In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. May Allah reward you and us generously for our great catastrophe which afflicted us by the martyrdom of Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (Peace be upon him).
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. I liked to be among you for a few of minutes. They allowed me to do so for that long only or else I would have liked to be among you always.
I wanted to be with you on the tenth of Muharram for a few of moments so that we reiterate together and make the whole world hear us saying our final choice and reiterating our pledge to Al Hussein who stood all by himself facing 30 thousand men. He was a true manifestation of his father Ali Bin Abi Taleb (Peace be upon him) who used to say: "By Allah, were I to confront them all by myself and they were as numerous so as to fill the whole world, I wouldn't have cared or felt scared." Al Hussein was put before two choices: "The bastard son of a bastard has put us before two choices: war or humiliation". Forever and no matter what the challenges and the dangers might be we tell all those who bet on scaring us, weakening us or threatening us that we are the companions of Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (Peace be upon him) who said: Humiliation, how remote!
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. I liked to be among you for a few of minutes. They allowed me to do so for that long only or else I would have liked to be among you always.
I wanted to be with you on the tenth of Muharram for a few of moments so that we reiterate together and make the whole world hear us saying our final choice and reiterating our pledge to Al Hussein who stood all by himself facing 30 thousand men. He was a true manifestation of his father Ali Bin Abi Taleb (Peace be upon him) who used to say: "By Allah, were I to confront them all by myself and they were as numerous so as to fill the whole world, I wouldn't have cared or felt scared." Al Hussein was put before two choices: "The bastard son of a bastard has put us before two choices: war or humiliation". Forever and no matter what the challenges and the dangers might be we tell all those who bet on scaring us, weakening us or threatening us that we are the companions of Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (Peace be upon him) who said: Humiliation, how remote!
Brothers and sisters! On the tenth day of Muharram, we renew our pledge to Al Hussein (Peace be upon him). We say what his companions told him on the tenth night of Muharram: Shall we remain alive after your decease? Shall we remain alive after your decease? May Allah make life unpleasant after your decease O Hussein. By Allah, if I were to be killed then incinerated, then spread in air, then resurrected, then I fight and be killed, then incinerated, then spread in air – if that is to be made by me a 1000 times – I will not abandon you O Hussein. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The televised word
I Take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the World. Peace be on our Master and Prophet – The Seal of Prophets – Mohammad and on his Chaste Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers.
Peace be on you my master and Lord Abu Abdullah and on all the souls gathering around your holy site. Peace be on you as long as I remain alive and as long as night follows day. May Allah make it not my last visit to you. Peace be on Hussein, Ali the son of Hussein, the children of Hussein and the companions of Hussein.
Peace be on you scholars, brothers and sisters. Peace be on you all and Allah's mercy and blessing. May Allah reward you and us generously for the catastrophe afflicted on the prophet of Allah and his Household peace be upon him.
First I would like to thank you all for this great attendance, for the faithfulness, the pledge, the commitment and the patience. You have spent last night awaken. Still you woke up early and spent all this time under the sun. As in all the previous years, neither the hot summer nor the cold winter hindered you from attending the meeting of faithfulness with your lord Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (Peace be upon him).
I thank you for your massive attendance. May Allah Al Mighty accept your efforts.
On the tenth of Muharram – on the day of the martyrdom of Abi Abdullah All Hussein and his Household and companion and what afflicted him - I along with you offer our consolation and solace to the Master – the Prophet of Allah (peace be on him) and the Household of the Prophet of Allah (Peace be upon him), our Imams (peace be upon them), our Master – Baqiyetullah on Earth, the grandson of Imam Hussein, the Lord of Our Time May Allah make his appearance near - his righteous deputy, His Eminence Imam Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenai (May Allah prolong his age), all our great religious authorities, our Islamic nation and all Muslims especially the followers of the Prophet (Peace be upon him and his Household).
We announce our consolation and solace on this day which we mark annually to renew our commitment to our line, faith, pledge, path, steadfastness, will and determination to continue on the path on which the prophets, messengers, good men and millions of martyrs died. Karbala is but a great prominent link in this historic, great prophetic track which will remain forceful until the Hour of Resurrection.
Brothers and sisters! As we have talked about Ashura on the past nights and postponed talking politics until today, I will say a couple of words in principle.
First: We must point out, highlight and remind that the true threat to this nation, all its states, peoples and governments is the US-Israeli project - the US administration whoever its president is. It's this enemy who occupies Palestine, violates its sanctities and attacks the Palestinian people and the peoples of this region. It's the greater plunderer of our wealth and the capabilities of our nation. It's this American. It's this Israeli. What is required from our people always is that it becomes aware of this truth and not be deceived by this new American deception.
The Americans tried during this year to present themselves as defenders of human rights, the freedom of peoples and the democracy of the Arab world. We know these crook hypocrites. We know their history which is pregnant with supporting dictatorships. All of these dictatorships enjoy the support of the US administration on the political, media, intelligence, military and all other levels. Now when the people revolted and America found that its followers are collapsing and tumbling, it renounced them.
Brothers and sisters! Do you know that this is the nature of Devil as Allah portrays him in the Holy Koran? On Doom's Day, the Devil does that. When the Devil reaches with his followers a dead end, he renounces them. He depicts himself as innocent. On the contrary, he says he had no power on them.
What asserts the devilish nature of the US administration is that it abandons its followers, allies and tools at the first turning point. It abandons them and searches for its interests and for means to lessen its casualties.
Our Arab and Islamic peoples must know that the US administration is the enemy and the threat. Didn't these peoples hear US president Obama days ago addressing the Jewish Lobby and the Jewish organizations in America saying: 'My administration gave the security of Israel what no other administration gave." That's true. Even more, under Obama, the CIA turned from a great inveterate intelligence body which works on essential cases to a detective in Lebanon for the Mosad and the Israeli security apparatuses? It spies on this fighter and on that fighter. It searches for an arsenal, a rocket platform, a leadership headquarters and the house of an official. The US intelligence apparatuses turned to small spies at the service of Israel and to defend Israel.
O Arabs! O Muslims! O peoples! O political forces! Do not be taken by the US administration. It is America which is occupying your Palestine and your Al Qods and threatening your holy shrine. It is America which is responsible before the Israeli enemy for detaining thousands of Palestinians in jails besides displacing, torturing and besieging thousands others in Gaza and the West Bank. It is this America which we must recall on the tenth of Muharam so that we do not mistake the enemy as a friend. He who doesn't have insight mistakes the enemy for a friend. We must remember that the enemy is this US administration and its tool in the region. Israel is not its ally but rather its tool. It uses Israel as a spearhead to humiliate the Arabs and the Muslims, to vanquish Arabs and Muslims, to impose the US will on Arabs and Muslims, to furnish itself with arms market and to plunder the oil in the countries of Arabs and Muslims. None of us must ever forget that.
Second: Also in this framework, all of us must remember that the US administration – after its former project of a Neo Middle East was frustrated by the resistance movements in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq and the awareness of the peoples in the region and the opposing resisting countries on top of which come Iran and Syria – woke up with the awakening and revolution of the Arab peoples to renew the Neo Middle East project but from another gate. It is the gate of ordeal, internal struggle, sectarian and factional sedition and tribal, national and racial strife. That's because this is the only option which is still available before America and Israel to reproduce its domination over the region. We must all be aware of that. In this framework, we stressed and we still stress that we must avoid sectarian and factional speech or instigation because that serves Israel, America and the enemy of this nation; it does not serve this nation. We must all respect each other's sanctities. Here I stress on the fatwa of His Eminence Imam Khamenai (May Allah prolong his lifespan) to respect all sanctities and symbols of every section and faction.
Third: In this framework, we come to Al Qods, Palestine, the central cause and the axis of the struggle in the region. Today we must warn against the judaization which is taking place. We are not talking about a judaizing project. There is actual judaization. Everyday new steps are taken for achieving total judaization of Al Qods. Days ago, houses were demolished in West Al Qods. They daily take decisions to build thousands of residential units. Now there are parts of Al Qods Mosque which are threatened of demolition due to reparation works. What we fear and what we must fear is that amid the occupation of the Arab peoples in their internal crises, that Israel ceases the opportunity and strikes a final blow to Al Qods Mosque. Anyway, that'll be the worst folly Israel ever perpetrates since the establishment of this usurping entity. However, the peoples must be aware, present and alert because there is a danger of this kind which is threatening sanctities. Palestine must be the primary central cause no matter how difficult internal national situations were and no matter how struggles and conflicts aggravated in any country. This is what we believe in and what we work for.
Fourth: As far as the Arab options are concerned, we bargain on the awareness of these peoples and the options of peoples. In Tunisia, the people gained victory over their tyrant and carried out elections. We hope that the Islamic and national forces live up to the expectations and ambitions of the honest and noble Tunisian people.
In Libya, the people gained victory over their tyrant. Here also the political forces are responsible for achieving the ambitions of this people who offered thousands of martyrs.
In Yemen, the great challenge still exists. Some are trying to tear Yemen and take it back to sectarian and factional ordeal to liquidate the revolution and its targets and ambitions. That requires great awareness.
In Bahrain, the people are caring on their peaceful movement despite all aspects of suppression, deception and hypocrisy. They still insist on achieving their legitimate national goals.
In Egypt, great changes are taking place. This made Israel shake. Even Barak mentioned that with apprehension. We all look at Egypt with hope because any true change in Egypt is for the interest of the nation and the interest of Palestine. Any true change would turn the strategic milieu for Israel in the region as that would limit Israel's options in the region. That would put Israel before a historic crisis and a crisis of existence. This is the great challenge before the Egyptian political forces which win in the elections and form the new authority in Egypt. It's the challenge of Palestine, Al Qods, Gaza, the West Bank, Camp David and the stance from this entity. We hope and we bet that the Arab peoples won't be deceived with all of this US hypocrisy. When the Arab peoples overpass their internal ordeals, they will return to their normal posts where the forces of this nation and its peoples are mustered so as to face this central cause. As such these Americans will flop as they had already flopped. Hereof I move to Iraq and then to Syria and finally to Lebanon.
In Iraq today and within few days, it is supposed that the US pull out from Iraq be wrapped up. There is a US defeat in Iraq. It's a true defeat. The Americans didn't come to Iraq to pull out from it. Their goal and expectations were to stay in Iraq, control Iraq, and establish legally and field fortified military bases for scores of years. However the heroic resistance in Iraq, the steadfastness of the Iraqi people, the steadfastness of the political forces and the high expenses of the US occupation in Iraq imposed on it to take the decision of withdrawal. I will also tell you that the Iraqi resistance operations did not receive Arab and international media coverage and that many of the resistance factions used to circulate video tapes and CDs on its clear qualitative strong effective operations on Arab and international satellites. Still the world used to neglect these operations, and still a great number of the Iraqi resistance operations were blacked out to serve the morals of the US Army and the US administration. This asserts the nature of the media and satellites which control the Arab and Islamic world.
Anyway, what took place in Iraq is a true defeat. The resistance forces and the sacrificing people of Iraq must celebrate this great victory even if there are remarks on the endings. Still in general there is a very great historic victory which is achieved by the Iraqi people and the Iraqi resistance. This must be brought to light and uncovered before the whole peoples of the region. When Israel is defeated in Lebanon and Gaza, that means that Israel is being overpowered. When America is defeated in Iraq, that means America is being overpowered. As it was overpowered in Iraq, it might be overpowered in any other country. However the Americans want to lessen the impact of the defeat; thus they are depending on evoking smoke and misleading events. In this framework, what is taking place in Syria, the threats to Iran, the story of the Saudi Ambassador to Washington and all what is taking place in the region is to preoccupy the peoples of the region from eye-witnessing the defeat of the US Army which has presented itself as the only great power in the world but was defeated by the Iraqi men and the Iraqi fighters.
Unfortunately, I say that the Americans have managed to do so to a great extent. If you watch the Arab and international satellites where is the headline on the US withdrawal from Iraq?
Where are the footages of tanks and soldiers withdrawing? Yesterday I read in the newspapers that perhaps there are still 19 or 9 thousand or 900 US soldiers. I don't know. Well how did the 150 thousands withdraw from Iraq? No one felt or watched that. The Americans managed to cover that. In fact when we watch satellites we find that the first headline is Syria; the second Egypt; the third Libya; the fourth Tunisia; the fifth Yemen and I don't know what the sixth is. If it is still possible, they may talk about the US withdrawal from Iraq. This is deliberate and not by chance. Thus today the responsibility of the resistance forces in the Arab and Islamic world especially in Iraq, the responsibility of the Iraqi people and media and the responsibility of every faithful media is to show the defeat.
On the tenth day of Muharam, we felicitate anew the new historic event in which blood gained victory over the sword. The Iraqi people who were fighting with machine guns, RPJs, bombs and Katusha in the best circumstances could defeat the most powerful army in this world ever. If the Israeli Army is the most powerful army in the region, the US Army is the most powerful army in the world. Still it was defeated in few years. It was defeated with blood, jihad, resistance, determination and will. What is most important today is being alert to what might take place following the US withdrawal from Iraq, US devilry and the ordeal project it seeks in the whole region. That depends on the awareness of our Iraqi brethrens and their dialogue, mutual understanding and tolerance besides their commitment to their country and their unity.
Here I come to Syria. Our stance from the very first days is clear. We are with reform in Syria. We stand with the regime which resisted and opposed hegemony and supported resistance movements. We say yes for addressing all reasons and aspects of corruption or disorder. We say yes to all forms of reform which the Syrian leadership accepted in fact and which the Syrian people call for. However some do not want reforms in Syria. They do not want security, stability, civil peace or dialogue either. Some want to destroy Syria. Some want to make up for their defeat in Iraq. Syria is a partner in defeating the Americans in Iraq. So some want to make up for their defeat in Iraq and for their great strategic defeat which is very much possible – I'm not saying it is an absolute defeat but rather very likely defeat – in Egypt. The change of the regime in Syria is for whose interest? Is it for the interest of Palestine or the Palestinian people? Is the change they call for in Syria for the interest of Al Qods or the nation? No!
Anyway, whenever someone tries to hide something, it appears in the slips of his tongue and his features. The so called Syrian National Council which was formed in Istanbul and which some western and Arab states view as a legitimate representative and a converser in the name of the Syrian people is headed by Burhan Deeb Galyoun. He is a university professor. Two or three days ago he said: If we could change the regime and take power in Syria, we want to cut our ties with Iran. (That is quite clear). We want to cut our ties with the resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine. (He named Hezbollah and Hamas). Well, these are accreditation cards for whom? These are accreditation cards for the Americans and the Israelis. Well, Professor Galyoun, what will you do with Golan Heights? He said he will resort to the international community to see what they can do. We want to negotiate with the international community. This comes 20 or 30 years of negotiations which led nowhere. So it becomes clear that their expectations are to severe Syria's ties with the resistance movements in the region to which Syria represents a source of power and vice verse. They want to fall anew in the bosom of the international community for the sake of Golan Heights. This is the alternative proposal, the alternative authority and the alternative regime! There is even worse. I used to stop here. The brethrens used to have two viewpoints: whether we comment or not. However, making a comment overweighs according to me. One of the leaderships who considers himself belonging to an Islamist organization in Syria said if we managed to change the situation in Syria, we will cross the Lebanese borders and go to Lebanon to fight, punish and dwarf Hezbollah. Great! These are accreditation cards for whom? They are for America and Israel. That's because Hezbollah is the enemy of America and Israel. It's Hezbollah who defeated Israel and established for its defeats in the region. This is intended for the Syrian people. It is also intended for every Lebanese who tells you to have patience and wait because you are reading things in Syria in a wrong way. On the contrary, the past couple of days revealed that we were reading things in a very correct way. The essential point is attacking the resistance movements. It is not reforms and addressing corruption and multiplicity which are required in Syria. What is required in Syria is treacherous Arab regime. This is the truth. With our respect to those who demonstrate in Syria and those who fight having something else in mind we tell them to be aware because they will be exploited in a project of this kind. There is a project that goes against their conviction, religion, culture, national belonging, nationalism, Syrian identity and true belonging. However anyway, these statements and these positions made us more convinced in the validity of our position. We frankly say that we want and call for calmness in Syria, dialogue in Syria, peace in Syria and to address things calmly. We condemn sanctions. We condemn any form of ordeal or any aspect of sectarian and factional instigation. Indeed, I foretell all those who threaten from across seas and oceans that fleet, legions, convoys and battleships have come from behind seas and oceans but were destroyed on Beirut's shores.
Before all of these developments that are taking place in the region, we always insist that we do not deal with the Lebanese affair as if Lebanon is an isolated island. Indeed, this is an essential principle. No one can and it is not correct that any one deals with the situations in Lebanon or all what is taking place in Lebanon apart from what is taking place in the region. In fact, they are deeply and forcefully connected to what is taking place in the region. Hereof and from our understanding of priorities, we were always and we still insist on civil peace. We still insist in transgressing ordeal no matter what its reasons are and no matter how much the atmosphere is instigating and no matter how much oppression and falsehood there are. In Lebanon there is much oppression and falsehood. Others from abroad also help in that. For example, yesterday they were threatening. A figure from the Syrian Opposition showed up on a satellite outlet and said that Hezbollah in the North is breaking into hospitals and arresting the Syrian wounded. Does anyone believe such a speech! Still this is said with much indolence on essential Arab satellites… If anything takes place in this country, no matter how trivial it is, they blame Hezbollah for that. This is really a good indicator because it means that their true obsession and preoccupation is Hezbollah. Thus in everything whether trivial or important they hold Hezbollah responsible for what is taking place – and at times what is not taking place in fact. Still we show patience and tolerance. Some want to push things in Lebanon towards internal ordeal. Well we do not want any form of internal ordeal and we must face that with wisdom, patience, awareness, tolerance and overlooking things.
Indeed, we also call in Lebanon for addressing governmental disorder and to activate governmental action because this is a true national need. In this framework, we reiterate our assertion on the importance and the validity of the demands of the Reform and Change Bloc. The government and the Premier are Inshallah serious in assuming national responsibilities. These issues must be addressed so that governmental action dash in a good way.
We assert achieving justice as far as the false witnesses file is concerned. We assert on doing justice for the officers who were unjustly and aggressively arrested. These false witnesses must be punished because the issue was not that of false witnesses. Their role did not end with putting the officers in jail. They also caused great political events in the country. Some people are confused. They consider that the false witnesses file had to do with four respectful officers and a group of respectful citizens who were hurled to prison. That's not the whole story even though this is great oppression. The false witnesses led to enmity between Lebanon and Syria, to instigation in Lebanon, to sharp divisions, to factional and sectarian tension and to the killing of tens of Syrians unjustly.
What is strange is that political forces and personalities in Lebanon make a big uproar for some Syrian kidnapped who are not kidnapped. They say they are 12. However there are three who are lost. Well, where are the 12? Everyday they evoke the issue and condemn it while they were silent and they remain silent on scores or hundreds of Syrians who were killed in Lebanon due to false accusations and false witnesses. So this is not a trivial file. No one is underestimating it or belittling it. No one deals with it as something marginal or transient. Still what is most important is the continuous current Israeli intimidation whether through spies and collaborators or through CIA agents. That's because day after day, it is being proved that the CIA is mobilizing spies for Israel or spying apparatuses which the Resistance, the Army and the concerned security forces are discovering gradually among other Israeli violations and aggressions. We really don't know what Israel is preparing for Lebanon.
In this framework also, we stress on the threefold formula that provides Lebanon with invulnerability, strength and dignity: the Army, the people and the Resistance. These are the elements of power to which we adhere. As I said yesterday, we on Ashura like to deliver a message which is not new but decisive, clear and final to all those who conspire and nurture hopes or wait for changes. This Resistance in Lebanon with its arms, organization, fighters, mind, culture and presence will remain Inshallah. This Resistance in Lebanon Inshallah will carry on, and all your conspiracies, connivance and psychological, media, political and intelligence war will not be able to harm it. We will adhere to our resistance. We will adhere to the arms of the Resistance. On the tenth day of Muharam, I will tell you more. Day after day our number is increasing. We are improving. Our training is enhancing, and our confidence in the future is increasing. Our arms are developing. If anyone bargains that our arms rust, we are able to replace the rust arms, and we are able to modernize everything.
There is a true misunderstanding concerning arms. Some say that the arms of the Resistance are the reason for chaos and disorder or some security unrest in Lebanon. See how much deception there is in that! This is deviltry. Deviltry is the mission of the devil. What arms are used in civil war? What arms cause ordeal? What arms lead to killing, robbing and causing skirmishes? We are all Lebanese and we all know that the Kalashnikov, the M16, the gun and at most the BKC or RBJ and hand grenade are weapons which all Lebanese possess. Well did it ever happen that a security skirmish or a civil war ever take place and a Zilzal Rocket or a Raad Rocket or a Kheibar Rocket or rocket launchers or Rocket of (Haifa and far behind Haifa and even further behind than Haifa) was used in it? Never! If any skirmish takes place in the country in whatever region, the Kalashnikov, the RBJ, the BKC or the hand grenade is used. These are owned by all the Lebanese. Let no one say he does not own weapons. Arms of this level are possessed by families, clans and individuals. This is the problem of internal security and not the arms of the Resistance. Those who want internal security must seek to address the crisis of this kind of arms: how do we control them; how do we organize them? As for those who want to disarm us or thinks of disarming us from Zilzal Rocket, the far range rockets, rocket launchers, maritime defense capabilities or aerial defense capabilities, by that they would be offering a great service to Israel. That means what Israel failed to achieve in 33 days while backed with the whole world, world technology and satellites, air force, reconnaissance planes and the most developed weapons, they want to achieve through dialogue, through political talks or through the media. I will tell you that this will never take place and will never be achieved.
On the day of tough, decisive and historic choices, we wrap up the tenth of Muharram as we do every year. You and I will tell the whole world that here in Lebanon we took the initiative since 1982.
We conclude as we do every tenth of Muharram. You and I will tell the whole world. Here in Lebanon we took the initiative since 1982. We did not wait for the international community, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference or any one in the world. With our will, determination, youth, men, women and humble capabilities we resisted, fought, offered martyrs, restored our land, freed our prisoners and restored our dignity. With our resistance we will guard our land, dignity, honor and country against harm inflicted by anyone in the world.
No risks, threats, intimidations, events or changes will prevent us from performing this obligation and responsibility. We belong to the Imam who stood once all alone facing 30 thousand men. Every one of us is not alone facing these. We are tens of thousands in Lebanon. We are full-fledged trained fighters who are ready for martyrdom. We are the adorers of Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (peace be upon him). We are a force which is still ignored by the enemy. The enemy will remain ignorant of this power. Every enemy will be taken aback through its forceful presence and innovation in any field of confrontation.
Thus on the tenth of Muharram we say: Time of bargaining on our dignity, honor, presence, nation, land and sanctities for whatever price is over. Circumstances changed radically. Thus we wrap up renewing our pledge to Al Hussein (peace be upon him). We tell him: O our master! O our Imam! As you sacrificed everything for your great goals and preferred that you be killed along with your Household and companions for the sake of your aims, we will guard this path. However, we will also make a victory out of your blood, intellect and culture. Our call and pledge to you on the tenth of Muharram will persist to be.
Brothers and sisters! After all martyrs fell and Al Hussein remained all alone but still strong, tough and radiant, he made a call. The call was not for the army which was before him. It was rather a call to all those who are held in the loins of men and the wombs of women all through history until Doom's Day. His call was "Is there anyone willing to support me?" The answer will always be made with the blood, spirit, position, intelligence, jihad and resistance: "At your service, O Hussein!" May Allah reward you generously and bless your efforts. May Allah forgive you and us. Peace be on Hussein, the children of Hussein and the companions of Hussein. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The televised word
I Take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the World. Peace be on our Master and Prophet – The Seal of Prophets – Mohammad and on his Chaste Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers.
Peace be on you my master and Lord Abu Abdullah and on all the souls gathering around your holy site. Peace be on you as long as I remain alive and as long as night follows day. May Allah make it not my last visit to you. Peace be on Hussein, Ali the son of Hussein, the children of Hussein and the companions of Hussein.
Peace be on you scholars, brothers and sisters. Peace be on you all and Allah's mercy and blessing. May Allah reward you and us generously for the catastrophe afflicted on the prophet of Allah and his Household peace be upon him.
First I would like to thank you all for this great attendance, for the faithfulness, the pledge, the commitment and the patience. You have spent last night awaken. Still you woke up early and spent all this time under the sun. As in all the previous years, neither the hot summer nor the cold winter hindered you from attending the meeting of faithfulness with your lord Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (Peace be upon him).
I thank you for your massive attendance. May Allah Al Mighty accept your efforts.
On the tenth of Muharram – on the day of the martyrdom of Abi Abdullah All Hussein and his Household and companion and what afflicted him - I along with you offer our consolation and solace to the Master – the Prophet of Allah (peace be on him) and the Household of the Prophet of Allah (Peace be upon him), our Imams (peace be upon them), our Master – Baqiyetullah on Earth, the grandson of Imam Hussein, the Lord of Our Time May Allah make his appearance near - his righteous deputy, His Eminence Imam Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenai (May Allah prolong his age), all our great religious authorities, our Islamic nation and all Muslims especially the followers of the Prophet (Peace be upon him and his Household).
We announce our consolation and solace on this day which we mark annually to renew our commitment to our line, faith, pledge, path, steadfastness, will and determination to continue on the path on which the prophets, messengers, good men and millions of martyrs died. Karbala is but a great prominent link in this historic, great prophetic track which will remain forceful until the Hour of Resurrection.
Brothers and sisters! As we have talked about Ashura on the past nights and postponed talking politics until today, I will say a couple of words in principle.
First: We must point out, highlight and remind that the true threat to this nation, all its states, peoples and governments is the US-Israeli project - the US administration whoever its president is. It's this enemy who occupies Palestine, violates its sanctities and attacks the Palestinian people and the peoples of this region. It's the greater plunderer of our wealth and the capabilities of our nation. It's this American. It's this Israeli. What is required from our people always is that it becomes aware of this truth and not be deceived by this new American deception.
The Americans tried during this year to present themselves as defenders of human rights, the freedom of peoples and the democracy of the Arab world. We know these crook hypocrites. We know their history which is pregnant with supporting dictatorships. All of these dictatorships enjoy the support of the US administration on the political, media, intelligence, military and all other levels. Now when the people revolted and America found that its followers are collapsing and tumbling, it renounced them.
Brothers and sisters! Do you know that this is the nature of Devil as Allah portrays him in the Holy Koran? On Doom's Day, the Devil does that. When the Devil reaches with his followers a dead end, he renounces them. He depicts himself as innocent. On the contrary, he says he had no power on them.
What asserts the devilish nature of the US administration is that it abandons its followers, allies and tools at the first turning point. It abandons them and searches for its interests and for means to lessen its casualties.
Our Arab and Islamic peoples must know that the US administration is the enemy and the threat. Didn't these peoples hear US president Obama days ago addressing the Jewish Lobby and the Jewish organizations in America saying: 'My administration gave the security of Israel what no other administration gave." That's true. Even more, under Obama, the CIA turned from a great inveterate intelligence body which works on essential cases to a detective in Lebanon for the Mosad and the Israeli security apparatuses? It spies on this fighter and on that fighter. It searches for an arsenal, a rocket platform, a leadership headquarters and the house of an official. The US intelligence apparatuses turned to small spies at the service of Israel and to defend Israel.
O Arabs! O Muslims! O peoples! O political forces! Do not be taken by the US administration. It is America which is occupying your Palestine and your Al Qods and threatening your holy shrine. It is America which is responsible before the Israeli enemy for detaining thousands of Palestinians in jails besides displacing, torturing and besieging thousands others in Gaza and the West Bank. It is this America which we must recall on the tenth of Muharam so that we do not mistake the enemy as a friend. He who doesn't have insight mistakes the enemy for a friend. We must remember that the enemy is this US administration and its tool in the region. Israel is not its ally but rather its tool. It uses Israel as a spearhead to humiliate the Arabs and the Muslims, to vanquish Arabs and Muslims, to impose the US will on Arabs and Muslims, to furnish itself with arms market and to plunder the oil in the countries of Arabs and Muslims. None of us must ever forget that.
Second: Also in this framework, all of us must remember that the US administration – after its former project of a Neo Middle East was frustrated by the resistance movements in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq and the awareness of the peoples in the region and the opposing resisting countries on top of which come Iran and Syria – woke up with the awakening and revolution of the Arab peoples to renew the Neo Middle East project but from another gate. It is the gate of ordeal, internal struggle, sectarian and factional sedition and tribal, national and racial strife. That's because this is the only option which is still available before America and Israel to reproduce its domination over the region. We must all be aware of that. In this framework, we stressed and we still stress that we must avoid sectarian and factional speech or instigation because that serves Israel, America and the enemy of this nation; it does not serve this nation. We must all respect each other's sanctities. Here I stress on the fatwa of His Eminence Imam Khamenai (May Allah prolong his lifespan) to respect all sanctities and symbols of every section and faction.
Third: In this framework, we come to Al Qods, Palestine, the central cause and the axis of the struggle in the region. Today we must warn against the judaization which is taking place. We are not talking about a judaizing project. There is actual judaization. Everyday new steps are taken for achieving total judaization of Al Qods. Days ago, houses were demolished in West Al Qods. They daily take decisions to build thousands of residential units. Now there are parts of Al Qods Mosque which are threatened of demolition due to reparation works. What we fear and what we must fear is that amid the occupation of the Arab peoples in their internal crises, that Israel ceases the opportunity and strikes a final blow to Al Qods Mosque. Anyway, that'll be the worst folly Israel ever perpetrates since the establishment of this usurping entity. However, the peoples must be aware, present and alert because there is a danger of this kind which is threatening sanctities. Palestine must be the primary central cause no matter how difficult internal national situations were and no matter how struggles and conflicts aggravated in any country. This is what we believe in and what we work for.
Fourth: As far as the Arab options are concerned, we bargain on the awareness of these peoples and the options of peoples. In Tunisia, the people gained victory over their tyrant and carried out elections. We hope that the Islamic and national forces live up to the expectations and ambitions of the honest and noble Tunisian people.
In Libya, the people gained victory over their tyrant. Here also the political forces are responsible for achieving the ambitions of this people who offered thousands of martyrs.
In Yemen, the great challenge still exists. Some are trying to tear Yemen and take it back to sectarian and factional ordeal to liquidate the revolution and its targets and ambitions. That requires great awareness.
In Bahrain, the people are caring on their peaceful movement despite all aspects of suppression, deception and hypocrisy. They still insist on achieving their legitimate national goals.
In Egypt, great changes are taking place. This made Israel shake. Even Barak mentioned that with apprehension. We all look at Egypt with hope because any true change in Egypt is for the interest of the nation and the interest of Palestine. Any true change would turn the strategic milieu for Israel in the region as that would limit Israel's options in the region. That would put Israel before a historic crisis and a crisis of existence. This is the great challenge before the Egyptian political forces which win in the elections and form the new authority in Egypt. It's the challenge of Palestine, Al Qods, Gaza, the West Bank, Camp David and the stance from this entity. We hope and we bet that the Arab peoples won't be deceived with all of this US hypocrisy. When the Arab peoples overpass their internal ordeals, they will return to their normal posts where the forces of this nation and its peoples are mustered so as to face this central cause. As such these Americans will flop as they had already flopped. Hereof I move to Iraq and then to Syria and finally to Lebanon.
In Iraq today and within few days, it is supposed that the US pull out from Iraq be wrapped up. There is a US defeat in Iraq. It's a true defeat. The Americans didn't come to Iraq to pull out from it. Their goal and expectations were to stay in Iraq, control Iraq, and establish legally and field fortified military bases for scores of years. However the heroic resistance in Iraq, the steadfastness of the Iraqi people, the steadfastness of the political forces and the high expenses of the US occupation in Iraq imposed on it to take the decision of withdrawal. I will also tell you that the Iraqi resistance operations did not receive Arab and international media coverage and that many of the resistance factions used to circulate video tapes and CDs on its clear qualitative strong effective operations on Arab and international satellites. Still the world used to neglect these operations, and still a great number of the Iraqi resistance operations were blacked out to serve the morals of the US Army and the US administration. This asserts the nature of the media and satellites which control the Arab and Islamic world.
Anyway, what took place in Iraq is a true defeat. The resistance forces and the sacrificing people of Iraq must celebrate this great victory even if there are remarks on the endings. Still in general there is a very great historic victory which is achieved by the Iraqi people and the Iraqi resistance. This must be brought to light and uncovered before the whole peoples of the region. When Israel is defeated in Lebanon and Gaza, that means that Israel is being overpowered. When America is defeated in Iraq, that means America is being overpowered. As it was overpowered in Iraq, it might be overpowered in any other country. However the Americans want to lessen the impact of the defeat; thus they are depending on evoking smoke and misleading events. In this framework, what is taking place in Syria, the threats to Iran, the story of the Saudi Ambassador to Washington and all what is taking place in the region is to preoccupy the peoples of the region from eye-witnessing the defeat of the US Army which has presented itself as the only great power in the world but was defeated by the Iraqi men and the Iraqi fighters.
Unfortunately, I say that the Americans have managed to do so to a great extent. If you watch the Arab and international satellites where is the headline on the US withdrawal from Iraq?
Where are the footages of tanks and soldiers withdrawing? Yesterday I read in the newspapers that perhaps there are still 19 or 9 thousand or 900 US soldiers. I don't know. Well how did the 150 thousands withdraw from Iraq? No one felt or watched that. The Americans managed to cover that. In fact when we watch satellites we find that the first headline is Syria; the second Egypt; the third Libya; the fourth Tunisia; the fifth Yemen and I don't know what the sixth is. If it is still possible, they may talk about the US withdrawal from Iraq. This is deliberate and not by chance. Thus today the responsibility of the resistance forces in the Arab and Islamic world especially in Iraq, the responsibility of the Iraqi people and media and the responsibility of every faithful media is to show the defeat.
On the tenth day of Muharam, we felicitate anew the new historic event in which blood gained victory over the sword. The Iraqi people who were fighting with machine guns, RPJs, bombs and Katusha in the best circumstances could defeat the most powerful army in this world ever. If the Israeli Army is the most powerful army in the region, the US Army is the most powerful army in the world. Still it was defeated in few years. It was defeated with blood, jihad, resistance, determination and will. What is most important today is being alert to what might take place following the US withdrawal from Iraq, US devilry and the ordeal project it seeks in the whole region. That depends on the awareness of our Iraqi brethrens and their dialogue, mutual understanding and tolerance besides their commitment to their country and their unity.
Here I come to Syria. Our stance from the very first days is clear. We are with reform in Syria. We stand with the regime which resisted and opposed hegemony and supported resistance movements. We say yes for addressing all reasons and aspects of corruption or disorder. We say yes to all forms of reform which the Syrian leadership accepted in fact and which the Syrian people call for. However some do not want reforms in Syria. They do not want security, stability, civil peace or dialogue either. Some want to destroy Syria. Some want to make up for their defeat in Iraq. Syria is a partner in defeating the Americans in Iraq. So some want to make up for their defeat in Iraq and for their great strategic defeat which is very much possible – I'm not saying it is an absolute defeat but rather very likely defeat – in Egypt. The change of the regime in Syria is for whose interest? Is it for the interest of Palestine or the Palestinian people? Is the change they call for in Syria for the interest of Al Qods or the nation? No!
Anyway, whenever someone tries to hide something, it appears in the slips of his tongue and his features. The so called Syrian National Council which was formed in Istanbul and which some western and Arab states view as a legitimate representative and a converser in the name of the Syrian people is headed by Burhan Deeb Galyoun. He is a university professor. Two or three days ago he said: If we could change the regime and take power in Syria, we want to cut our ties with Iran. (That is quite clear). We want to cut our ties with the resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine. (He named Hezbollah and Hamas). Well, these are accreditation cards for whom? These are accreditation cards for the Americans and the Israelis. Well, Professor Galyoun, what will you do with Golan Heights? He said he will resort to the international community to see what they can do. We want to negotiate with the international community. This comes 20 or 30 years of negotiations which led nowhere. So it becomes clear that their expectations are to severe Syria's ties with the resistance movements in the region to which Syria represents a source of power and vice verse. They want to fall anew in the bosom of the international community for the sake of Golan Heights. This is the alternative proposal, the alternative authority and the alternative regime! There is even worse. I used to stop here. The brethrens used to have two viewpoints: whether we comment or not. However, making a comment overweighs according to me. One of the leaderships who considers himself belonging to an Islamist organization in Syria said if we managed to change the situation in Syria, we will cross the Lebanese borders and go to Lebanon to fight, punish and dwarf Hezbollah. Great! These are accreditation cards for whom? They are for America and Israel. That's because Hezbollah is the enemy of America and Israel. It's Hezbollah who defeated Israel and established for its defeats in the region. This is intended for the Syrian people. It is also intended for every Lebanese who tells you to have patience and wait because you are reading things in Syria in a wrong way. On the contrary, the past couple of days revealed that we were reading things in a very correct way. The essential point is attacking the resistance movements. It is not reforms and addressing corruption and multiplicity which are required in Syria. What is required in Syria is treacherous Arab regime. This is the truth. With our respect to those who demonstrate in Syria and those who fight having something else in mind we tell them to be aware because they will be exploited in a project of this kind. There is a project that goes against their conviction, religion, culture, national belonging, nationalism, Syrian identity and true belonging. However anyway, these statements and these positions made us more convinced in the validity of our position. We frankly say that we want and call for calmness in Syria, dialogue in Syria, peace in Syria and to address things calmly. We condemn sanctions. We condemn any form of ordeal or any aspect of sectarian and factional instigation. Indeed, I foretell all those who threaten from across seas and oceans that fleet, legions, convoys and battleships have come from behind seas and oceans but were destroyed on Beirut's shores.
Before all of these developments that are taking place in the region, we always insist that we do not deal with the Lebanese affair as if Lebanon is an isolated island. Indeed, this is an essential principle. No one can and it is not correct that any one deals with the situations in Lebanon or all what is taking place in Lebanon apart from what is taking place in the region. In fact, they are deeply and forcefully connected to what is taking place in the region. Hereof and from our understanding of priorities, we were always and we still insist on civil peace. We still insist in transgressing ordeal no matter what its reasons are and no matter how much the atmosphere is instigating and no matter how much oppression and falsehood there are. In Lebanon there is much oppression and falsehood. Others from abroad also help in that. For example, yesterday they were threatening. A figure from the Syrian Opposition showed up on a satellite outlet and said that Hezbollah in the North is breaking into hospitals and arresting the Syrian wounded. Does anyone believe such a speech! Still this is said with much indolence on essential Arab satellites… If anything takes place in this country, no matter how trivial it is, they blame Hezbollah for that. This is really a good indicator because it means that their true obsession and preoccupation is Hezbollah. Thus in everything whether trivial or important they hold Hezbollah responsible for what is taking place – and at times what is not taking place in fact. Still we show patience and tolerance. Some want to push things in Lebanon towards internal ordeal. Well we do not want any form of internal ordeal and we must face that with wisdom, patience, awareness, tolerance and overlooking things.
Indeed, we also call in Lebanon for addressing governmental disorder and to activate governmental action because this is a true national need. In this framework, we reiterate our assertion on the importance and the validity of the demands of the Reform and Change Bloc. The government and the Premier are Inshallah serious in assuming national responsibilities. These issues must be addressed so that governmental action dash in a good way.
We assert achieving justice as far as the false witnesses file is concerned. We assert on doing justice for the officers who were unjustly and aggressively arrested. These false witnesses must be punished because the issue was not that of false witnesses. Their role did not end with putting the officers in jail. They also caused great political events in the country. Some people are confused. They consider that the false witnesses file had to do with four respectful officers and a group of respectful citizens who were hurled to prison. That's not the whole story even though this is great oppression. The false witnesses led to enmity between Lebanon and Syria, to instigation in Lebanon, to sharp divisions, to factional and sectarian tension and to the killing of tens of Syrians unjustly.
What is strange is that political forces and personalities in Lebanon make a big uproar for some Syrian kidnapped who are not kidnapped. They say they are 12. However there are three who are lost. Well, where are the 12? Everyday they evoke the issue and condemn it while they were silent and they remain silent on scores or hundreds of Syrians who were killed in Lebanon due to false accusations and false witnesses. So this is not a trivial file. No one is underestimating it or belittling it. No one deals with it as something marginal or transient. Still what is most important is the continuous current Israeli intimidation whether through spies and collaborators or through CIA agents. That's because day after day, it is being proved that the CIA is mobilizing spies for Israel or spying apparatuses which the Resistance, the Army and the concerned security forces are discovering gradually among other Israeli violations and aggressions. We really don't know what Israel is preparing for Lebanon.
In this framework also, we stress on the threefold formula that provides Lebanon with invulnerability, strength and dignity: the Army, the people and the Resistance. These are the elements of power to which we adhere. As I said yesterday, we on Ashura like to deliver a message which is not new but decisive, clear and final to all those who conspire and nurture hopes or wait for changes. This Resistance in Lebanon with its arms, organization, fighters, mind, culture and presence will remain Inshallah. This Resistance in Lebanon Inshallah will carry on, and all your conspiracies, connivance and psychological, media, political and intelligence war will not be able to harm it. We will adhere to our resistance. We will adhere to the arms of the Resistance. On the tenth day of Muharam, I will tell you more. Day after day our number is increasing. We are improving. Our training is enhancing, and our confidence in the future is increasing. Our arms are developing. If anyone bargains that our arms rust, we are able to replace the rust arms, and we are able to modernize everything.
There is a true misunderstanding concerning arms. Some say that the arms of the Resistance are the reason for chaos and disorder or some security unrest in Lebanon. See how much deception there is in that! This is deviltry. Deviltry is the mission of the devil. What arms are used in civil war? What arms cause ordeal? What arms lead to killing, robbing and causing skirmishes? We are all Lebanese and we all know that the Kalashnikov, the M16, the gun and at most the BKC or RBJ and hand grenade are weapons which all Lebanese possess. Well did it ever happen that a security skirmish or a civil war ever take place and a Zilzal Rocket or a Raad Rocket or a Kheibar Rocket or rocket launchers or Rocket of (Haifa and far behind Haifa and even further behind than Haifa) was used in it? Never! If any skirmish takes place in the country in whatever region, the Kalashnikov, the RBJ, the BKC or the hand grenade is used. These are owned by all the Lebanese. Let no one say he does not own weapons. Arms of this level are possessed by families, clans and individuals. This is the problem of internal security and not the arms of the Resistance. Those who want internal security must seek to address the crisis of this kind of arms: how do we control them; how do we organize them? As for those who want to disarm us or thinks of disarming us from Zilzal Rocket, the far range rockets, rocket launchers, maritime defense capabilities or aerial defense capabilities, by that they would be offering a great service to Israel. That means what Israel failed to achieve in 33 days while backed with the whole world, world technology and satellites, air force, reconnaissance planes and the most developed weapons, they want to achieve through dialogue, through political talks or through the media. I will tell you that this will never take place and will never be achieved.
On the day of tough, decisive and historic choices, we wrap up the tenth of Muharram as we do every year. You and I will tell the whole world that here in Lebanon we took the initiative since 1982.
We conclude as we do every tenth of Muharram. You and I will tell the whole world. Here in Lebanon we took the initiative since 1982. We did not wait for the international community, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference or any one in the world. With our will, determination, youth, men, women and humble capabilities we resisted, fought, offered martyrs, restored our land, freed our prisoners and restored our dignity. With our resistance we will guard our land, dignity, honor and country against harm inflicted by anyone in the world.
No risks, threats, intimidations, events or changes will prevent us from performing this obligation and responsibility. We belong to the Imam who stood once all alone facing 30 thousand men. Every one of us is not alone facing these. We are tens of thousands in Lebanon. We are full-fledged trained fighters who are ready for martyrdom. We are the adorers of Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (peace be upon him). We are a force which is still ignored by the enemy. The enemy will remain ignorant of this power. Every enemy will be taken aback through its forceful presence and innovation in any field of confrontation.
Thus on the tenth of Muharram we say: Time of bargaining on our dignity, honor, presence, nation, land and sanctities for whatever price is over. Circumstances changed radically. Thus we wrap up renewing our pledge to Al Hussein (peace be upon him). We tell him: O our master! O our Imam! As you sacrificed everything for your great goals and preferred that you be killed along with your Household and companions for the sake of your aims, we will guard this path. However, we will also make a victory out of your blood, intellect and culture. Our call and pledge to you on the tenth of Muharram will persist to be.
Brothers and sisters! After all martyrs fell and Al Hussein remained all alone but still strong, tough and radiant, he made a call. The call was not for the army which was before him. It was rather a call to all those who are held in the loins of men and the wombs of women all through history until Doom's Day. His call was "Is there anyone willing to support me?" The answer will always be made with the blood, spirit, position, intelligence, jihad and resistance: "At your service, O Hussein!" May Allah reward you generously and bless your efforts. May Allah forgive you and us. Peace be on Hussein, the children of Hussein and the companions of Hussein. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
