Sayyed Nasrallah: We are a Resistance Not Power Seekers, Don’t Backstab Us

Video

Batoul Wehbe

25/01/2011 Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah delivers a televised speech on Al-Manar TV addressing huge crowds gathering in Baalbek’s Ras Al-Ein to commemorate Arbaeen of Imam Hussein (AS) and companions on Tuesday.

Sayyed Nasrallah said he will address three main issues in his speech. “The first will be about the occasion, the second concerning the developments in the region in brief, the last will be about latest Lebanese developments, especially that we are living significant and sensitive days in the fate of our country.”

The event marks the culmination of a 40-day mourning period after the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, Prophet Muhammad's grandson and the third Shia Imam.

Sayyed Nasrallah greeted the people of Tunisia urging them to be aware, coherent and not to allow anyone to waste their effort. “We’ve heard yesterday that Feltman traveled to Tunisia, this is a bad omen. The Tunisian people should be aware because when Feltman wants to talk about the procedures and the election with the interim Tunisian Government they should know that a conspiracy against the revolution in Tunisia is being underway. When Feltman, the juggler, comes desolation and strife accompanies him.”

Concerning the Israeli occupation soldier Gilad Shalit, Sayyed Nasrallah said “the world is talking about Shalit, the killer soldier and forget the thousands of righteous Palestinians. We remember the houses that were destroyed and we remember Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque and the millions of refugees who the whole world conspires to keep them away from their land, their rights and sanctities. Since the beginning we believed in Palestine and the sufferings of its people. On this road, we tendered our most precious martyrs and we will continue to sacrifice with this people, we’ll be martyred together, and together we will make victory, God willing.”

On Lebanon’s developments, His eminence said: “We live in a difficult and sensitive stage and this needs a responsible act. In face of developments we resorted to constitutional institutions and legal right to face the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment targeting the resistance. What we did was normal and we practiced our constitutional right. The opposition ministers resigned and overthrew the government then we took part in parliamentary consultations which led to the clear result announced on the screens, where President Sleiman designated Mikati to form the new Lebanese government.”

“The battle over the consultations was very strong. I would like to tell you that many foreign powers interfered. Imagine that US Vice President called a parliamentary bloc leader to ask him to vote for Saad Hariri. Many states interfered, we understand this and say that this political battle was in a legal and constitutional status,” Hezbollah Secretary General said.

“We understand the feelings and anger of [Hariri’s supporters]. But I want to say something, let’s suppose that the scene was vice-versa and the other candidate was assigned and some people took to the streets to protest like yesterday and today, we would have witnessed condemnations from Washington to Western capitals to several world capitals. You’d have witnessed a global campaign that describes the opposition supporters as terrorists, dictators and rejecters of the constitutional wills. But because the demonstrations are from the other side, the whole world was mum. Who speaks about respect for Lebanon's legitimacy and constitutional institutions and the majority kept mum, this is to make sure that there are no clear criteria. Why do you respect the will of that majority and don’t respect this one? And if the demonstrations and blocking roads are a legitimate right, why condemn the opposition when they take to the streets? It is supposed that all those who gave us lectures within 5 years since 2005 on civilization, democracy and the majority, today these lectures have ended forever.”

In all cases, Sayyed Nasrallah said, today there is a new political opportunity. “Threats against Mikati will be useless and saying that he is Hezbollah’s candidate is wrong because in 2009 he was running on Hariri’s list and he was a centrist man, these sayings are only for pressuring him and we understand that this is aimed to incite sectarian strife. The opposition had another choice but Mikati’s nomination was seen by us as a chance to break the challenge and a chance for the country so we supported him. The next Prime minister will not be Hezbollah’s, nor will the next cabinet. This is only said to provoke foreign powers against Lebanon, especially the US, Israel and those concerned about the Israeli-American project in the region.”

“We are not power seekers and until 2005, we did not take part in any cabinet in Lebanon. We never asked for a ministry nor administration or government, all we asked for and still say is that we are a Resistance, we did our best to defend the country, the Lebanese and Arab dignity and liberate the land and sanctities. We want two things from you:

1- Leave us alone, don’t plot against us or backstab us we don’t need protection from you.
2- Care and serve the people, especially in disadvantaged areas in Akkar, Bekaa and the North, what they do for Akkar, Tripoli and the North through 5 years?”

“You went to Washington and made commitments and are plotting against the Resistance and its arms. Even the dialogue table’s aim was withdrawing the resistance’s arms and you failed. You asked for July War on the resistance and you failed, today comes the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to get rid of the Resistance, but you will fail,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. “Although we had economic problems with you, we were keen to live together and solve issues not on the basis of cancellation. If we don’t give Mikati chance to succeed, where do you want to take the country?” he added.

Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that only the army, people and resistance can protect Lebanon from Israeli aggressions, neither the form of the government nor its PM. “Give Mikati government a chance, even for only one year. Rejection to participate in the next cabinet would show that the March 14 alliance wants to rule the country alone.”

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