Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah speech on Islamic Unity Week

Marking the anniversary of the blessed Birthday of The Prophet of Mercy Mohammad (pbuh) and the Islamic Unity Week (12-17 Rabai I), Hezbollah held a massive ceremony in the Sayyed Ashuhada (pbuh) Compound in Rweiss in the Southern Suburbs. The sponsor of the ceremony, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, made the following speech in the occasion.

In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Peace be on the most honorable among all creatures and the most revered among all messengers, our master Abi Al Qassem Mohammad Bin Abdullah and his chaste and purified Household, chosen companions and on all of Allah's messengers and prophets.

Brothers and sisters! Peace be on you and Allah's mercy and blessing. First, I congratulate you on the occasion of the blessed birthday anniversary of the Prophet of Allah Al Mighty. The Prophet (pbuh) is the Seal of all prophets and the Master of all messengers and the dearest among all creatures to Allah Al Mighty. These days we are celebrating the blessed and dear birthday to learn from the Prophet of Allah – the teacher - and to be rightly guided by the Prophet of Allah – the guide, the bringer of good tidings as well as warnings. From this occasion we learn and are guided to faith and monotheism, to good manners and morals, to defend man's dignity and freedom and to all what is good for man in this world and in the afterworld.

Brothers and sisters! As usual I like to handle in this occasion some aspects of the occasion and some recent general developments. As it is well known among Muslims and perhaps is agreed on, Mohammad Bin Abdullah (pbuh) was born in the year of the Fil (Elephant). Almost always when we read the Prophetic biography or when it is tackled, the time of birth is passed over while the incidents that took place in the biography are tackled. But during this occasion I like to pause for a while at the time of the birth. The year of the Fil (Elephant) has been well known among Arabs before Islam, after Islam and until this day. It is tackled in history books, tradition books, biographies and all other books that handle history comprehensively. They mention this incident that happened during that year and pursuant to it that year was referred to as the Year of the Fil (Elephant). That incident is all-agreed on historically. No one denies or neglects it whether as a whole or in most of its details.

The Year of the Fil is the year on which the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was born. In the Islamic chronology, it is before the start of the mission of the Prophet by 40 years. The story is well-known. I will relate it briefly to mark its significant points. I don't want to tackle history for itself but rather to highlight its significant signs which find reflections in our days as well. In that year, King Abraha of Al Habasha (Ethiopia) – who was the king over vast lands including parts in the Arab Peninsula and Yemen – decided to attack Mecca, break through it and demolish the Kaaba because he noticed that the Kaaba was the destination of all people's hearts. He wanted to establish an alternative for the Kaaba in another place to make it the destination of the hearts of peoples and caravans. So he had ideological and ritual as well as political, economic and commercial considerations. That's because Mecca and the Kaaba in Mecca was viewed from several perspectives. So all attempts to orient the hearts of the peoples and caravans to that other place flopped. The reason behind that was that the Kaaba in Mecca had a holy status for Arabs and all former prophets (peace be upon them). It is the place of the Mission of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).

So because it was the destination of hearts, he – as all world tyrants do – formed a huge full-fledged force and prepared all the weapons available at that time. He also made took a number of elephants. He announced that he was heading towards Mecca. On his way all Arab tribes and clans (Tomorrow they will say he touched on the Arabs and we are Arabs and those are our fathers and ancestors) were defeated before the Habashi Army. They used to flee. Their hearts were full with fear and terror. So he was moving rapidly until he reached the threshold of Mecca and the Kaaba. It was expected that Qoraish with all its various tribes and clans - which is the master, the guardian, the inhabitant and the first beneficiary from Mecca religiously, politically, commercially, morally and materialistically – to defend the holy Kaaba. But as it is historically known, Qoraish took the decision of withdrawing from Mecca and heading towards the mountain passes. Mecca was abandoned. They abandoned Mecca and left it open before the army or Abraha. When Abraha decided to storm into Mecca and started to break into it with his army, Mecca was vulnerable. The equation was: The House of Allah (Kaaba) has a Lord who will protect it. When all people abandoned the Kaaba, its Lord protected it. As it is unanimously agreed on in history and as the Holy Qoran says Allah the Al Mighty sent against them flights of birds holding small stones of baked clay in their beaks. They started striking the soldiers and elephants with them. The army was fear- stricken. Thus was the onset of the defeat. (Perhaps this was the first concentrated aerial shelling in human history.) The army of Abraha was defeated and it retreated with humiliation. Qoraish came back to Mecca and the House was defended by its Lord.

In the year in which this incident took place, Mohammad bin Abdullah bin Abdulmutaleb bin Hachem (pbuh) was born. The Prophet of Allah was born in the very year in which this great and divine incident took place. As an assertion of the consensus on the incident as a whole, when the Holy Qoran was revealed, it tackled the incident of the elephant in The Elephant Sura and no one - whether from Qoraish, from among the Arabs, from Habasha or from the whole world - denied the incident with its details knowing that they were tracking the Prophet of Allah to find even if a small detail or word to find a mistake or a slip or a lie (God forbids) that disagrees with the facts and truth. But as for The Elephant Sura which depicted this incident with its details, all were submissive. So in that year, two great divine incidents took place and changed history. They are both linked to each other and the coincidence is not by chance. The first is that Allah Al Mighty protected the Kaaba with a crystal clear miracle and the second incident which is linked to the first is the birth of the Prophet of Allah who will be sent to all people whether the white, black, yellow or red and not only to Qoraish or the Arabs. He will be sent to all peoples as a mercy to the whole world. With his prophethood all prophethoods will be sealed, and with his message all messages will come to an end. He will offer humanity an eternal divine message that will last till Doom's Day.

Back to the first incident, we find two significant points from which we draw the moral. The first point is all the Arabs at that time whether princes, heads of clans or tribal alliances were ultimately unable to do anything to defend not their land, water, oil, personal dignity or honor but rather the holiest of their holy sites: the Kaaba. They were totally weak. We didn't see any heroic struggle all through the army's journey which has announced its target from the onset: destroying the Kaaba despite all what it stands for. No one from among the inhabitants of the Arab Peninsula took action. This is a very important point. Even Qoraish with all claims it used to make, fled to the mountain passes. The second significant point is divine interference. To all who disapprove when we talk about divine interference, divine support or divine victory, we say that divine interference is clear and evident. It does not need or have any other interpretation. It means what took place in the Elephant incident and the divine interference to protect the Kaaba. Even in the very details of the incident, we find that Allah the Al Mighty did not sent to humiliate those arrogant tyrants the greatest among his creatures. No. He sent birds that stroke them with stones of baked stones and defeated them. They don't deserve anymore and that's the whole story. This second significant point must remain vivid in our minds: Allah Al Mighty interferes whenever He wants to protect whom He wants to protect. Yes, in some historical incident, the divine will was that this prophet or that Imam would be martyred or that or this incident takes place in this or in that way. But the divine will has red lines. When Allah wills to interfere, He interferes and in His own way and manner. That's exactly what took place in the year of Fil (Elephant). nasrollah 13 march

So in the year which marked the ultimate Arab weakness, feebleness and disaccord and the year of the clear divine miracle, Mohammad (pbuh) was born. The miracle of the Elephant incident is not unlinked to the time of the birth and the divine role and historical mission allotted to the newborn in that year. From the very beginning, Mohammad (pbuh) was embraced with Allah's mercy, care, teachings and protection. He was a true evident to (So that you be molded before my eyes). He stood willing to assume responsibility. With patience, he called for Islam, guided, fought, defended and bore pains. Thus were the miracles Allah made on the hands of the Prophet (pbuh). The man - who was born an orphan to a poor disjointed illiterate ignorant and weak people in that barren desert and tough mountains - turned within 23 years with that very land and among those very people to a great nation and culture. This is an aspect of the greatness of the occasion and the greatness of the Prophet (pbuh). That's because one of the means to know the greatness of a man is to see his work and achievements which he left to humanity and history. The other aspect of His great miracles is the Holy Qoran which was revealed to the heart of Mohamad (pbuh) in that society and in that environment with all what was mentioned of its educational, cultural, political and social status. This Qoran is that book revealed by Allah Al Mighty via the greatest of His angels to the greatest heart of the greatest man. (It was revealed by the faithful spirit on His heart)). This Qoran which is still in our hands today after more than 1430 years since its revelation on the heart of Mohamad (pbuh) is a divine miracle. It's a daily and annual recurrence of the Elephant incident in every generation but in another form.

In the Elephant incident, Allah defended His House (The Kaaba). With the wonder of the Qoran, Allah Al Mighty defends his book every day, year and generation until Doom's Day. (We have revealed the recitation and we will safeguard it). The Qoran available today is the very Qoran which was revealed on the heart of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) without a letter or a word added or a letter or a word missing. This is what all Muslims believe in. This is their belief and conviction. The safeguarding of the Qoran free from any addition or miss, free from any distortion or falsification and free from concealing and being concealed is a divine miracle vivid before our eyes. That's because after the prophethood of Mohamad (pbuh), human motives - for many reasons – agreed on concealing the Qoran or some of this Qoran, altering this Qoran, falsifying it or producing a similar Qoran or ten suras or even only one sura similar to its suras. But all who have such motives and tried to do so flopped. That's because in doing that, they are challenging Allah the Al Mighty who promised to safeguard the Qoran. And He protected it, is still protecting it and will protect it until Doom's Day. That's why today we as Muslims in all our factions and sects, concerning the Prophetic traditions we all agree that during the time of the Prophet and afterwards, liars put traditions and attributed it to the Prophet (pbuh). That's why we find the Sunnites, the Shiites and the other Islamic sects have the Science of Men and the Science of the tradition which handle any tradition attributed to the Prophet (pbuh). Are the men who narrated the tradition truthful, God-fearing or liars? We do not believe any tradition we hear. We must scrutinize its narrators to know whether they were God-fearing and truthful or not. Still all Muslims when they deal with the Qoran from cover to cover believe it is from Allah and was revealed to the Prophet of Allah (pbuh). It's the Book of Allah – nothing added and nothing lost.

Today we have this eternal divine prophetic relic. This Qoran from among all Holy books revealed on the previous prophets (pbut) is the divine relic. Now we as Muslims have - I will not say that the greatest common point but rather – a very great common point (despite our intellectual and juristic differences) which is the book of Allah: the Holy Qoran.

In every stage and generation some try to accuse the others here or there because they believe in falsifying the Qoran or concealing a part of it. This is baseless. This is the Qoran found in the houses of all Muslims whether Sunnites, Shiites or the other sects. This is the Qoran we recite day and night, in our happy and sad occasions, in war and peace and on which we bring up our children and upcoming generations. This is the great common point worthy of being the starting point to form an Islamic unity which was suggested always by Muslim scholars before and after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. But Imam Khomeini (May Allah bless his soul) - from his position as a scholar, a man of intellect and a great leader – adopted this presentation and gave it a great momentum in the Arab and Islamic worlds. This is what we need. Before and after Imam Khomeini, no Muslim leader or scholar put forth the idea of Islamic Unity in the form of integrated unity or organized unity because this is a unity that annuls privacies of sects, factions and schools. This intellectual and juristic variety in Islam is the most important point of force in Islam which made it spread in time and place and all through generations and over history. Consequently, no one is concerned with annulling this variety which is a point of force, one of the elements of Islam's immortality and a factor that gave Islam the ability to cope with all the events and incidents all through ages. When we talk about unity, we mean harmony, mutual affinity, cooperation, common interests as a nation and exerting common efforts to achieve all the goals and all these interests. Islam and the Prophet of Allah called for dialogue, harmony and meeting and getting acquainted not only with other Muslims but also with the followers of other religions. The Prophet himself was the pioneer leader in expansive dialogues which used to take place with Jewish and Christian religious men among other religious scholars.

Today, in face of all contemporary challenges and existing risks, we need this concept. We know that our enemies do not want this affinity to take place. The enemies of this nation don't want Muslims to reach such an affinity whether among Muslims as an Islamic nation or as Lebanese for example as Muslims and Christians. The same applies to any other Arab or Islamic country when it comes to rapprochements and national unity between the various popular, religious, racial and ethnic groups. This does not need any evidences. After all the events that took place in the past centuries and decades don't leave us in need to pause and think whether the enemies of this nation want to control our sanctities, wealth, oil, water, market and political decision and whether they want us to be in disaccord. This is absurd because the truth is crystal clear. But in the other hand what are we doing to confront that? They always bet on disjointing us but there are in the nation people who are working for affinity, harmony and cooperation… So the whole scene still exists in both its positive and negative aspects. I hope in the anniversary of the Birthday of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) that we discard with such claims that cause great tension between Shiites and Sunnites. We have noticed that for a period of time, no one has been able to stir again the major national issues because Muslim scholars and the various other Muslim trends are taking control of the track of major issues. There are wise men in all regions and countries who are working positively on the level of countries and the whole nation. The latest tone which has been wrought on for several years says that Shiites have a project which is converting Sunnites to Shiites! Some fabricate stories and present untrue reports. Notice that the senior scholars must not accept such stories unscrutinized. They must probe into them. For years it has been said that in Lebanon there is a Shiite plot to convert the Sunnites into Shiites. Here we are in Lebanon which is no more than 10452 Km2. We all know what takes place in all villages, towns and neighborhoods. Where is that plot? Point it out for us. In a previous occasion, Al Jazzier Channel addressed a question in this perspective to the Mufti of Tripoli and northern Lebanon. He gave a clear and brave answer: there is nothing of this sort in Lebanon. (May Allah bless Sheikh Malek for his kindness.) Such was also said about Egypt. The same question was asked to the Mufti of Egypt and he said: there is nothing of this kind in Egypt. They wrote on some websites that hundreds of thousands of Sunnites converted to Shiites in Syria. They wanted to make use of this to confront the Syrian leadership. Where are these converts? Give us a list of their names. This is being promulgated in many regions and unfortunately it is adopted by some scholars and men of intellect. Alas, they build on it, make a cause out of it and unrightfully set for a baseless battle and confrontation. Well not only in the Arab world, but also all over the world, today we have the internet, TV channels and books which are exposed in libraries exhibitions and on the websites. Everyone presents his ideas, concepts and evidences… Great incidents take place in the world in which some Shiite youths get influenced and convert into Sunnites or influences Sunnite youths and thus they convert into Shiites. But neither any country – I am speaking decisively - nor Hezbollah, nor any Shiite movement, nor even the regime of the Islamic Republic in Iran on head of which is His Eminence Sayyed Khamenai (May Allah prolong his lifespan) nor any great Shiite authority in the Islamic world has such a project or is in the process of preparing for such a project. These are all baseless illusions. These are exaggerated and at least inaccurate issues on which an endless battle is being prepared for. Voices are raised for such issues while they are kept silent when for instance in 22 days more than 1300 Palestinian Sunnites were killed. We didn't hear these zealous voices but when they are told that there is information that a Sunnite man in a remote area converted to a Shiite, they become ardent. Here I tell you also that in remote areas Shiite men converted to Sunnites and took fanatic trends also. Some are here in Lebanon and there are names. Shall were build a battle and make a confrontation because of that? We must all cooperate to handle this issue with the required realism.

From such basis, I turn to the political status and say: yes we back every Arab rapprochement, Islamic rapprochement, Arab reconciliation between two, three, four or five countries, or any Arab reconciliation. Reconciliation is what is demanded, and it must be backed and supported. I tell you that nothing in these reconciliations causes fear which some speak about. For instance, I read that a senior official in March 14 group say that after the quartet reconciliation in Riyadh, Hezbollah must search for its head. What does that mean? Where is he living? In what world? Indeed it is he who is searching for his head. Any Arab meeting is a source of power to all of us. Any Arab reconciliation is a source of power for all of us. We back and support it. We don't find in it what causes worry at all. We also call on Arabs – as we are on the doors of an upcoming summit in Doha – to extend their hands to the other countries that back the Arab rights such as Iran and Turkey. It's really weird. The Arabs must - as any people who has rights or is persecuted – search all over the world for someone to support them. On the contrary when someone comes to support us, we invent a project of enmity, disagreement and separation with him. Isn't it a point of power to the Arabs that Venezuela for instance backs the Arab right? Is it accepted that we disagree with Venezuela because of Bush (Now Bush is gone...) If whatever country in the world – disregard of its religious, cultural or political affiliations - supports the Arab right, the Palestinian people, the Arab causes, how come we say no to him at a time its our duty to search worldwide for someone who backs the Arab rights and causes. Today Iran is in such a position as is new Turkey. There are countries in this world who are in such a position. Here I tell you these countries will increase and not vice versa if Allah wills. But as Arab peoples and governments we must mutually back and support them and not answer their support with feud and accusations.

In this context, the dialogues taking place now in Cairo among Palestinian brothers from the various factions are supported by all of us. Indeed there are Palestinian complexities. The Palestinian brethrens themselves must address them with the required wisdom, braveness and flexibility. It's great tyranny that states from behind seas accuse this or that country or this or that ally of crippling talks. From our position in Hezbollah for instance I tell you – and this is valid on all the Lebanese national opposition and the Palestinian factions which we are accused of and they are accused of alliance with us, with Iran or with Syria. No one interferes in their affairs. No one imposes choices on the. No one tells them what to do. They decide what to do, what to agree on and what to refuse. This is a testimony for Allah Al Mighty in this great occasion.

Here I say and this is the truth. We in Hezbollah, we join our voice to all the voices that call on the Palestinians to exert all efforts to achieve unity, cooperation, affinity and rapprochement and get out of the regrettable division which was prevailing among them. In this framework, there is a point which I want to highlight. We call for this to take place not only on the political level. Unfortunately, I found some Arab and Lebanese channels trying to accuse Hezbollah of intervening in some details that are taking place in Gaza such as the launching of some rockets from Gaza and the like. Here I decisively tell you and the whole world: Hezbollah doesn't have any organization or faction in Gaza. There is a relation of mutual cooperation, respect and trust between us and all the Palestinian factions. We trust all of them but we do not interfere in their affairs. They take decisions. As we don't like to be dictated on, we do not dictate on others or interfere in the least detail or procedure no matter now trivial or critical. We consider ourselves like a brother whose duty is to help if his brother asks for that and he is able to do so. That's it. The interest lies in what the Palestinian Resistance leadership decides on. So it decides to make an appeasement, to launch rockets, or to make operations. Any interference from any party cripples the Palestinian interest. We are committed to this stance and we see its opposite as a treasury, infidelity and an illegal jihad act.

In the same Arab framework, we must pause before the decision taken by the attorney general of the International Criminal Court to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir. Indeed we in Hezbollah have denounced this decision. In this occasion, I like to renew our denunciation. I frankly tell you, the ICC has never proven to be fair and just and that it works free of political considerations so that we respect its decisions. As for President Bashir, they say they went to Darfore and investigated and found out that women and children were killed by the Sudanese Army or militias upon the order of President Bashir. These are their allegations. But the ICC does not need to make investigations in many crimes perpetrated and are still perpetrated daily and broadcasted on TV screens. In July War for 33 days TV screens used to broadcast Israeli crimes. Women, children and elderly were killed. Villages and neighborhoods were totally demolished upon the order of Olmert, Livney, Halotz and others. Still the ICC did not take any action. In these incidents, it doesn't need to make investigations. The direct responsibility is clear. What took place in Gaza and was seen by the whole world is another example. More than 1300 martyrs were killed. The overwhelming majority or more than half of them were women and children. Their killing was adopted by Israel. Neither the ICC prosecutor nor any judge in the ICC dared to say a single word. Qana Massacre I does not need any investigation; nor does Qana Massacre II. The same applies to the ICC bias to Bush and the US military leaders. Every other day, 30, 40, 50 or 100 civil victims are killed in Afghanistan, Pakistan and at times in Iraq. Then the ICC decides that they were killed by mistake. The information was wrong. There was an intelligence failure!

Over the past five year, the intelligence failure has led to the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi, Afghani and Pakistani civilians, and still the ICC did not take any action. So we are not talking about President Bashir in particular. We are discussing the ICC in principle. Is it basically a fair independent judiciary body? Or is it one of the international bodies which are used to settle political debates and to serve major political plots around the world. Sudan has been targeted for long years. Sudan is targeted for its unity, wealth, water and oil. Sudan has been targeted on more than one level and it remained firm all through these years. Now came a new series of conspiracies. This must be clear. We don't aim at denouncing the decision taken by the ICC attorney general only. We also stand to say that it is a great scandal to the ICC and its attorney general. It's a great scandal to those who turn a blind eye on the massacres in which hundreds of thousands are killed in more than one Arab and Muslim country while they persecute a president for unverified accusations based on unsound investigations. This is scandalous. This might recur. So it's the right of everyone targeted by the US administrations and the Zionist project to look cautiously and doubtfully to such international bodies which do not act on sheer judiciary and legal basis but rather on mere political basis. It finds a legal opinion there or an advisory pretext here to achieve its goals.

Now we really started the stage of elections. I stress on internal calmness. The situation is somehow reasonable despite the tension that takes place occasionally. In this perspective, I like to warn against exaggerating the sporadic security incidents by the media. Such incidents used to take place before the elections in 2005 and even when we had political stability in Lebanon: exaggerating incidents, interpreting them in other than what they stand for and making rapid and speedy accusations. I don't want to accuse any party. This does not lead but to tension in the country while these incidents are almost always personal and have nothing to do with the political decision. At times evidences show that the data on which a sweeping media campaign were wrong or reversed.

The security apparatuses and the Lebanese justice are responsible for investigating. It is noticeable that in the south for example every now and then the car of such and such explodes or is set on fire. They instantly accuse a definite political party. How did you know that? What are your evidences? Why can't we say that it is you who are burning cars to attract the media? You can't make haphazard accusations.

Some incidents take place and must be revealed but after all they turn to be limited, personal and sporadic. We mustn't work at exaggerating them to cause tension in the country. Some say that such sporadic incidents aim at scaring emigrants so that they don't come to Lebanon for elections. When you take a limited and short report and work at exaggerating it and build on it political theories and baseless accusations, you yourself will be working at scaring emigrants so that they won't come and vote. So let's make things path naturally. We keep whatever incident that takes place in any region under control and address it with responsibility and cooperation among political forces and security and judiciary apparatuses so as to guard the integrity, security and stability of our country and head to the elections in a sound and natural atmosphere.

In this very framework also, some make haste and accuse the Opposition of being responsible of such incidents to say that the Opposition wants to cripple the elections. This is also sarcastic. What would the Opposition lose if the elections took place and it did not win the majority? It's not a parliamentary majority now. You know that should we win the upcoming elections, it remains that the parliamentary majority is not necessarily the popular majority. This is true in Lebanon due to the sectarian regime and the way offices and departments are organized. So what will the Opposition lose if it did not win the majority in the upcoming elections? Nothing at all.

No who might lose anything might be accused and not the Opposition. Your are today the parliamentary majority and you are the authority. Discussing the issue of the crippling one third suggestion is lengthy. But after all, should the elections take place and the majority loses, you will lose. But if the elections takes place and we didn't become the majority, we will remain where we are and will not lose anything. In the contrary, the elections are the chance for the Opposition to get the majority. It has no other chance. So it's logical and natural that the Opposition be more careful for reserving security, stability and calmness in the country so that the elections take place and we see their results.

Now I will talk about what has been spread lately about a new US stance on the possibility of dialogue with Hezbollah and Hamas but with two conditions. The first condition is recognizing Israel, and the second condition is to renounce violence… When the US accepts to make dialogue with any party with or without conditions - and especially when these conditions start to retreat and concede - it doesn't do that for moral reasons but rather for the US flop of projects in the region. It has been shown that all attempts to isolate and eliminate Syria, change its regime and conduct and boycott Syria have been fruitless. So let's make dialogue with it. The issue is not moral. Since Syria remained steadfast and it is a part of the statue quo and is influential in the regional equations let's make dialogue with it.

Iran has been established for 30 years: eight years of war and 22 years of siege. Still it's growing in its power, might and influence. Iranians are going to the outer space, manufacturing their civil and military needs. Its nuclear capabilities have been a source or worry. Isolating, fighting and pressuring Iran have proved fruitless. If you want talks in the region, you must hold talks with all these influential nations including Iran and Syria. Prejudice does not lead but to flopping. This is true with countries as well as with political forces and movements and especially the resistance movements.

If the resistance movements are weak and defeated, they don't need to make dialogue with them? There is no dialogue with the weak and the defeated. This is on one side. On the other side, when it comes to conditions, Hezbollah is on the terrorism list among many other organizations even the TV channel of Hezbollah and Waed Institution. Other names also are on the list: such and such including Martyr Hajj Imad Moghniyah (May Allah bless his soul). A group of names – some brethrens and I – are on the terrorism list. See what the Americans want in the region and this is my goal now. They mean that we forgive you who make terrorist acts and overlook all your countless deeds. If they accuse us of shedding American blood, they will forgive us. If they accuse us of terrorism they will forgive us. We will overlook all the bygones if you recognize Israel. This is the whole story. Is this US politics in the region? There is Israel in the region. Recognize Israel and renounce violence! What does violence mean: renouncing the resistance. So they want us to recognize Israel and renounce violence and we will overlook all what have taken place before.

To those who rejoice for the US delegations that come to Lebanon I say: Should we open dialogue with the Americans, recognize Israel and renounce violence – if what they want takes place – Beirut southern Suburbs (Dahyieh) will be overcrowded with US delegations. The Americans follow their interests. They don't have eternal friendships or eternal enmities. It's not moral values which rule. Frankly speaking, before the US sets conditions on Hezbollah to make dialogue with it, the question is: Is Hezbollah ready to make dialogue with the Americans? And if it's ready, will that take place with or without conditions? As for the US conditions, they are rejected.

Today, on the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet (pbuh) in 2009 AC and 1430 hijri, as long as we are Hezbollah, neither we nor our children, grandchildren and generations will recognize Israel neither today, nor tomorrow, nor after a year, a hundred year, a thousand year, nor until Doom's Day. Israel is a usurper entity. It's an illegal and illegitimate state. It's a racial, aggressive and terrorist state. Based on what norms, a Muslim or an Arab person might recognize an entity of this kind? How come he simply says: Yes, this is Israel while three quarters if not more of its area was given to wanderers who were gathered from all over the world while the true right owners, the owners of the land and the sanctities from among the Muslim and Christian Palestinian people were forced to leave and expelled and forced to submit and yield? What kind of norms are these: religious, moral, humanistic, national or public? There is only one norm: that of the Arab clans and tribes which were defeated before the Army of Abraha which says: what are we able to do? This is Israel backed by the US. They did say: This is the army of Habasha. We can't confront the elephant. Let's run away and leave our holiest sanctities to Abraha. This is the only logic of the year of the Elephant which says we can't do anything in face of Israel. This is Israel backed with the US. We have no choice. This is the statue quo, the logic, coexistence…. They search for whatever terms to impose on us so that we accept their conditions…

No the only norm which pushes in the direction of recognizing Israel is the feeling of defeat and humiliation. Only when man feels weak, he is forced to recognize. But if we don't feel we are that weak and helpless but rather we are strong and able if we stood side by side and with all our might to defeat this entity and also eliminate its very existence. They say they are backed by the US. So what? We are backed by Allah. Allah backed us during July War and during Gaza War. They are backed by the US, they say. Let the Americans stand erect from their fall. We really don't know where the USA is going on the financial level, the economic level, and world hegemony. They are working now on being positive and making dialogue. They left this possibility as they are not able to do anything during these couple of years. So they want to let time pass to see how to address this financial and economic catastrophe. This is a valid assumption.

Thus to those who put conditions on us we say: for all the above mentioned reasons, we will not recognize the existence of a state called Israel. There are two points. You might say not recognizing means going into war. No one called on any one to go to war. If you are not able to go to war and fight, do not recognize and establish this truth and give it legitimacy. If our generation is unable to fight, the upcoming generation will fight or the generation that follows. Why should we admit defeat? If we are unable to fight, don't share in the confrontation. Why should we give legality to occupation, usurp and terrorism? This is the logic which we talk about. But as long as there is a terrorist, greedy and aggressive entity, the resistance is not only a matter of no renunciation, it is rather our dignity, honor, livelihood, existence and the pride of our sanctities.

Anyway, later when all these conditions fall, we'll see if we are ready for dialogue and what are our conditions for dialogue. Who said we accept unconditional talks? But now I won't say what the conditions are because there is nothing of this sort of talks so far. The issue is not serious. We are in such a position. We see ourselves in such a position.

On the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh), in these blessed days, there is a call for mutual sharing, harmony, cooperation, assistance and constructive competition to reach unity and to work for the pride and honor of this nation and to defend its sanctities. I pray to Allah to help us to assume responsibility and to be equal to this responsibility shed on our shoulders. Again I felicitate you on this blessed and dear anniversary. Hundred returns. Peace be upon you and Allah's blessings and mercy.

Source: In Their Eyes