Monday 26 June 2017

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle: Hezbollah Mothers

It is not the first event of its kind that the association holds, but it sure is the first that I have attended.
As the holy month of Ramadan nears its end this year, mothers and daughters are not willing to bid the sacred month farewell without sharing its blessings with the People of the Frontiers – Hezbollah revolutionaries dwelling in the Lebanese borders.
The month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar in which the Holy Quran was revealed. It is known as the “month of Allah”.
In this month, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk to attain its blessings as the doors of Hell are closed and the doors of Paradise are opened.
It has been reported that Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] delivered a sermon to his faithful followers at the advent of this great month in which he said, “One who gives Iftar to a fasting person during this month will be like one who has freed someone and his past sins will be forgiven.”
Thus, came the idea of preparing homemade Iftar – the meal eaten after sunset in Ramadan- for the Islamic Resistance men who selflessly put forth their own security on behalf of their country’s safety.
Under the auspices of Hezbollah Women’s Association, women, young ladies and children joined hand-in-hand to prepare a meal that would be delivered to the protectors of the nation.
A communal effort by the women of the neighborhood in one of Beirut’s southern suburbs saw the participation and backing of various non-Hezbollah organizations who provided food and supplies for the “Iftar of a Mujahid” event.
It is not surprising to see Lebanese women of all walks of life taking part in such an event, after all, each woman is a mother, daughter or wife of one of these honorable Hezbollah Revolutionaries.
Women, particularly mothers, have a decisive influence on the future direction of society because they raise and nurture the next generation.
Now if we talk about the role of women in our country, we might observe that not only as mother and sister, but in other fields also, women have set an example and have been exemplary.
Ruba Zeitoun, one of the participants in the event, has been driven by the obligation and feeling of gratitude towards the brave Revolutionaries. As a 20 year-old college student, Ruba urged her peers to take part in such events especially in Ramadan to attain its blessings.
As a working mother, Mrs. Aziza Hassoun, a regular volunteer found spare time to contribute to the “Iftar of a Mujahid” event. She explained that “When the word ‘Iftar’ is heard, people excitedly join to gain the holy month’s blessings.”
Mrs. Hassoun noted, “We owe our lives to these honorable men, whenever we are needed we are ready to comply.”
It is said that culinary arts is much more than food, it is a mixture of passion, love and inspiration. For this reason, women preferred to cook a variety of Lebanese food to pour their love and prayers in to the dishes.
Hajje Hanaa, one of the neighborhood women, said that participating in the event was her first. Although one feels weary during fasting, she felt very excited and delighted to have cooked for these great men.
“Today is our Eid,” Hajje Hanaa said, “When it comes to the Mujahid, the world stands still!”
Throughout the event, the volunteers were cooperating. Some of them were putting food in containers, others were packing the containers in boxes and another group of women was labeling the boxes. Children would then take the packed boxes to the vehicles and get rid of the waste.
What caught my eye is the activeness of a young boy who was encouraging his friends to work harder.
Bakker, a boy scout who just turned 13, is the younger brother of Martyr Abbas al-Mousawi. He vowed to follow his brother’s footsteps and one day wishes to be a brave Hezbollah revolutionary.
“I am glad to participate in events that help the Mujahidin because they are the defenders of our country and without their blood we would have seized to exist,” Bakker said praying for the Mujahidin, “May Allah accept your deeds.”
Hajje Hala, an official in Hezbollah Women’s Association in Beirut, said that the organization is planning on launching a daily kitchen that accepts foods, supplies and donations to cook food that would feed 300 Mujahidin at a daily basis.
On the event, Hajje Hala said with a feeling of delight and euphoria: “We wanted the Mujahidin to eat the best varieties of food,” adding that “By the grace of Allah, we had had loads of help and sent the food on time.”
To all the readers, I wish you a sacred month of Ramadan. May God bless us all with good health.
My prayers to the honorable men sacrificing their lives for ours. To the people of the frontiers, I dedicate this…
“And fortify the frontiers of the Muslims, through Your might
And support their protectors; through Your strength…
And increase their number and hone their weapons,
And guard their territory and defend their midst…
Reinforce them with Angels in ranks from You.”
Source: Al-Ahed News
24-06-2017 | 10:33

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