Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech at The Ceremony Honoring the Winners of the Martyr Soleimani Literary Award
Translated by Al-Ahed News
Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speaks at a ceremony honoring the winners of the Martyr Soleimani Literary Award | 17-1-2023
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most 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.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you all.
My speech is divided into two parts:
One section is related to the occasion. The other is not so much related to the occasion. However, it is necessary to talk about two points that are linked to the Lebanese situation, including the presidential elections, the issue of electricity, and the cabinet session tomorrow.
Of course, I will not talk for a long time because the nature of the occasion does not allow it, and I usually take my time when I deliver an address.
I will be as short as possible, God willing.
1- The occasion:
What we know is that peoples and nations usually respect their martyrs and look at them with appreciation. We find this matter to be at a higher degree in the monotheistic religions, but we find it in a more distinctive way in Islam.
When we go back to the verses of the Noble Qur’an, to the hadiths of the greatest Messenger of God and his biography, and to the beginnings of the prophetic movement and Islam, we will find a lot of evidence in this sense.
When we talk about the position of the martyrs in the afterlife, we will find that these martyrs are greatly honored on the Day of Resurrection, i.e., the real, eternal, and everlasting life.
They are also honored in terms of their standing and ranking with God. They are [according to the verse] {and the martyrs, with their Lord. For them is their reward and their light.}
This also applies to the position of the martyrs and the martyrdom in this world. This is not related to the martyrs who are in their high places as much as it is related to the nation, to the people, to history, to events, to making transformations, to the present, to the future.
In our Islamic history, for example, we see that appreciation and veneration for the first martyrs in Islam, Sayyeda Sumayyah (aka Umm Ammar) and her husband Yasser.
These two martyrs did not fall in a military battle, a war, or a fight. Rather, they refused to submit under torture to the dictates of the Quraysh tyrants. They refused to return to worshiping idols, abandoning the religion of monotheism, and insulting their Prophet and Messenger.
The first battle to defend Islam and its existence was the Battle of Badr. Islam was targeted as a religion and the Muslims as an external human presence. God Almighty immortalized this battle in the Qur’an. Martyrs fell fighting this battle.
By honoring these martyrs, they have become a title throughout history – for example, the Badr martyrs. They [these martyrs] have become a title, a criterion, a yardstick that we use when we talk about other martyrs. We say, for example, they are like the martyrs of Badr.
This is found in the narrations [Riwayat] of the Shiites and Sunnis or in many acts of worship, recommended actions [mustahabb], or supplications.
When they talk about the reward for a certain deed in the narrations, they compare it to the reward of that of the martyrs of Badr or like the reward of a hundred martyrs of Badr, etc. The martyrs of Badr became a criterion.
Later, the martyrs of Badr and Uhud became the criterion. In the Battle of Uhud, there were martyrs. There were martyrs in many battles, but the martyrs in Badr and Uhud became the standard. However, there are some battles in which leaders were martyred. This is a new title.
In Uhud, the greatest commander in that battle was Hamza bin Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet. Since then, he was called the Master of the Martyrs.
In Mu’tah, the three leaders who took turns leading the Islamic army in the face of the Romans were martyred successively, Zaid bin Haritha, Jaafar bin Abi Talib, and Abdullah bin Rawaha. These took turns carrying the banner and fought until they were martyred ,
In front of this model that we call the martyr leaders, we find that the Messenger of God acted in a distinct and different way. He gave great importance to these martyr leaders and enshrined this matter in the culture and conscience of people, generations, and the Ummah [Islamic nation] until the Hour.
For example, in the case of Hamza, it is said that when the Messenger of God performed [funeral] prayers, he repeated takbir 70 times.
During funeral prayers, takbir is repeated four or five times, depending on the Islamic sect. But the Messenger of God repeated takbir for this martyred leader 70 times.
When the Messenger of God received news of the martyrdom of the three leaders in Mu’tah, he was very emotional and his said his famous words.
Also, with regard to Hamza, the Prophet asked the families of the martyrs of Uhud to mourn and lament him with every martyr.
Therefore, whenever the families of the martyrs, who were many, mourned and mentioned their martyr, they mentioned Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib.
In any case, this meaning is clear and consecrated, why?
It could have many reasons, including the ability of the martyr leaders to distinguish their position in their environment, among their people, and in their nation, as well as their ability to inspire.
We know that the martyrs are in any battle, including Badr and Uhud, are the ones who brought about victory and this transformation.
Also, in our contemporary reality, the martyrs of the resistance in Lebanon are the ones who gave Lebanon this victory. The martyrs in Gaza are the ones who contributed to the liberation of Gaza, and now the martyrs are the ones who put Palestine back on the path of liberation.
The martyrs in Iraq are the ones who expelled the American occupation in 2011, and the martyrs in Iraq are the ones who defeated Daesh after 2014. The martyrs in Syria, in Yemen, and so on.
We should not distinguish between the martyrs. The martyrs collectively make these achievements. However, the martyred leaders still have special qualities that inspire others.
There are martyrs who have influence over their own environment. There are martyrs who transcend time in their influence and inspiration. They transcend space.
There are martyrs who have influence for generations. There are martyrs whose influence affects humanity until the Hour comes.
We know many of the martyrs and the transformations they caused in their families. We have known these families before the martyrdom of their loved ones – who were neighbors or residents in our villages and cities.
There are martyrs who influenced their homelands or whose influence reached beyond their homelands. There are martyrs who influenced the nation and the world.
Throughout history, of course, there have been martyrs whose influence will remain until the Day of Resurrection, such as the martyrs of Badr, the martyrs of Uhud, and the martyrs of Karbala, including Imam Hussein, and martyr Imam Zaid bin Ali, who was an inspiration to many revolutionaries in history and is and will remain until the Hour comes.
Today, when we approach Hajj Qassem Soleimani, we see that he is a martyr who transcends place. He is not only a martyr for Iran, Iraq, where he was martyred, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan, or Bahrain or for every oppressed person.
Rather, he is a martyr for the nation and the world, transcending space and time. We believe that the inspiration and influence of Hajj Qassem Soleimani as a great martyr leader will remain for generations, at the very least. They will remain for generations to come according to objective reading.
Of course, this matter is also due to several reasons, including the personality of this martyr and his kindness, his achievements, and what he did. These are all very influential, and this is part of the person’s ability to inspire generations, resistance fighters, and the oppressed.
On his [martyrdom] anniversary I said that Hajj Qassem Soleimani was a great leader and a key player in the battle during the past two decades – from 2000 to 2010-2011 – that prevented the Americans from occupying the countries in our region.
Of course, these people were insane. They were seriously thinking about occupying all these countries, and when they found that the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq was easy, this increased their conviction of their project and their plan to occupy the rest of the countries.
However, the front that was formed and the resistance that began in Iraq and the axis that began to form in the region led to the defeat and failure of this project.
In the second version, Daesh and its affiliates drew up the map of the caliphate. We all remember the black color and how bad Daesh wanted to include Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, the Gulf countries, and North Africa. It wanted to expand. This was a very dangerous project.
Hajj Qassem Soleimani was a key member and a great leader in the axis that fought this project. He served as the chain of communication and the unifying spirit at the heart of this axis. These are very great achievements.
But the most important thing about Hajj Qassem Soleimani as a leader in this axis and in these major historical battles was not only the logistical support provided by the Islamic Republic, but also the moral strength and the unparalleled courageous spirit that Hajj Qassem Soleimani gave to everyone around him. It was as if there was no place for fear in Qassem Soleimani's heart.
We have seen this in all the trials and tribulations – the way he marched towards death, went to the frontlines, took risks, ventured, and dodged bullets, missiles, rockets, and explosive devices. He possessed moral strength, courage, the spirit of sacrifice and redemption, sincerity, honesty, a strategic mind and planning, a broader horizon, and high and great hopes.
This is part of the school and gifts of Hajj Qassem Soleimani.
So, of course, what makes this martyred leader special are the manner in which he and his beloved and dear companion and friend martyr leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (Hajj Jamal) were killed, the land on which he was killed, and the reasons why he was killed. All this has to do with him being great and his ability to inspire and mobilize the nations for generations to come.
It is our duty to commemorate the memory of these martyred leaders, revive their names, talk about their lives and their deeds, repeat their words and stances, and talk about their achievements and victories and what they gave to this nation. We must always be grateful to them and set them as examples and an inspiration to every generation and country. We need martyred leaders like these.
Therefore, there are national responsibilities. We have martyr leaders who had great ability to mobilize and influence in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and in many arenas.
At the national level, they must be remembered. Their names and lives must be remembered. Their words must be repeated so that our children, grandchildren, and all generations to come to memorize them.
This is because they express the jihad, resistance, sacrifices and achievements. They constitute a huge intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and moral wealth which we must not underestimate or waste. When we do that, we do it for our sake and not for the sake of the martyrs.
His Eminence Imam Khamenei says and repeats, "Today, martyr Qassem Soleimani scares the enemies more than Major General Qassem Soleimani."
The martyr leader’s personality, actions, and life was not known by generations, the nation, and the world before his martyrdom. However, martyr Qassem Soleimani has become known in recent years.
He spent decades in jihad, resistance, and making sacrifices away from the media and from the people’s knowledge. Today, we are presenting this wonderful, refined, and true inspiring model. We are not inventing myths or fictitious characters.
Of course, this revival takes different forms and focusing on the names of these martyrs. Here, when we talk about Hajj Qassem Soleimani, some people are disturbed by the fact that pictures of Hajj Qassem are raised in many Arab and Islamic capitals and cities in the world because they know the significance of raising these images.
It is not a formality. Remembering the martyrs can be by expressing and clarifying their lives and deeds through a story, a novel, a poem, a nashid, a scenario that is later translated into a play, a short film, a movie, or a TV series, a drawing, through music, lectures, and celebrations.
All these are modern and contemporary forms of expression. We must benefit from all forms for the name of our martyrs and martyr leaders as well as their memory, images, and sacrifices remain deep in our minds and hearts and be the source of the nation’s spirit of rising up.
Here, I turn to the dear brothers in charge of the Asfar Association, which is sponsoring part of this event through the international prize in the field of story, novel, poem – poetry – and scenario.
I thank them for their effort and faithfulness in remembering [Hajj Qassem]. Many thanks to everyone financing this event without advertisement and only seeking the pleasure of God Almighty.
We thank all the brothers and sisters who participated in this competition regardless of whether they won or not, including poets and writers. God willing, they will have their reward and their light with the martyrs.
We also thank the supervising body for their efforts to achieve the results and congratulatte the winners in all fields. There is no doubt that this is valuable work and of a high degree of importance and respect.
Today, we need to emphasize this meaning, and we need to emphasize the model of the inspiring, diligent, fighter, sincere, thinker who make sacrifices, such as Hajj Qassem Soleimani, because our nation and the peoples of our region are still facing many challenges.
We are still in the midst of the battle. On the martyrdom anniversary of Hajj Qassem, I spoke about two versions of the American project.
The third version has been in existence for years. It focuses, in addition to military and security pressure, on economic, living and media pressure. This is what I will talk about, God willing, on Thursday, on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation.
The American project is still alive, active, and fighting on many fronts against Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. It also started in Iraq – the economic pressure and pressure on the living situation have begun. This point alone requires a lengthy discussion.
Pressure is employed for the purpose of political subjugation. They besieged Yemen. They besieged the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, and even abroad by pressuring international institutions that support the [refugee] camps and the Palestinian people in the diaspora.
The battle in Palestine today is intensifying more. There are daily “Israeli” attacks, oppressed martyrs, and daily heroic operations and Mujahideen martyrs. The situation in Yemen is still open to all possibilities. In Lebanon, the American interference is in everything and is preventing it from rising and recovering. These challenges exist in our region.
In the face of all these challenges, we need spirit, determination, will, mindset, thought, and the presence of martyr Hajj Commander Qassem Soleimani and the likes of the great leaders who accompanied him in all the battles.
Of course, our nation, which has always offered martyrs, generations, and leaders, is able, God willing, to fill the void of those leaders whom we naturally miss – we miss them in heart, soul, mind, field, and work.
But this nation, which is rich with humane individuals, the living nation, the nation that cannot be weakened or humiliated and does not retreat will carry this spirit and these great inspiring models and continue the path.
2- The Lebanese affairs:
Allow me to comment very briefly on two points that I mentioned earlier.
1- The presidential elections:
We understand the keenness of some religious references to elect a president in Lebanon and to put an end to the presidential vacuum as soon as possible.
This comes from a good place, and we understand it. We also understand that some religious authorities are exerting moral, political, and media pressure on the deputies, on the parliamentary blocs, and on the political forces represented in the parliament to expedite the election of a president.
However, care must be taken to avoid any language or discourse that leads to sectarian incitement. Be it intended or not, but the result leads to sectarian incitement.
It is not true when it is said, for example, that there is an intention or a plan to absent the top Christian post or the top Maronite post – both languages are used.
When this is said, it is as if someone is accusing the Muslims, the Muslim forces who have representatives in Parliament. It is as if they are being told, ‘You want to absent and intend to absent the top Christian post.’ Or if we are talking about a Maronite post, the accusation can be broader to include non-Maronite Christians and Muslims.
I want to confirm that no one has any intention, not just Hezbollah – we know each other very well in Lebanon – but our allies or opponents as well.
I am certain that there is no political force or any parliamentary bloc in Lebanon today that is deliberately – because the here accusation is deliberately – absenting the top Christian post or the top Maronite post. This is not true at all.
Everyone wants to elect a president as soon as possible really and honestly. Everyone wants to end this vacuum. Everyone wants to return to normal because in light of the election of a president, a government will be formed and the work of state institutions will return to their normal course.
But the truth in the description. This is our system, and the constitution of Lebanon is like this. It says that there must be a certain quorum and that the nominated president must obtain a certain number of votes in the first round and a certain number of votes in the second round.
To describe the situation in the country – I hope no one explains it differently – we can say that there are multiple parliamentary blocs which were the results of the parliamentary elections.
Today, no one in Parliament has a two-thirds majority to guarantee a quorum and ensure voting from the first session. No one really has, as of this moment, 65 votes for their declared or implied candidate.
Everyone has a natural right to look for and work to install the person he deems appropriate [to be the president of] the country for the sake of Lebanon and for the interests he aspires to.
This is a natural right that should not be disputed. I say it is our natural right, for example, to want a president who does not stab the resistance in the back.
Still, there are some who insist – even after my last speech –and say that Sayyed said they want a president that protects the back of the resistance. There are people who have even written articles, but it seems that they do not read or listen.
In any case, there is no problem. It is the natural right of any parliamentary bloc to say that we do not want a president close to Hezbollah. There is no problem. This is a natural right, and we do not discuss these rights.
It is also natural for these parliamentary blocs to seek, consult, and communicate with other blocs and with other representatives to ensure the 65 votes to go to the election of a president.
This is the truth. It is not permissible to take the subject further than that because it will stir up sectarian sensitivities in the country, and the country does not need any more sectarian issues.
Likewise, when it is said that there is planning – I am stressing on the word ‘planning’ – to create a void in the top Maronite post in the state.
I also want to confirm that there is no planning on anyone’s part. I am not only talking about Hezbollah. I guarantee that no one is planning for a presidential vacuum to continue in order for some top Maronite posts in the state to be empty.
If this vacuum continues, the top administrative posts for the rest of the sects will also be empty. Some of them are already empty. Isn’t this correct?
Hence, the void of administrative positions is a natural, unintended, unintentional, and unplanned result. It is the result of the fact that we do not have a president, and we have a caretaker government that cannot appoint alternatives. This is the truth. We must not accuse the Muslims and the non-Maronite Christians.
Today, one of the manifestations of the main problem in electing the president is with the Maronites, with the Maronite parliamentary blocs, and with the Maronite political forces, and not with a sect or a side.
So, I would like to repeat and say regarding this point that we are all keen. No one is happy with this vacuum in the country, the existing problems and disputes over the constitutionality of a certain act, or the existing obstruction.
We must work hard to confront all the crises that the country is facing. We said it before and repeat it. Thank God, today, we hear many, not only our friends and allies but even our opponents, saying the same thing that the outside world is preoccupied with itself, with the Russia-Ukraine war, with energy, with many misfortunes, and no one is has time for us and for Lebanon. Hence, the Lebanese should take care of themselves.
2- The issue of electricity and participation in tomorrow’s cabinet session
a- The issue of electricity
We are all living with this pressing problem – all the Lebanese, without exception. This means that it is a problem that transcends sects and areas.
It is possible that some leaders may not feel it much because they have electricity day and night; they may not feel it and may not be suffering.
But this suffering is real and affects everything in the country, including the economy, health, education, work, activity, the people’s daily lives.
A few months ago, we were told – i.e., Hezbollah – that there is a problem with fuel, so if you can get us from the Islamic Republic of Iran a certain quantity of fuel, just for six months, to provide electricity for several hours (6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours).
Of course, this will create a major shift in the electricity situation within six months. Not only that, but it will also pave the way for a solution for the electricity sector. This is because when we start producing these hours, the tariff price will be raised – it was raised without increasing the hours. Fees will be collected and will become part of the funding. Based on that, we will be able to continue to secure fuel and hours.
Therefore, the help we were asking for from the Islamic Republic was not to solve Lebanon's problem for six months, but to help Lebanon find a solution within six months.
We did our best; we contacted the responsible brothers in Iran. This request, wish, or hope reached His Eminence Imam Khamenei, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyed Raisi, and Iranian officials. They followed up on the matter and agreed.
An official Lebanese delegation from the Ministry of Energy went and met with Iranian officials and agreed on the quantity and details. Drafts were prepared and were only waiting to be signed. I will return to this point later.
A few days ago, when His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, Dr. Amir Abdollahian, visited Lebanon, he spoke about this issue when he was answering the journalists' questions. He said that we are ready, and the offer still stands.
In the past few days, I read some articles that questioned this matter and the intentions. Some were even being sarcastic.
I do not want to engage in sarcasm with anyone or discuss the fallacies that are mentioned when approaching this topic because there are people who do not know how to distinguish between fuel and gas, knowing that there is fuel and gas in Iran; there is no energy problem in Iran or a lack of resources.
Yes, the latest problem with gas has to do with the volume of consumption and distribution because Iran reportedly consumes a lot of gas. Some measure the consumption by comparing it to other countries. They are addressing this matter. There is no energy shortage in Iran.
In any case, there are people who do not have accurate information. Allow me to lighten up the mood as I have been serious from the beginning of the speech.
Several months ago, I saw a deputy from a certain bloc during a television interview or a video on social media saying that there is a group in Lebanon claiming that Iran will help us.
How can Iran help us? It has nothing to give us! According to my information – this is what this great MP is saying – if a car’s rearview mirror broke, they cannot find a replacement in Iran. They have to import it from abroad.
Can you imagine this coming from a member of the Lebanese parliament that legislates, lays down laws, and builds a state. This is his information, knowing that Iran manufactures cars, planes, tanks, and drones and has launched satellites into space.
The world’s problem with Iran is that it has nuclear technology. But the information that this Lebanese deputy has about Iran is that it is a poor and helpless country – that when a rearview mirror of a car breaks, Iran cannot produce one and instead has to wait to import it from abroad.
Anyway, this is the level [of knowledge of some officials] we have in the country.
For those who are questioning the matter – I do not want to discuss fallacies but let me go to the root of the issue – I tell you again, as His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, the offer is still stands.
The offer of fuel from Iran is still valid for six months and in the amount that the Lebanese Ministry of Energy requested. The ones who are preventing the implementation of this matter are the Americans.
We do not want to cause problems with the government. The Americans are the ones who prevented this matter and informed the concerned officials that this is forbidden and a red line. They might have even threatened them.
I want to remind you of something we used to say. We used to say that there are people in Lebanon who are friends with Iran, Syria, Iraq, and other countries in the region.
There are also people who are friends with America, Saudi Arabia, and some Gulf countries. This division in friendships can be a threat.
Earlier, I made a remark and said let us turn the threat into an opportunity. Let us make use of our friendships for the benefit of Lebanon, and you make use of your friendships for the benefit of Lebanon. Is this good?
We have an electricity problem in the country – and we will bring the ships that are in the sea. We have an opportunity to bring fuel and solve the problem for six months and more.
We’ve made half the journey or three quarters of it – we made use of our friendship with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and it has accepted to help to us. You are America's friends and allies. We won't say more than that.
The American embassy is in Awkar; the American ambassador is present, and you can easily meet with her. US delegations are going back and forth. Great! Use your friendship with America to get an official exception for the Lebanese government to accept the Iranian fuel aid. Is this logical or not?
We made use of our friendship, and the fuel is ready. Use your friendship to secure an exception. This exception is not an invented practice. Iraq was given such an exception. In Afghanistan, [Ashraf] Ghani’s government was given such exceptions. They took gas from Iran and used to take gasoline and oil from Iran. there was no problem.
If you really feel for the Lebanese people and want to help, then half is on us and the other half is on you. The fuel is on us, and the exception for the Lebanese government is on you.
I always used to say and I’ll repeat and say that we are treated as masters by the wali al-faqih [Sayyid Khamenei]. Each day that goes by proves this. What about you?
What are you to the Americans, the Saudis, and the outside world? Are you treated as masters or slaves and tools?
This is a big challenge. Go ahead, get the exception, and I guarantee you – you can take this as a proof in sound and picture – that ships loaded with Iranian fuel will move to Lebanon, and we will get out of this big problem that all the Lebanese people are suffer from.
b- The cabinet session:
I’ll say a couple of words regarding this matter. There is a debate in the country on whether the caretaker government is allowed to convene or not. This discussion is related to a constitutional matter.
There is also a discussion that actually began before the presidential vacuum and before His Excellency President Michel Aoun left Baabda Palace – can the caretaker government convene should a presidential vacuum occur?
Constitutional experts gave their opinions, readings, and discussions.
Of course, everyone remembers that we – here, I mean Hezbollah, made great efforts in the weeks before the vacuum to form a government.
I do not want to hold anyone responsible. We made efforts day and night and sacrificed our dignity, but the result was the failure to form a government.
I said that we clearly see who is to be held responsible, but I do not want to hold anyone responsible now. The time might come and we will talk about it.
In any case, we reached the presidential vacuum, and a constitutional debate took place. Well, a large number of constitutional experts, both Muslims and Christians – so that the issue does not turn into a Muslim-Christian one – said that the session was constitutional, while other Muslim and Christian constitutional experts said it was not constitutional. The case was not that Muslim experts said the session was constitutional while the Christian experts said it wasn’t.
Most or a large number of experts said that it was constitutional when dealing with urgent, necessary, and important issues.
This is a point of contention between Hezbollah and some of our allies and friends. We believe in this, and we’ve reviewed this with constitutional experts as well as with our brothers and scholars.
After all, constitutional experts discuss, analyze, interpret, and deconstruct the constitutional text, while our religious scholars study jurisprudence. This is basically their job. Between us and God, our constitutional conviction is that the caretaker government has the right to convene to make decisions when dealing with necessary and urgent matters that cannot be postponed. When it comes to our conviction, there is no courtesy to this team or a rivalry with that.
This is our conviction, and alliances and friendships do not impose convictions. I must not impose my convictions on my friends and allies, nor can they impose their convictions on me.
Although this is our conviction, we have tried during the past months to avoid, as much as possible, convening a cabinet session, so as not to create political tension in the country.
But when we were faced with the fact that there were really pressing matters such as the issues of private hospitals, cancer medications, roads and snow, garbage, etc. – here, I am talking about the first session, then I’ll talk about the second session – it is possible to appeal against one of the items on the agenda of the previous session and discuss whether this is urgent or not. I agree with that.
But the issue of the private hospitals, the enormous suffering in the country, cancer medication, and other issues forced us to participate in the first session. There were repercussions for this participation, and a lot of analyses were written accusing us of sending a political message, etc.
After that, we circulated a statement in which we said that all of this is not true. In fact, we are being pressured by the people’s situation, needs, and concerns. This is the truth. There is nothing else. There is no other political message.
First, the issue for us is related to our conviction, our conscience, our sense of responsibility, and the needs of people. We all know that it will have repercussions, but we have accepted these repercussions. Of course, there is something secondary that is not a main issue in our decision. But this is also a matter of certainty.
You know, if at that time, we did not participate in the government and the session of the Council of Ministers did not take place, all the local, regional, and Gulf media choir, media outlets, and paid writers and electronic armies will work on spreading that Hezbollah disrupted cancer medicines, kidney dialysis, hospitals, etc., Hezbollah bears the responsibility of closing roads with snow, and Hezbollah bears responsibility for filling cities and villages with garbage.
They will not say anything else. They will not say the Free Patriotic Movement or anyone else bears the responsibility. All the media and political campaign will be on whom? On Hezbollah. We will be wronged. I said that this is a matter of certainty.
But the real motive was the external and actual need. Today, too, we are faced with the problem of electricity. First, we have the electricity problem. Secondly, the agreement with Iraq has expired and needs renewal or extension. The third problem is that there are ships at sea. Every day they are docked, they are costing the Lebanese Treasury and the Lebanese people.
Every Lebanese is paying the fine. It can go up to a million dollars. During the past few days, we have heard disputes between the prime minister, the ministry of energy, and some political forces. Accusations are being tossed around. But all this will not bring electricity or bread or stop the fines.
If the officials were going to pay a million dollars out of their pockets, then let them take their time in deciding on the issue, but the million dollars and more will be paid from the Lebanese treasury, meaning from the money of the Lebanese people.
We have a problem – the treasury advance. The Prime Minister is saying that he cannot give an advance, and there is no precedent for someone to take $ 62 million in advance by signing in the way that is mentioned.
In any case, today we are faced with a reality that entails us to find the possible solution available away from jurisprudence. There may be solutions, but some people may not accept them. What is possible and practical is that the caretaker government convene to decide. It will not solve the electricity problem, but it will address it.
It will renew the fuel agreement with Iraq; it will agree to the treasury advance to buy fuel – although the fuel is there, but it needs a little courage and a decision. This will improve production hours. This is the issue. No one is saying that tomorrow’s session will solve the entire problem. It will, however, solve part of the problem that we desperately need.
At a time when the Americans are preventing aid from Iran and Russia, Egypt from selling gas, us from buying Egyptian gas, and Jordan from providing us with electricity, what is the solution? We want a solution even if it was an incomplete and temporary one. But this is better than the current situation.
We hoped from the Prime Minister, who has the right to prepare the schedule he wants, and he may have been annoyed when our ministers said: We are specifically going to discuss the issue of electricity.
I tell you honestly, we are not discussing whether the rest of the agenda are urgent and necessary issues or not. They could all be serious and urgent.
But we hoped that the session would be limited to the most urgent and pressing issue, which is electricity, and that we do not include other discussions to save the country from more political tension.
Basically, when we say that we only want to discuss, this is our opinion, the issue of electricity, it is not because the rest of the points are not urgent and unnecessary, including those related to promotions, health, and education. The time of addressing these issues will come later.
But let us address the most urgent issue to avoid political tension in the country. This expresses our keenness that we do not want any rivalries, battles, or absenting anyone.
There is an urgent and real matter that exists today in the country. That is why we declared and said that we understand that as the President of the Republic, one his powers is setting a schedule with more than just these points.
In any case, the Council of Ministers tomorrow is its own master.
For us, we have committed to attending [the session] in the Council of Ministers to address the issue of electricity, and we are not challenging anyone. We are not challenging anyone if we attend.
We are also not challenging the Prime Minister or anyone else if the Council of Ministers and the Premiere decided to continue tackling other points, and we decided to leave when discussing the electricity issue is over.
With regard to this issue, we are working based on our convictions. We are trying to address and be part of addressing people's concerns and issues without causing any political tension.
I hope that everyone will approach this file and this matter with this level of responsibility, with an emphasis on being careful – of course, even when discussing the charter when there are Christian ministers in the government taking part in the session.
When there are religious and political references and Christian political forces agreeing that the Prime Minister hold a session, but they discuss the necessity of this matter or not and agree that the issue of electricity is an important and an urgent issue, there is no longer a place for discussing the charter.
We do not want to challenge the system, the constitution, the charter, or the partnership.
We are going to [the session] to deal with an issue and a file that is very urgent and affects the lives of the Lebanese. We hope that we will all, God willing, take responsibility and not throw accusations and assume bad intentions.
We are not giving compliments to the Prime Minister or the rest of the forces supporting the government convening for a session. By taking part, we are fulfilling our moral and humanitarian responsibility towards the people.
In conclusion, I thank all of you for your presence, which is, in fact, a contribution from all the dear attendees, men and women, in reviving the memory of this great leader, whose spirit, thought, big-heart, motivation, and great presence in our consciences, souls, and minds we will always need. Thank you. Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you.
