Sayyed Nasrallah: Driving Lebanon to A Civil War Unacceptable; Rational and Responsible Approach is A Must
By Zeinab Abdallah
Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a televised speech on the occasion of the Day of the Wounded on Thursday, March 18, 2021, coinciding this year on the 4th of the Hijri month of Shaaban.
His Eminence expressed condolences on the demise of several Hezbollah members and family members who passed away after contracting the Coronavirus. He also named in particular the late Sheikh Ahmad Zein and Anis Naqash who also passed away due to the Covid-19, and condoled their families.
The Hezbollah leader congratulated all Muslims on the blessed anniversaries of the birth of the Shia Imams in the Hijri month of Shaaban.
Shaaban is the month that precedes the Muslim’s month of fasting, Ramadan. Imam Hussein [AS], his son Imam Ali Zainul Abedin [AS], and his brother Abul Fadhl al-Abbas who was martyred along him in Karbala were born in this month.
Hezbollah marks the Day of the Wounded on the birth anniversary of Abul Fadhl al-Abbas to honor and commemorate the wounds he sustained and the bravery and heroism he scored during the battle of Karbala.
The Islamic Resistance leader hailed the sacrifices made by Hezbollah’s wounded fighters who remained patient, steadfast, loyal, and faithful to the battle for justice just like Abul Fadhl al-Aalsobbas [AS].
“Our wounded fighters took the great and prominent Abul Fadhl al-Abbas as their role model; they comprise a big portion of our members and they are way more in number than our martyrs. Our wounded fighters were patient, steadfast, and faithful.”
The mid of Shaaban also marks the blessed anniversary of the twelfth Shia Imam Mohammad al-Mahdi, who has been awaited to save humanity and spread justice after the Earth becomes full of injustice and oppression.
Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech focused on domestic issues, but started as His Eminence urged people to follow news published regarding the US intelligence role in releasing Daesh [the Arabic acronym for ‘ISIS/ISIL’ terrorist group] prisoners detained by the so-called Syria Democratic Forces [SDF] to revive this Takfiri terrorist outfit in Iraq, Syria, and the Syrian Desert.
“We are in front of Takfiri groups formed, run, and armed by the American intelligence to destroy armies and societies and boost the American hegemony to make the Zionist entity atop in the Middle East,” Sayyed Nasrallah stated.
Lebanon’s Multiple Crises
Commenting on the country’s deteriorating situation, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that Lebanon is at the center of a major and real economic, social, financial and political national crisis. When we approach the situation, we shouldn’t forget being rational, responsible and wise.
Warning that there are sides pushing for a civil war in Lebanon, the resistance leader made it clear that it is not acceptable to allow anybody to push the country to a civil war due to the US dollar economic crisis and lack of food.
“When their efforts don’t bear fruits in confronting the resistance, they may tend to work for creating a civil war,” His Eminence explained, assuring that Hezbollah doesn’t use its weapon for the formation of the government or to fix an economic or financial situation.
He also touched upon the fact that supposing wrong reasons behind the crisis means going to useless treatments: “Among the reasons behind the crisis are the economic and financial policies, debts policy, loans and benefits, and corruption.”
Also among the reasons behind the crisis are smuggling the money outside the country, freezing deposits, the Beirut Port Blast, and the tensions, Sayyed Nasrallah added.
The Hezbollah leader was direct to blame the US pressure and terrifying Lebanon from certain economic choices as being the main factor of the crisis. “All factors should be dealt with, otherwise we can’t reach a solution.”
The situation in Lebanon is a result of decades and couldn’t be solved in a year or two, Sayyed Nasrallah said.
“We are in front of an integrated situation. We need administrative and financial reform to bridge the gaps in our political system,” he also noted.
Sayyed Nasrallah made it clear that Hezbollah won’t hinder any possible agreement between PM-designate Saad Hariri and President Michel Aoun to form a Lebanese cabinet of non-political-affiliated specialized ministers.
However, His Eminence wondered if this specialized cabinet will be able to bear the consequences of major and critical decisions?
His Eminence advised Hariri to form a cabinet that can shoulder the burdens and reconsider the decision of forming a specialized cabinet. He also advised him to form a techno-political government instead.
“Let the PM-designate form a government of political powers to shoulder their responsibilities, and those who want to disclaim responsibility should be prosecuted.”
Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized that a specialized government won’t survive and won’t be able to shoulder the responsibility of the country’s crisis, and called on all political forces to employ their internal capabilities and foreign contacts to solve the crisis.
In case the formation of a new cabinet remained unsolved, the first solution is to reactivate the work of the current government, His Eminence noted, lamenting that in the past week Lebanon was run without any official. “The security forces and the army were the side that was in front of the people.”
Unless a government is formed by Monday, Sayyed Nasrallah said it is the responsibility of the caretaker PM Hassan Diab to restore the previous government and start taking action.
“In case the crisis continued, we will be obliged to seek a constitutional solution,” the Hezbollah leader underscored.
Submitting to the Americans
There are certain parties in Lebanon that are afraid of dealing with China because they are afraid of the Americans, Sayyed Nasrallah said. “The US wants Lebanon to be part of the American-‘Israeli’ axis, as is the case in several Arab countries.”
Relatively, His Eminence raised the voice of those who want to discuss the International Monetary Fund’s conditions and not to accept them as they are. “Would the Lebanese people be able to tolerate the IMF’s condition of lifting the support from basic goods?” Sayyed Nasrallah asked.
He also stated that the Iranian offer to sell Lebanon oil derivatives by the Lebanese pound is still valid.
The Suspicious Role Behind Blocking Roads
In an upset rhetoric, Sayyed Nasrallah slammed blocking roads in front of the people and reiterated that it doesn’t help solve the crisis, adding that there are other forms to protest
Noting that he is fed up with this practice, His Eminence noted that blocking roads increases people’s hunger, kills the innocent people, and leads to internal fighting in the country.
“This is a suspicious practice and humiliating people on the roads is unacceptable and must be solved. Blocking roads would neither fill an empty stomach, nor provide security, nor find a job for anybody.”
Meanwhile, Sayyed Nasrallah renewed calls for people to remain patient when roads are blocked, and underscored that it is the Lebanese Army and Security Forces’ responsibility to prevent this.
The USD Crisis
Touching upon the US dollar crisis, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh must shoulder the main responsibility in preserving the Lebanese currency due to its falling rate against the US dollar in the black market.
His Eminence addressed Riad Salameh as saying: “It is your responsibility to save the national currency and you can do this. It is your responsibility to adjust the US dollar rate and prevent its spike again.”
Additionally, Sayyed Nasrallah explained that almost 80% of Hezbollah’s military forces are members who are part of the mobilization forces who already do not get paid for what they do.
In response to those pointing the blame on Hezbollah for being behind the slumping Lebanese currency rate, Sayyed Nasrallah said that many among Hezbollah members, especially those who work in Hezbollah’s institutions, get their salaries paid in the Lebanese pound.
Sayyed Nasrallah recalled that when people’s salaries where high, Hezbollah members who get paid in US dollar used to be suffering [due to their low incomes], lauding that they are now helping their families with their livings.
His Eminence further called on all organized members to support their relatives and neighbors with their livings and announced that Hezbollah will establish a fund in which those who are being paid in US dollar can help as much as they can the needy families.
Sayyed Nasrallah finally assured people that Hezbollah won't abandon their duties and responsibilites towards them in case the country reached a real collapse.
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