Hizbullah SG Full Speech on 12-12-2006
Local Editor
Sayyed Nasrallah`s speech at the sit-in in both squares of Solh and Martyrs in Beirut on 12-12-2006
In the name of God, the all-merciful, the all-compassionate, Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet, the seal of prophets Abu Qassim Mohamed Bin Abi Abdullah, on his infallible household, on his chosen companions and on all the prophets and messengers.
Peace to you, oh most honest, most righteous and most pure people...
I hope I can join you in these arenas one day.
I am sorry to say, we have a Lebanese tradition of shooting in celebration. A bad habit we should depart from, firing in any direction should be abandoned even in the air, as the only place for bullets is towards Lebanon's enemies, "Israel".
Having said that we should stress that anyone persisting with celebratory firing in the air is an agent embedded among us to stir conflict.
I wish to address the parents of the martyr Ahmad Mahmoud, to pay my condolences and comfort them, to say to them that your son was martyred in the arena of defending Lebanon, for its dignity, honour and liberation.
Martyr Mahmoud is a martyr with distinction.
He is not a martyr within Lebanon's inner streets, but one in defending Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and the movement to rescue Lebanon.
I will come back to the Martyr later in this talk.
I should also direct my appreciation to you, most honourable, most pure, most lovable and dearest people, who came from all areas of Lebanon, on Friday to both squares of Riyad Solh and Martyrs, and to those who still congregate every night to rescue Lebanon.
I thank you and say to you that what you are doing is a great and honourable act, since it serves a patriotic and noble purpose of saving Lebanon through ending the state of appropriation, domination, and monopoly over controlling the government, and of helping establish a government of National Unity open to participation, cooperation and concordance.
Oh brothers and sisters,
In recent days, they tried through riots and attacking protesters on their way to and back from protests, even reached the level of murdering martyr Ahmad Mahmoud, to instill fear into your hearts and stop you going to the picketing squares.
They failed, because they forgot you are a people with no place for fear in your hearts.
Today, they are gambling on you tiring, or getting bored but they don't know you are a people that do not tire nor get sick or bored.
Yesterday, they said they will wait for you to release your call of surrender, but they forgot recently, when you withstood 33 days of not cold or rain but, the most violent aerial and artillery bombardment in recent decades.
You withstood that despite being displaced, murdered and massacres as well as when you were embraced by your fellow Lebanese of all areas, religions and sects of Lebanon and you did not surrender.
Yes, they called on us to surrender from the first day, but we refused to.
They gambled on our defeat, but we triumphed. We stayed in our land, the land of our fathers and forefathers, honorable, strong and standing. We remained with our will unbroken. We know no exhaustion, weariness or boredom for the sake of Lebanon.
Tell them today from where you are holding your sit-in. Tell them tomorrow from your Friday prayer. Tell them every night, on Sunday on the day of the large gathering. Tell those gambling on our surrender, tell them they are deluded ... deluded...deluded.
Tell them that we are stronger than weariness, hunger, cold, boredom and bombardment of rockets. The bombardment of your words won't frighten us. We are stronger than war. In the battle of wills, we will not break god willing.
Oh brothers and sisters,
It is no coincidence that the Lebanese powers with its different affiliations religious, sectarian, partisan and regional, which embraced the resistance and the resistance community during the July-August war, are today themselves who form and support the Lebanese National opposition.
It is also not a coincidence that the peoples, governments and the noble people of the world who stood by the resistance during the war, are the same ones who stand by the opposition today.
In contrast, it is not coincidence that those who supported the war on Lebanon are the ones now propping up the collapsed government currently present in the Grand Serail.
In your name I invite the Arab governments, who care for Lebanon not to interfere as a party supporting one side against another,
Whoever wants safety, unity and salvation for Lebanon, ought to extend their hand to all Lebanese and not to suffice with your ambassadors' reports on Lebanon. Come to Lebanon and make yourselves closely familiar with the political, popular and field truths, and spend your much appreciated efforts for the sake of rescuing Lebanon.
I also say to the government, or what's left of it that your reliance on America and the West will not help you at all.
Today, those you rely on, especially George Bush is the one who most needs help, who most needs rescuing.
Let us take Iraq as an example. In Iraq there are more than 150,000 US soldiers, 100`s of billions of dollars and the whole of the US administration closely follows the Iraqi file. Iraq is not a file in the hands of the US foreign dept. Nonetheless, what is the result in Iraq?
Failure, disintegration, sectarian war and closed horizons. This is the result and outcome of any country that gambles on Bush, his army and administration.
What can America offer you, when it is drowning in the regions` quicksand from Afghanistan, to Iraq to Palestine to Lebanon?
The support this Lebanese government received from US and the West in the last one and a half years has not been received in Lebanon's history ever!
Does that not evoke suspicion and doubt?
Why the fondness of this government and its P.M.?
But, what raises more doubts and suspicion is this daily "Israeli" commendation of the ruling team in Lebanon. Is there behind this praise what we are unaware of?
Is not a shame that the mini-Zionist government, which convenes when there is a matter threatening "Israel's" security or interests, convenes with the only item for discussion is how to help this falling government in Lebanon?
Some of them said: `we can help them by withdrawing from Ghajar town`, others said: `let's withdraw from Shibaa farms and offer it as a present, for political and moral support to the ruling team in Lebanon.`
But what have they done for you?
They did not withdraw from Ghajar or Shibaa farms, they forsaken from even this amount of moral support. Hence, does not all this US, West and "Israeli" support call for some contemplation?
Oh brothers and sisters,
We in the national Lebanese opposition insist on our demand and goal of forming a real national unity government, why?
Why?
It is because the formation of Lebanon of plurality and diversity means that a single party government and the monopoly of power by a single team always put Lebanon in a dead end street with regards to everything.
Lebanon only rises with agreement, participation, coordination and jointly, not by monopoly. We want a national unity government because it is the only way to prevent any foreign tutelage.
Let the world know, we want a Lebanese government, whose decision is Lebanese; its will is Lebanese, presided over by the Lebanese. This is what we look forward towards.
This is what forms a guarantee for Lebanon and its security, stability, prosperity, safety and unity.
This is what we aspire to.
We refuse any foreign tutelage whether by an enemy or a friend.
This is the truth.
Today, they ask us, if you were the opposition and one day you were the parliamentary majority and formed government, would you give us a guaranteeing veto-powered third in cabinet to the opposition?
I say to them on behalf of Hizbullah and as a party in the opposition, I agree to give any opposition at any stage a guaranteeing veto third of cabinet.
Since we believe in participation, concord, coordination and since we do not believe in one party ruling at the expense of others, we give any opposition even when we are the majority the guaranteeing third with confidence because we do not have any international or regional commitments. We want the interests of Lebanon, and the Lebanon's interests are those which all of us are in accordance over.
Dear brothers and sisters,
When the doors to discussions were slammed shut in our faces at the consultation table, dialogue was disrupted, when we were surprised with monopolizing and manipulation of power, our last choice was street action. However, while we are in the street, in the sit-in and demonstrating, we are keeping our doors open to negotiations.
To all those who call us to negotiate, we say: yes, the doors to dialogue are open with leaders and symbols of the opposition, doors to initiatives have also remained open, but certainly we are not in need for a fancy dialogue table to waste time. So, we will not leave the street to a dialogue table where we will be deceived again.
We will remain in the street, and opposition leaders` doors to negotiation and debate are open for all.
Today, there is an initiative made by the Council of Maronite Bishops. We consider this initiative to carry numerous positive points. It deserves a discussion meeting to debate its items, to take what is acceptable, adjourn or defer what not.
The door is open for negotiation and it is not true that the opposition does not debate or discuss. All options remain open.
To them I say: `negotiate and debate with us, and we will debate and negotiate with you, but by the name of all those congregated in the street here from tonight, yesterday and tomorrow, we will not leave the street before achieving the goal that rescues Lebanon.`
Dear brothers and sisters,
So long as we are persisting with our sit-in, I want to talk of the rules we talked about on the first day of our street action.
-No insults.
Some enthusiastic demonstrators in the sit-in squares may release offensive slogans concerning government personalities. We disapprove of any personal insult to anyone. Any abusive or unethical expressions should not come out of our sit-in.
We reassert our civil, peaceful and civilized sit-in protestation.
Of course, when they killed martyr Ahmad Mahmoud, they wanted to drag us into an armed conflict, but in the name of martyr Ahmad Mahmoud and on behalf of his colleagues, every child, woman, and elderly man and woman in the national Lebanese opposition, I say to the ruling team, their political forces and I am sorry to include their militias also: We reject the civil war and discord between communities. Also, we reject any conflict in the street.
We refuse sedition between religions, different sects or between political forces. We refuse any armed conflict in the street. We refuse any kind of conflict in the street.
We wanted it a civil peaceful movement as we proved on Friday with the unprecedented gathering in Lebanon's history. Even if, through their media, they exaggerate their actions and belittle yours, the picture remains crystal clear to the whole world.
I say to the Lebanese and all the peoples of the region whoever pushes the Lebanese into a Lebanese war, in a civil war everyone looses.
I won't say to you: you will loose and we will win, no...We all lose...all the Lebanese lose by going to a civil war or to a sectarian sedition. In Iraq everyone loses...in Palestine everyone loses...the promise of civil wars by some Arab kings, unfortunately, in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine is a loss to us all.
The clear win will go to "Israel" and to America, the new conservatives and the inventors of the creative chaos theories.
We in Lebanon will not be dragged into any sedition. You kill Ahmad Mahmoud, and if you killed 1000 others like Ahmad Mahmoud, we will not raise weapons in anyone's face. Many of them were in the government when in July 1993 our protests were blocked and shot at with live bullets: 10 martyrs fell and 50 were wounded. Yet, we remained standing and did not raise our weapon against anyone.
I say to you, we do not need a weapon to defeat you, because our weapon is against the Zionist enemy only. We can defeat you with our voices, with the blood of our martyrs, with Mahmoud's blood. We can defeat you with any wronged martyr whose blood you may spill; by our insistence on unity, brotherhood, and amiability we can defeat you.
Let the world hear, especially the Arab people whom they (the ruling team) tried to turn against the Lebanese opposition with lies, they kill us and we say to them we want to be with you and you to be with us, together.
Oh murderers, I say to you we will be victorious against your swords with our blood.
Oh dear Lebanese, I heard and I am sorry to say, that some religious and political leaderships are stirring incitement within their inner circles claiming that Hizbullah has 30,000 rockets directed at your homes! This has never been our conduct at any time, and from here I say to those leaders & to whoever listens to them: "anyone whose door we broke in Lebanon, let him come forward and lay his claim, anyone whose blood we spilled in Lebanon let him come out and make his claim, but you perpetrators of incitement, how many homes you've destroyed, souls you have wasted, how much blood you have spilt?
In all honesty, we do not want to fight anyone, nor will we fight anyone.
We do not want to threaten anyone nor will we threaten anyone.
Today, in many areas and especially Beirut where rumours are being woven and spread that `a certain political party of the opposition, with a certain sectarian characteristic wants to attack your neighborhood`. This is only to stir sectarian and religious seditions.
Hence, let all citizens of Beirut and Lebanon hear this: ‘the blood of every Lebanese regardless of religion, sect, political affiliation, region or party, is ours, his honour is ours, his wealth and home are ours.
This is the red line we protect with our blood, even if you spill it, we will protect it with the dearest we have even if you conspired against us. We will not be dragged into civil war or sedition or any form of internal conflict.
Thank god, we have a true national guarantee and immunity manifesting in the Army institution, which has so far proved the Army of all of Lebanon through its leadership, officers and soldiers.
This guarantee should be protected by all of us, and should never allow any disintegration or splitting within this institution. Political forces should remain above contemplating to use any officers or soldiers in the Lebanese army because the collapse of such an institution, god forbid, will deprive Lebanon of such immunity.
To the internal security forces I say: you must prove yourselves as a national institution that serves all of Lebanon and not a particular team, in order to stand alongside the army and guard Lebanon.
Dear brothers and sisters,
When you took to the street and picketed on Friday and Saturday night and congregated for Sunday morning mass, in the afternoon at the celebration and at night for the known sit-in, how did the ruling team treat you? (The team that claims and talks of democracy, public freedom and freedom of expression)
Your actions were civilized as acknowledged by the whole world, and you always astonish the world with your conduct in war, in peace and in protestation.
What did they do, how did they behave?
Did they welcome your unprecedented gathering?
No, they resorted to riots, they sent in their armed gangs.
It saddens me that some of them sat at the dialogue table to discuss the arms of the resistance that was not aimed internally, while they were acquiring, distributing and storing arms in more than one area. They sent their armed gangs to hit you on your return from your protest, to kill martyr Ahmad Mahmoud and wound others.
They were not able to bear the democracy they claim to protect!
How many threats did they make against opposition personalities, especially personalities from the benevolent Sunni sect?
Did they not send gangs to surround the houses and homes related to these personalities and leaders?
Is this democracy? Is this freedom?
They demonstrated for many long days and nights. I ask them as I ask the Lebanese and the world, was anyone`s road blocked off when going to and fro demonstrations? Was a demonstrator ever killed on his/her way to and fro demonstrations?
But brothers and sisters what is more dangerous today is the sectarian incitement.
They have stopped their seditious incitement between religions. Today, there is no talk of Moslems and Christians in Lebanon, all the talk is on Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon.
Of the large gathering on Friday they said it is a `Shiite demonstration`, and ignored the large and hefty participation by all religions to present it as a Shiite protest against a Sunni government. However, the truth is that `the demonstration is not Shiite nor is the government Sunni`.
Then, they came to claim the demonstration is `Hizbullah`s`!
They did this by hiding the fact of the presence of other parties of the opposition, by giving the demonstration a sectarian description. Thereupon, they brushed aside Amal Movement to say that this demonstration is only Hizbullah`s.
After that they started focusing their strong campaign on Hizbullah, through their coordinated media rhetoric as pre-agreed by them to call the action of the national Lebanese opposition `a sit-in by Hizbullah and its allies`.
They want to ignore the other true opposition parties.
Anyway, during the recent days the nightly protest and congregation has exposed the falsity of such allegations. This happens through the manifest expression of the will of the entire spectrum of the communities of the Lebanese national opposition.
This sectarian slogan has fallen and will fall. However, they are continuing their moves according to it, with all their previous allegations that they are targeting the Sunnis in Lebanon and through that the Sunni street in the whole of the Arab and Islamic worlds.
They imagine that such slogans they can provoke others against Hizbullah`s position and the positions of others in the national Lebanese opposition. So, at times they say the opposition forces want to change the Taef Accord, that is falsity and a lie. At other times, they claim that demonstrations are a cover up for those who murdered martyred PM Rafik Hariri! Then, they conjure up Iraq. Here, I want to enter into the ambiguities of such conjure.
The most recent of their lies, where they contradicted themselves is when they said the Grand Serail is surrounded. Yet at the same time they broadcast through their TV stations the successive delegations visiting the Grand Serail!
How can the Serail be surrounded and all these delegations are still arriving?
In all cases, religious incitement remains a grave sin and crime, on the historical, religious, humanistic and political levels. Should sedition succeed to lodge between the people, it will burn everyone.
Sectarian incitement is playing with fire.
Today, I call on the Arab League for an Arab investigation committee or Islamic from the Islamic Conference organization, to come here and investigate as to whom is stirring sectarian and religious incitement.
I say he who spreads incitement for sectarian divisions is a traitor, and then let them investigate, who is using a religious or sectarian speech?
Who is distributing statement leaflets inciting against this and that sect?
Who is turning the political conflict in Lebanon into sectarian strife?
They know, which is also a testimony to our benefit, that we in Hizbullah in particular and the rest of this national opposition are sensitive to religious sedition, as we are also to sectarian strife between Sunnis and Shiites.
They also try to get at Hizbullah by saying that our place in the Arab world has dwindled, and they advice us everyday by saying: ‘do not waste what you've gathered and your position in the Arab world'. The Arab world knows our position, because it is committed to a noble and sacred cause ...
The Arab world knows that our cause is sacred and noble. We serve our cause, and we are not seekers of posts or fame, even in the government of national unity we do not ask for a share for Hizbullah.
I am plainly declaring in front of you, that we will abandon any ministerial seats given to Hizbullah in the government of national unity for our allies in the opposition to participate in.
We are not seekers of power or post.
We have a cause for which we sacrifice our blood and sons. They know whom they are facing today and against whom they are going. To them I say: ‘we are a people not afraid of insults and abuse.'
Hear me well: ‘we are faithful to our cause, people and nation, and for them we will offer our blood, our children, our souls and the face we try to save.'
Secondly; I want to address every Lebanese and all Arab and Islamic peoples, who closely follow the details of events in Lebanon, and ask them how they view us?
Do you accept any Lebanese or Arab to remain silent or to support a government, which George Bush and Olmert`s government everyday openly announce their support for?
Do you consent to us supporting or remaining silent about a government, which has been conclusively proven not to make national Lebanese decisions, but is subject to decisions made by American Ambassador Feltman and behind him U.S. Secretary of State Gondalizza Rice?
We want a nationalistic Lebanese government free of any foreign powers' tutelage, be it a foe, friend or brother nation, as I previously mentioned.
Whereas they in their defense of the ruling team`s monopolization and seizure of power in the Lebanese government, they hide behind sectarian titles of `Sunnis` and `Shiites`.
They try to present a false picture to the Sunnis in Lebanon and the Arab world that the opposition is targeting the `Sunni` government in Lebanon. This is not true at all, because this government, which is devoid of legitimacy, does not represent the Sunnis in Lebanon, nor is a nationalistic unless formed on the basis of national unity.
Here, there is the American Ambassador`s government. I will say out loud to you and for the whole world to hear, and I speak with honesty as I have always have with you: ‘had this government represented the Sunnis in Lebanon, I would have been the first to abide to its governance.'
Let them stop playing with sectarianism. Should you choose to bring Palestine`s file into the conflict, the record of the opposition parties is a shinning one, in contrast to yours?
If you want to bring in the ambiguities of the stance on Iraq, where from the onset we have been against the American invasion of Iraq, we clearly announced our stance for which we were insulted, but insults did not concern us, because our stance was just.
As for you (those in power), you are the advocates for the American occupation to continue in Iraq. You even praise this occupation which you see is right, and you oppose its termination. You even invite the Bush administration to occupy Syria, and more Arab and Islamic territory. We on the other hand are with all the resistance in Palestine, Iraq and every place where an hononrable nationalistic person takes up his weapon to liberate his land from occupation, hegemony and tutelage.
Do not confuse matters, nor make them indiscernible for people. Do not object to all Shiites because of the stance of one here or there, just as it is not just for a Shiite to stand against all Sunnis because of a stance of a Sunni group here or there.
Would it be justified for a Shiite to hold responsible our venerable and dear Sunni brethren of the world, because an Arab Sunni president signed a peace deal with "Israel" in Camp David? Hence, can we blame our Sunni brethren for the Camp David peace agreement?
Is it justifiable for anyone to hold responsible our Sunni folks because of some leaders who shake the Zionists` hands and normalize relations with the Zionists, even besiege the Intifada in Palestine?
The Shiites are not a single account, neither are the Sunnis, nor do they all belong to the same camp, or same project. In every country, there are Sunnis and Shiites here and there, there are Muslims and Christians here and there.
Let us hold one another answerable on the basis of our patriotic or nationalistic stands, and how well we serve the interests of our country and nation.
Lay the rest aside.
Yet, it is disappointing and sad that in the recent days, they circulated among themselves, and again re-opened the file of the last July-August war, to again hold Hizbullah responsible for the war, the destruction and the ensuing economic consequences, etc...it seems there is a clear and focused order circulated among them.
I am one of those always in favor of deferring any discussion of this topic, for the interests of the Lebanese.
But now so long as you (those in power) insist on raising the subject, then hear this.
But before I explain and clarify, all parties of the opposition, particularly those who consider themselves directly concerned with the resistance, I want to say this: ‘What I say should not leave us with negative results or create negative reactions within us. However, the world will find odd how ethical, forgiving, modest and observing you are.'
Additionally, what I say will not change anything as far as our objective is concerned, and we will continue to say to them: ‘come and join us in forming a national unity government together.'
But as far as the war is concerned, listen to the following.
I call for setting up a Lebanese or Arab judicial committee made up of impartial and fair judges, to hold an investigation into the last war.
They accuse us, but today, in all frankness I accuse them.
They asked America, George Bush and Dick Cheney, in an official manner, to wage a war on Lebanon. This was evidenced by the fact that, in their opinion, dialogue on the resistance weapon had reached a dead end. Removing it internally was not a possibility, because of the resistance's strength and wide public support across all religions as confirmed by public opinion polls, additional to the refusal of the patriotic Lebanese Army to engage in conflict against the resistance.
Hence, they told them there is no way to finish the resistance issue locally or internally in Lebanon.
The only way is for the US administration to ask Olmert's government to launch a large, devastating, lethal and destructive war, not only against Hizbullah, but against all those who support and embrace Hizbullah. The mission was to completely eradicate this resistance out of existence, making it incapable of rising up again for a long time to come.
The American administration accepted this request, and tried to employ it in the congressional election which took place recently. Should the war have been successful from their point of view, Mr. Bush would have taken it to the Americans as a victory against one of ‘the most important terrorist organisations in the world'.
In this plot, they prepared a prison in a settlement called Roshbina in North "Israel". It is a military and air force base, capable of taking 10,000 prisoners.
Will those prisoners come from Hizbullah only? No!
The prisoners will have come from all those opposed to the ruling team monopolizing power in Lebanon.
The American administration accepted and gave the orders to "Israel".
I do not accuse all those in `March 14`, or the entire team in rule. I do not accuse all its personalities. I did not mention names to anyone, nor to any American or non-American journalists; but those who sat with the Americans and asked them to wage war on Lebanon know themselves!
I know them too, and I hope the day I mention their names never comes.
The responsibility of the war does not rest on the resistance, which is clearly acknowledged in the Ministerial statement as the right to resist and to act on liberating the prisoners.
When the resistance is granted this right, the resistance remains a resistance and does not turn into a Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The resistance frees land and prisoners using arms, and not through negotiations and diplomacy.
We were given this right in the ministerial statement, and we acted according to the right we are given in the ministerial statement.
Those responsible for the war are the ones who asked America and "Israel" to use this operation as a pretext to wage war against Lebanon, and I am open to an independent judiciary and independent investigation committee.
Furthermore, during war days I told you that John Bolton, whose departure from diplomatic corridors we are not sorry for, wanted to stir up discord among the Lebanese when he announced his surprise that officials in Lebanon had accepted the American-French draft resolution, only to go back on their word later.
He was speaking in truth.
They had accepted the American-French draft resolution, but changed their minds when they faced national domestic refusal in Lebanon.
In war days, I said that Olmert wants to sow seeds of discord among us, but I did not say he was lying. I used a term that carries multiple expressions.
When he was saying: ‘there are parties in the Lebanese government contacting us insisting we continue fighting'. Olmert spoke in truth. We know who those sides are, but again I hope the day when I mention their names in front the people never comes.
There is more...more, there is more.
I address you from here, and nearby to you is a Prime Minister devoid of legitimacy.
I ask him... and the witnesses are all still alive.
I address him: ‘Your Excellency, during the middle of the war, the Zionist air strikes destroyed all bridges, roads and crossings.'
They did not hit bridges or roads as end goals, but to sever all supply lines to the resistance in the south. However, the supply continued until the last day and did not stop and they failed.
I ask him: ‘did you Your Excellency yourself order the Lebanese army, to confiscate the resistance weapons heading to the South or did you not?'
I want to ask you all: ‘does any Lebanese whether Christian or Moslem, Sunni or Shiite accept for this to happen during the war?'
‘Does any Lebanese whether Christian or Moslem, Sunni or Shiite accept for their Prime Minister to order to cut off supply lines to their resistance, which was engaged in the battle of defending the country and the nation?'
Or should I remain silent just because he is a Sunni?
Had he been a Shiite I would have mentioned his name from the first day.
The Prime Minister, of the publicly downed government, will come out tomorrow to say: ‘Sayyed Hassan has falsely accused me'.
I accept an investigation committee. The witnesses are still alive. Also, those whom I sent to him at night to mediate in order for him to put a freeze on that order are still alive.
But what is more important and more dangerous...there is more...hear this dear brothers and sisters, listen oh Lebanese people, oh Arab peoples...
We in Lebanon pay taxes to the government who in turn pays the salaries of the staff of the military and civil institutions and buys equipment.
The money the Lebanese people pay is supposed to build security systems to protect the Lebanese, to protect their security, property and to defend them.
During the war, it is presumed that some security systems, subsidiary to the team in government, would work on tracking spies and "Israeli" networks providing information to "Israel" to carry out bombings.
I am again declaring my openness to an independent and impartial investigation committee. I am terribly sorry to say that one of the security systems worked during the war on seeking location of Hizbullah leaderships. Besides, I'm deeply sorry to say, that a group belonging to this official security institution had worked specifically on determining the location of my presence during war time.
This suffices about the war for now.
Had I wanted to, despite whether the brothers in the opposition accepted or not, and if it wasn't for our concern for this nation, and to sectarian and religious sensitivities, I would have stood on the 14th of August, not to talk of a National Unity government, but to talk of traitors who are ought to be tried in Lebanon.
Yet, additional to all I have said, and at this point the world will be shocked and so will you, yes we are the sons of these morals and culture, culture of forgiveness and love. Yes, I forgive them and if they wanted to call me to account, I am ready.
Again while maintaining concern for sectarian and religious sensitivities, today a group which I am sorry to say belonged to a fundamentalist Sunni side, is still under arrest for having plotted to assassinate me.
Many individuals of the clergy and others contested this matter and I forgave them, and I said that I am prepared to forgo my claim. Yet, they are still in prison awaiting to face the judiciary who has not settled their issue until now, and I know why.
But I will go to excess with forgiveness tonight and ask the Lebanese judicial system to release the members of this group that was plotting to assassinate me and return them to their homes in Beirut and Tarik Jadideh, and may God forgive them all.
Again, I address the ruling team seizing power: ‘you will not be able to frighten us with riots, banning people from coming to the squares. You can't drag us into sectarian sedition. You will not hear us give out a call of surrender, weakness or infirmity, because our demands are just. Also, we are still saying to you, come to establish a national unity government.
I also say to you that time is not to your benefit, not at all, for there is your master in the White House with his jittering nerves, collapsing everywhere. So come back to be together as Lebanese, there is no place for stubbornness.
An opportunity still exists and doors to negotiations are still open, for here in the opposition we never at all claimed that our only demand is to topple the government, never.
Come to turn the current government into a government of national unity, headed by P.M. Saniora, where you can still have the majority and the opposition can have the guaranteeing third as a guarantee for Lebanon.
Should you insist on stubbornness and refuse, we in the opposition have started working on another option, for after a time, we will not accept a national unity government headed by any of you. After a period of time, your government will be fallen and an interim govt will be formed that runs an early parliamentary elections; and you know who possesses majority and the upper hand.
In 2005 you took the election hurriedly and through deception, but in the next elections there will not be a place for deception for ‘a believer is not stung twice from the one place`.
In the early elections, the opposition will have the majority, and will form its government, which will be headed by an honorable and clean nationalistic Sunni personality, and whose integrity is known by all people.
There are many a nationalist Sunnis in Lebanon capable of commandeering such leadership posts. At the same time, we will not annul or cross you off. We will or at least I agree for you to have the guaranteeing third, and share with you, because we believe that Lebanon is the country of co-participation, sharing, concordance and cooperation.
Oh brothers and sisters,
To express our persistence with this peaceful and civilized movement, I call upon you tonight in this speech. Of course, I call upon the Muslims specifically, to participate in tomorrow's Friday prayer, in these squares which are yours, the arenas of honour and true political resistance and not the alleged fake arenas; to participate in Friday prayer as an expression of our unity in the face of all forms of sedition and segregation, headed by the learned Shaikh Fathi Yakan as Imam.
(The following is a jurisprudence detail for the worshippers of the Shiite Muslims; this Friday prayer suffices you for midday prayer, after which you can perform your afternoon prayer and that suffices you.)
I invite you as well as all those listening, for the largest participation in Friday prayers because it is for worshiping God the One and only, and because it is an expression aimed at all those laying in wait to sow sedition, division and conflict among us.
You may find fertile soil for sedition somewhere else in the world, but in Lebanon, no there will not...(stressing) will not be fighting between the Shiites and the Sunnis.
Moreover, I call upon you and all the viewers and listeners to participate in the huge popular gathering on Sunday, at 3 pm, to renew our expression of this stance and to confirm our public presence and persistence as a national Lebanese opposition.
Just as we have been telling them every night, we will tell them again on Sunday night and they will hear us in all the palaces of the ruling team...from the domains, the homes of the poor, from the huts and tents, the destroyed homes, the neighbourhoods of those displaced by poverty and war, we will make them hear our voice, that we in the national Lebanese opposition will not give in... We will remain in the squares... We will remain in the arenas until the establishment of a Lebanese government of national unity, the guarantee for Lebanon and all the Lebanese. A government capable of saving Lebanon and defending Lebanon, which will treat the economic, political and social crisis...We will make them hear our determination to reach our objective and to remain on this path, no matter the sacrifices.
Oh brothers and sisters, from all religions, sects, movements and parties you are indeed victorious... as I said to you in the invitation, as I used to always promise you victory, I promise victory again...them...they are continuing the July-August war, and we continue our battle of defending Lebanon's identity, unity and integrity.
Long live all of you, blessed be the martyr Ahmed Mahmoud, blessed be your martyrs and long live Lebanon.
Peace, God's compassion and blessings be with you.
Source: Al-Ahed News
Sayyed Nasrallah`s speech at the sit-in in both squares of Solh and Martyrs in Beirut on 12-12-2006
In the name of God, the all-merciful, the all-compassionate, Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet, the seal of prophets Abu Qassim Mohamed Bin Abi Abdullah, on his infallible household, on his chosen companions and on all the prophets and messengers.
Peace to you, oh most honest, most righteous and most pure people...
I hope I can join you in these arenas one day.
I am sorry to say, we have a Lebanese tradition of shooting in celebration. A bad habit we should depart from, firing in any direction should be abandoned even in the air, as the only place for bullets is towards Lebanon's enemies, "Israel".
Having said that we should stress that anyone persisting with celebratory firing in the air is an agent embedded among us to stir conflict.
I wish to address the parents of the martyr Ahmad Mahmoud, to pay my condolences and comfort them, to say to them that your son was martyred in the arena of defending Lebanon, for its dignity, honour and liberation.
Martyr Mahmoud is a martyr with distinction.
He is not a martyr within Lebanon's inner streets, but one in defending Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and the movement to rescue Lebanon.
I will come back to the Martyr later in this talk.
I should also direct my appreciation to you, most honourable, most pure, most lovable and dearest people, who came from all areas of Lebanon, on Friday to both squares of Riyad Solh and Martyrs, and to those who still congregate every night to rescue Lebanon.
I thank you and say to you that what you are doing is a great and honourable act, since it serves a patriotic and noble purpose of saving Lebanon through ending the state of appropriation, domination, and monopoly over controlling the government, and of helping establish a government of National Unity open to participation, cooperation and concordance.
Oh brothers and sisters,
In recent days, they tried through riots and attacking protesters on their way to and back from protests, even reached the level of murdering martyr Ahmad Mahmoud, to instill fear into your hearts and stop you going to the picketing squares.
They failed, because they forgot you are a people with no place for fear in your hearts.
Today, they are gambling on you tiring, or getting bored but they don't know you are a people that do not tire nor get sick or bored.
Yesterday, they said they will wait for you to release your call of surrender, but they forgot recently, when you withstood 33 days of not cold or rain but, the most violent aerial and artillery bombardment in recent decades.
You withstood that despite being displaced, murdered and massacres as well as when you were embraced by your fellow Lebanese of all areas, religions and sects of Lebanon and you did not surrender.
Yes, they called on us to surrender from the first day, but we refused to.
They gambled on our defeat, but we triumphed. We stayed in our land, the land of our fathers and forefathers, honorable, strong and standing. We remained with our will unbroken. We know no exhaustion, weariness or boredom for the sake of Lebanon.
Tell them today from where you are holding your sit-in. Tell them tomorrow from your Friday prayer. Tell them every night, on Sunday on the day of the large gathering. Tell those gambling on our surrender, tell them they are deluded ... deluded...deluded.
Tell them that we are stronger than weariness, hunger, cold, boredom and bombardment of rockets. The bombardment of your words won't frighten us. We are stronger than war. In the battle of wills, we will not break god willing.
Oh brothers and sisters,
It is no coincidence that the Lebanese powers with its different affiliations religious, sectarian, partisan and regional, which embraced the resistance and the resistance community during the July-August war, are today themselves who form and support the Lebanese National opposition.
It is also not a coincidence that the peoples, governments and the noble people of the world who stood by the resistance during the war, are the same ones who stand by the opposition today.
In contrast, it is not coincidence that those who supported the war on Lebanon are the ones now propping up the collapsed government currently present in the Grand Serail.
In your name I invite the Arab governments, who care for Lebanon not to interfere as a party supporting one side against another,
Whoever wants safety, unity and salvation for Lebanon, ought to extend their hand to all Lebanese and not to suffice with your ambassadors' reports on Lebanon. Come to Lebanon and make yourselves closely familiar with the political, popular and field truths, and spend your much appreciated efforts for the sake of rescuing Lebanon.
I also say to the government, or what's left of it that your reliance on America and the West will not help you at all.
Today, those you rely on, especially George Bush is the one who most needs help, who most needs rescuing.
Let us take Iraq as an example. In Iraq there are more than 150,000 US soldiers, 100`s of billions of dollars and the whole of the US administration closely follows the Iraqi file. Iraq is not a file in the hands of the US foreign dept. Nonetheless, what is the result in Iraq?
Failure, disintegration, sectarian war and closed horizons. This is the result and outcome of any country that gambles on Bush, his army and administration.
What can America offer you, when it is drowning in the regions` quicksand from Afghanistan, to Iraq to Palestine to Lebanon?
The support this Lebanese government received from US and the West in the last one and a half years has not been received in Lebanon's history ever!
Does that not evoke suspicion and doubt?
Why the fondness of this government and its P.M.?
But, what raises more doubts and suspicion is this daily "Israeli" commendation of the ruling team in Lebanon. Is there behind this praise what we are unaware of?
Is not a shame that the mini-Zionist government, which convenes when there is a matter threatening "Israel's" security or interests, convenes with the only item for discussion is how to help this falling government in Lebanon?
Some of them said: `we can help them by withdrawing from Ghajar town`, others said: `let's withdraw from Shibaa farms and offer it as a present, for political and moral support to the ruling team in Lebanon.`
But what have they done for you?
They did not withdraw from Ghajar or Shibaa farms, they forsaken from even this amount of moral support. Hence, does not all this US, West and "Israeli" support call for some contemplation?
Oh brothers and sisters,
We in the national Lebanese opposition insist on our demand and goal of forming a real national unity government, why?
Why?
It is because the formation of Lebanon of plurality and diversity means that a single party government and the monopoly of power by a single team always put Lebanon in a dead end street with regards to everything.
Lebanon only rises with agreement, participation, coordination and jointly, not by monopoly. We want a national unity government because it is the only way to prevent any foreign tutelage.
Let the world know, we want a Lebanese government, whose decision is Lebanese; its will is Lebanese, presided over by the Lebanese. This is what we look forward towards.
This is what forms a guarantee for Lebanon and its security, stability, prosperity, safety and unity.
This is what we aspire to.
We refuse any foreign tutelage whether by an enemy or a friend.
This is the truth.
Today, they ask us, if you were the opposition and one day you were the parliamentary majority and formed government, would you give us a guaranteeing veto-powered third in cabinet to the opposition?
I say to them on behalf of Hizbullah and as a party in the opposition, I agree to give any opposition at any stage a guaranteeing veto third of cabinet.
Since we believe in participation, concord, coordination and since we do not believe in one party ruling at the expense of others, we give any opposition even when we are the majority the guaranteeing third with confidence because we do not have any international or regional commitments. We want the interests of Lebanon, and the Lebanon's interests are those which all of us are in accordance over.
Dear brothers and sisters,
When the doors to discussions were slammed shut in our faces at the consultation table, dialogue was disrupted, when we were surprised with monopolizing and manipulation of power, our last choice was street action. However, while we are in the street, in the sit-in and demonstrating, we are keeping our doors open to negotiations.
To all those who call us to negotiate, we say: yes, the doors to dialogue are open with leaders and symbols of the opposition, doors to initiatives have also remained open, but certainly we are not in need for a fancy dialogue table to waste time. So, we will not leave the street to a dialogue table where we will be deceived again.
We will remain in the street, and opposition leaders` doors to negotiation and debate are open for all.
Today, there is an initiative made by the Council of Maronite Bishops. We consider this initiative to carry numerous positive points. It deserves a discussion meeting to debate its items, to take what is acceptable, adjourn or defer what not.
The door is open for negotiation and it is not true that the opposition does not debate or discuss. All options remain open.
To them I say: `negotiate and debate with us, and we will debate and negotiate with you, but by the name of all those congregated in the street here from tonight, yesterday and tomorrow, we will not leave the street before achieving the goal that rescues Lebanon.`
Dear brothers and sisters,
So long as we are persisting with our sit-in, I want to talk of the rules we talked about on the first day of our street action.
-No insults.
Some enthusiastic demonstrators in the sit-in squares may release offensive slogans concerning government personalities. We disapprove of any personal insult to anyone. Any abusive or unethical expressions should not come out of our sit-in.
We reassert our civil, peaceful and civilized sit-in protestation.
Of course, when they killed martyr Ahmad Mahmoud, they wanted to drag us into an armed conflict, but in the name of martyr Ahmad Mahmoud and on behalf of his colleagues, every child, woman, and elderly man and woman in the national Lebanese opposition, I say to the ruling team, their political forces and I am sorry to include their militias also: We reject the civil war and discord between communities. Also, we reject any conflict in the street.
We refuse sedition between religions, different sects or between political forces. We refuse any armed conflict in the street. We refuse any kind of conflict in the street.
We wanted it a civil peaceful movement as we proved on Friday with the unprecedented gathering in Lebanon's history. Even if, through their media, they exaggerate their actions and belittle yours, the picture remains crystal clear to the whole world.
I say to the Lebanese and all the peoples of the region whoever pushes the Lebanese into a Lebanese war, in a civil war everyone looses.
I won't say to you: you will loose and we will win, no...We all lose...all the Lebanese lose by going to a civil war or to a sectarian sedition. In Iraq everyone loses...in Palestine everyone loses...the promise of civil wars by some Arab kings, unfortunately, in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine is a loss to us all.
The clear win will go to "Israel" and to America, the new conservatives and the inventors of the creative chaos theories.
We in Lebanon will not be dragged into any sedition. You kill Ahmad Mahmoud, and if you killed 1000 others like Ahmad Mahmoud, we will not raise weapons in anyone's face. Many of them were in the government when in July 1993 our protests were blocked and shot at with live bullets: 10 martyrs fell and 50 were wounded. Yet, we remained standing and did not raise our weapon against anyone.
I say to you, we do not need a weapon to defeat you, because our weapon is against the Zionist enemy only. We can defeat you with our voices, with the blood of our martyrs, with Mahmoud's blood. We can defeat you with any wronged martyr whose blood you may spill; by our insistence on unity, brotherhood, and amiability we can defeat you.
Let the world hear, especially the Arab people whom they (the ruling team) tried to turn against the Lebanese opposition with lies, they kill us and we say to them we want to be with you and you to be with us, together.
Oh murderers, I say to you we will be victorious against your swords with our blood.
Oh dear Lebanese, I heard and I am sorry to say, that some religious and political leaderships are stirring incitement within their inner circles claiming that Hizbullah has 30,000 rockets directed at your homes! This has never been our conduct at any time, and from here I say to those leaders & to whoever listens to them: "anyone whose door we broke in Lebanon, let him come forward and lay his claim, anyone whose blood we spilled in Lebanon let him come out and make his claim, but you perpetrators of incitement, how many homes you've destroyed, souls you have wasted, how much blood you have spilt?
In all honesty, we do not want to fight anyone, nor will we fight anyone.
We do not want to threaten anyone nor will we threaten anyone.
Today, in many areas and especially Beirut where rumours are being woven and spread that `a certain political party of the opposition, with a certain sectarian characteristic wants to attack your neighborhood`. This is only to stir sectarian and religious seditions.
Hence, let all citizens of Beirut and Lebanon hear this: ‘the blood of every Lebanese regardless of religion, sect, political affiliation, region or party, is ours, his honour is ours, his wealth and home are ours.
This is the red line we protect with our blood, even if you spill it, we will protect it with the dearest we have even if you conspired against us. We will not be dragged into civil war or sedition or any form of internal conflict.
Thank god, we have a true national guarantee and immunity manifesting in the Army institution, which has so far proved the Army of all of Lebanon through its leadership, officers and soldiers.
This guarantee should be protected by all of us, and should never allow any disintegration or splitting within this institution. Political forces should remain above contemplating to use any officers or soldiers in the Lebanese army because the collapse of such an institution, god forbid, will deprive Lebanon of such immunity.
To the internal security forces I say: you must prove yourselves as a national institution that serves all of Lebanon and not a particular team, in order to stand alongside the army and guard Lebanon.
Dear brothers and sisters,
When you took to the street and picketed on Friday and Saturday night and congregated for Sunday morning mass, in the afternoon at the celebration and at night for the known sit-in, how did the ruling team treat you? (The team that claims and talks of democracy, public freedom and freedom of expression)
Your actions were civilized as acknowledged by the whole world, and you always astonish the world with your conduct in war, in peace and in protestation.
What did they do, how did they behave?
Did they welcome your unprecedented gathering?
No, they resorted to riots, they sent in their armed gangs.
It saddens me that some of them sat at the dialogue table to discuss the arms of the resistance that was not aimed internally, while they were acquiring, distributing and storing arms in more than one area. They sent their armed gangs to hit you on your return from your protest, to kill martyr Ahmad Mahmoud and wound others.
They were not able to bear the democracy they claim to protect!
How many threats did they make against opposition personalities, especially personalities from the benevolent Sunni sect?
Did they not send gangs to surround the houses and homes related to these personalities and leaders?
Is this democracy? Is this freedom?
They demonstrated for many long days and nights. I ask them as I ask the Lebanese and the world, was anyone`s road blocked off when going to and fro demonstrations? Was a demonstrator ever killed on his/her way to and fro demonstrations?
But brothers and sisters what is more dangerous today is the sectarian incitement.
They have stopped their seditious incitement between religions. Today, there is no talk of Moslems and Christians in Lebanon, all the talk is on Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon.
Of the large gathering on Friday they said it is a `Shiite demonstration`, and ignored the large and hefty participation by all religions to present it as a Shiite protest against a Sunni government. However, the truth is that `the demonstration is not Shiite nor is the government Sunni`.
Then, they came to claim the demonstration is `Hizbullah`s`!
They did this by hiding the fact of the presence of other parties of the opposition, by giving the demonstration a sectarian description. Thereupon, they brushed aside Amal Movement to say that this demonstration is only Hizbullah`s.
After that they started focusing their strong campaign on Hizbullah, through their coordinated media rhetoric as pre-agreed by them to call the action of the national Lebanese opposition `a sit-in by Hizbullah and its allies`.
They want to ignore the other true opposition parties.
Anyway, during the recent days the nightly protest and congregation has exposed the falsity of such allegations. This happens through the manifest expression of the will of the entire spectrum of the communities of the Lebanese national opposition.
This sectarian slogan has fallen and will fall. However, they are continuing their moves according to it, with all their previous allegations that they are targeting the Sunnis in Lebanon and through that the Sunni street in the whole of the Arab and Islamic worlds.
They imagine that such slogans they can provoke others against Hizbullah`s position and the positions of others in the national Lebanese opposition. So, at times they say the opposition forces want to change the Taef Accord, that is falsity and a lie. At other times, they claim that demonstrations are a cover up for those who murdered martyred PM Rafik Hariri! Then, they conjure up Iraq. Here, I want to enter into the ambiguities of such conjure.
The most recent of their lies, where they contradicted themselves is when they said the Grand Serail is surrounded. Yet at the same time they broadcast through their TV stations the successive delegations visiting the Grand Serail!
How can the Serail be surrounded and all these delegations are still arriving?
In all cases, religious incitement remains a grave sin and crime, on the historical, religious, humanistic and political levels. Should sedition succeed to lodge between the people, it will burn everyone.
Sectarian incitement is playing with fire.
Today, I call on the Arab League for an Arab investigation committee or Islamic from the Islamic Conference organization, to come here and investigate as to whom is stirring sectarian and religious incitement.
I say he who spreads incitement for sectarian divisions is a traitor, and then let them investigate, who is using a religious or sectarian speech?
Who is distributing statement leaflets inciting against this and that sect?
Who is turning the political conflict in Lebanon into sectarian strife?
They know, which is also a testimony to our benefit, that we in Hizbullah in particular and the rest of this national opposition are sensitive to religious sedition, as we are also to sectarian strife between Sunnis and Shiites.
They also try to get at Hizbullah by saying that our place in the Arab world has dwindled, and they advice us everyday by saying: ‘do not waste what you've gathered and your position in the Arab world'. The Arab world knows our position, because it is committed to a noble and sacred cause ...
The Arab world knows that our cause is sacred and noble. We serve our cause, and we are not seekers of posts or fame, even in the government of national unity we do not ask for a share for Hizbullah.
I am plainly declaring in front of you, that we will abandon any ministerial seats given to Hizbullah in the government of national unity for our allies in the opposition to participate in.
We are not seekers of power or post.
We have a cause for which we sacrifice our blood and sons. They know whom they are facing today and against whom they are going. To them I say: ‘we are a people not afraid of insults and abuse.'
Hear me well: ‘we are faithful to our cause, people and nation, and for them we will offer our blood, our children, our souls and the face we try to save.'
Secondly; I want to address every Lebanese and all Arab and Islamic peoples, who closely follow the details of events in Lebanon, and ask them how they view us?
Do you accept any Lebanese or Arab to remain silent or to support a government, which George Bush and Olmert`s government everyday openly announce their support for?
Do you consent to us supporting or remaining silent about a government, which has been conclusively proven not to make national Lebanese decisions, but is subject to decisions made by American Ambassador Feltman and behind him U.S. Secretary of State Gondalizza Rice?
We want a nationalistic Lebanese government free of any foreign powers' tutelage, be it a foe, friend or brother nation, as I previously mentioned.
Whereas they in their defense of the ruling team`s monopolization and seizure of power in the Lebanese government, they hide behind sectarian titles of `Sunnis` and `Shiites`.
They try to present a false picture to the Sunnis in Lebanon and the Arab world that the opposition is targeting the `Sunni` government in Lebanon. This is not true at all, because this government, which is devoid of legitimacy, does not represent the Sunnis in Lebanon, nor is a nationalistic unless formed on the basis of national unity.
Here, there is the American Ambassador`s government. I will say out loud to you and for the whole world to hear, and I speak with honesty as I have always have with you: ‘had this government represented the Sunnis in Lebanon, I would have been the first to abide to its governance.'
Let them stop playing with sectarianism. Should you choose to bring Palestine`s file into the conflict, the record of the opposition parties is a shinning one, in contrast to yours?
If you want to bring in the ambiguities of the stance on Iraq, where from the onset we have been against the American invasion of Iraq, we clearly announced our stance for which we were insulted, but insults did not concern us, because our stance was just.
As for you (those in power), you are the advocates for the American occupation to continue in Iraq. You even praise this occupation which you see is right, and you oppose its termination. You even invite the Bush administration to occupy Syria, and more Arab and Islamic territory. We on the other hand are with all the resistance in Palestine, Iraq and every place where an hononrable nationalistic person takes up his weapon to liberate his land from occupation, hegemony and tutelage.
Do not confuse matters, nor make them indiscernible for people. Do not object to all Shiites because of the stance of one here or there, just as it is not just for a Shiite to stand against all Sunnis because of a stance of a Sunni group here or there.
Would it be justified for a Shiite to hold responsible our venerable and dear Sunni brethren of the world, because an Arab Sunni president signed a peace deal with "Israel" in Camp David? Hence, can we blame our Sunni brethren for the Camp David peace agreement?
Is it justifiable for anyone to hold responsible our Sunni folks because of some leaders who shake the Zionists` hands and normalize relations with the Zionists, even besiege the Intifada in Palestine?
The Shiites are not a single account, neither are the Sunnis, nor do they all belong to the same camp, or same project. In every country, there are Sunnis and Shiites here and there, there are Muslims and Christians here and there.
Let us hold one another answerable on the basis of our patriotic or nationalistic stands, and how well we serve the interests of our country and nation.
Lay the rest aside.
Yet, it is disappointing and sad that in the recent days, they circulated among themselves, and again re-opened the file of the last July-August war, to again hold Hizbullah responsible for the war, the destruction and the ensuing economic consequences, etc...it seems there is a clear and focused order circulated among them.
I am one of those always in favor of deferring any discussion of this topic, for the interests of the Lebanese.
But now so long as you (those in power) insist on raising the subject, then hear this.
But before I explain and clarify, all parties of the opposition, particularly those who consider themselves directly concerned with the resistance, I want to say this: ‘What I say should not leave us with negative results or create negative reactions within us. However, the world will find odd how ethical, forgiving, modest and observing you are.'
Additionally, what I say will not change anything as far as our objective is concerned, and we will continue to say to them: ‘come and join us in forming a national unity government together.'
But as far as the war is concerned, listen to the following.
I call for setting up a Lebanese or Arab judicial committee made up of impartial and fair judges, to hold an investigation into the last war.
They accuse us, but today, in all frankness I accuse them.
They asked America, George Bush and Dick Cheney, in an official manner, to wage a war on Lebanon. This was evidenced by the fact that, in their opinion, dialogue on the resistance weapon had reached a dead end. Removing it internally was not a possibility, because of the resistance's strength and wide public support across all religions as confirmed by public opinion polls, additional to the refusal of the patriotic Lebanese Army to engage in conflict against the resistance.
Hence, they told them there is no way to finish the resistance issue locally or internally in Lebanon.
The only way is for the US administration to ask Olmert's government to launch a large, devastating, lethal and destructive war, not only against Hizbullah, but against all those who support and embrace Hizbullah. The mission was to completely eradicate this resistance out of existence, making it incapable of rising up again for a long time to come.
The American administration accepted this request, and tried to employ it in the congressional election which took place recently. Should the war have been successful from their point of view, Mr. Bush would have taken it to the Americans as a victory against one of ‘the most important terrorist organisations in the world'.
In this plot, they prepared a prison in a settlement called Roshbina in North "Israel". It is a military and air force base, capable of taking 10,000 prisoners.
Will those prisoners come from Hizbullah only? No!
The prisoners will have come from all those opposed to the ruling team monopolizing power in Lebanon.
The American administration accepted and gave the orders to "Israel".
I do not accuse all those in `March 14`, or the entire team in rule. I do not accuse all its personalities. I did not mention names to anyone, nor to any American or non-American journalists; but those who sat with the Americans and asked them to wage war on Lebanon know themselves!
I know them too, and I hope the day I mention their names never comes.
The responsibility of the war does not rest on the resistance, which is clearly acknowledged in the Ministerial statement as the right to resist and to act on liberating the prisoners.
When the resistance is granted this right, the resistance remains a resistance and does not turn into a Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The resistance frees land and prisoners using arms, and not through negotiations and diplomacy.
We were given this right in the ministerial statement, and we acted according to the right we are given in the ministerial statement.
Those responsible for the war are the ones who asked America and "Israel" to use this operation as a pretext to wage war against Lebanon, and I am open to an independent judiciary and independent investigation committee.
Furthermore, during war days I told you that John Bolton, whose departure from diplomatic corridors we are not sorry for, wanted to stir up discord among the Lebanese when he announced his surprise that officials in Lebanon had accepted the American-French draft resolution, only to go back on their word later.
He was speaking in truth.
They had accepted the American-French draft resolution, but changed their minds when they faced national domestic refusal in Lebanon.
In war days, I said that Olmert wants to sow seeds of discord among us, but I did not say he was lying. I used a term that carries multiple expressions.
When he was saying: ‘there are parties in the Lebanese government contacting us insisting we continue fighting'. Olmert spoke in truth. We know who those sides are, but again I hope the day when I mention their names in front the people never comes.
There is more...more, there is more.
I address you from here, and nearby to you is a Prime Minister devoid of legitimacy.
I ask him... and the witnesses are all still alive.
I address him: ‘Your Excellency, during the middle of the war, the Zionist air strikes destroyed all bridges, roads and crossings.'
They did not hit bridges or roads as end goals, but to sever all supply lines to the resistance in the south. However, the supply continued until the last day and did not stop and they failed.
I ask him: ‘did you Your Excellency yourself order the Lebanese army, to confiscate the resistance weapons heading to the South or did you not?'
I want to ask you all: ‘does any Lebanese whether Christian or Moslem, Sunni or Shiite accept for this to happen during the war?'
‘Does any Lebanese whether Christian or Moslem, Sunni or Shiite accept for their Prime Minister to order to cut off supply lines to their resistance, which was engaged in the battle of defending the country and the nation?'
Or should I remain silent just because he is a Sunni?
Had he been a Shiite I would have mentioned his name from the first day.
The Prime Minister, of the publicly downed government, will come out tomorrow to say: ‘Sayyed Hassan has falsely accused me'.
I accept an investigation committee. The witnesses are still alive. Also, those whom I sent to him at night to mediate in order for him to put a freeze on that order are still alive.
But what is more important and more dangerous...there is more...hear this dear brothers and sisters, listen oh Lebanese people, oh Arab peoples...
We in Lebanon pay taxes to the government who in turn pays the salaries of the staff of the military and civil institutions and buys equipment.
The money the Lebanese people pay is supposed to build security systems to protect the Lebanese, to protect their security, property and to defend them.
During the war, it is presumed that some security systems, subsidiary to the team in government, would work on tracking spies and "Israeli" networks providing information to "Israel" to carry out bombings.
I am again declaring my openness to an independent and impartial investigation committee. I am terribly sorry to say that one of the security systems worked during the war on seeking location of Hizbullah leaderships. Besides, I'm deeply sorry to say, that a group belonging to this official security institution had worked specifically on determining the location of my presence during war time.
This suffices about the war for now.
Had I wanted to, despite whether the brothers in the opposition accepted or not, and if it wasn't for our concern for this nation, and to sectarian and religious sensitivities, I would have stood on the 14th of August, not to talk of a National Unity government, but to talk of traitors who are ought to be tried in Lebanon.
Yet, additional to all I have said, and at this point the world will be shocked and so will you, yes we are the sons of these morals and culture, culture of forgiveness and love. Yes, I forgive them and if they wanted to call me to account, I am ready.
Again while maintaining concern for sectarian and religious sensitivities, today a group which I am sorry to say belonged to a fundamentalist Sunni side, is still under arrest for having plotted to assassinate me.
Many individuals of the clergy and others contested this matter and I forgave them, and I said that I am prepared to forgo my claim. Yet, they are still in prison awaiting to face the judiciary who has not settled their issue until now, and I know why.
But I will go to excess with forgiveness tonight and ask the Lebanese judicial system to release the members of this group that was plotting to assassinate me and return them to their homes in Beirut and Tarik Jadideh, and may God forgive them all.
Again, I address the ruling team seizing power: ‘you will not be able to frighten us with riots, banning people from coming to the squares. You can't drag us into sectarian sedition. You will not hear us give out a call of surrender, weakness or infirmity, because our demands are just. Also, we are still saying to you, come to establish a national unity government.
I also say to you that time is not to your benefit, not at all, for there is your master in the White House with his jittering nerves, collapsing everywhere. So come back to be together as Lebanese, there is no place for stubbornness.
An opportunity still exists and doors to negotiations are still open, for here in the opposition we never at all claimed that our only demand is to topple the government, never.
Come to turn the current government into a government of national unity, headed by P.M. Saniora, where you can still have the majority and the opposition can have the guaranteeing third as a guarantee for Lebanon.
Should you insist on stubbornness and refuse, we in the opposition have started working on another option, for after a time, we will not accept a national unity government headed by any of you. After a period of time, your government will be fallen and an interim govt will be formed that runs an early parliamentary elections; and you know who possesses majority and the upper hand.
In 2005 you took the election hurriedly and through deception, but in the next elections there will not be a place for deception for ‘a believer is not stung twice from the one place`.
In the early elections, the opposition will have the majority, and will form its government, which will be headed by an honorable and clean nationalistic Sunni personality, and whose integrity is known by all people.
There are many a nationalist Sunnis in Lebanon capable of commandeering such leadership posts. At the same time, we will not annul or cross you off. We will or at least I agree for you to have the guaranteeing third, and share with you, because we believe that Lebanon is the country of co-participation, sharing, concordance and cooperation.
Oh brothers and sisters,
To express our persistence with this peaceful and civilized movement, I call upon you tonight in this speech. Of course, I call upon the Muslims specifically, to participate in tomorrow's Friday prayer, in these squares which are yours, the arenas of honour and true political resistance and not the alleged fake arenas; to participate in Friday prayer as an expression of our unity in the face of all forms of sedition and segregation, headed by the learned Shaikh Fathi Yakan as Imam.
(The following is a jurisprudence detail for the worshippers of the Shiite Muslims; this Friday prayer suffices you for midday prayer, after which you can perform your afternoon prayer and that suffices you.)
I invite you as well as all those listening, for the largest participation in Friday prayers because it is for worshiping God the One and only, and because it is an expression aimed at all those laying in wait to sow sedition, division and conflict among us.
You may find fertile soil for sedition somewhere else in the world, but in Lebanon, no there will not...(stressing) will not be fighting between the Shiites and the Sunnis.
Moreover, I call upon you and all the viewers and listeners to participate in the huge popular gathering on Sunday, at 3 pm, to renew our expression of this stance and to confirm our public presence and persistence as a national Lebanese opposition.
Just as we have been telling them every night, we will tell them again on Sunday night and they will hear us in all the palaces of the ruling team...from the domains, the homes of the poor, from the huts and tents, the destroyed homes, the neighbourhoods of those displaced by poverty and war, we will make them hear our voice, that we in the national Lebanese opposition will not give in... We will remain in the squares... We will remain in the arenas until the establishment of a Lebanese government of national unity, the guarantee for Lebanon and all the Lebanese. A government capable of saving Lebanon and defending Lebanon, which will treat the economic, political and social crisis...We will make them hear our determination to reach our objective and to remain on this path, no matter the sacrifices.
Oh brothers and sisters, from all religions, sects, movements and parties you are indeed victorious... as I said to you in the invitation, as I used to always promise you victory, I promise victory again...them...they are continuing the July-August war, and we continue our battle of defending Lebanon's identity, unity and integrity.
Long live all of you, blessed be the martyr Ahmed Mahmoud, blessed be your martyrs and long live Lebanon.
Peace, God's compassion and blessings be with you.
Source: Al-Ahed News
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