return of our loved ones back to Lebanon. It should not be rushed. Yes, we have to work quickly and seriously – day and night. This means tomorrow, on Sunday. 

Just like when the government met on a Sunday. Tomorrow must be a working day for the relevant ministries and all professional bodies concerned in this matter. Therefore, yes, we must all shoulder the responsibility. There are two main reasons that call for addressing this matter quickly.

The first reason is that in the countries where Lebanese people want to leave, the coronavirus crisis is still in early stages and fewer infections. However, in a week or two or maybe after three or four days, the number of infected cases might spike. What will we do then? But if we expedited their return home and took measures – we are all able to do so – we can prevent this calamity from befalling our loved ones.

The second reason which must not be taken lightly is what some Lebanese people abroad and some states are talking about – the weak health systems and the weak regimes in general in some countries, many internal problems, and throwing blames as to who brought the coronavirus into the country. These countries might face a social and security collapse, and many people might get killed. Should we leave the Lebanese expatriates to their fate?  

Look, yesterday we saw some media outlets reporting that people in the United States are buying weapons the way they buy disinfectants and food. Why is this happening in a country that considers itself the number one power in the world and has the most powerful army, the strongest intelligence apparatus, and the biggest police force in the world? This is because people in the US are afraid of a social and security collapse as well as the collapse of the system in some states and cities. Hence, every individual buys a firearm to protect himself, his family, and his home. What is there to say then about African countries and other states?

So, both the health and security threats require the Lebanese government, state, and people to be quick and not to waste time in finalizing this file which is the return of the Lebanese expatriates. According to my understanding as I was following this issue in the past few days, this matter has been resolved. Meaning it is no longer a point of controversy. We all heard a while ago the Prime Minister’s statement. My information also tells me that the ministers have started working and preparing the groundwork. Therefore, things, God willing, are falling into place.

I would like to conclude this topic with two things. The first thing is that this matter requires everyone’s cooperation. Meaning we cannot tell the government to trust God and let it shoulder the responsibility. And then when it is time to act, we stand on the sidelines watching, attacking it, objecting, or criticizing it. This file is greater than the state, meaning who has money must provide money; who has medical staff must provide medical staff; who has closed places and hotels, public places, scout cities, sports cities, hospitals, even private hospitals must provide them.

A national mobilization is required. Even the diaspora says it is willing to pay money and help cover expenses. Then, you can go ahead and create funds and collect money. We should not leave the government alone when implementation and the procedures commence. If we leave the government work alone, we do not know if it will be able to complete this file with its capabilities and resources. Hence, practical and realistic assistance and contribution is required from everyone without exception with regard to this file. This is a very big and sensitive file which needs tremendous effort time wise. We do not have weeks or months. No, this file has days and hours. We are not speaking of weeks and months because the danger is imminent, especially in some places where it should be the priority. At the very least, it requires moral and political solidarity as well as support not scoring points.

The second point as I conclude the first topic. We have recently started hearing a certain language from people who classify themselves as the opposition of the current government. I would like to remind some people that now when you support this requirement is an excellent step and a positive sign. I personally appreciate this position, and we must all appreciate the voices that say you must bring all the Lebanese from abroad, the infected and the healty. This is an excellent position. But express this demand without insulting the current officials, presidents, and ministers because some will confront you with tweets, statements, and addresses you made earlier where you were warning about destroying the country and demanding not to allow anyone to return, close the airport, and close the borders. 

Now changing or modifying one’s position is a good thing, and I pray that no one revels in anyone’s position regarding this matter. This is a good thing and a good review of one’s position. But what is required is that we continue this way. We continue this way in form and practice with cooperation and away from provocative language.

We all should bear this responsibility and cooperate to bring back our loved one and our family, regardless of their circumstances, in order to protect them here. We can cooperate and stand together. Many of the expatriates, of course, have declared their readiness. We would like to confirm that they will be subject to the measures, tests, and quarantine for their sake and the sake of everyone in Lebanon. This is the logical and natural thing to do. No one is saying anything else. This is what was being said since the beginning.

I just want to remind you that many of them own homes in Lebanon and have families here. We are not talking about displaced people from other countries that we will have to provide them lodging and set up camps to house them.

No, they are coming back to their families, loved ones, dear ones, and their homes. We do not want to make things much more difficult. I am just saying to show solidarity and to cooperate. This will be accomplished, God willing, due to the officials’ efforts and positive outlook. Whatever the difficulties, we must work together to overcome them.

The second point regarding the fight against the coronavirus. In this war, we have said from the very beginning that it is the responsibility of the state, the people, the political parties, residents on Lebanese territory, our Palestinian brothers, the Palestinian refugees, the displaced Syrians, and non-Lebanese nationals residing in Lebanon.

The point I want to make that is probably useful, and I think many are doing it is that we must feel that we are part of a global war. As we said in the beginning, there is indeed a global war. The whole world today – apart from some – is preoccupied with fighting the war against the coronavirus and its repercussions while looking for a treatment.

I would like to add another point. In addition to feeling like we are fighting a global war, we also have to follow closely the other fronts. We have to see what other countries are doing, how they are fighting the virus, and what measures they are implementing. We have to see where these countries are in the fight and where Lebanon is. And by Lebanon, I mean all of us in the country – the state, the government, the people, the political parties, all the areas, every individual, and all the families. We have to see where we are and where others are. By doing so, of course, will have a major impact on the Lebanese people's management of this battle as well as on their psychological and moral state.

I will explain how. We have to follow their performance closely, their management, their plans, and their programs. We should see how administrations, governments, and people in other countries are behaving. We have to learn from their experiences. It is clear that there are governments in more than one country in the world today that are confused, disoriented, lost, and unable to manage this war. We must look at this.

When we look at it from this angle, we see what is happening in the world – how some superpowers are confused, helpless, and anxious. Presidents or governments are changing their decisions and speeches every two or three days. The US administration and the British government, among others, are examples of such countries.  

When we come to Lebanon, we find that the situation is reasonable. In terms of the total number of cases – regardless of the size of the challenge that we faced – there is glimmer of hope. The situation is acceptable. The threat is being confronted in a serious manner with everyone’s cooperation and the government is shouldering its responsibility very well. It is undertaking important and good measures. Even the choices made so far, including the general mobilization as well as the new measures starting from seven o’clock until five o’clock, are the best. I will talk about this in a bit. 

Sometimes, some call for a state of emergency to be declared. From the beginning, I said we have no problem with whatever decision the government makes. We always discuss this matter in the government, in the Supreme Defense Council, and in political circles. The question is always: do we truly need to resort to this step? Many of those calling for a state of emergency do not understand what it really means and what its requirements are.

This is one of the deficiencies of the system in Lebanon and the law in Lebanon. In Lebanon we either have a state of emergency in a broad sense of the word, or they have to search for fatwas or situations like the current one.

In any case, the measures taken so far are good and reasonable measures. We must acknowledge the effort of the government, the ministers, and the Prime minister as well as the special care of His Excellency the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, and the forces that are now fighting this battle.

We repeat that our situation in general is acceptable. In fact, I previously said this government accepted to shoulder its responsibilities under very difficult economic and financial circumstances. This shows high courage. In addition to the difficult financial, economic, and monetary situation, the coronavirus struck Lebanon. here, too, the government accepted to shoulder its responsibility. It did not resign. It did not say we cannot do this; we are powerless; look for someone else; we want to leave and stay home. It should be commended. I tell people, whatever the difficulties, the differences, or the points of view, this current government should be commended.

In any case, we are conducting a reasonable and positive evaluation regarding this aspect. Looking at it, there are many positives. In the first and second week of the outbreak, some tried to turn the battle against the coronavirus into a battle of grudges and hatred – certain sects, countries, and nationalities were blamed as the cause of the spread of the coronavirus. During the first few days, people were frightened. I widely follow news, but I cannot claim to be one hundred percent certain, so I asked the brothers about their evaluation. Thank God, some brothers told me that the situation has become better. Now, everyone is talking about cooperation and solidarity and how the battle is a national one. We are beyond this stage. This is one of the positives. The most important thing during a battle is to focus on the enemy and not to be distracted by the surrounding. In the battle of humanity, a person needs morale, time, peace of mind, and giving priority to confronting the enemy. Thank God, we are improving this. 

There are always exceptions in the country, but we are talking about the general atmosphere. However, this positive evaluation or some positives aspects should not put us at ease or make us satisfied. I would like to say here that we are still at the beginning of the fight. We are not in the end or nearing the end. O Lebanese, O residents of Lebanon, we are still at the beginning of the battle, the beginning of danger, and the beginning of the challenge, regardless of the evaluation of experts in the world. There are people who considered that there is nothing, and things are normal.  After one or two weeks, the climate and weather will change, and there will no longer be a problem. The reason why we are hearing this talk is because the enemy is unknown. The nature of this virus, its composition, and its dangers are still not fully understood.

So far, some of the world's leading experts say that heat kills the virus, whiles others say no it does not die in hot temperatures. Some say it is transmitted through the air. Others contradict that. Some tell you this medication treats the virus, while other leading specialists have not decided on a medication. The world is still confused about this unknown and incomprehensible matter. That is why we are still at the beginning of the battle. We do not want to scare or frighten people. We do not want to cause a state of panic. This is wrong.

Even if there is reason to panic, one should not cause people to panic. This is part of managing the crisis in the first place. This matter is controllable. It costs less than a military battle. During a military war, people homes get destroyed. People are displaced. Some stay on the streets. Others go the public gardens. Every three or four families stay together in one room. We are not telling people to stay in their homes confident and have peace of mind. Stay in your homes, take some measures, lock your doors, and do not go out unless you have to. 

This burden is not even measured by military wars. This is not a big disaster. No! Our people and the people of the region have gone through far greater calamities than this. And we were able to overcome them. What we need is awareness, wisdom, patience, resilience, discipline, and a sense of responsible when working. 

What I would like to say is that we must expect the worst possibilities to avoid being surprised by something we forgot or were not paying attention to. We must act as if we are still at the beginning of the battle. This needs more planning, more management, more decisions, more measures, and more steps to be completed.

Of course, the matter does not need a lot of discussions. What is the confrontation plan? It is very simple, and everyone is recommending a couple of measures. So far, no one in China or the whole world has come up with anything new. They are all recommending self-isolation, quarantine, containing the pandemic from the beginning, and taking measures. People can overcome this stage with minimal losses in human life. There will be economic and other types of losses. But the most important this is saving lives. 

There are several points in this context. There are some points that I would like to repeat and emphasize on. There are other points I will talking about them for the first time.

A – The emphasis on the public’s commitment to the general mobilization measures, especially during the day because the measures during the night are stricter. I will get back to them later. What happens sometimes? People comply with the measures for a couple of days and then forget. They get comfortable after a couple of days. This is wrong. This means that the days we adhered to the measures are lost. Any breach in this matter means that we wasted all our efforts. We cannot say that we stayed home for ten days, and we want to take a break. There is no such thing. Commitment should be continuous. Otherwise, this will cost us all our efforts. The time we spent being locked up in the house will be for nothing. People refusing to stay home will lose the effort they previously made. Thus, we must strictly adhere to these measures.

B – The new night-time measures start from seven in the evening until five. Of course, the military and security forces are obligated to implement this issue. We call for popular commitment. Thank God, according to all available data, the people are largely committing to the measures. Sometimes there are some violations. According to my information, the military and security forces, yesterday and today and perhaps the first two or three days, are still advising and alerting, etc. Later, they might resort to harsher measures, which is normal, and people have to bear that. Likewise, people should not violate. And then at the checkpoint, they will give excuses. It is only natural that the military and security forces to be stricter. We have to abide by the curfew – from 7:00 PM until 5:00 AM. However, there are exceptions. Resort to exceptions when its necessary, real necessity – {But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it].} Here I repeat, the issue is life and death, the safety of people. This matter should not be taken lightly, not in this world nor in the Hereafter.

C – Social cooperation and social solidarity saw an excellent start. I thank all parties, movements, associations, personalities, and groups for undertaking such initiatives. We have to work on long-term plans, so we don’t exhaust all our efforts in the first and second months. The crisis may take longer than one, two, or three months. That is what it seems. I also call for all towns, cities, and areas to overcome sensitivities and cooperate because if we do not integrate several groups might provide assistance to the same family, which is good, but other families will be deprived of assistance. In the end of the day, the capabilities are limited.

Integration, distribution of roles, and coordination are very important. They make social cooperation productive and influential. It is natural that competition might take place. We call for a positive competition in which the following verse {So for this let the competitors compete.} applies to. This will bring you closer to Allah Almighty. This will also bring people closer to each other. Cooperation, coordination of effort, distribution of roles, and integration are very important, especially for people in villages, towns, neighborhoods, and cities. It is not the time for political and electoral competition. Let us address this matter from a humane and moral standpoint and away from any other calculations. What is important is what appears to God Almighty.

D – Taking care of families that may be have reservation about registering with state’s or the municipality’s lists. Due to personal and moral considerations, some families do not accept this. These should not be forgotten. Here, I can say that there are two sets of people who has special responsibility because they can detect these cases even if these families did not register. The first group of people are the blood relatives. A father and a mother know their children’s situations. Siblings know each other’s circumstances. Cousins know each other’s circumstances. Relatives know each other’s circumstances. If they could not help, they can at least guide them to register with committees providing social cooperation.

Hence, there are the relatives, and there are the neighbors. Neighbors live with each other, in the same building, the same neighborhood, or the same village. Neighbors know each other. They know each other’s circumstances and capabilities. Therefore, this type of families must not be forgotten in any case.

E – There has been an outcry in the country regarding this subject which is the high prices and the monopolizing of some goods, knowing that the doors are still open and the goods that the country needs have not been cut off. Of course, this is due to the greed of some merchants and some vendors who monopolize or increase the prices [of some goods]. The Ministry of Economy and the government agencies must be effective because people's financial conditions are very difficult. Many people now are not working. There are also many people whose money is in the banks and not with them. There are also some merchants and sellers who illegally, immorally, and inhumanely monopolize and increase the prices [of goods]. 

Relevant ministries must be stricter. The security forces must be stricter. The judiciary must be stricter. The judiciary must not disrupt. Our deputies, our brothers, our officials, and other deputies must follow up on this matter. The ministries and security apparatus said they referred them to the judiciary. What has the judiciary done? So far, it has done nothing, or it has been moving slowly. This is part of the battle. We said that today doctors, paramedics, nurses, and pharmacists are at the front lines. But the other things are also part of the battle. Today, people are facing a challenge which I mentioned during my first speech. We either die from the disease, or we die from hunger. No, we do not want death, unless God Almighty has willed it. We surrender to God’s will. But we must fight the disease and face hunger.

When it comes to confronting hunger, the ministries, the judiciary, the security forces, and the people all have a role to play. These sellers and merchants who are increasing the prices must stop doing that in villages, cities, and neighborhoods. There are scholars, clerics, and figures who can guide them. We can also put popular pressure on them without resorting to violence. They must feel and understand that what they are doing is a crime against their people and that they are exploiting a very hard and difficult humanitarian and social circumstances to make more money. This is called greed. They must understand that they are committing a crime that can amount to treason. Hence, this file should also be addressed. 

Of course I invite the honorable merchants, the merchants who possess morality, the religious and god-fearing merchants, and the merchants who do not even believe in the Hereafter but have honor and a sense of humanity to intervene, lower the prices of their goods in the market, and reduce their profits to break the greed of some merchants and sellers. Break the monopoly and the price spike. This is also a major humanitarian, moral, religious, and national task that merchants and sellers can work on.

I saw some media outlets, how some shops, some vegetable venders, and some stores are offering their products near to the cost price or with low profit. This is a very excellent work. You will find this deed on the Day of Resurrection, especially for people who believe in the Hereafter. This is one of the greatest deeds today that will benefit you on the Day of Resurrection. The lesson here is that you act selflessly, make an initiative, bear responsibility, and refuse to profit what is rightfully yours during these difficult circumstances, where greed and hunger are present, and people are in need. You behave in such humanity and morality.

F – Solving the issue of depositors in banks. I do not want to inflate the matter. Let us look at the smaller depositors, who are greater in number, and solve their problem. The banks can solve this problem with the money they has here and abroad. This file should be taken apart. It has become a humanitarian and moral necessity to address it. Why?

I am talking about families who have money in banks. They are considered small depositors that have $ 500, $ 1,000, $ 2000, $ 3000, $ 4000 more or less. The numbers of such depositors putting money in banks are big. So, instead of collecting money from people to offer these families a ration, O banks – if you please – give them their money back. These families do not need rations from the state, from the parties, or from associations. This should be done at the very least until the issue of banks, the laws presented, the proposals, and the controversies in the country are addressed. O brother let us split the file. Let us split it for urgent reasons, due to social emergencies. People are unemployed. People are unable to get money. This issue must be solved. The government has to come up with solutions for this matter. Banks are undertaking self-initiatives. This issue needs to be solved and addressed.

F – The students who are abroad: The students who are abroad are not asking us to raise donations. They are saying our parents have money in the banks, let them wire us some of that money. 

Well, these two files are of a humanitarian nature. Do not confuse them with people who have a lot of money and economic projects, etc. Today these two humanitarian files are very pressing.

Allow me to talk a little bit about this point. Previously, I told the banks – specifically them – that they have been profiting tens of billions of dollars since 1992-1993 until today from banking transactions and debt. You profited tens of billions of dollars. Last time, we told you that you should contribute, address, and initiate in the face of the most serious crisis. Meaning there were areas in Lebanon where life was normal, even during the July war. Shops, restaurants, and hotels were open. People were going by their lives normally. Money was trickling into the country. Aid was coming into the country. There was no problem. These days are harder than the July war. Today, all villages and cities are shut down. Shops and stores are closed, and people are without work. You, on the other hand, who made tens of billions of dollars during those years, how will you help this country?

Isn’t this your country? Isn’t this your government? Aren’t these your people? Aren’t they your family? What will come out from those who made tens of billions of dollars?! The banks donated $ 6 million, but this needs decrees. Meaning they want the Prime Minister and others to sit at the table and broadcast live. What is the deal?! The banks donated $ 6 million to the government to fight the coronavirus. We have read and seen in magazines and reports that some of you, some of the rich people in this country spent two or three million dollars on a wedding in a European country. And to save millions of people in Lebanon, you only donate $ 6 million.

I understand that the government and the Prime Minister are in need of any help, but by God no one should have accepted this amount of money. Allow me to say, that this is shameful of you. I am actually confused. I hope someone could help. How can we evoke the humanity of the bankers? How? What language should we use? How should we address them? What should we tell them? Who should talk to them?

O brother it is understood. There are countries that want to punish Lebanon and not help it, but we have banks that have billions of dollars, profits, and money from the Lebanese people. I do not want to say how they took it. I do not want to open this file now. We might have to open it later. How?

You are siting on tens of billions of dollars in profits facilitated by official financial, economic, and monetary policies. Now, when the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people need whatever help they can get, you offer them $ 6 million and a direct broadcast from the Serail [the Government Palace]!! How could that be!!? Put this aside. You can simply solve the problem of the low depositors, and you would not be affected. You can simply allow the parents of the students abroad send them transfers, and you would not be affected.

In my opinion, this issue can no longer be tolerated. It can no longer be tolerated. And if a time comes when the Lebanese government – it is okay, you can understand it the way you want – reached a point where it negotiates, while the Lebanese judiciary, the Financial Prosecutor, and the General Prosecutor agree that they cannot do anything regarding this file, then just speak frankly with the Lebanese people. Let them say that if you are pinning hopes that you will get your money back, facilitations will be provided, or someone’s humanity regarding this matter will be shaken, then we as a state are unable to do anything regarding this issue. Then each individual will know what to do. It was one of the possibilities that could have been taken into account in the war against the coronavirus. Now, we either remove it from the account, or we address it?  

In any case, we are still betting on the question of how we can evoke your humanity. Tell us how. 

Also, a message for the billionaires and the rich in Lebanon. Why don’t you move! Don’t be patriotic. O brother, each one of you spend money on your sect, on the follower of his sect as his, on the people of his area, city, and electoral district. O brother imagine that you are in the elections. Didn’t you buy votes?

During these elections, votes were bought for $ 100, $ 500, and $ 1,000 – in the elections before the last because in the last elections there wasn’t a lot of money. In one of the electoral districts, the vote reached $ 5,000 at 12 o'clock. O brother consider yourselves in elections and spend a little bit of money in the financial matter. You will find the fruits of your deeds in the Day of Judgment with God and in this world with people. By God, you will find them with people. Pay attention, we do not know where the world is heading. I will talk about this briefly. 

The time may come for money that you are accumulating …. There is a lot of talk in America and Europe about economic, social, and security collapse. I don’t know. It is American and European talk. Well, if the time comes and your money becomes paper, just regular paper with no value, what would you have accomplished? Now is the time for this money to be of use. If you want to gain this life, spend money. If you want the Hereafter, spend from that money. Now is the time for spending this money.

This is the last point before I conclude with another two points. But in the context of the war against the coronavirus, some families blamed it on us. I want to shed light on this matter which is how people infected with the coronavirus are seen. This is a normal disease. When a person contracts the coronavirus, he is treated in the hospital. After that God cured him. He should not be viewed anymore as a person infected with the coronavirus.

This does not only have health effects. The way people treat each other leaves a bad psychological effect. In some cases, it may even lead to depression and severe moral crises. In this regard, people should stand together and cooperate. The coronavirus is a disease like any other disease. A person might get an ulcer, an asthma attack, a health problem, a rheumatic disorder, a coronavirus infection, or a strange flu, etc. 

The infected person recovered and got better. He passed all the tests. So, he is back to his normal self. He should not be seen as a person who is still infected. We must overcome this matter psychologically, morally, emotionally, and socially. We should also help the people who recovered. We should not only treat them normally but also provide them with more moral support, care, and respect so that we can all overcome this stage.

This is in the context of the war against the coronavirus. So far, I have talked about three issues. The fourth issue is about what is happening in the world. Of course, everyone is observing what is happening in the world. I would like to say to the political, intellectual, cultural, economic, and military elites, who are observing and are interested, we are facing an unprecedented situation, at the very least since World War II. Its repercussions are far more dangerous than that of a global war. It is likely that we won’t know where things might lead after the coronavirus. There might be a new world order and a new situation.

After World War I, there was a new world order. Following World War II, there was a new world order. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Eastern Camp, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe, there was a new world order. What is happening today is bigger than what happened in the world wars because it is everywhere. In light of what is happening in the world, cultural, ideological, religious, intellectual, and philosophical debates are taking place. Everything related to belief, culture, thought, religion, and philosophy in the world is being discussed. 

There are also discussions about the priorities of countries. There is a discussion about the viability of the United Nations and of major international blocs. We do not even know today if the United States of America will remain united or disintegrate or whether the European Union will remain a European union or not. There are already voices rising – globalization and the post-corona, return to national sentiments and accounts as well as national priorities. Concerning the economy, the liberal capitalist system is now open for debate. The health care systems in the world are being discussed. Economic and financial matters as well as the issue of the political blocs are being discussed. We do not know if there are countries that will remain or collapse or whether there are great and major military states that will remain or collapse? 

I am not saying anything. I am only saying let us watch. Of course, no one is in a hurry. There are, however, people who are in a rush to evaluate matters and reach conclusions. It is difficult for someone to decide from now because it is related to the success of the measures taken, even though the world is still floundering to a large extent. It is related to whether a cure is discovered or not.

But there is no doubt that we – today’s generations in Lebanon, in the region, in the world – are living a new and unprecedented experience at the very least since 100 or 200 years ago. This will take the world and humanity to a new situation and to new data. It may take the world to a new situation and new data – I am saying ‘may’ just to be on the safe side. There are real, scientific, and realistic data at the intellectual, cultural, and political level as well as at the level of alliances and blocs, the global, economic, financial, and monetary system, social structure, etc.  

We must keep an eye on this because it will affect all of us. We are part of it. We, in the region, are part of it at the security, military, economic, social, cultural, and health levels. We are part of this world that has become – as they say it – a village. People are affected by everything that happens to everyone. This matter should always be monitored and followed-up because it can sometimes require measures. Sometimes, it also requires slowing down, recalculation in many fields we are responsible for.

The point before the last which is the fifth point. I wanted to elaborate more on this, but I will talk more about it next time. Away from the practical and procedural side, I call people to take lessons from what is happening in the world now. 

The US and the American administration that presents itself as a great power in the world – this administration is not just one person, it is not Trump, even though he is an influential person – is confused today. At one point, it considers what is happening in the world as a normal occurrence. Another time, it sees it as exceptional. Then on April 12, it wants to send people back to the factories and work. Another day, it declares a state of emergency in one of the states and puts it under the rule of national security. There is great confusion in this superpower. This is what is taking place today and what we are seeing on television. Now, we are seeing on tv. Some 100, 150, or 70 years ago, things might be happening in one place in the world, and other places might not know about. Meanwhile, today we are in Lebanon watching everything happening in the world on television. Where is the lesson to be learned here?

This earth, this world, and mankind are not new. They were written in books, but it is good to add it to my speech today. Civilization is at its peak. Technology is at its peak. Science is at its peak. Man reached the moon and mars. There is nuclear as well as advanced weapons. There is creativity in all fields. There is an unprecedented technological wealth in human history. Some of the most powerful armies in the world and in the history of mankind exist today. There are also influential forces on this earth.

A long time ago, there was a pharaoh who claimed to be the most exalted lord. This was the Pharaoh of Egypt at the time of Moses [Prophet Mousa]. Nimrud also claimed to be the most exalted lord. Today, there are many pharaohs and Nimruds who act on the basis of being the most exalted lord. And there is a tiny virus that cannot be seen by the naked eye and that is still unknown. This is the state of the globe. Countries shut down factories and companies. International tourism stopped. Airlines are looking for places to park their aircraft. There is collapse because the International Monetary Fund officially announced that the world has entered an economic recession. There is unprecedented unemployment rates, confusion, high numbers of infected cases and deaths. Everything is in a standstill, universities, schools, tourism, and sports.

A small virus has so far imprisoned 3 billion and some 100 million people –India has joined the infected countries. India alone has one billion and 200 million people. There are 3 billion and so 100 million are now imprisoned in their homes. What imprisoned them? An army? An administration? A superpower? A small virus that cannot be seen by the naked eye imprisoned them.

We should learn lessons from this. Here, man remembers what Allah Almighty tells us, {And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little.}. Where is this human knowledge? It is the greatness of human knowledge. It will be two or three months, and mankind will still not have figured out what this virus is, decipher its code, and treat it. All the minds in the world in institutions and laboratories are looking for a treatment for the virus – some with financial motives and others with humanitarian and moral motives. It is a historical race, meaning diversity of motives. They are still confused and helpless. God willing, they will find a cure. It is not required that they do not find a cure until people learn lessons. No, God willing, they will find a cure. God’s mercy for His servants includes everyone in one of the moments, His will, kindness, goodness, and generosity. But we, the people who are living in the heart of this ordeal, this battle and this war must take lessons.
Throughout history, when man faces tribulations and difficulties of this kind, he turns to God Almighty. This is human nature. We must turn to God Almighty. There are people who are stubborn and have different convictions. That is their business. But reason, logic, common sense, and evidence say that we should naturally turn to Allah Almighty, especially when we feel helpless, and we cannot find a solution. There is only God’s kindness and mercy. We spoke about turning to God in the first speech. It is one of the strongest weapons, especially in the hands of the good people, the people with broken hearts.

It is possible that there are many people who have not yet felt the pain because as I have said the situation in Lebanon is still acceptable. The number of deaths and active cases in the country is relatively low compared to the world. So far, we have no obtrusive cases – like people dying from hunger. It is true that the modest measures are causing discomfort among some people. But does it mean that our situation should get worse for us to turn to God? In any case, I will leave this matter for people to think about. I will discuss it later, God willing, in a few days, a week, or ten days. We will see. 

The last point I want to conclude with, given its suitability now, since it is the end of the fifth year of the war on Yemen, the aggression against Yemen. Of course, the Yemeni people has shown legendary steadfastness. This is one of the blessings of people we are marking these occasions. This is the culture of Karbala and faith, jihad, patience, steadfastness, martyrdom. The Yemenis believe in the saying: “never to humiliation.” They raise this slogan. This is the reason behind their legendary steadfastness. It’s been five years with America, Saudi Arabia, and a number of countries leading this war. Tens of thousands of mercenaries were brought in to fight. A dangerous and suffocating siege was imposed on them. However, they are still steadfast. They are even achieving major victories in the battlefield. I don’t want to talk about this file for the lack of time. I would like to say two things. 

First, I reiterate calls for the aggressors, especially the rulers in Saudi Arabia, to stop this war. Isn’t it time for the Arab and Islamic peoples, the rulers of the world, the scholars in the Islamic and Arab worlds, and the parties to cry out against these rulers and tell them, to stop? The whole world is figuring out how to stop wars and clashes and give priority to fight the coronavirus. After all this oppression, don’t the people of Yemen deserve to have this war stop?

In fact, this cry should be raised now more than ever. If there were people who had a different vision or certain political calculations a year, two, three, or four years ago, my brother, whatever the vision, for humanitarian reasons, the whole world should cry out to demand from Saudi Arabia and its allies to stop the war against the oppressed Yemeni people.

The other point is that we must highly commend leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi’s prisoner swap initiative. He declared his readiness to exchange the oppressed Palestinian detainees in Saudi jails. These detainees were living in Saudi Arabia. Some of them have been there for a long time. their only fault is that they belong to certain resistance movements and collected financial support for these movements. There are many Yemeni prisoners in Saudi prisons, but this man and leader gave priority to these Palestinian detainees. This move is an expression of faith, humanity, and morality of this leader, this jihadi movement, and this resilient and honorable people. It is a move to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and its absolute commitment to the Palestinian cause.

This position must be commended by everyone. Everyone must address this matter in the same manner this leader and Sayyed addressed it.

God willing, we can all save Lebanon and the whole region with our cooperation, by setting this priority, and by abandoning all conflicts and minor sensitivities. Let us cooperate in order to save our country, our people, and those around us. God willing, we will attain glory and honor in this world and the Hereafter.

Today, the world and humanity are being morally tested. Great leaderships are failing this moral test. Countries and governments that presented themselves as possessing morals are failing this moral test and the test of human rights. We must pass this test for the sake of our Dunya, the Hereafter, our people, our nation, and the world. 

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.