Translated By Al-Ahed News

The full speech of Hezbollah’s Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on recent events on 18-10-2021

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Master and Prophet, the Seal of Prophets, Abi al-Qassem Muhammad Bin Abdullah and his good and pure household and his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers.

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you all.

My speech tonight covers recent events that took place last Thursday. I will tackle three headlines and a conclusion, but before I get into the main topic, allow me to say a couple of quick words.

First, I congratulate all the Muslims in the world and all the Lebanese on this day – the birth of the Messenger of God, what has come to be known as Al-Mawlid Al-Nabawi Al-Sharif. God willing, we will hold the promised celebration despite our pain, wounds, and sorrows. We will celebrate the birth of our Prophet, the Greatest Messenger of God. Celebrations are usually held between the 12th and 17th of Rabi’ al-Awwal. God willing, on Friday at 19:30 in the Ashura courtyard in the southern suburbs [Dahiyeh], we hope that everyone will participate and that the attendance on this occasion will be remarkable.

Of course, I should express our pride at what we witnessed today – the crowds of millions in Yemen throughout many Yemeni governorates. This great popular participation, which I mentioned earlier, and I confirm today, is really a divine and moral argument to all the Muslims in the world who belong to this great Messenger. We also take pride in the great and courageous positions of the leader of Ansarullah in Yemen, His Eminence Sayyed Abdul Malik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi.

Second, we express our condolences to the families of the martyrs in Kandahar who were killed by the Wahhabi terrorist organization Daesh, which is manufactured and sponsored by the Americans and financed by the Gulf. May God have mercy on these oppressed martyrs. For a second week in a row, these suicide bombings are taking place.

We express our condolences to the family of martyr Medhat Al-Saleh, the resistance fighter, the liberated captive, who spent many years of his life in Zionist prisons and who was killed by the Zionists. We send our condolences to the Syrian leadership, to the Syrian people, and to our dear people in Syria’s occupied Golan.

I’ll begin my speech by addressing the families of the martyrs, the families of the martyrs of Thursday’s massacre:

Martyr Maryam Muhammad Farhat
Martyr Hassan Muhammad Sobhi Meshik
Martyr Mustafa Munir Shbib
Martyr Hassan Jamil Nema
Martyr Ali Bassam Ibrahim
Martyr Muhammad Hassan Al-Sayed
Martyr Muhammad Jamil Tamer

I offer my condolences for the loss of these loved ones and dear ones. I console them with the sincerest feelings of sympathy, and I tell them, your grief is our grief and your pain is our kindness. I congratulate them for receiving the honorable medal of martyrdom, this divine decoration. I also pray to God Almighty for the speedy recovery of the wounded in this incident and dangerous massacre. At the end of the speech, I will talk about these loved ones and address the families of the martyrs, the wounded, and supporters of the resistance in particular.

The recent events of last Thursday are significant, dangerous, and pivotal events. They are different from many similar incidents that may have occurred recently. We are required to analyze and adopt a position because the present and the future will be determined accordingly.

1- I will start with a political point. There is a party in Lebanon – now I will mention names – and the head of this party. There are people in the immediate circle here in the vicinity of the southern suburbs [Dahiyeh] that want to make the people of Ain Al-Rummana, Al-Hadath, Furn Al-Chebbak, and the rest of the areas adjacent to the southern suburbs always afraid and anxious and always believe that their neighbors, especially in the southern suburbs, are their enemy – regardless of whether they belong to Hezbollah, Amal or others – and that they want to invade their areas and control their neighborhoods and uproot and kill them. Therefore, they must always be alert and ready for a confrontation. Some officials in the Lebanese Forces called those who took up arms on Thursday in these areas resistance fighters because they want to defend their areas against the invasion. This means that there are those who are creating for our people in these areas, our neighbors in these areas, a “permanent imaginary enemy.”

Let us look at the broader circle at the national level. When this party and this person, the head of this party, addresses or meets with the Christians in Lebanon, you see that all the discourse, guidance, mobilization, and effort are focused on the fact that Christians in Lebanon must always remain in fear and panic, and that this concern is for their existence, survival, dignity, freedom, and their partnership with Muslims. Any small, simple incident that may occur between two families belonging to any of Lebanon’s sects or between two young men in the street in Lebanon, any dispute over a plot of land or over meters of land are exploited and exaggerated to fuel fear and anxiety among Christians, as well as their existential anxiety. This is an old but renewed matter.

Of course, the aim of this constant fueling of fear, the search for an enemy, the creation of an enemy, is to present this party, the Lebanese Forces, and its leader as the flag-bearers and defenders of the Christian existence, as the Christian resistance, and as the ones who preserve the blood of the Christians, their honor, and their existence. Under this title and this slogan, they attract, mobilize, and incite in order to achieve goals related to leadership and the presence of this party and the roles it presents in Lebanon to foreign countries that have projects and interests in Lebanon. Here, the Christians in Lebanon become the material used to achieve the leadership of one person, the hegemony of a party, and to serve foreign projects. I am specifically talking about the Lebanese Forces and the President of the Lebanese Forces. I have to speak today following the massacre that took place last Thursday.

In the past, we didn’t address much of the internal Lebanese political issues. But after 2005, we started confronting them – in one way or another – especially during the past 10 years or so. We did not engage in an argument with the [Lebanese] Forces, nor did we not attack them and accuse them in the media or anywhere else. Generally, there may be exceptions. 

The general course of our approach is that we do not want any tensions with anyone, and I always mentioned in the speeches that we do not want tensions or problems or conflicts with anyone. We seek security, safety, peace, and civil peace in Lebanon, and our main battle is with the “Israeli” occupation, the Zionist project, and “Israel’s” ambitions. And when the takfiri issue that was threatening the entire region reemerged, we confronted this project. Throughout the years the head of this party, its leaders, representatives, officials, and social networking sites belonging to this party insulted, accused, and threatened us daily, but we did not comment or respond.

But I think that what happened on Thursday takes us to a new stage in dealing with this issue within internal political affairs. Of course, in recent years, especially after 2005 and the release of the party leader from prison – for those who are calling for respecting and not questioning the judiciary, it’s known that he was pardoned. Otherwise, the Lebanese judiciary convicted him for the murders attributed to him. We will not delve into this file, and it is not our job to scrutinize these issues. But this was the scene in the country. From that day on, and especially in recent years, this party began working on inventing an enemy for the Christians in Lebanon in order to carry out its project. 

Well, the Syrians left Lebanon. The Palestinian organizations are in the camps – God help them. He wants to search for an enemy, invent an enemy. Hence, the enemy that he can use and at the same time exploit in exchange for favors from international and regional bodies while presenting himself as the one capable of confronting this enemy, challenging it, and fighting it is Hezbollah. Today, the target in Lebanon is primarily Hezbollah – the Americans are targeting it; the “Israelis” are targeting it; and in some cases, the Gulf – some Gulf countries – are targeting it.

So, we present Hezbollah as an enemy and try to convince the Christians in Lebanon that this is your enemy that wants to invade your areas, occupy your villages and cities, to take over your properties, change your identity, etc. At some point, he even said that it [Hezbollah] wants to force you to wear abayas! This is what they focused on in the 2009 elections. Therefore, during Thursday’s incident, although Amal and Hezbollah took part in the demonstrations, the martyrs belonged to Amal and Hezbollah – the martyrs who first fell were our brothers in the Amal movement – and all the evidence say that the Lebanese Forces are the ones who killed the martyrs from the Amal movement, yet when interviewed, the leader of the party focuses on Hezbollah. He does not mention the Amal movement, knowing that the Amal movement was a partner in the sit-in, martyrdom, wounds, injustice, and aggression – the subject of confrontation with Hezbollah will be marketed abroad.

All the positions issued by the Lebanese Forces, the statements, the public statements, the internal mobilization whose echoes reach us, the private meetings – there is a special meeting that I will address shortly and we’ve confirmed it – all these confirm these dimensions. It also goes hand-in-hand with arming, training, structures, formations, and hierarchies; in other words, there is a fighting militia. He always accuses us of being a military organization that operates outside the state. 

This is one of these indications. All people in Lebanon own weapons, and many have militias. Dissolving militias is a thing of the past. Tribes have weapons, families have weapons. We see light, medium, and heavy weapons at weddings, receptions, and during disagreements between villages and families. All of this is overlooked. And there are those who only see the weapons of the resistance that defend Lebanon and confront “Israel.” Put this aside. Therefore, within this idea, they have no problem to fabricate events even if they lead to bloody confrontations and shootings and martyrs and victims fall on both sides. This is employed in the service of the goal. Even if it will lead to a massive military clash or a war, they do not have a problem in this regard.

Allow me to speak frankly today. This speech is addressed to the Lebanese people, in general, since our destiny is one and our country is one and to our Christian people, in particular. I want to speak to you honestly, sincerely, and from the heart, to tell you clearly that our conviction – and you, in turn, can discuss this issue and share your conviction with us. The real program of the Lebanese Forces is to initiate a civil war because it will lead to demographic changes that will confine the Christians – like in previous dreams – to a certain area to establish a Christian canton and the establishment of a Christian state and a Christian veto dominated by the Lebanese Forces. There will be no place in it for anyone else. This is our opinion, analysis, and reading of our experience with the Lebanese Forces and the path this party is taking.

Well, someone can say that we are falsely accusing them. In 2017 – I don’t want to talk about the past – they offered their services to the well-known Saudi minister, Al-Sabhan, to provoke a civil war in Lebanon. I heard a while ago that he was arrested or detained, I am not sure, but he is now reportedly under investigation because he has looted the hundreds of millions given to him to manage sedition projects in Lebanon and Iraq. In any case, provoking a civil war was offered in 2017, when former Prime Minister Saad Hariri was imprisoned, and this is well known in the country. On that day, the head of the Lebanese Forces was the first to come out and say: ‘Since the man (Saad Hariri) has resigned, let the President of the Republic, General Aoun, start consultations and assign a new prime minister. He was in a hurry for it!

This was the first betrayal of his ally, his ally who released him from prison. He betrayed him at that moment. Some of Prime Minister Hariri's allies remained silent. They may not have stabbed him in the back, but they let him down. Who at the time defended Prime Minister Saad Hariri? His Excellency President Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah, and a large part of the leadership of the Future Movement. A part of the Future Movement leadership also sat on the sidelines and let their leader down. We all refused and considered that this is not a resignation. We do not accept this resignation – let him come to Lebanon and submit his resignation. This is a resignation under pressure. Perhaps this position surprised them, and we made a great effort to keep Prime Minister Saad Hariri as prime minister until he could return to Lebanon. These facts are all known.

Who betrayed Prime Minister Saad Hariri? Who wanted to inflame the situation towards an internal clash? Who offered his services to Al-Sabhan to provoke a civil war? He is known – the head of the Lebanese Forces. But the response of His Excellency the President, Parliament Speaker Berri, Hezbollah, and most of the leaders of the Future Movement subverted this opportunity.

In internal sessions that took place months ago – I verified this as I didn’t want to accuse anyone, and I think I made sure of one, two, three sources and documented the issue – he was inciting some old allies to engage in a military confrontation with Hezbollah because we are strong, as he put it. We, the Lebanese Forces, are now stronger than we were in the time of Bashir Gemayel, and Hezbollah is now weaker than the PLO at the time of Bashir Gemayel. In light of the regional situation now, Hezbollah is weak. This is our chance to start a battle with Hezbollah. Of course, there was no interaction with this. I will return to it shortly.

What I would like to talk about is this mentality – Christians must always remain anxious, afraid, terrified, armed in their neighborhoods, and speaking in the language of war and the confrontation lines during the civil war that we had nothing to do with. This is all the language of the old civil war that the Lebanese Forces cannot get out of at a time when people are living with each other in security and peace, communication, visits, municipalities working with each other, and political forces open to each other, etc.

They are insisting on this division and this literature and language – the language of the old civil war. They constantly invoke this mentality that prepared the stage for Thursday's events. There were details on Thursday. Let us not get bogged down in details. Who prepared the stage for this massacre, this crime, and these events? It is this mentality, this culture, this leadership, and this administration because the night before we all heard the leader of this party. What did he say? We all know. There are people who tell us, "Didn't you know?" Yes, we knew that there was mobilization in Ain El Remmaneh, Furn El-Chebbak, Badaro, and other areas. Members of the Lebanese Forces were summoned. Weapons were put cars and apartments, etc.

But we have taken reassurances; we spoke with the army, we spoke with the security services, and we took reassurances. These people, my brother, are worried. This is a precautionary effort, and I will return to this details later. We are the ones who asked the army to deploy heavily in this area.

This is the culture that the party leader later expressed again. He was ecstatic and considered that he accomplished something when he talked about a mini-Christian May 7. Instead of making it better, he made it even worse. Look at the Lebanese, especially the Christians. Take the phrase ‘mini-Christian May 7’. Regardless of how you explain it, the Lebanese Forces and its leader will also be condemned – regardless of how it is interpreted. 

I do not want to delve into interpretations, and it is not my job to bring texts and explain them to him. But I consider everything that was issued by the leader of this party, his officials, and his deputies, and what they did, especially on Thursday, as a complete adoption of the battle.

They started the battle and committed a crime that they adopted. The next day, they started fixing and addressing the situation; they saw that the incident was huge and dangerous. On the first day, they will celebrate the victory they achieved – a mini-Christian May 7 – where they confronted. What are they talking about?
They are delusional because they came and incited all the people of the area, and they told them that tomorrow there will be an invasion of your neighborhoods, an occupation of your neighborhoods, and an attack on you. The army was there. The army protects everyone. We put our fate, our blood, and our souls on Thursday in the hands of the Lebanese army and the Lebanese state.

Some of our supporters will say, Sayyed, what happened was wrong. Do you not always tell us the state. When we hold a demonstration in the heart of Dahiyeh [Beirut’s southern suburb], we take security measures, not only discipline, but due to the sensitivity of the area and our respect for the feelings of our neighbors, we did not take security measures in the preventive sense. We have surrendered our necks and blood to the Lebanese army and the security services.

So, they were the ones who prepared this theater – in the next section, I will talk in detail. This is the problem now that needs to be resolved – we were able to contain this mine on Thursday. But it is a mine that could explode at any moment and in any area, and at any time. Let us speak responsibly and that is related to our fate as Lebanese people. I would like to address this topic here when I said I will talk about a few points.

1- The first point or first subheading: I would like all the Lebanese people to listen to me. But in this part, I would like our Christian people in Lebanon to hear me out. I would like to assure you that the attempt to present Hezbollah as an enemy is an illusion, a lie, a slander, an injustice, and a delusion. Hezbollah is not an enemy of the Christians in Lebanon, nor is the Amal movement an enemy of the Christians in Lebanon. Neither the Shiites in Lebanon nor the Muslims are the enemy. Our choice is to live together. Since the civil war ended, people have been living with each other. But I would like to focus on Hezbollah since the focus is on it.

First, I want to tell you that this is not true. This is a lie, a slander, and an injustice that is baseless. I will not speak with slogans, nor will I speak with pretended intentions. I will infer – we are people of logic and argument. On the other hand, those who have logic and argument, let them present evidence.

I will mention two witnesses and two stages. The last stage when Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra, and Takfiri terrorism appeared in Syria and entered the outskirts of Arsal and the eastern chain in the Bekaa, who was their ally and friend? Who was defending them? Who considered them revolutionaries? Who wished for them to rule in Syria and win in Syria? Who sent them money, weapons, supplies and food? Who gave them cover? The Lebanese Forces party and others.

These posed a threat to all the Lebanese people, to Syria, and to the Christians, in particular. We go to Syria. O Christians in Lebanon, if you are fair, and, God willing, the vast majority of you are fair, you can ask the people in the city of Rablah in Al-Qusayr, the people of Deir Atiyah, the people of Bloudan, and the Christians of Maaloula. You can ask the churches and monasteries in Syria that the Syrian army defended. We were with them. You can ask the Christian monks, nuns, and clergymen – how did Hezbollah deal with all this Christian presence?

If someone wants to say that Hezbollah is an enemy of the Christians and want to uproot them from Lebanon, from the East, from the region, let them ask. This is the reality. Who preserved the presence of Christians in Syria? The Syrian army, Hezbollah, and their allies or the Lebanese Forces and its regional, international, and local allies? Answer me. When Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusra were in the outskirts of Arsal and the eastern chain, threatening all Muslim and Christian towns, who was with the people of the Muslim and Christian towns in Baalbek-Hermel and who was with the revolutionaries in the outskirts?

Hezbollah was with the Christians and Muslims, and the Lebanese Forces was with the revolutionaries in the outskirts. Right or not? I'm talking about a history that still exists, not a hundred years ago. I will not talk about the past, but I will talk about what you, our generation and the young generation after us witnessed. Who defended the Muslims and Christians in Baalbek-Hermel – the people of the region, Muslims and Christians? Hezbollah, and later the Lebanese army came. Let us be honest – the Lebanese army was forbidden from defending and firing. Its soldiers, officers, and security forces were forbidden to respond or retrieve the bodies of its martyrs. It was forbidden and prohibited by an American political decision and others. The Lebanese Forces is a partner in this matter. What drove away the danger from these Christians in Baalbek-Hermel and the Bekaa Valley? The Lebanese Forces or Hezbollah? This is a subheading, and I do not need to elaborate further because you have witnessed and seen all this.

The best of our youth and brothers were martyred in these battles –young men from the Bekaa, the south, Jbeil, Kesrouan, the North, Dahiyeh, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon. When we bring up the names of the martyrs, a large number of martyrs and the best and most handsome young people were martyred defending Muslims, Christians, and all the Lebanese residing in this area.

Let me go back a little to the past in 2000 and a little before 2000. No one should say Sayyed is asking the Christians for gratitude. No, I’m not asking anyone for gratitude. This is our religion, our morals, our commitment, our constants, our project, and our manners. But I am stating facts in order to confront misinformation. When the “Israelis” began to withdraw from the coastline and from the east of Sidon, as well as from Jezzine later, we all know what happened. I know that in the country there is a negative atmosphere among some of our brothers and friends in the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal movement. But the facts must be said as they are.

At that time, the resistance, where Hezbollah and the Amal movement were and still are the basis, were able to enter the Jezzine area. We have Shiite villages there, nearby in the neighborhood, etc. But we did not do that. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and I agreed. There was communication between the leaderships of Amal and Hezbollah. We agreed that it was forbidden for armed members of Hezbollah or the Amal movement to enter any area in Jezzine. Here, I am not talking about the city being forbidden but also the area and the district. More than that, civilian members were not even allowed to enter. It was forbidden to raise Amal and Hezbollah flags out of respect for the feelings of the Christians so that they stay in Jezzine in their villages, and not leave or become displaced. Is this true or not? It was forbidden until the army and the security forces entered and seized the area. At that time, we told the army to arrest any armed or flag-bearing person entering the area. This was a joint position by Hezbollah and the Amal movement.

In every place where the Lebanese Forces were present, wars erupted and Christians were displaced. In the places where we, Hezbollah and the Amal movement are located, the Christians remained with their dignity, in their homes, and with their money. No one attacked or harassed them. We even handed over the file of the agents to the Lebanese judiciary. Until now, many families of our martyrs tell us you were lenient with them. No, we did it by the book. It’s been 21 years since the achievement and victory in 2000, and I tell you what we did in 2000 is correct.

Many of the agents along the border strip in May 2000 were Muslims and Christians. They were in Muslim and Christian towns and were implicated in our blood and our honor. They imprisoned us in Khiam and tortured us and our sisters and assaulted our honor. However, what happened on May 24 and 25, 2000 in the border strip? Who entered the border strip? Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, the Syrian National Party, and the rest of the factions that were involved in the resistance. Was anyone killed? Was someone's house burned down? Did any monastery come under attack? Was any church attacked? Was money looted? None of this ever happened.

The “Israelis” left the people behind and fled. Everyone who was arrested was handed over to the Lebanese army. Isn't this the state's logic that you are talking about? Is the state's logic words and allegations or practice? We did not try anyone. Even those who killed us, we did not try them or kill them. We did not set up field courts. Everyone knows that after the victory of the French resistance, they executed 10,000 French agents, and they were neither a state nor a judiciary. The French Resistance executed 10,000 French agents in field courts on charges of working for the German occupation forces. We did not even kill a chick. We did not kill a chick. We did not try anyone, we did not execute anyone, and we did not confiscate anyone's money.

Hezbollah and the Amal movement, are these facts or not? Who is the enemy and whose core project is to invade Christians, remove Christians, and uproot Christians? They had historic opportunities and great argument. These were "Israel’s" agents, uproot them. We did not act like this. On the contrary, we acted with all humanity and with morals. These are the morals of our Prophet, and this is our religion. Wasn’t it the distorted religion of your allies that produced Daesh, the takfiris, and the Wahhabis? From that day, since 2000 until today, the people of Jezzine, eastern Sidon, the Christian villages of Marjayoun and Hasbaya, and Bint Jbeil live in safety and security as neighbors and loved ones. For 21 years, no one has been harassed, attacked, or wronged. Individual incidents happen anywhere.

Where are the Lebanese Forces today? They are present in the villages in the district of Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun – around us, with us, and among us. Has anyone harassed them? You are a Lebanese forces and your history is so and so. I do not want to go back in history. People live together in the Bekaa Valley, Baalbek-Hermel. The Lebanese Forces are in al-Qaa, in Deir al-Ahmar, and in Ras Baalbek. Has anyone harassed them? For decades, they’ve been living there. 

So, to the Christians in Lebanon, anyone belonging to the Lebanese Forces or others – but now my focus is on the Lebanese Forces and its head – would like to present to you that Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, and the Shiites, even Muslims in generals, are an existential threat that aim to invade and uproot. Later, when you want to hold a celebration or pass through Christian areas, they will – in their words – mobilize, send delegates from Maarab, and administer. This is injustice; this is an assault; and this is slander. This is a huge mine in the country.

Before I move to another subheading, I would like to say at the end of this point that the biggest threat to the Christian presence in Lebanon is the Lebanese Forces and its leader. The biggest threat to the security of the Christian community is this party and its leader. They’re the biggest threat. If you also find a second and third threat, put them down, but I tell you, he is the number one threat. Read recent history and look at the wars they incited and fought. Of course, they have not won any wars. The results of these wars are the displacement of Christians, the destruction of their villages, churches, and homes, and a demographic change. Did this happen or no?  But this was all at the service of the canton, and this project still exists.

I do not want to talk about history, but I will talk about recent history and crimes – what happened within the Christian community, who were killed and assassinated officers, monks, and politicians, the mentality of hegemony, domination, exclusivity, and dictatorship. You know these more than me because you lived it. They are also the biggest threat, why? Because he allied himself with Daesh and Al-Nusra, and those he called the opposition in Syria.

I would like to ask you a question: if these people succeeded and took control of Syria, what would have happened to the Christians in Syria? Can anyone answer? Let the young or old answer. I will answer. No Christian would’ve been left in Syria, no church, no monastery, no clergyman, no patriarch, no metropolitan, no cleric. If they had won in Syria and were present in the barrens of Arsal, would they have been satisfied with Syria? The grim Caliphate State showed their map, and Lebanon was included in it. They came out saying: No one appointed you to defend us and fight on our behalf, and if Daesh comes to Lebanon, we will fight it. You, the Lebanese Forces, how much can you withstand in the face of Jabhat al-Nusra? Ask us. We are the ones who fought in Syria. Who are you measuring these people with?

In any case, this is a detail. The alliance with these people is a very great threat to the Christians in Syria and Lebanon. Moreover, his international and regional allies are the ones who have been financing since 2003 the suicide operations in Iraq that were carried out by the Wahhabi takfiris. They were run by the Saudi intelligence, which is an ally of the Lebanese Forces. They attacked mosques, Husseiniyas, schools, Shiites, and Sunni.  They also attacked churches or Christians. Take a look at the number of Christians who were displaced from Iraq. Are there any Christians left in Iraq? Who forced them out of Iraq? The Shiites, the Sunnis, the Kurds, the Iraqi state, the Iraqi army or the Wahhabi terrorist takfiri groups? Most of the suicide bombers were Saudi nationals. They were run by the Saudi intelligence. These are the allies of the Lebanese Forces. This poses a threat to the Christian presence in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon – him and his regional and international allies.

I conclude this point by saying that this is their mentality, their culture, their project, and their goal. This is what they are working on day and night. What they did on Thursday they wanted to do in the past and at any time. Therefore, today there is a responsibility on everyone. I will talk about the responsibility in the end. 

Hence, the summary of the first point: O Christians in Lebanon, we are not a threat; we are not an enemy; and there is no danger. On the contrary, we are a positive factor, and I will talk about that in the next point. And if there is anyone who is the biggest threat to Christian existence, Christian security, the peace of the Christians in Lebanon, and the survival of the Christians in Lebanon, it is the head of the Lebanese Forces and his party.

2- The second point: We were always motivated and positive about every opportunity to open a dialogue, meeting since the start of Hezbollah – although we were not concerned with internal affairs –cooperation or understanding with any Christian party in Lebanon. We were also keen on the relationship. Before 2005, we had old relationships and friendships with Christian circles. At the time of the October 13 events, everyone knows what our position was when the Lebanese Forces betrayed and stabbed in the back. Who did it betray? It betrayed the largest Christian current and army in which most Christians believed in. After the developments that took place in 2005, a very important breakthrough occurred in 2006 – the opening between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement. His Excellency President Michel Aoun and I met at Mar Mikhael Church – whether it was a divine estimation or an agreement. We agreed to meet at Mar Mikhael Church which they considered as confrontation lines. On February 6, we reached an understanding.

We considered that we had opened up to the largest Christian current. This is the truth. He movement has the largest Christian representation. It has the largest number of Christian deputies, even though everyone formed an alliance against them, including us in the quadripartite alliance. Do you want more transparency than this? When the quadruple alliance was formed, there was no relationship between us and the FPM. It was the beginning of communications, and our main concern was to prevent a Shiite-Sunni strife at any cost. This was what the Lebanese Forces were working on at the time. Anyway, with a movement with such representation, we opened up and signed the understanding. Some of the terms of the understanding was in fact us reassuring the Christians more and taking care of our Christian ally more – this was the beginning of the road. We built on it. I will later to mention some of what was commented on. But who was the first to stand in the face of this understanding, stab it, distort it, and betrayed it? The Lebanese Forces and its leader. From February 6, 2006 until today, before I entered the studio, the leaders and officials of the Lebanese Forces have been attacking the understanding between the FPM and Hezbollah. Frankly, why? They do not accept the other. They do not want to engage in dialogue with the others. They do not want the Muslims and the Christians to open up to each other. They do not want the Christians and the Shiites to open up to each other. They do not want people to reassure each other and comfort each other, and they do not want the lines of confrontation to be forgotten. They do not want the fronts and axes to be forgotten, and they keep repeating and mentioning them and their names because the Mar Mikhael Understanding meant canceling the lines of confrontation, not from the land, because they were canceled from the land, but from the conscience, sentiments, and memory.

Let's start with what President Aoun called internal peace. This was the reason for it, and from that day on, the Lebanese Forces have done everything in their power to cause this understanding to fall, collapse, nullified, and be stripped away. Of course, they did not reach a result. They exploited every problem, even those that existed before the FPM, Hezbollah, and the Amal movement. These are mines, old boils, such as real estate issues, for example, in Jbeil, Kesrouan, the Western Chain, and Oyoun Arghash. He exploited every file he can open to provoke sensitivity, disagreement, and animosity between Christians and Muslims, especially Shiites. On the other hand, look at our behavior from 2006 until today – when the Maarab Understanding occurred, did we speak against it?

Never. On the contrary, we spoke positively. We said that any cooperation between Lebanese segments and Lebanese political forces, that is calm and security in the squares. This reflects on the whole country, and we did not say a word or made any effort to ruin the Maarab understanding. We were not concerned with this issue at all because we seriously want civil peace in Lebanon. We want safety and security. We seriously want the people to interact and open up to each other. 

In any case, what I am saying is that Hezbollah not only does it not pose a threat, but it is also a positive factor for the Christian existence. I’ve already taken up time, and there are still many points for discussion. I will mention two or three examples.

First, some Christian leaders, like President Aoun and yesterday Minister Gebran Bassil, and others, say that their guarantee is the state. That is correct. And I tell you, the state is the guarantee for all Lebanese – for the economy, peace, internal security, sovereignty, etc. It is the guarantee. We want a strong and real Christian presence in the country. What is required? To maintain parity. We must maintain parity. All Muslims must maintain parity, and I don’t just mean us Shiites. For everyone’s information in Lebanon, when the tripartite power-sharing subject was later raised and [us] the Shiites were accused of wanting it instead of parity, I clarified back then. I will repeat again and say that neither Hezbollah, nor the Amal Movement, nor the Supreme Islamic Shia Council, nor any Shiite religious cleric, leader, or individual spoke about the tripartite power-sharing. The tripartite power-sharing was an idea suggested by the French to the Iranians during Jacques Chirac’s presidency. The Iranians asked us about it, and we contacted Parliament Speaker Berri so that we give a joint answer. We both rejected the tripartite power-sharing even though if we talk about sectarian quotas, yes, it is in the interest of the Shiites and the Sunnis to back the tripartite power-sharing. However, Lebanon’s interests lie in parity. 

We did not speak, and we did not ask anyone for gratitude. We did not raise the topic or sell it to anyone. We remained silent about the topic until someone other than us talked about it and attacked us about the tripartite power-sharing. This is one example; I’ll give you another. The most important thing in the country’s political life is the electoral law because it leads to representation. Parliamentary representation leads to a parliament. The parliament is the one that elects the president of the republic and names the prime minister. It gives the vote of confidence, and it is the legislative authority, etc.

So, the entrance to a true representation and a real political participation in the state and state institutions is an electoral law. There were electoral laws. As Muslims, the 1960 electoral law is not in our interest. But for our Christian allies, Amal and Hezbollah agreed to the 1960 law. Some of our allies cursed us because we went along with the 1960 law. We saw that there was a greater interest. After all the events that have taken place, we wanted to reassure our Christian people and tell them that we wanted to be partners with them. Does this law allow you to have real representation? Hence, we relied on God and went along with the 1960 law. Then, came proposing an amendment to the 1960 law. This law achieved better but not sufficient representation. At the time, they proposed the Orthodox [Gathering] Law stipulating that each sect elects its representatives. Did we accept it even though there were caveats and dangers? Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also accepted it. 

The one who torpedoed the Orthodox Law and who later contributed to changing some positions is the Lebanese Forces. We, on  the contrary, supported, promoted, and defended the Orthodox Law because our Christian ally told us: If you want to help us have a complete Christian representation, [indorse] the Orthodox Law. People ask us what we did we do? We are not asking gratitude from anyone. We are just saying what we did. This was the electoral law that gave the Christians in Lebanon the best representation in the history of the elections with the consensus of the Christians. The FPM, the Lebanese Forces, the Mararda, and all the Christians want this law. Had it not been for Hezbollah and the Amal movement, would this law have happened?

There are political forces among the Muslims that did not even want proportional representation. We made an effort to persuade them to agree with this law, and today, the expatriates want to vote. Let them vote and cast their ballots. There are six representatives who are supposed to be present in the law. We are with upholding the law. Hence, this comforts the Christians and makes them feel secure and as partners. Therefore, we are not only not an enemy and not a danger, but we are also a very important positive factor in this matter. 

When it comes to the formation of governments and Christian representation, all this is known. When electing a president of the republic, we made a commitment and fulfilled it – so no one says that I am asking for gratitude. Never! We did our duty and are not asking anyone for gratitude. This is out of loyalty. On the issue of electing President Michel Aoun, we considered that he has a very large Christian representation. At this stage, the Christians are reassured that they are partners, although some of our friends and allies had a different position and you know this issue. You can ask His Excellency the President and the head of the FPM – have we set conditions?

When we stood with His Excellency the President for two and a half years, the Lebanese Forces criticized us for it. Did we put conditions on His Excellency the President be them political or administrative, or related to jobs? Did we tell him, for example, that we want the following ministries or employees? Never, not even one condition. They even asked us if what we did – no putting conditions – is reasonable. Yes, no conditions. We considered that this is in the interest of the country. This is out of loyalty and is based on trust and respect. This is what happened with us in the presidential elections, but what did the Lebanese Forces Party?

When he despaired and was afraid that Minister Suleiman Franjieh would become president of the republic, he rushed to make the Maraab Understanding. When the Maraab Understanding was sighed, he took his right. He asked for his right. He tells you he was the one who put the president in power. You made a business deal. 

We have to be fair, here. a person should speak for history to record. Unfortunately, there has been excessive sensitivity in recent years between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Marada Movement. But because I love loyalty and morals, I would like to mention that Minister Suleiman Franjieh – regarding the issue of the presidential elections – stood with us who are committed to electing President General Aoun. He boycotted the parliamentary elections and told us that he would not go if we did not go. Had he and some other allies gone with him, surely Suleiman Franjieh, the minister, would have been president of the republic. This must not be forgotten. This was a very great moral position. Meanwhile, how did you act?

Anyway, summarizing this point, I would like to say that we are a positive factor. I would like to say to our Christian people in Lebanon that on Thursday, after it, and every day, if the Lebanese Forces assaulted us and killed us on the street and we picked up our martyrs and wounded and exercised patience, we would thus be preserving the Christian presence. By doing so, we are a positive factor because we avoided a civil war the Lebanese Forces is igniting with the Christians as well as their neighborhoods, towns, and villages being the fuel. 

3- The point after this: I advise the Lebanese Forces and its leader to completely abandon the idea of infighting and civil war. Here, hear me. I want to speak clearly, and it is maybe the first time I am speaking in this manner. I advise them, and I hope the Christians in Lebanon, including the many religious and political leaders and elites, to advise  the Lebanese Forces and its leader to abandon any action that leads to internal strife and civil war, regardless of whose leadership and what party, regional, or external state they serve. He is miscalculating. 

What I would like to talk about now is to prevent a civil war for the sake the country and its safety as well as for the sake of civil peace, security, security, and stability. In order for no one to err, I will go back to the session in which he was inciting some allies, his former allies, to confront Hezbollah and start a battle.

I made sure of this content. If I was not sure, I would not build a position on it. What was said? Three things were said: first, that the Lebanese forces are now stronger than in the time of Bashir Gemayel and that it has 15,000 fighters ready. This is an acknowledgement of the existence of a military structure, weapons, and militia; the second thing is that Hezbollah is weaker than the Palestinian Liberation Organization at that time; third, that Hezbollah now in the region is weak and it is about time we get rid of it. Well, I tell you, your calculations are wrong, just as your calculations were wrong in all of your wars, from which you came out as a loser. First off, in the region, there has not been a day since Hezbollah’s foundation in  1982 that it was as strong as it is today. And I know what he's talking about?

What do the countries in the region say about our regional role and how do they describe Hezbollah? I am a humble person, and I’m not the one saying this. I say we are a regional influencer, but they call  something greater. 

When it comes to your calculations regarding the county and the region, you're 100% wrong. With regard to the Lebanese Forces being stronger than it was at the time of Bashir, here, I do not know. I cannot comment on this. The second point that Hezbollah is weaker than the Palestinian Liberation Organization, you are very wrong, and your calculations are wrong. And if you are basing your battle on such calculations, then you are mistaken. I want to tell you, the Lebanese Forces Party and the President of the Lebanese Forces Party. If you want to prepare for a civil war and want to impose it on us, let your calculations be correct.

I will not tell you how many supporters the resistance has or how many members our allies in the Amal movement and the rest have. I will talk about Hezbollah. I do not want to count, but I have to. I do not want to count the supporters or those who love the party. Also, in Hezbollah I will not include the students, those in liberal professions, the unions, the women’s organization, the civil institutions, and the scouts because there are young people among them. I just want you to be aware of this number. This is the first time that I am forced to reveal this number to prevent a civil war. 

You know me; I do not speak of something that does not exist. Even in psychological warfare, I belong to a school that says that lying does not serve in psychological warfare. Truth and honesty serve in psychological warfare.

Just look at Hezbollah’s military structure – we do not deny that we have a military structure, weapons, and capabilities. I’m only talking about Hezbollah, and I’m only talking about the men who are Lebanese, have been Lebanese for more than 100 years and not only for 10 years, trained, organized, structured, armed, experienced, and spiritual. If it was pointed out to them and not commanded, they’d carry the mountains and remove them. write down: 100,000 fighters, 100,000 fighters. You must know that when we’re talking about Maryam Farhat, the oppressed woman, Hassan Msheik, Mustafa Zbeeb, Hassan Nemeh, Ali Ibrahim, Muhammad al-Sayed, and Muhammad Tamer, we are talking about more than 100,000 fighters. With whom do you want to engage in a civil war? With whom do you want to engage in infighting? Where do you want to take the country?

We did not prepare these 100,000 fighters with their diverse weapons for civil war or internal fighting. We prepared them to defend our country, liberate our land, and protect our waters, oil, and gas that are being stolen before the eyes of the Lebanese. We prepared them to protect our Muslim and Christian cities and villages in Baalbek-Hermel. We prepared them in order to protect the dignity and sovereignty of our country from all aggression and terrorism, not for internal fighting. So, we didn't use them in the infighting. We were killed in Khaldeh and managed our situation. We were killed on Thursday, and we managed our situation. We are not weak. We are not helpless. We are neither afraid nor terrified.

Our calculations are correct. We have constants, goals, a cause, a message, a religion, morals, and values. Therefore, regarding this subject, I tell the Lebanese Forces and its leader: Do not miscalculate.  Be reasonable and behave yourselves. Take lessons from your previous wars and our previous wars. I am telling you this in order to conclude with all this subheading. 

Today, there is a responsibility, a responsibility on the Lebanese state, on religious authorities, especially the Christians, and on the Lebanese people, especially the Christians, to stand up to this criminal, butcher, and divisive killer and his project, goal, and program in order to prevent a civil war and internal strife and establish civil peace in the country.

2- The second section: We’ll talk about the events that occurred. In context of our objection to the performance and behavior of the judicial investigator, which I will talk about in the third section and conclude, we reached a place that I will talk about shortly. We went to the constitutional institutions, to the judiciary, to the Council of Ministers and finally reached a conclusion that no one is responding to us. We, the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, agreed that we want to hold a symbolic peaceful gathering in front of the Justice Palace. For a year and few months – since October 17 that’s two years ago –we see people demonstrating and protesting, cursing us; insulting us; insulting our women, our mothers, and our honor; we were hung on the gallows and our pictures were burned. However, we remained silent. Did we fire at anyone? The worst that happened at some place was anger and fighting – fistfights, fighting with sticks or rocks. But we never killed anyone. We, like the rest of the people, have the right to protest. This is not incitement. We want to express a position, and we want to demonstrate in front of the Justice Palace. But some of them are telling us that we are wrong. Why did you take to the streets? Why did you protest?

O brother, the whole country is demonstrating. There are sit-ins, and this is our natural right. These are details, but it is good for people in the country to know. So, we formed a joint committee – the Amal Movement and us. We agreed, first, about the number – let it be between 2000 to 3000 from the elite, including lawyers and young students. We agreed not to issue a popular call. People know where the country will be should Hezbollah and the Amal Movement issued a joint statement calling for a demonstration. 

Hence, a specific number, and we divided the number among us. Second, we did not want party flags, neither Hezbollah nor the Amal Movement. If you want to raise a flag, raise the Lebanese flag. Third, we sat down to write the slogans that should be read out using the microphone so no one would make up their own. We agreed on some and crossed out others. We formed disciplinary committees. We did not carry weapons and did not take security measures. We handed that matter over in full to the army and the security services because the area is a sensitive one – it was not in the heart of Haret Hreik, Nabatiyeh, or Baalbek. We did all this.

And the people gathered in front of the Justice Palace and said slogans. The situation was fine. We even agreed on the time, and we informed the state that the ceiling of the protest is an hour – people will speak and repeat these slogans. We have a position and we expressed it. We do not want to break into a place, burn things, or hit anyone. The last group [of protesters] wanted to go from Tayouneh to the Justice Palace and on the way there some kind of problem happened. Let's suppose that it on TV, it appeared that some slogans that were said were wrong. The young men were provoked. That’s wrong. Those who provoked them were also wrong. If they were the ones who provoked, they made a mistake. After that martyrs from one side fell. And he tells you that it was a clash. What kind of clash was this? 

The correct statement is the one that was issued at the beginning by the army command and the Minister of Interior. This is correct. After that, there were interferences. Where was there a clash? There are those who were killed. There were martyrs and wounded, and the martyrs who fell in the beginning were our brothers in the Amal Movement. There was a state of terror in the street, and large numbers of people took refuge in buildings. There was shooting. The Lebanese army and the joint committees of Amal and Hezbollah cooperated for hours so that they can pull the people and hide in the buildings. Then, people returned to Tayouneh, but the shooting remained. This is the first part.

The data of the security services as well as that of the young men on the ground at the time unanimously state that these people were killed, without discussion, by the bullets of the Lebanese Forces. There are those who say that we should wait for the investigation. There is no problem with that. We are waiting for an investigation into all this. People went back to their homes and brought weapons and started shooting at one or two buildings that they though the shooting was coming from. This is the second part.

In my opinion, there are two parts to the events; the first part is up until the fall of the martyrs and the wounded and the confusion that occurred. The second part is after the confusion, when people took up arms and started shooting. The people were amazed that even though the Lebanese army deployed heavily, there was still shooting. There are ambiguities here that the investigation must mention and answer clearly and conclusively.

Well, regarding this subject, I want to comment with several points for the Lebanese people and the officials in Lebanon, especially the immediate public, the supporters of the resistance, the supporters of Amal and Hezbollah.

- The first point: We are in agreement that we want a real investigation, a serious investigation, and a quick investigation. It should not go on for two or three weeks or two or three months. We as Lebanese, including those who were unjustly killed, want to know why this happened to these martyrs and wounded and how this massacre took place. We are waiting for the investigation.

- Second, we want to hold the officials who killed, assaulted, wounded, and wronged the people accountable. To us, this is settled.

- The third point: A video was circulated showing that one of the soldiers was firing at protesters or demonstrators. At first glance, it appears that they are unarmed young civilians. People were killed and wounded. Following the circulation of this video, the leadership of the Lebanese army issued a statement stating that this soldier is under investigation. It added that a competent judiciary would be present, and it will be a decisive and firm position. Excellent! This is what we want.

The investigation is supposed to show whether this soldier acted alone or on orders? Whether individually or by orders, whoever is responsible for the killing of these martyrs, high ranking or not, must be held accountable. There should be no leniency at all regarding this matter. The first ones who should not be lenient is the leadership of the Lebanese army.

Here, I would like to talk about a slightly sensitive point. I know that some people might – since the wound is still fresh – not bear this talk. Our job is not to talk about what people like and dislike. Our duty is to talk about the responsibility that we must bear in this world and in the Hereafter, we will answer to before God. After this video was circulated, there was a great atmosphere on social media platforms. I want to prove a principle. I would like to say that despite of what happened in the past, and this is not a pretense. On September 13, 1993, the Lebanese army fired at us in Hay El-Sellom. The Lebanese army fired at us in Mar Mikhael roundabout. This is the truth. Let us not kid each other! 

Nevertheless – what I am saying has a historical context – we take care of the institution of the Lebanese army. We must all be keen on its survival, its strength, its unity, its cohesion, its position with the people, not for the sake of so-and-so. Rather, because the existence of the army institution, its unity, and cohesion is the only guarantee. Believe me, we are not the only guarantee. It is the only guarantee for the unity of Lebanon. If this army becomes divided, this country will go to civil war and to partition. A small problem might cause a civil war, unfortunately. I am not intimidating anyone.

Security and peace in Lebanon and Lebanon's unity depend, in the first place, on this institution. Therefore, brothers and sisters, the supporters of Amal and Hezbollah, and those who love the resistance, do not takes us to a problem that America basically wants, the Great Satan wants, “Israel” wants. What are the “Israeli” officials saying today? Listen to them. They are betting on the fighting that the Lebanese Forces want to incite. Later, I will talk about the evidence and statements. The real project of the Lebanese Forces is to drag Hezbollah and the Lebanese army to a clash because this is the American and “Israeli” project. But this does not mean that we must forgive any officer, soldier, or commander, high ranking or not, in the Lebanese army if they commit a mistake or a crime. Not at all. But we highlight the mistake and the crime and demand an investigation, a trial, and accountability in order to correct matters. We must not create hostility, incitement, and provocation, and there will be fears tomorrow that someone might fire at a Lebanese army checkpoint, throw firecrackers, or insult them. Never!

This is forbidden, illegal, and haram. All officers and soldiers of the Lebanese army from all sects are our brothers, our people, and our children. They are the guarantee and part of the diamond equation that we adhere to. No one should mock this issue. When we say we adhere to it, we, however, do not forget that we were massacred on September 13, 1993 at the airport bridge. We are neither theoretical nor pretenders. These are facts that we and you lived through. Therefore, it is the judiciary that must complete its work, investigation, trial, and accountability. This is our guarantee.

This path that we are following is the correct one. Now, they are asking – it’s okay, I will answer the questions – that we were killed in Khaldeh – we were killed in Khaldeh, true – but from the beginning, we said that the Lebanese state must bear the responsibility. We did not leave the blood of our brothers on the ground. Let the Lebanese state, the Lebanese army, and the Lebanese judiciary bear their responsibilities.

We had information that we provided to the security services. The security services had information and collected them in a file at the army intelligence. They arrested a large group of people. Other people were handed over by some political parties. We are grateful to them. Regarding the investigation, I think it is almost over. In a few days, things will go to trial. There are 18 detainees going to trial.

There are also people who were released because they had nothing to do with the incident. We do not want to afflict anyone. We only want people who attacked [us]. We do not want their nephew, uncle, father, or grandfather. We are not like that. we are the followers of a religion and a Quran that says {And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.}

Therefore, a trial is going to take place in a couple of days. I promised that I will personally follow up on this file, and I’ve done so. The court will say who killed, who wounded, who fired shots, who is innocent, and who attacked. On that day also, I said – in an internal meeting which was leaked – that if the state, the army, the intelligence services, and the Lebanese judiciary did not bear responsibility, then we’ll have a different conversation – we do not leave the blood of our brothers on the ground. Let everyone understand what we mean.

And now the same goes to this matter. Regarding the seven martyrs, the right path, O our people, the families of the martyrs and the wounded, is to resort to the judiciary and an investigation, regardless of remarks on the judiciary. We and our brothers in the Amal Movement will follow up on the investigation because both of us have loved ones killed and wounded, and we both have been wronged. We will follow up hour by hour and day by day. The investigations will point out the perpetrators and the judiciary will hold them accountable for this crime. However, if the judiciary or the investigation was politicized or if they hid or covered up, our eye are open. If people were not held accountable, we will have a different conversation. We do not leave the blood of our martyrs or our on the ground. The blood of our martyrs does not remain on the ground.

This is the last part and forgive me if I have taken up more of your time, but it’s a dangerous incident with many details – the [Beirut] Port explosion, the investigation, and the judge – j and what has happened so far. There is also a set of questions that are being asked on social networking sites, in political speeches, in communications with us. I will answer them without mentioning the question. I will give the answer, and you’ll know to which question. 

We are concerned with this file, the investigation into the port file. First, because we consider all the martyrs our martyrs, all the wounded our wounded, and all the homes our homes. This is in the national sense. In the sense pertaining to us, we have martyrs and we have wounded from Hezbollah. But the very important point is that from the very first moment we were targeted politically and via the media. There is no need for me to repeat since you remember. 

So, we are very keen to know the truth about what happened in this explosion. The matter is very important to us because there are people telling us that neither the first judge nor the second accused Hezbollah and no one filed a lawsuit against one of your deputies, ministers, or directors. Why are you making matters difficult? Is this one of the questions being asked? Now, it’s being asked more after the massacre. We are very interested in knowing the truth because there are 200 martyrs, thousands of wounded, and neighborhoods destroyed. I cannot say that it is not my business. If they did not come near me, then it’s none of my business! What is this logic?

Secondly, when we see that the path of the investigation is not heading towards truth and justice, even if no one from Hezbollah is accused, should we remain silent? For those who are asking us why are you speaking out, I ask you why are you silent? When we mention the observations, you tell us they are correct. We say its bias, you say it is correct. There are violations in the judicial behavior – I did not talk about them because this is a technical detail – you say it is correct. So why are you silent? Why are we talking? Now, it's our fault that we are speaking out!

We saw in the course of the investigation that the investigation was biased, parties, our allies and our friends, were being politically targeted, but the most important thing for us and our allies was the truth and justice for the martyrs, the wounded, and the families whose emotions are being toyed with and exploited. The first to exploit them was the Lebanese Forces party. From the very start,  they transformed the explosion incident from a national file into a sectarian file – it became a Christian vs Muslim issue – and this is how they dealt with it in the media and the judiciary as well as when it came to the procedures and follow-ups. No, we are concerned and responsible until the conclusion of this file and the indictment is issued and sent to the Judicial Council and the latter issues a decision. Take note that we will not turn away from this file, not even for a moment.

Yes, allow me not to be humble and say that some people consider that we got involved. No, we did not get involved. We are just carrying out a real moral and political responsibility. We were the boldest because there are so many people who couldn't talk like we do. Why? Because there is intimidation. Since the day of the explosion, people have been intimidated and threatened – we will imprison you, drag you to prison; there are pictures and names; there is America, France, the West; there was a very sectarian atmosphere. No one dared to speak out, so we did. We took responsibility of the matter. We took responsibility of the matter so that the families of the martyrs know the truth about what happened. That is why when they used to communicate with me, I’d tell them that you should sit with the judge and he’ll tell you. If he doesn’t want to say it to the public, then let him inform you, the families of the martyrs. You are concerned with the blood that was spilled. It’s been a year and several months, why shouldn't you know the truth? Why is the technical report not issued yet? Therefore, we assumed this responsibility and will continue to bear this responsibility.

Well, some told us that no one accused you. In the first place, no one from Hezbollah has anything to do with this file. In all honesty, I tell you that when we started taking positions in this case, no one had accused us or fabricating things until MTV channel hosted the poor witness. His family knows that he is a poor man. He knows that he is a poor man. He was being told what to say – I do not want to name him, but you know who he is – to testify. It is very silly. Once I spoke about this and said: ‘Poor Hezbollah, it does not have stores – stores that the “Israelis” say contain 150,000 rockets. These stores are unable to contain 2000 or 3000 tons of ammonium nitrate. Thus, it was left in the hangar. Poor Hezbollah, it does not have places, mujahidin, and trucks. So, it went to the port and searched and encountered this man (may God bless him and grant him peace). Is this reasonable!

After that, the judge, the judicial investigator, how did he deal with this matter? Instead of holding MTV and the presenter of the program accountable, and that this is false testimony and empty talk, he included it in the file. Therefore, yes, if someone comes after that and tells us, O Hezbollah, there is someone who is fabricating a file for you. This is what America and “Israel” want. This is what Western powers want, and this is what regional powers want. They are fabricating a complex file that you are in control of the port and letting in [materials]. This is empty talk. But this is not what prompted us to continue. We continued just as we began. No, we are not afraid. If he wants to accuse us, let him accuse us and bring evidence. Whoever wants to accuse us, let him present evidence, present an argument, present false witnesses. This matter does not frighten us. But I will tell you today, this is before Thursday and before the talk in the Council of Ministers. More than one party that spoke to us when they heard our observations reassured us that indictment has nothing to do with Hezbollah. O brother, why are you worried? We are not worried, but this does not change the situation. From the start until the end, the reason is not whether he is fabricating something on Hezbollah or not. The reason is that there is a path that will not lead to truth and justice, and the blood of the martyrs and wounded will be lost.

Well, resort to the institutions. We resorted to the institutions. We spoke to every judicial authority and presented our remarks. We were told that they were correct and said they will see what they will do, but they did not do anything. We spoke to the media, but no one did anything, and no one listened. They tell you Hezbollah is in control of the country, the Iranian occupation, and all the ridiculous tallk. A large party like us, we and the Amal Movement, spoke to the judges and the concerned authorities in charge of the state and were told that these observations are correct. But the judge’s response is surprising – you address the matter!

No one is responding to the other because no one wants to address the matter. Here, come intimidation and threats – if someone demanded to change the judge, they’d be threatened. If you change the judge, America will cut off aid. I don’t know who in France is asking Lebanese officials not to touch this judge. Religious and political authorities in the country are protecting this judge. What does this judge become? He becomes a dictator. He would no longer be interested in law, disciplines, administrative authorities, loopholes, discretion, and no politicization because he considers that the whole world is standing with him and there is a raging public opinion by his side. Does this serve justice?

We went to the institutions. I do not want to repeat the observations I mentioned earlier. You all have become familiar with them, but I want to highlight a small and clear addition on politicization and on bias. The last time I spoke I said that the ones who bear the most responsibility for this crime are the judges, the judge who authorized the entrance of the ammonium nitrate into the port. It is said that if he had not given permission, the nitrate would have remained on the ship, and the ship would have gone to another place or sank at sea. 

The security services whose low-ranking officials are imprisoned, the imprisoned head of the port, the imprisoned chief of customs, and those who are being held responsible – I want to defend them today. If the judge hadn’t given permission, would they allow the material to enter? They would not have. Hence, the judge is the one who bears the responsibility. The judge who kept them in the port, as well as all the judges throughout the years are the ones who bear the responsibility. I have a question for all the Lebanese people. Have arrest warrants been issued against these judges as they did with the former prime minister, ministers, representatives, and others? Never! Was their arrest requested? Their arrest was not requested. Was an allegation against them been leaked? No, it was not. Later, it turned out to be an allegation, but with whom? Take this file, O Judicial Council or the Discriminatory Public Prosecution, look what you will do. Were they defamed?

No! If you conduct an opinion poll among the Lebanese people and ask them who are the judges who authorized the entrance of the nitrate or who gave permission to keep them? Let anyone say the names. No one knows them. No one knows what they look like. They gathered the families of the martyrs and took them to protest in front of the homes of politicians and security personnel who had nothing to do with the incident. Have you seen the families of the martyrs protest in front of the homes of those judges who gave permission to allow the ship to enter and keep the nitrates in the harbor?  What do you call this? Is this a fair judiciary? Is this an honest investigation? Is this an honest behavior? Does this lead to justice?

We spoke with the judges. Eventually, we ended up going to the Council of Ministers. Where do we complain? We spoke and it did not work out. It’s like what our brother Abu Rajeh says, "better than everyone" – in the history of the Lebanese judiciary, a lawsuit is filed and remains a week, two, a month, two, a year, two, and three years until it is addressed. But when it comes to issue of the current judicial investigator, a case is filed and is addressed in two days. An appeal is filed, two days later you are given a response. You head to the cassations court, and you get an answer second day. Wow! Such vigor! Such vitality! Such speed! Such interest! Why? This is because there is intimidation. They did not even discuss or read the file. Usually, routine administrative procedures in the Lebanese judiciary take weeks. It took them 24 hours and issued a decision. Why? Because there are embassies, authorities, and politics. That is why we did not hold a demonstration with hundreds of thousands and did not ask people to take part. We held a symbolic gathering, and this is our natural right and less than our natural right. Even if young people from this gathering made insults, no one is allowed to kill them. You have been cursing us and saying unbearable things to us for two and three years, and we bore them. That is why we chose this path.

In any case, this issue is now in the hands of the officials, the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Council of Ministers, the President of the Supreme Judicial Council. There was an argument that there was no high Judiciary. Now, the Supreme Judicial Council is complete, thank God. Tonight, we are talking and our dear ones were martyred.  We have dozens of wounded, and there is pain. The party entered not only to the homes of the martyrs but all the homes. We call on the state of law and institutions to look at the situation, to act, and to shoulder their responsibilities. Do not tell us you are right and we will see what to do. It is over. Time is over. You must work. You must address this issue because continuing with this issue does not serve the country at all.

We conclude with the families of the martyrs and the wounded, the people, and our supporters. In adversity, usually – all people, even those who do not believe in hardship, return to God Almighty, let alone the believers – we resort to God, seek refuge in Him, in His book, and His words.

God Almighty addresses us, saying: {And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, "They are dead." Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [it] not.} Mariam and her brothers the martyrs {are alive, but you perceive [it] not.} This comforts us that our martyrs crossed a gate, they did not die, they were not extinguished. They moved from one place to another, from a prison to a palace.

{And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits.} But what is required? 

{Give good tidings to the patient.} He did not say just be patient. He said you will have good tidings if you are patient. Who are the patient ones who will have good tidings? They are those {Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return."}

Those – the patient ones, who seek reward, who submit to the command and will of God – {are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy.} Look at the blessings. First, {blessings from their Lord}, which is blessing, mercy, existence, generosity, forgiveness, contentment. {And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.} These are the people of true guidance. Guidance is not just talk.

We’ve heard the families of our seven martyrs. The Lebanese people and the whole world heard them. They expressed their patience, insight, awareness, calculation, and national and historical responsibilities. They were responsible and lived up to the level of the march and the level of this affiliation – the martyrs of Hezbollah and the martyrs of the Amal Movement.

Our supporters’ cooperation, discipline, handling of wounds and patience despite all the provocation that followed – the provocation on social media and the pride that the Lebanese Forces and their leader showed. All this was met with patience, insight, wisdom, and awareness for the sake of the country.

I want to address the families of the martyrs and the wounded and to this audience. First, retribution. I talked about this path and we will follow it. But what I wanted to add at the end of the speech is that these martyrs when they fall oppressed, they are just like the martyrs of the resistance. The serve the same goal. But sometimes the response to their blood is different in order to serve the same goal. Our martyrs in the resistance who fell while confronting the Zionist enemy and the takfiris, why were they martyred? They were martyred to retrieve our land and the prisoners, to protect the country, and to allow people to live in their homes with security, peace, stability, tranquility, honor, and dignity. Is this right or not?

They were martyred because this is one of the highest good deeds for the sake of God, I say for the sake of God, I mean this is for the sake of God; otherwise, God does not need our fighting, our blood, our weapons, our patience, our tears, or anything. For the sake of God means for the sake of God’s children, God’s creation, their security, their safety, their dignity, their tranquility, their freedom, their land, their money, their honor. For this, these martyrs fell and thousands of others fell and thousands were wounded, not five here and six there. Today, we want to preserve the goal for which thousands of martyrs were martyred. What is the goal?

Lebanon is a safe and stable country. There is security and civil peace. With regarding to holding the killers accountable, we will not go beyond the accountability of the killers. But the goal that we must not miss is that our enemy wants a civil war; America wants a civil war in Lebanon as it has ignited wars in all the region – in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen, and in Afghanistan. It is igniting civil wars in the whole world. Now, it is carrying on with civil wars. Daesh is working with the American program in Afghanistan. There is no doubt about this.

This goal that has been achieved in Lebanon today in confronting the “Israelis” at the very least – has been achieved by the martyrs of the resistance alongside the martyrs of the army and those of the people. They accomplished this achievement – the martyrs of the resistance alongside the martyrs of the army and the martyrs of the people in the face of the takfiris. Our enemy wants to rob us of this security, safety, civil peace, and coexistence.

Listen to the “Israeli” officials today who are worried about the possibility of a war with us. Here, I forgot to mention something when I was talking about the Lebanese Forces and their miscalculations. If you to ignite an internal and civil war and drag the people – we do not want to be dragged in, but let us suppose for the sake of argument that the people were dragged in – who will help you, "Israel" that is standing on a foot and a half and fears for its existence, the Americans who fled Afghanistan and are studying how to leave the region, or the Saudis who do not know how to end their disaster in Yemen? 

Pay attention to your calculations – I forgot to include this in the regional issue. Anyway, what does our “Israeli” enemy say? They say that going to war with Hezbollah is a costly issue. This means that every day we must bear 2,000 missiles. So, the bet on what? On an internal war, internal fighting. O Lebanese, open your ears and listen to the “Israelis”. Listen to what the “Israeli” are saying, and the first people who should hear what the “Israelis” are saying are our supporters.

That is why today our responsibility – whether this is a popular or not a popular talk is not the issue – my religious responsibility and the responsibility of all the responsible brothers in Hezbollah and the Amal movement, including our scholars, leaders, and elites is to have more patience, insight, and awareness. We must have an Islamic-Christian openness more than ever. The areas, cities, and neighborhoods must be open to each other more than ever. Wounds must be healed now more than ever to avoid the last mine, weapon, an explosive device, or an option the enemy might possess.

This is what I wanted to say tonight, may God accept your martyrs, heal your wounded, and reward you for patience and insight. You will find all of this in the hereafter and in this world. This will blossom into a victory and a relief that you will not be expecting. But let us continue with this awareness, patience, and insight.

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.