The Era of Resistance has Begun, there is no going back - By Sheikh Naim Qassem

The equation is not about people moving about in spiritless bodies, as slaves for the arrogant, life is not about living in one's own country under foreign guardianship, where people eat and drink but in the end must succumb to "Israel's" dictates. Life is to stand up and face them all, to sat the land is our own, al-Quds (Jerusalem) is our own, life is too and so is sovereignty...we will expel the occupiers even if on our blood, and sacrificed blood will blossom with children and new strength that defeats them and creates the future...thus we know martyrs and martyrdom.

Resistance is the solution:
Debate in Lebanon and in the region always focuses on the resistance, and its importance and role. Some discussions seem truly odd, particularly when practical experience provides tangible evidence and debate and analysis no longer a possibility. Liberation of the land is practical evidence demonstrated by the resistance, international resolutions on the other hand prove to have affixed occupation, the great powers also proved that they are aligned with "Israel" against the return of Palestine, al-Quds and the occupied territories to their rightful owners; furthermore, the West has shown it does not possess a sense of justice and humanity as it sides with the unjust aggressor "Israel" against the youth, women and Palestinian elderly, who are being oppressed, tortured and killed every day.

While such evidence is present before our eyes, do we still need some painstakingly long thesis about Resolution 425 the "Israelis" turned to a joke, by mocking Lebanon whenever they talked about it saying: 'Lebanon, is invisible to us, where is it? We have to search for it on the map to get to know it!'

The resistance combatants taught them that liberation is not linked to 425 Resolution or to the SC, but rather to the sacrifices of the Mujahidin and Mujahidaat (Female strugglers), and the fact that they are capable of changing the equation themselves. After 22 years of occupation "Israel" along with the U.S. and the SC forcibly exited Lebanon in 2000, dragging disappointment behind them.
"Israel" was without a doubt expelled from our country, our land returned with honor and dignity, without a price or condition in return, proving to the world that resistance is what liberates, while international decisions are arrogant tools aimed at killing our people as demonstrated by Resolution 425.

Liberation took place on May 25, 2000; on May 26, 2000 we began preparations.

Some people were saying: We are finished with "Israel."
We said to them: "Israel" will try again a third and fourth time, we must be prepared. Many did not feel our preparations. We worked day and night anticipating the day when "Israel" attacks. In 6 years the Islamic Resistance was able to build a coherent and interconnected battle system, enveloped and protected by popular support that enabled Hizbullah in July 2006 to defeat and disgrace "Israel's" aggression, achieving in the process a great victory for the Lebanese, Arabs and Muslims as well as for many in the world who have never seen a victory with such distinctiveness before, at least during the last several hundred years.

Today the resistance has moved from a dream to a path, from security to reality, from concept to project, resistance is no longer a song on podiums, but a course in everyone's life without exception, resistance is no longer an influential element in the corridors of universities, institutions or forums but a life each one of us lives, hence this age is the age and era of resistance.

The era of resistance has begun, there is no going back, no possibility for any other era to replace the resistance, it will continue as the basis and will affect all our regional developments, no one can close the door on resistance to take us back into surrender, for we are in a time of glory and victory, and God willing this will continue.

I read some excerpts recently from the United Nations Secretary-General's report, clearly showing "Israel's" inability to hide its daily aggressions against Lebanon, the report in contrast could not specify any evidence about violations committed by Hizbullah against Resolution 1701.
The whole world knows that "Israel" penetrates Lebanese airspace about 20 times each day, yet what has this world together with the SC done about these violations? Nothing! It is "Israel's" accomplice, otherwise they should have waged an international war on "Israel", if not they could have placed economic and political sanctions against it or put a squeeze on it.

Instead, what we see are efforts to normalize relations between "Israel" and the Arabs, U.S. capabilities are given to "Israel", European politicians attempt to edge themselves closer to it lest it allow them to have a role or a position that leads to more tension in our region.

The assaults taking place against the Palestinian people in Gaza today, their food, drink, electricity and medicine situation is a crime described in the twenty-first century...the entire international community bears responsibility for it, because it does not do anything for these vulnerable people.

We have no choice other than resistance, resistance is a reaction to occupation, aggression and injustice, it has proven its feasibility, without any possibility for any other further steps that can be resorted to, this resistance is a necessity for several reasons:
First: the resistance gives strength to Lebanon and prevents its weakening, and here all those who talk about disarming the resistance soften that expression, because they are afraid to say: We want to abolish the resistance! Otherwise what is resistance? The resistance is a military capacity facing those who want to abolish resistance, to weaken Lebanon to give "Israel" leeway to create what it wants, thus providing a free service to "Israel."
Second: This resistance possesses weapons and strength, which complement the Lebanese state, because the resistance weapons are directed against "Israel", which is a part of a function by the State and not its substitution.
Third: This resistance is built on the concept of strength, sovereignty and liberation, it is not a random reaction but an integrated project, hence its relevance, importance and effectiveness.
Fourth: The resistance neutralized "Israel's" use of Lebanon as its domain, hindered the Palestinian re-settlement project, and placed significant obstacles to the "New Middle East project" from the American-"Israeli" perspective.
Fifth: the strength equation was created by the people of Lebanon, and consequently, all the foreign schemes will be exposed when it is confronted by the will of this good and proud people.

Resistance Community:
Here we must call for the establishment of a community of resistance, by which we mean several things:
First: the resistance community is an integration of the people, whereby everyone gives, with each member of this society living their own normal life, of going to school, attending universities, work in factories, businesses and the like, should a confrontation require his involvement, his participation will be according to the confrontation requirements.
When the confrontation is over, he returns to his normal daily life.

Thus the whole society becomes a resistance society; it provides what is required of it to then go back to the normalcy of daily life. Hence a resistance society is not one in which arms are randomly distributed to all the people, but such a community governs energies and capacities into an integrated process of confrontation.

A certain model of a such a community came into manifestation in July 2006 year, we were victorious in Lebanon, not only by the resistance but by its community as well, because while resistance combatants fought with weapons, the displaced in different locations politically spoke through various media expressing their steadfastness, patience and endurance, while a section of the Lebanese society embraced the families of the resistance combatants and the displaced persons, and another section was ready for rear line defense duties.

This was an integrated picture spearheaded by the resistance, and so the resistance triumphed against "Israel" and among its internal society. This is the community of resistance we are calling for.
Second: we refuse the militarization of the resistance by confining it to groups, and call for a resistance community to tighten the grip around the "Israeli" project from every side. This is the project that fortifies Lebanon.
Third: The resistance society protects the Lebanese state from foreign pressures, and strengthens its status and stance.
Fourth: The resistance community seals the security, political and economic gaps vis-à-vis "Israel", regardless of the gates it enters, whether the military, security or politically it will be blocked by an secure people barrier, this is what makes us stand and confront.
Yes, we call for a community of resistance, because in Lebanon there is no solution in the confrontation against "Israel" but through resistance, however, we will not experiment with politics and diplomacy with others, the rest can explore as they like, but will not put our strength and ability to use in a an idea that has proven itself a failure. We want to maintain this strength to move with it to better positions, in order to take advantage of it in any future reality to come.