Sayyed Nasrallah: ’LF’ The Biggest Existential Threat to Christians; Hezbollah Has 100k Fighters to Defend Lebanon

By Al-Ahed News

Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech on Monday evening in which he touched on the latest political developments in Lebanon and the region.

Starting with a message marking Prophet Mohammad [PBUH]’s birth anniversary, Sayyed Nasrallah congratulated all Muslims around the world and the Lebanese people, and stressed that the festival will be held to celebrate the occasion on Friday despite the pain resulting from the Tayyouneh massacre.

His Eminence praised the masses in Yemen who celebrated today the holy occasion of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH]’s birth anniversary despite the war and the siege against their country.

Moving to Afghanistan, the Hezbollah leader mourned the martyrs of the Kandahar mosque blast who have been massacred by the Wahhabi terrorist Daesh [Arabic for ‘ISIS/ISIL’] organization.

His Eminence then extended condolences to the Syrian leadership and people on the martyrdom of the liberated detainee Medhat Saleh who had been assassinated by the ‘Israeli’ enemy in the occupied Syrian Golan.

The Tayyouneh Massacre

Moving to the main subject behind his appearance, Sayyed Nasrallah extended condolences to the families of the martyrs of the Tayyouneh massacre that was committed on Thursday by the “Lebanese Forces” [LF] party, led by Samid Geagea.

Noting that the latest events are critical, dangerous, and require identifying the stance, Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the families of the martyrs as saying: “Your sorrow was ours and your pain was ours in this dangerous crime.”

The Hezbollah leader lashed out at the perpetrators of the Tayyouneh massacre, in which seven Shia protesters were sniped, and many others sustained injuries. “There is a party that wants to make our people in Ain Remmeneh and Furn Shebbak feel as if the people living in Dahiyeh are their enemies

Some “LF” leaders referred to opening fire at the protesters as “resistance”, and the leader of this party wants to fake an enemy and keep the Christians worried about their existence, Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that the goal behind provoking such concerns is to present this party as the main defender of the Christians.

“The goals belong to leadership as well as to the roles offered by Gulf countries that have interests in our country,” His Eminence warned, naming the party as the “Lebanese Forces” and its leader, whom Hezbollah didn’t name before, as it didn’t want to create tension with anybody.

“We didn’t respond to this party despite all the insults it has been addressing us with,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, pointing to that “What happened is critical in a new phase for us to deal with the internal Lebanese affairs.”

“This party has long been attempting to fake an enemy for passing its scheme and chose the foreign-targeted Hezbollah for this purpose, and although the martyrs of the Thursday massacre are from Hezbollah and Amal Movement, the “LF” leader focused on Hezbollah,” Sayyed Nasrallah made clear.

In reference to the weapons, training, and structure, the Resistance leader underscored that everything prove that there have been militias fighting in the event: “This party doesn’t care if a military confrontation or a civil war would erupt as this serves its foreign [agendas].”

Sayyed Nasrallah told the Christian people that the ‘LF’ main agenda was to create a civil war that would lead to a demographic transformation. “The ‘LF’ party doesn’t quit using the language of the old war and division, which prepared for their latest crime.”

“The ‘LF’ offered former Saudi minister al-Sabhan in 2017 to start a civil war in Lebanon, its leader stabbed his ally Saad Hariri in his back while he was arrested in Saudi Arabia, and provoked some old allies some months ago to confront Hezbollah,” Sayyed Nasrallah outlined.

Regarding Thursday’s massacre, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that: “We’ve been assured by the Lebanese Army which we requested to be deployed heavily in the area [of the protest]. And Geagea’s talking about a “mini Christian May 7th incident” condemns the leader of the ‘LF’ himself as it represents a complete claim of responsibility for the massacre.”

Regarding the Army’s assuring that everything was ok, Sayyed Nasrallah explained: “We [thought] we’ve been protected by the Lebanese Army and the Lebanese state on Thursday. We didn’t take any security or precautionary measures due to the area’s sensitivity.”

However, the Resistance leader stressed that “this mine that we were able to contain on Thursday requires a solution and a treatment.”

Sayyed Nasrallah told the Lebanese people in general and the Christians in particular that portraying Hezbollah as an enemy is an illusion and unfairness, and it is the ‘LF’ party that covered the Nusra Front and the Takfiris in Lebanon and Syria

Sayyed Nasrallah urged the Christians in Lebanon to ask the Christian areas in Syria how Hezbollah defended them, and asked them: “Who supported the people of Arsal outskirts villages and who supported the “rebels” who have been backed by the ‘LF’?”

His Eminence then answered: “It is Hezbollah that defended the Christians back then before the Lebanese Army was allowed to interfere. Hezbollah eliminated the danger that was threatening the Christians there and sacrificed the elite of its youths in these battles.”

“We are not bragging about our achievements, but facts and truth shall be conveyed,” Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out, recalling that after the ‘Israeli’ withdrawal from south Lebanon, every Hezbollah or Amal member was banned from entering Christian areas.

We consider that we’ve done the right thing in 2000, and we didn’t attack the collaborators who tortured and killed us, however, in every area where the ‘LF’ party has been, a battle or war has occurred, the Hezbollah leader said.

“All of those whom we arrested were handed to the Lebanese Army and we didn’t prosecute even those who killed us. We had a historic chance to apply the charges against us but this is not what our religious teaches us,” Sayyed Nasrallah added.

In a continued address to the Christian Lebanese, His Eminence noted that even the supporters of the ‘LF’ party live in our areas and Hezbollah didn’t harm any of them. “All the accusations against us are unfair and represent a big mine in the country.”

Meanwhile, Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized that “The biggest existential threat to the Christians in Lebanon and the security of the Christian society is the ‘LF’ party whose scheme to establish cantons still exists. This party is a threat because it allied with Daesh and the Nusra Front, whom it called “opposition”.”

Drawing the Christians’ attention to possible scenarios from the past, Sayyed Nasrallah said: “Had Daesh and Nusra achieved victory, no Christian would have been left in Syria, and the ‘LF’ leader’s alliance with those groups exposed a major threat to Syria.”

“Those who forced the Christians to flee Iraq are the Saudi-run Wahhabi terrorist groups; we don’t pose any threat or danger to the Christians, it is rather from the side of the ‘LF’ and its leader,” His Eminence added.

Hezbollah has been positive to all dialogue proposals in Lebanon and made the understanding with the Free Patriotic Movement in 2005, and the first to oppose it was the ‘LF’ party, which didn’t spare any effort to cancel this understanding, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled.

“Our main concern was to prevent the Sunni-Shia sedition the ‘LF’ party has been seeking and the state is the guarantor for all the Lebanese people, whether Christian or Muslims,” His Eminence added.

“Although the ‘60’ electoral law doesn’t serve Hezbollah’s interest, we accepted it as it serves the Christians’, and the side that negated the Orthodox electoral law is the ‘LF’ party,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah has done its duty, but we are displaying the facts, Sayyed Nasrallah added. “Hezbollah is a very important positive factor and doesn’t represent any threat. It didn’t set any condition on the President of the Republic in the elections, and Minister Suleiman Franjieh was loyal and made a very ethical stance during the elections.”

When the ‘LF’ attacked us and we gathered our martyrs and our wounds, it is because we avoided a civil war in the country, Sayyed Nasrallah said.

To the “Lebanese Forces”!

Sayyed Nasrallah advised the ‘LF’ leader to give up on fighting and internal wars; referring to him as a person who definitely miscalculates his schemes.

“The “Lebanese Forces” officials admitted in their statements that they are an armed militia,” His Eminence said.

The Hezbollah leader then addressed their leader, Geagea, urging him to bear in mind that Hezbollah hadn’t been stronger in the region than it is today; “you are wrong” as you claim that Hezbollah is weaker than the Palestine Liberation Organization.

“Bear in mind that Hezbollah’s only military body is formed of 100,000 fighters who are not trained for civil wars but to defend our country against the enemies. Our calculations are right; we have constants, ethics, and values; so, don’t miscalculate, better stay polite, and take lessons from your wars and our wars,” Sayyed Nasrallah told Geagea.

His Eminence then urged the state and all the Lebanese people to stand against this vampire and criminal to prevent a civil war: “For the first time we announce the number of our combatants not to threaten with war but to prevent a civil war.”

Sayyed Nasrallah then dared the ‘LF’ party to answer: “In case of war, would the frightened ‘Israel’ support you, or would the US and Saudi Arabia support you?”

Right to Peaceful Assembly

“It is our right to peaceful protesting as any other side, and we formed a committee of 2000 members instead of a popular invitation. We didn’t intend to breakthrough or attack; it was just a peaceful protest,” Sayyed Nasrallah described the Thursday rally.

“Provocative slogans were voiced, which is wrong, and after that the shooting started and martyrs were killed. After opening fire towards the protests, and after the death of the martyrs, some youths got weapons to deter the attackers,” he added.

Sayyed Nasrallah then announced that Hezbollah has been informed by the security apparatuses that the martyrs have been killed by the “Lebanese Forces” fire.

However, Sayyed Nasrallah noted, “We, the ones killed unjustly, want a serious and quick investigation about how the massacre took place, and we want to hold those responsible accountable. We also need to know whether the soldier who opened fire at civilian protests had done this individually or had he been given an order to do this.”

But despite all the previous incidents, we are keen on the Lebanese Army establishment, which is the sole guarantor of the Lebanese unity, the Hezbollah leader underscored.

As for the Khaldeh incident, Sayyed Nasrallah uncovered that the Lebanese Army is investigating and the prosecution of 18 of the arrestees will be done within days.

“The Lebanese Army personnel are our brothers and they are part of the golden equation to which we adhere,” His Eminence said, urging that: “The right track is to investigate the Tayyouneh massacre and hold the killers accountable,” noting that had the investigation been politicized, Hezbollah won’t abandon the issue of the blood of its martyrs.

Beirut Port Blast Cause

Elsewhere in his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah clearly noted that “We are concerned about the Beirut Port blast cause, in which we sacrificed martyrs, and we are very keen to learn the truth,” and “Once the track of justice turns into political targeting, we have no right to remain silent.”

“The ‘LF’ party is the first abuser of the Beirut Port blast cause, and we won’t abandon this issue. Hezbollah was the most daring to tackle this issue are there has been intimidation for those willing to tackle it,” His Eminence added.

“Hezbollah took it upon itself for the families of the martyrs to learn the truth and the reasons why the technical report regarding the investigations has not been issue yet.”

He then dared those who are accusing Hezbollah of being behind the blast to bring their evidence, asking whether Hezbollah’s demand to change the judge is considered threatening while the US intimidation is not?

“Those who mostly bear the responsibility of the Beirut Port blast are the judges that permitted the entry of the nitrates to the port,” the Resistance leader underlined.

Addressing the state of law and institutions, Sayyed Nasrallah told them to do something and shoulder their responsibility, as it is the time for treatment.

To the Families of Tayyouneh Martyrs

At the end of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the families of the seven martyrs of Tayyouneh massacre, praising their level of responsibility and belonging, and patience despite the incitement.

“Punishing the killers is a path we will continue, and your martyrs are in the same level of that of the martyrs of Resistance. We have to preserve the goal for which thousand of martyrs have been sacrificed; it is a secure and stable Lebanon,” His Eminence underscored.

“The US wants a civil war as it has done in other countries; it wants us to lose our civil peace. What is needed is patience and insight, awareness and openness, and overcoming the wounds to spare another mine or any other choice the enemy wants for us,” Sayyed Nasrallah concluded.