When It Comes to Hezbollah’s Civil and Social Accomplishments, Media Turns a Blind Eye

Mohammad Youssef

Beirut – When presenting Hezbollah, most of the media reports focus on its military face. Media outlets extensively cover stories and news about its structure and capabilities, how they developed over the years, the wars, battles and military activities and the achievements were made. They rarely produce stories or news about the huge activities and achievements the party makes or has made on other equally important fronts in the social and livelihood levels.

Doubtlessly, the military achievements in liberation, protection and independence are noble and honorable, but they represent a side of the equation Hezbollah has been and continues to be engaged in, and committed to.

No one can deny the importance of this distinguishing significant part of the organization; nevertheless, there are great aspects about the party that are hardly heard of. This is the civil part which represents an integrate part and serves hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

What do we mean when we talk about the civil part of Hezbollah?

We simply talk about a huge and diverse body which constitutes an enormous social network of institutions like hospitals, health centers, psychotherapy centers, schools, scout organization, football club, civil defense, firefighters, media institutions like television, radio, electronic media, social and cultural institutions, veterinarian centers, orphanages, elderly caring centers, recreational and rehabilitation activity centers and many others.

Moreover, the party has launched huge seasonal and occasional activities that cost millions of dollars, and sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars.

During wartime, the party took the responsibility to rebuild all destroyed or partly destroyed houses and institutions. This happened in many instances.

In July war of the year 1993, which the “Israeli” enemy named “Accountability Operation”, the party rebuilt or restored all destroyed houses. The same happened during April war which the “Israeli” enemy called “Grapes of Wrath” operation.

However, the major rebuilding activity took place after the 33 day war of 2006.

Upon building the destroyed houses the party would not differentiate among the Lebanese and would rebuild the houses regardless of their religious background or political affiliation.

In other instances, during winter time, when flooding took place or when villages were isolated with snow. The civil defense in the party would intervene and send food, water and, fuel supplies to the affected areas.

The party would also take the initiative to offer help for all the Lebanese on many other social and humanitarian levels.

A close scrutiny for the activities the party played domestically would necessarily reflect the positive constructive role Hezbollah has been engaged in since its beginnings in the year 1985 reaching to those  days.