RNA - “I call for those who are urging us to withdraw from Syria to join us in our fight in Syria. Let's go to Iraq and everywhere to face off this threat because this is the right way to defend Lebanon,” His eminence said.
In a televised speech during a ceremony commemorating the martyrdom of Leaders Sheikh Ragheb Harb, Sayyed Abbas Al-Mousawi and Haj Imad Moughniyeh, Sayyed Nasrallah warned the so-called ISIL terrorist group’s main target was Saudi Arabia, Mecca and Medina specifically and not only Baghdad, noting that its ‘caliphate’ would not attain its goal without enforcing dominance on Islam’s two holiest sites. He said the Takfiri danger was threatening Islam as a whole and not only several regimes.
Balloons instead of bulletsAs soon as the S.G. began his speech, yellow and white balloons were launched in the air from Al-Qaem Mosque in Beirut's southern suburb, Dahiyeh, in a civilized move called for by Hezbollah to substitute the bad habit of firing bullets in the air. “I call upon you, insisting that everybody has to categorically refrain from shooting in the air in view of the religious and the legal considerations,” His eminence said in a statement released on Sunday. In his Monday speech, Sayyed Nasrallah saluted supporters for their obedience which marked a precedent in the history of Lebanese leaders’ speeches.
The secretary general used the bulk of his speech to talk about the Takfiri threat that was increasing day after another. “Confronting ISIL militarily and politically amounts to defending Islam. We consider ourselves, in Hezbollah, that we are defending Islam as a whole. The origin of the brutality and violence of ISIL Takfiris is Hollywood. Any behavior by he who pretends to be a Muslim but contradicts the rules of humanity is not a Muslim at all.”
He said that Yemen’s Houthis were also standing against ISIL and preventing their expansion praising the movement as “rightful”, “brave” and “wise.”
“All world countries consider ISIL a huge threat, except Israel. ISIL agenda had immensely served the Israeli one,” Sayyed Nasrallah assure, adding that we should search for the Israeli, CIA, KGB hands in ISIL actions and terrorism. "Jordan cannot fight ISIL in Iraq and support Al-Nusra in Syria, terrorist groups are all faces of the same coin."“People in the region must not wait for an international strategy to fight the Takfiri threat. Everybody should have the initiative to face this threat as we are doing,” he said.
From here, Sayyed Nasrallah saluted the resistance who are fighting this threat in difficult circumstances. “We must renew the salutation to the young men who are deployed on the heights of mountains, the officers and soldiers of the army and security forces and the men of the resistance. We also salute the officers and soldiers of the Syrian army who are preventing the dispatch of bomb-laden cars. They have all our salutations and appreciation amid this snow and cold.”
“Italy's defense minister has said that her country is willing to join an international anti-terror coalition because terrorism was now only 350 kilometers away from the Italian border. Terrorism is on our border in the mountains and some parties are speaking of right and wrong!” Sayyed Nasrallah wondered.
His eminence threw his weight behind calls for a national counter-terrorism strategy to confront the Takfiri threat. “In front of the Takfiri threat, we support the call for placing a national strategy for counter-terrorism. We support the Bekaa security plan, which was launched last week, and call for more efforts to be exerted in developing the Bekaa region. Alongside the security plan there are two issues -- the development plan in Baalbek and Hermel as well as in Akkar, and resolving the problem of tens of thousands of people who are wanted over minor or old offenses.” Unfortunately, he said, We agree on the enemy that is terrorism and disagree over another enemy, which is ‘Israel’.
Addressing Bekaa residents, Sayyed Nasrallah said that it is the responsibility of the state, and not Hezbollah or Amal Movement, to enforce security in the area.
His eminence urged for coordination between the Lebanese and Syrian armies before the snow melts on eastern border and called on the government to coordinate with Damascus over the issues of refugees and security.
Concerning the relations between Hezbollah and the Free Ptriotic Movement, Sayyed Nasrallah called for deepening and consolidating the relation and urged for similar agreements on the national level.
Region’s Fate Interrelated
His eminence extended his condolences to the former premier Rafik Hariri family and the families of other people who were killed during the 2005 Beirut blast. He said Hezbollah still supports the dialogue with Al-Mustaqbal movement saying it yielded positive atmosphere. “We support the dialogue with Al-Mustaqbal movement and we'll continue hoping to reach a happy ending.”
The secretary general criticized the logic of isolating Lebanon from regional changes as “unrealistic.” “The storm is coming and carrying snow. As Lebanese we can't tell the snow to hold on and wait. Lebanon has always been affected by regional changes,” Sayyed Nasrallah said as he assured that the fate of the whole world is being cooked in the Middle East region. Lebanon cannot disassociate itself from this fate, he said, adding the fate of Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya...etc are all interrelated.
Sayyed Nasrallah dismissed criticism against Hezbollah for supporting the Bahraini revolution, saying: those who criticize our stance from Bahrain should not interfere in other countries affairs, especially Syria. “We did not call for toppling the regime in Bahrain, we only supported those who were calling for dialogue. There is a terrified and weak government in Bahrain that fears any word of right, it even threatens to expel the Lebanese.”
On the ISIL crime against Egyptian Copts, Sayyed Nasrallah strongly condemned the brutally execution of the 21 Coptic Christians who were decapitated by ISIL, and offered condolences to their families and country.“We extend our condolences to the Egyptian people and the Coptic Church, this crime has affected both Islam and Christianity.”
Israel Haunted by Moughniyeh's Blood
Hezbollah leader threatened Israel would always be ‘haunted’ by the blood of Martyr Leader Imad Moughniyeh, who was assassinated in 2008. He also spoke of Moughniyeh’s son, Jihad, who was also martyred in an Israeli strike on Syria’s Quneitra.
“The blood of the martyr Jihad has revived the memory of the commander Hajj Imad Moughniyeh and returned this brilliant and historic leader to the forefront of events once again, confirming that his presence is still strong in the minds of friends and in the mind of the enemy, which will always be haunted by Imad Moughniyeh's blood,” he said.
He also praised Jihad for following the footstep of his father rather than choosing the materialistic life, “from this platform Jihad pledged allegiance to the resistance way and went to Golan where he was martyred,” drawing a path in which past remains connected to the present and future as well.
His eminence also said that when the Zionist entity was occupying our land, Sayyed Abbas, Sheikh Ragheb and Hajj Imad predicted that 'Israel' will leave our land. "It is important to learn loyalty and honesty from them and to learn the responsibility of making a decent and dignified future for our people and nation."
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