Source: Hizbullah Staff, 13-02-2009

'US Conditions for Dialogue Rejected; We'll Never Recognize "Israel"'

Sayyed Nasrallah on the celebration of the birth of the noble Prophet, expressed hopes that all the claims which cause sensitivity between Shiaa and Sunnites would see its end very soon.

On the occasion Sayyed Nasrallah said "we will not recognize 'Israel', we can defeat this entity and even remove it from existence.

Marking the blessed birthday of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh&hh) in the context of Islamic Unity Week, the Secretary-General for Hizbullah His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hosted a celebration held by Hizbullah and attended by a large gathering at Sayyed Shouhada complex in Beirut's southern suburbs.

During this event, His Eminence gave the following speech:

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Thanks and Praise be to God, Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds, peace and prayers be to the seal of the prophets, Prophet Muhammad, his infallible household, his chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers and messengers ...

Dear brothers and sisters,

Peace and God's blessings upon you all,

To begin with, congratulations to you on this blessed occasion of the birth of the greatest prophet, peace be upon him and his household, the seal of prophets, master of the messengers and of all creation most loved by God the exalted...

Today we celebrate the blessed birth that is dear to us all, in the presence of God's prophet, to find teaching, guidance, faith, unification, and learn about human dignity and liberty, in all that is good for man in this and the After life.

Brothers and sisters,

As usual, I wish to talk about some of the aspects related to this occasion and others of more general nature related to more recent events.

A point that is known to Muslims, which probably receives everyone's consensus, that Muhammad, the prophet of God (pbuh&hh) son of Abdullah, was born in the 'Year of the Elephant'.

Often when we read the Biography of the Prophet or hear it being spoken of, from the time of his birth through the events that took place during his blessed life, but here I wish to pause a little, at the point in time covering his birth.

A year was given the name 'Elephant Year', has been known to Arabs before and after Islam, even to this day, acknowledged by history books, in the 'Hadith' - prophetic tradition, the 'Siras' - prophet's course of life, in translations, as well as in all books that comprehensively cover historic events of that year; a year in which an event took place and because of which that year was called 'Year of the Elephant'. The authenticity of that event, and its details, has not been ignored or negated by anyone throughout history.

Year of Elephant was also the year the prophet of God (pbuh&hh) was born.

This story was known 40 years prior to Mohammad's prophethood.

I will be very brief in mentioning the details of that event, only to bring focus to its indications. I do not wish to talk about history just for the sake of it, but for what it represents in meanings and lessons that are relevant to our current point in time.

In that year, the Ethiopian King Abreha, a great king with immense wealth, controlled parts of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen was also under his control. He decided to attack and conquer Mecca, to destroy the Kaabah, because he found it was the focus of the hearts and minds of people.

He wanted to have a substitute elsewhere for the Kaaba (for Muslims al-Kaaba is the place toward which they turn in prayer), the place toward which the hearts, minds and convoys would go.

This meant, he had ideological, ritualistic, political, economic and commercial calculations, because Mecca and the Kaaba in Mecca were seen from many different angles, because all attempts to guide the people's hearts and minds away from it had failed.

The reason for this is because the Arabs and all the past prophets (pbu them) hold a special status in their hearts for the Noble Kaaba, God's Holy place in Mecca, and it is the mission of our Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh).

When the hearts were constantly go to those in homage and no where else, King Abraha in the end, as all tyrants of the world usually do, resorted to forming an enormous army with the latest and most advanced weaponry available at the time, amassed a great number of elephants and announced to go to Mecca.

Along the way, all Arab tribes were being defeated in front of this Ethiopian army and escape defeated (tomorrow, some will criticize me by saying 'there he is talking about Arabs of by gone years, when we are the Arab and those are our fathers and grandfathers of the Arab tribes), their hearts were filled with fear, horror and panic, therefore, King Abraha advanced with ease until he reaching the gates of the Kaaba.

At Noble Mecca's gates, Quraish being (the dominant guardian tribe of the time), the guardian, master and resident of Mecca, the first beneficiary of Mecca, religiously, politically, commercially, morally and materially, with its varied clans and diverse tribes, it was expected that Quraish would defend the Sacred House of God and its honorable Kaaba, but, as is known in history, Quraish took the option of withdrawing from and evacuating Mecca, into the backstreets and distant suburbs.

They vacated Mecca leaving its gates open in front of King Abraha's Army. Resolved on storming Mecca, and with no one there to defend it, Abraha wanted to start maneuvering his army; the equation was at the time: 'the house has a lord to protect it.'
And so when all the people relinquished the protection of this house, its lord protected it.

As is also unanimously agreed on in history, which is also mentioned in the Holy Koran, God the exalted sent birds of 'Ababil' {And He sent against them Flights of Birds, (Koran 105:3)} carrying stones of 'Sijjil' {Striking them with stones of baked clay. (Koran 105:4)} in its beaks, which started stoning the soldiers and their horses and elephants with small stones...terror filled the hearts of the army's soldiers ... and their defeat began (perhaps this was the first accurate aerial bombing in human history).

Abraha's army was humiliated in disgraceful defeat. Quraish returned to Mecca. The House was protected by its lord.

This is the incident that took place that year. I will return to it shortly after.

In the year during which this great event took place, the great Messenger of God, Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim was born (pbuh&hh).

As a confirmation of this incident with all its events, it was unanimously agreed that when the Koran came down, it talked about the Elephant incident in Surat 'Al-Fil' (the Elephant chapter in the Koran.)

None from Quraish Tribe, the Arabs, Ethiopia nor the rest of the world denied this event or its details, keeping in mind they were all scrutinizing every detail in every word uttered by the Messenger of God, to find a defect, a lapse or a lie, God forbid, to prove him contradictive to reality or to the ultimate truth. In the end they were confronted by Surat Al-Fil, which reported this incident in such detail, everyone acquiesced.

Hence two godly events took place in that year that forever changed the course of history; the first was closely tied to the second, it was not isolated from it nor was its timing coincidental.

The first was the protection of God Almighty for his sacred house, with an uncontested colossal miracle.

The Second event was related to the first; the first was preliminary and preparatory to the second and major event, the birth of the prophet, who will later bring to the entirety of mankind, white and black, red and yellow man, not only to Quraish or the Arabs, but all mankind, God's compassion to all creatures, his prophethood will be the seal of all prophets, his message the last of God's messages, an eternal divine Godly message for mankind until Resurrection Day.

To go back to the first event, we see two indications, here we enter the lesson.

The first lesson was the Arabs' inability, with all their entities of the time, whether kings or leaders of tribes and clans or alliances of tribes and clans, it was the end of Arab impotence to do anything not only in defense of their land, water, oil, dignity, or honour, but the most sacred of their sanctities, God's Sacred House, the Second Noble Qiblah (Direction to which Muslims face in prayer) the Noble Kabaa... Complete impotence... This is first.

The first lesson or sign, because no acts of heroism whatsoever were known to have taken place against this army throughout its entire trip, an army that had announced its goal from the moment it embarked on that trip, which was to demolish the Kaaba, in all its significance and symbolism to the people of the Arabian Peninsula, yet none made any moves... and this is an extremely important matter, for even Quraish, which had arrogated what it did for itself, yet it escaped to the backstreets and outer suburbs of Mecca.

The second lesson or sign was the divine intervention, was, against all those who doubt such intervention, support or championing by God, His clear and obvious divine intervention, which needs no explanation, nor does it have any other explanation, meaning what happened in the Elephant Event, was a divine intervention to protect his Home and Kaabah.

Even in the details of the incident, we find that God Almighty, to humiliate these ruthless aggressor tyrants, did not send his strongest and most powerful creatures; He sent them instead birds that defeated them by pelting them with brimstones, for they did not deserve more than that, nor did their story deserve more either.

This second lesson must remain ever present in our minds that God the Exalted intervenes when he wants to intervene, protects when he wants to protect.

Yes, in some historical events, this or that prophet, this or that Imam fell martyrs as required according to God's will.

Particular incidents take form in a certain way, but according to God's will there are limits. When God the Exalted decides to intervene, he then does so in his own way and in his own method, which is what happened in the Year of the Elephant.

Hence, that year portrayed the end of Arab frailty, impotence and fragmentation; in that very same year of that obvious Divine miracle, Mohammed (pbuh&hh) was born. The miracle of the Elephant is not isolated in time from the time of the prophet's birth, and the predestined Divine role and historic function for that year's newborn.

Since the beginning, Mohammad (pbuh&hh) was enshrouded in God's care, mercy and preservation. He upheld his mission, patiently with perseverance, he talked about his mission and gave guidance, he struggled, defended and endured, there were also the great miracles that God manifested on the hands of this greatest of God's messengers (pbuh&hh).

This man was born an orphan among poor, illiterate, unaware, weak, divided people living in the desert and the mountains which became within 23 years a great nation, a great civilization.

This is the greatness of the Messenger of God (pbuh&hh), because among the ways a person's greatness is known is through his/her legacy, accomplishments and deeds he/she leaves behind for humanity and history.

Another of these great miracles is this Holy Quran, revealed by God Almighty onto Mohammad (pbuh&hh), in that society and environment with all of the above mentioned level of knowledge culturally, politically and socially, the Holy Quran was revealed by God Almighty, sent via one of the greatest of His angels (Arch Angel Gabriel) to the greatest heart of the greatest known man, "With it came down the spirit of Faith and Truth" (26:192) "To thy heart and mind, that thou mayest admonish"(26:193) Holy Quran.

This Quran in our hands now is exact same Quran that was revealed to God's Messenger's heart, exact same Quran to that of the era of the Messenger of God (pbuh&hh), and to the caliphates period after God's prophet (pbuh&hh) without a single character added or removed.

This is what Muslims owe God Almighty on the level of faith and ideology. The fact that this Quran remains pristine clear of flaw and surplusage, away from corruption and fraud, from concealment or disappearance, is in itself a divine miracle manifest before our eyes.

Throughout history after the Prophet's mission and for many reasons, humans had motives to conceal the entire Quran, or some parts thereof, to make changes and alterations to it, even tried to come up with an equivalent version, made attempts to come up with chapters or Surat (Chapter) similar to those within it, but the attempts of all those with such motives, failed...

Because the challenge here was against God Almighty the Exalted, who in his Quran promised to preserve this Quran and so He did, and He will until Resurrection Day.

It is why today, for example, we find that as Muslims in all our different sects, views and directions, and according to Noble Hadiths (Prophet's Discourses), we are all in agreement that during and following Prophet's time, throughout history many liars embedded Hadiths, which they related to Prophet Mohammad (pbuh&hh).

Hence we find within Sunni, Shiaa and other Islamic sects, there are two fields called "Ulm ul Rijaal" (knowledge of Man) and "Ulm al-Hadiths" (Knowledge of Hadiths)... we therefore need to check and confirm any "Hadith" or discourse brought to us and attributed to the Prophet (pbuh&hh); we ought to see whether the men who brought that Hadith, are sincere and pious or liars?

Not every spoken Hadith is considered acceptable, but its references must be ascertained, it must be discerned whether the men who transferred such Hadiths were pious and sincere or not? While all of us Muslims deal with the entire Holy Quran from back to back as a definitive publication by God, revealed to His prophet (pbuh&hh), God's book, as it is, nothing added and nothing taken away.

Today, we have in our hands this Godly, prophetic and eternal ammunition, of all God's books and books of past prophets (pbu them), this has been preserved...Godly ammunition and to us Muslims, it represents the greatest common ground regardless of the intellectual and doctrinal differences, God's book, the Holy Quran, is a great common denominator the one Muslims have in all their houses, be they Sunnis, Shiaas or from other sects...

This is the Quran we recite day and night in our different events...at times of celebration, grief, times of our wars and peace, on which we raise our children and all our generations... this great common denominator is a meritorious foundation upon which to build Islamic unity as has always been posed by Muslim scholars before the Islamic Revolution in Iran and after the Islamic revolution in Iran... it is noteworthy to mention that it is recorded for Imam Khomeini (May God honour his soul), to have jettisoned this initiative, as a leader, religious reference authority and great thinker. He has adopted this approach and given it impetus in both Arab and Islamic worlds, something we all need.

Always, before and after Imam Khomeini, Muslim leaders and scholars have never suggested the idea of Islamic unity as an integrationist or organizational way, because such unity cancels out specialties, confessional and sectarian specifics and the specifics of the different schools of thought.

This intellectual and doctrinal diversity in Islam is one of the most powerful elements in Islam. It gives it this time and space extension, through time, space, generations and history; consequently, there is no one with an intention to cancel this diversity, which is a source of strength and a factor of eternality and provides for a capacity to keep up with all changing events and facts throughout time.

On the other hand, unity here is about harmony, convergence, cooperation and common interests as a nation, to exert joint efforts to achieve all these goals and interests.

Islam and the Prophet of God (pbuh&hh) who was an advocate for dialogue, harmony, openness to one another, not only among Muslims but between Muslims and followers of other religions, he himself was a leader, progressive in dialogues on a broad scale of topic that were conducted with learned people, scholars of Judaism and Christianity, and any other religions and ideologies.

Today, in the face of all the existing challenges and threats, indeed we need this definition of unity, because the Umma's enemies do not want us to converge, as Muslims amongst ourselves, in the broader global scale, nor as Lebanese, as Christians and Muslims for example.

This trend is also easily noticed whenever we go to any Arab or Islamic country, when it comes to convergence, closeness and unity among people of different religious or ethnic affiliations, or nationality.

It is obvious to you and I, after all these events from past decades and centuries, that the enemies of this nation want control of its sanctities, oil, wealth and its political decision, they do not want us to have any unity... most obvious.

On the other hand, what do we do in the face of such enemy?

There is always someone gambling on this nation's fragmentation, and there are always those in this nation working on its convergence and cooperation....

.. This matter continues in its positive and negative aspects.

On this occasion of celebrating the birth of God's greatest prophet (pbuh&hh), an end must be put to some of the undue claims, which stir strong sensitivities between Shiaas and Sunnis.

We have notice for a while now, that when it comes to toying with the nation's larger issues that things have not been simple, because Muslim scholars and various trends in Islamic sects, in relation to the main issues all stand united and tackle (these issues).
There are wise people in all regions and all countries, working on local, regional and national levels in this positive direction.

The most recent of the fragmentation projects being worked on in the last few years, which is being confronted, is that the Shiaas' project is the conversion of Sunnites into Shiaas.

Suppose there are those who fabricate these stories, and present false reports on this level, keeping in mind that the elders and leaders, in particular the highly revered scholars, when they are give such false reports, they should not accept them as they are, and instead, they should check to confirm the authenticity of such stories.

It has been claimed that here in Lebanon exists a Shiaa project to convert Sunnites, In recent years regions and all countries are working at the country level and at the direction this nation is in the positive, and a tone of worry is how many years the story that the Shiites buried their year... here we are, and here is Lebanon, the entirety of its land area is 10,452 k2, where everyone knows what happens in every village, neighbourhood and town, can anyone tell us where is this project?!

Can anyone Point it out to us?

On a previous occasion, al-Jazeera television asked the Sunni Mufti of Tripoli and North Lebanon a question on the matter, to which he replied with courage and clarity: "Such projects do not exist among us here in Lebanon!"

Thanks to his eminence, Sheikh Malek for his honesty.

The same had also been said in Egypt and the same question was posed to Egypt's Mufti who also denied the existence of anything of the kind in Egypt!

Hence, where is any truth about this story of conversions?

In some websites it was written that hundreds of thousands of Sunnites have been converted to Shiaas... a fabrication they wanted to exploit against Syrian Leadership, where are they?

Show them to us, their names, lists of names, show us who and where they are?

This is a story that is being spread in many areas and, unfortunately, some scholars and sensible people adopt and build upon it an issue for battle and confrontation that is baseless and completely untrue.

Yes, today in the Arab, Islamic and the whole world there is internet and television, people exhibit books in libraries, exhibitions and on the internet, everyone presents what they have of ideas, convictions and indications, etc...

Furthermore, major events that may occur in the world may affect some young Shiaas in a way that they may turn Sunni Muslims, and the same for some Sunnis...yet I firmly and categorically stress that we have not found a project of this kind, or in process of being created in any country, in Hizbullah, in any Shiaa Islamic Movement or in the Islamic Republic of Iran's official system-headed by Sayyed Khomeini (may his honorable presence endure long), nor according to any of the major Shiaa religious authorities in the Islamic World today.

These are all delusional unfounded matters, exaggerated and inaccurate to say the least.... upon which an endless battle is being established, over which voices are loudly raised... yet some of these very same voices remained silent when over 22 days of war against Gaza killed more than 1300 Palestinians-who are themselves Islamic Sunnis- these voices of concern were not raised or heard.

When stories are spread, about a young Sunni person for example, in a remote part of the world having converted to Shiaa, or a group of young Shiaas converted to Sunni or to a more strict Sunni trend, such as incidents of this kind that have occurred in Lebanon and their names exist ... it is on such stories that a battle and a project of confrontation get built; such matters must put be put to an end and dealt with realistically.

Against this background, we move to the next topic of this discourse, the current political situation... where we say ‘yes, we are with all Arab and Islamic convergence, with any inter-Arab reconciliation between any two, three, four, five or more countries, any inter-Arab reconciliation is a required matter that ought to be supported and backed'.

I say to you there is nothing to feel anxious about in these reconciliations, as some are trying to present. For instance, I read what some (US backed) 'March 14' alliance's 'great thinkers' wrote that "after the recent Arab quart-partite reconciliation in Riyadh, Hizbullah should find its head"!

What kind of talk is this? What kind of world does anyone who makes such statements live in?

However, it seems that it is they who were looking for theirs in the reconciliation, and so now that they found there's, they measure accordingly.

Any inter-Arab rapprochement or reconciliation ought to be viewed as a source of strength for us all rather than a source of anxiety.

Getting closer to the next summit in Doha, we also call on Arabs to open up to other countries that support Arab rights such as Iran and Turkey.

When people demand for their rights or are being persecuted, they look all over the world for support; but it is strange how some Arabs, when anyone comes to our support, we create a project of enmity, separation and opposition against them!

Does it not make the Arabs stronger when Venezuela comes to support Arab rights?

Is it right to go against Venezuela for Bush's sake? (Now Bush is gone...)

If any country in the world, regardless of its religious, cultural, ideological or political affiliation, said it supports Arab and Palestinian rights and wants to champion Arab causes, how could we reject such gestures when our duty is to seek out anyone that supports our rights and issues?

Today Iran and Turkey are in such position, there are other countries in the world today as well in this same position, and I tell you, these countries will grown in number and not decrease god willing; but, we, as Arab peoples and governments have to extend a hand of cooperation, friendship and support to those, instead of the adversarial response of quarrels and accusation.

In this same context, inter-Palestinian dialogues taking place in Cairo between their different factions receive our full support as well.

Yes, our Palestinian brothers are facing complications Palestinians themselves have to handle with necessary wisdom, courage and flexibility. But for some to come from behind the seas to make against accusations of obstruction against this or that State, this or that ally, is a great injustice!

We know for example from our situation in Hizbullah, throughout the Lebanese national opposition and Palestinian factions, we are all accused of being in coalition together, them with us, us with them, with Iran or with Syria.

No one interferes with the Palestinians, no one imposes options on them, no one tells them what to do, they decide, act, approve and reject what they will, this is our testimony, we make before God Almighty on this momentous occasion, and I say this is our reality.

That is why we Hizbullah join voices with all appeals going out to the dialoguers in Cairo to make every effort to reach unity, cooperation, convergence and closeness, in order to come out of this unfortunate divide that has prevailed among them.

Additionally, in this context, I would like to draw attention to a detail, that we in Hizbullah support inter-Palestinian unity, not only within political frameworks but I would like to assure you and the entire world, that Hizbullah has absolutely no formations or factions in Gaza whatsoever.

Regrettably, I have to say that I have seen Some Arab, even some Lebanese media, attempt to accuse Hizbullah in Lebanon with intervening in some of Gaza Strip's details such as firing some rockets in Gaza and the like,

We have warm relations of cooperation, respect, trust and mutual confidence with all Palestinian factions, we do not interfere in their affairs, and they decide and act on their own affairs, the way we do not like others to dictate to us what to do on our front. We certainly do not interfere or dictate to others any detail or procedure, large or small.

We consider ourselves brothers whose duty is to help a brother in any way one can, with whatever such a brother requests, nothing more.

Palestinian resistance leadership determines its own interests, it makes its own decisions on whether to have calm or fire rockets, and they determine their operations. Interfering is an act of sabotage against Palestinian interest. We are not only committed to this cause, but consider interference a treacherous act and a breach of trust, therefore 'Haram' (improper or contravenes the requirements of Islamic law) legitimacy and jihad wise.

Also in the same Arab context, we must pause before the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant issued against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Of course, we in Hizbullah condemned this decision and on this occasion, we renew our denunciation of such a decision and I tell you frankly, this ICC never proved its fairness or that it works outside the political standards, in order for its decisions to be respected by any of us.

On the subject of President al-Bashir, they say they went, searched and investigated in Darfur, they say that there were women and children, etc... killed by the Sudanese military and militias, at the Sudanese President al-Bashir's orders; these are their allegations.

However, this ICC does not need to run any investigations, when a set of crimes have clearly been committed and continue to occur every day on television screens in both Lebanon and Gaza.

During the July war, television screens reported 33 days of "Israeli" crimes and murders of women, children and elderly, not only entire neighborhoods but entire villages were demolished and destroyed at the orders of and clear adoption by Olmert, Livni, Halotz and others.

Yet this ICC never shrugged at the site of "Israeli" massacres against civilians when it clearly did not need any investigation, since direct rather than indirect responsibility was broadcast on TV?!

Furthermore what happened in Gaza recently as well; in full view of the whole world, more than 1300 Palestinians were martyred whose murder claimed by "Israelis", the vast majority or more than half of whom were women and children!

We did not see the Attorney General of the ICC or a single judge dare open their mouths with an utterance.

Did the first Qana massacre ("Israeli" air force targeted and completely destroyed and burned a clearly marked UN building where over 150 Lebanese civilians who took refuge perished in the massacre) ever need any investigating?!

How about the second Qana massacre, does it need an investigation?!

Also when we talk about President Bush and the American Military leaders, day after day, 30, 40, 50 or 100 civilian victims are killed in Afghanistan, in Pakistan and sometimes in Iraq, yet after all these atrocities and massacres, President Bush appears to apologize saying "they were killed in error, due to wrong intelligence information"?!

Intelligence failures in five years allowed the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi, Afghan and Pakistani civilians, and no ICC. Therefore, the debate here is not about details, nor is it about President Bashir only, but about principle.

Then is this a fit authority?

Is it a real independent judicial body?

Or is it one of the international institutions of international character, used to settle political scores that serve larger world political projects, to keep Sudan, as it has for many years now, placed in the target circle Sudan's unity, water and oil wealth.

Sudan, for the many recent years has withstood being targeted on more than one level, and now comes a new circle of collusion against it.

This matter must be made clear, the issue here is not about condemning the Prosecutor's decision, but to stand up and say that this great scandal of the ICC and its Prosecutor, a major scandal for those who look the other way from massacres that left hundreds of thousands dead in more than one Arab and Muslim country. Instead a President is pursued for allegations yet to be proved and investigations whose credibility has not been ascertained; this is a scandal...

That could be repeated again, anyone, who may be targeted by the US Administration or the Zionist project, has the right to view this kind of international institutions with caution, suspicion and doubt, since it does not act on purely judicial or legal grounds, but purely on political basis, it upholds its work by looking for legal or judicial fatwa, or excuses here and there.

We have already entered legislative elections phase and I would like to emphasize the need for calm, and predominantly acceptable atmospheres exist despite a few tension stirring incidents.

In this context, I warn the media against the dangers of inflating any security incidents; such incidents have occurred before the elections and before 2005, even during political instability in the Lebanon.

Inflation events then readily giving out suggestive and quick unfounded accusations against this or that party, only inflates and aggravates the situation in the country. Most incidents often turn out to be of personal nature in the end, without political motives. At times wild media campaigns were launched and founded on claims that later proved false, and even the opposite to what was initially claimed.

It is the concern of the Security agencies and the Lebanese judiciary to investigate any claims.

It is worth noting that in the South, for example, every once in a while a car that belongs to a known person or a particular side is burned or blown up. Automatically a particular political faction is accused!

How do you know? Who told you? What is your proof?

Who is not to say that it is you making these accusations that burnt these cars in order to create a media event, or media presence?

I cannot accuse you, why do you hastily make accusations in every which direction...

Incidents do occur at times and should be uncovered but at the end of the day they are of personal, sporadic and limited nature, no one should aim to inflame them in order to create tension in the entire country.

Some claim that this or that incident here or there is aimed at frightening the Lebanese expatriates away from visiting Lebanon to vote in the elections!

When you take a small incident, personal and limited in nature and start running round the country 'ringing bells of danger' with it, then go on to build political theories on it and make accusations of all sorts... you are, as a result, the one frightening expatriates away.

Therefore, at this point let us give matters their real and natural size, let us contain any incident in any area and deal with it responsibly and cooperatively by all political forces, and the security and judicial apparatus in order to maintain the integrity and security of our country, and the required stability for smooth and calm elections.

In this framework, there are also those who quickly accuse the opposition over these incidents claiming the opposition wants to disrupt the election!

This is also funny, because if the elections take place, and the opposition does not get parliamentary majority, does it lose?!

Right now, the opposition is not a parliamentary majority, and you know even if we win the next elections, there is a basis in Lebanon, that parliamentary majority does not necessarily mean popular majority. This is a result of the sectarian system and method of distribution of seats and constituencies.

So if the opposition lost, it will continue to hold its current status inside in Parliament, hence it has nothing to loose in next elections...

These elections are the opposition's chance to win majority in Parliament; for that reason, we are clinging to have a calm and stable security situation so that elections occur on time.

Accusations or questions should be aimed at 'who is that has something to lose, should they lose the elections?'

Certainly not the current opposition...

Today, you are parliamentary majority, holding office, and a long debate on the subject of third majority in cabinet is taking place, but eventually if the elections do take place, and the current 'majority' lost, it is you who will lose!

On the other hand if we do not win the elections, provided they are held on time, and do not become majority we will stay where we are, in the opposition!

In other words we will not lose anything.

So to the contrary, the election is the opposition's chance to gain majority, this is its only opportunity, therefore, it is logical and natural for the opposition to be concerned for preserving a calm security atmosphere, and stable atmospheres in the country in order for the elections to take place and see their results.

Regarding the new American position recently published which talks about "openness" for dialogue with Hizbullah and Hamas, but on two conditions:

1st: recognize "Israel"
2nd: renounce 'violence'

When America accepts to hold dialogue with anyone regardless of the conditions, particularly if its conditions to dialogue start waning, that is not due to its reasons of morality but because of the failure of its projects in the region.

Failure was the result of all attempts to isolate and exclude Syria, to topple its government and force change in its rules of conduct.

Thus finally they decided to go for dialogue.

The subject here is not about ethics or morals, but only because Syria was steadfast, fait accompli, real, possessing leverage in the equations of the region, hence they decide to have dialogue with Syria.

Iran is 30 years old, 8 years of war and 22 years of siege...but is growing stronger, more immune, more present, moving into space, manufactures its own civilian and military needs... the US eyes its nuclear potential with fear... boycotting or fighting Iran, placing pressure on Iran has proved useless.

If you want talks in the region, then you have to hold them with all the existing and influential states, including Iran and Syria.

Arrogance will clearly lead you to failure.

Thus is the issue with regional States and its political forces and movements, in particular resistance movements.

Would they hold dialogue with resistance movements if they were weak or shaken?

There is no dialogue with those who lie in prostration, weak and vanquished...

That is that on America's openness to dialogue...

US' conditions

On the other, regarding its conditions, Hizbullah's name is placed on the terrorism list along with many of its institutions, which includes the television station and WAAD (A company that won the tender to rebuild what "Israel" destroyed in July 2006 war.)

Other than the party itself, names of different persons were also put on that list, martyr Commander Hajj Imad Moghnieh (May God have bless his soul) was on that list, my name and the names of some brothers.

If we look at America's regional concerns, this is what it basically comes down to, Americans stance in a nutshell tell us this: 'if you guys are accused of all sorts of 'terrorist' acts, we (the US) will forgive you and let bygones be bygones, even if you are accused of having American blood on your hands, we will forgive you even for (so-called) 'terrorism' too, all you have to do is recognize "Israel" and your slate will be wiped clean!

That is the whole story.

Therefore, is there a U.S. policy in the region?!

No, only "Israel" in the region!

Recognize "Israel" and renounce 'violence'!

And what does it mean to renounce 'violence'?

Renouncing 'violence' means to renounce resistance to occupation, i.e. recognize "Israel", give up resistance, and then let bygones be bygones!

Those happy to see U.S. delegations on visits to Lebanon, little do they know that if we accept dialogue with the Americans, recognize "Israel" and renounce 'violence' (resistance), American delegations will be in Beirut's Southern Dahiya everyday.

Americans pursue their interests; they do not have permanent friends or enemies, or governing ethics.

But of course before America places conditions for dialogue with Hizbullah, the question must first come whether Hizbullah is willing to conduct dialogue with the Americans?

In addition, should Hizbullah accept to dialogue, would that be with or without our own conditions as well?

As for the American conditions, they are rejected.

On this blessed occasion of the Prophet's birth (pbuh&hh) in 2009, 1430 Hijri, today, tomorrow, next year, after a hundred and a thousand years, until the end of time, we, our children, grandchildren and the generations to come, so long as Hizbullah exists, we will never recognize "Israel."

What is "Israel"?

"Israel" is a usurper entity, illegal and illegitimate, a racist state, an aggressor and terrorist state.

According to what criteria can a Muslim or Arab person recognize an entity of this kind?
How can they simply accept this "Israel", when three quarters or more of its vagrant imposturous population were brought in from all over the world?

Meanwhile, must the native Palestinian people, legitimate owners of the land, homes and sanctities, Muslims and Christians alike leave, surrender and submit?!

Show me, according to which standard or criteria is this considered acceptable? By which religious, moral, human, national, patriotic criterion?

Yes, there is one criterion, the one of Arab tribes and clans defeated before Abraha. Such defeatism gives "Israel" and behind it America the same perception Abarah's army had back in those days: 'what are we to do before such a mighty Ethiopian army, these elephants cannot be confronted, let us escape, abandon our holiest of sanctities to Abraha.'

This is the only logic I see before us, the logic of the Elephant Year, which says 'we cannot face up to "Israel", with America behind it' and that 'our only option is 'realism', 'reality', the logic of coexistence, etc...'

Then they attempt to justify that logic seeking outlandish expressions and definitions to force us to accept their logic...

The only criterion that prods any human being to recognize "Israel" is a sense of defeatism and cheapness, only those who consider themselves powerless.

Conversely, if we believe we are not that weak, if we do not give in to the apathy of 'well this is all we can do', if we see ourselves as capable, strong enough to stand on our own feet, side by side, we will defeat this entity even eradicate it from existence.

They say they have American backing, I say we have God's. He was there for us in the July War; we have God's backing in Gaza...

If the Americans are backing them, let us wait and see if the Americans can get themselves out of their current fall.

To begin with no one knows where the United States of America is heading with its current economic-financial situation and its influence in the world.

As for the "tale" of positivism and dialogue... allow for the possibility that the US may be unable to do anything in the next 2 to 3 years!

May be they are passing time now until they work out how to deal with their financial-economic catastrophe ... it is an existing hypothesis after all.

Therefore, for those who place conditions on us, we, for all the reasons I have just mentioned will not recognize a State named "Israel".

Some tell us that 'no recognition means going to war.'

No one is asking all the people to go to war; if you cannot go to war, it does not mean you have to recognize "Israel".

If you can not fight, do not affix this untruth-do not give it legitimacy by accepting it, if our generation cannot fight, the coming generation will, the one after will... why admit defeat?

If you are unable to confront then don't, but do not give occupation, rape and terrorism any legitimacy either...

This is our logic as long as there is a terrorist, usurping, greedy and aggressor entity. Giving up resistance is not only out of question, but the resistance has become our honour, dignity, life, existence, even the glory of our sanctities.

Anyhow, we will reassess whether we will be ready for dialogue when these conditions are dropped; even then, who says we do not have conditions of our own before we agree to any dialogue?

But for now I will not say what these conditions, because the whole thing is not serious. But still this is our situation now and position.

On celebrating the birth of the Prophet of God (pbuh&hh) on these blessed days we appeal for everyone to love, care and cooperate, to stand in solidarity and to constructively compete in unity and harmony, to work for this nation, its honor and dignity and to defend its sanctities.

I ask God to help us all to bear this responsibility and to be befitting for such level of responsibility.

Once again felicitations to you on this blessed occasion...

Peace, God's mercy and blessings be with you.