Televised speech delivered by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday 27/2/2013

I take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Peace be on the Seal of prophets, our Master and Prophet, Abi Al Qassem Mohammad and on his chaste and pure Household and on his chosen companions and on all messengers and prophets.

Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.

In fact, I did not have the intention to take your time tonight though some of the topics I will tackle are highly important. I was waiting for a chance in the near future to handle them. However it goes without saying that the rumors which were promulgated in the past couple of days and the negative impacts they had in a definite domain frankly called on me to make haste and hold a televised word and tackle the topics I wanted to talk about so as to assert in voice and in picture that all what you heard was baseless and totally untrue. This gives you a sample of the rumors and media war Hezbollah has been subject to lately and especially in the past few years.

Anyway, I thank all those who called yesterday and showed interested and were affected. I ask Allah to make me live up to their expectations. I also share with them their very feelings of affectation and respect.

Well, now we will make use of the occasion because there are some new and sensitive points which need to be tackled and commented on.

The first point is the election law especially that today a new development took place namely that Speaker Nabih Berri pulled out the proposal he had presented with the hope of leading to reconciliation between the disputing sides.

In the past few weeks, we have heard several comments on the Orthodox Gathering Proposal which we are part of the group who voted on it in the common committee.

Now what we have heard in the past weeks may be divided into two parts. The first part is in fact accusations which do not deserve to be commented on or responded to as some people can't but make accusations and offend others…. The other part tried to make an objective scientific approach or to make discussions. They talked about risks, fears and remarks.

Indeed, we must respect all remarks and all fears.

Fears of deepening sectarianism, deepening factionalism, federalism, and extremism, losing the state, and threats on national unity were tackled.

Some remarks were made. Now I do not want to point out the remarks and discuss them. However today I want to handle another methodology. I want to say that well there is an alternative which addresses these remarks altogether. It's not a new alternative. However, what I want to say today is that we – my brethrens and I – will work seriously Inshallah for this alternative or option.

The Orthodox Gathering Proposal will remain valid and pioneering according to the votes it received in the common committees. However, everyone is now searching for alternatives.

Well, let's discuss with a degree of logic and objectivity the proposal based on a single district with proportional representation. This is a fair law. In fact, there is not any other law which is as fair as this law. This law achieves equity, national fusion, and national unity. It also protects the country and prevents extremism. Well perhaps we don't have enough time. However, it is time for me and for others to talk to the people about the positive points of this proposal on the national level.

I may in quick say that this law adopts one norm. Lebanon is a single district. So we do not need to cut and paste districts. This would make a district that fits his leadership. Frankly speaking, this is what takes place in Lebanon. That would cut and paste the district that fits his sect, faction, party, movement, alliance, side, organization, and family. Here there is no "cut and paste". There are no multi-standards: Why is this district narrow or wide? Why are there two deputies here and six there? In most of the laws and proposals which were presented there are not united standards. Here there are united standards. Lebanon is one district. There is no "cut and paste".

Second, this proposal achieves equity. Every Lebanese – whether Muslim or Christian – votes for 128 deputies – if we adopted the current number – from Muslims and Christians.

Why should I here vote for two deputies, while someone else in another district vote for three deputies, and a third Lebanese vote for five, and a fourth vote for ten? We are all equal from the far most south to the far most north. We are at equal footings. We vote for 128 deputies.

The third point has to do with the national topic. I am a Muslim, and I vote for 120 Muslim and Christian deputies. You are a Christian and you vote for 120 Muslim and Christian deputies. The same applies to the other sects. This achieves equity and the openness of regions on each other. It achieves the openness of sects on each other. As such the deputy would really be a deputy for a nation while discarding any need to analyze and philosophize the fact of electing a deputy in a narrow district to become a deputy for a whole nation. As such without mediations or philosophizing the deputy would be for the whole nation.

What does this impose?

This imposes on sects, factions, and political forces to head to alliance. That's because we are talking about proportional representation and about a single district. This in turn enforces options of moderation in sects and dwindles extremism. That will enhance the voice of moderation and weaken the voice of extremism.

Moreover, adopting proportional representation will give everyone the chance to be represented, and everyone will thus take his normal size. So no one will cancel anyone else, and no one will be annulled on the level of all sects and on the level of all political forces whether they adopt sectarian frameworks or they traverse sects as they say.

So we are before an election law which is humanistic, national, moral, fair and just as it equates between the Lebanese, it guards Lebanese unity, and it leads to true representation. So why do not we adopt it? I am talking seriously? Why don't we adopt it? If we are talking today about risks in the country, and if we are talking about sectarian and factional risks, why don't we adopt it? Let them discuss it in an objective way.

So far, this has been approached by us or by others at times as means for argument or as an unachievable dream. Who says that it is an unachievable dream?

Now there is a chance for this national dream to be achieved. Here I am saying that it is a humanistic dream too. This is a dream of justice, a dream of equality, and a dream or right representation. Consequently, all the remarks which were made on the Orthodox Gathering Proposal or on all other laws would be transcended. Thus we seriously call for studying this proposal, and we will make legal steps in this perspective as well to be together.

Well, now the Orthodox Gathering Proposal exists. Do you want a true national alternative? Here you are. This is a true, national, humanistic alternative. I tell the other party: As you – March 14 Bloc – say that the popular majority is with you, and days ago they were saying they are the largest sect in Lebanon, well go for a single district. Take the majority and rule the country. Why don't you do that?

The second point has to do with talking about delaying elections, and launching in finger pointing in advance on others and holding definite sides – including Hezbollah – responsible for delaying elections or of wanting to delay the elections or to cripple elections.

To be frank and transparent with the Lebanese, I will say that under the table there is much talk about delaying elections. Many are talking to this effect.

Things are being said frankly in the form or questions. There are also foreign forces pushing towards delaying elections. There are also internal forces pushing towards elections. However, none of these is brave enough to say he wants to delay elections. Thus he accuses others of that.

Now in Lebanon, several sides are pushing for that. I do not want to defend our allies. We are being accused that Hezbollah wants to cripple elections or wants to delay elections.

This is mere fabrication. This is lying. It does not rely on logic. On the contrary, Hezbollah's definite interest is that elections take place in their due time according to a new law.

As for the elections law of 1960 most of the Lebanese are through with it. No one wants elections based on this law. We want a new law. We want elections.

Here we see controversy in their logic. They say that Hezbollah has the chance to win the majority and that it is working with its allies to achieve that in the upcoming elections. When discussing the Orthodox Gathering Proposal, they say that gives March 8 Bloc and its allies the majority in the upcoming elections. When talking about a single district with proportional representation, or when talking about dividing Lebanon to five districts, or when talking about the government's proposal, they say that give you the majority. Even when we come to the proposal made by Speaker Berri, they estimate that it gives us the majority. Well, if most of the laws give us the majority, why then we don't want the elections to take place?

On the contrary, it is to our interest that elections take place. Even more, our alliances are strong, and our popularity as allied popular forces is in its best condition, and I do not know in 6 months or in a year or in two years how would the case be, as things are variable and changeable. We do not suffer from any crises whether on the organizational level, financial level, or any other level contrary to what they say in the media. The situation in Syria is as it is. So why should I delay elections. Let those who accuse us explain for us why we want to delay elections.

Our absolute interest is in parliamentary elections.

Indeed, those who have splits in their alliances, those who suffer from financial crises and those who aspire that by the time of elections, the regime in Syria would have been toppled would want to delay the elections. They would want the elections to be delayed for 6 months, a year or even more waiting for any changes which might take place in Syria or in Lebanon or in the region. You know our opinion in all of this analysis and our convictions in what things might end up in. Thus I say this point: No, on the contrary, we insist that elections take place according to a new law and in time. Yesterday, a meeting took place between the head of Loyalty to Resistance Bloc and His Eminence the President of the Republic. We informed him of this stance of ours. We are informing all forces, and here I am saying in the media: We are not with delaying the elections. We are with elections taking place in time. Whoever wants delay must have the courage to say so before people: We must delay elections for the following national reasons. So he can't seek to delay elections and accuse other sides of that and hold them responsible.

The third point has to do with the System of Ranks and Salaries and the demonstration of syndicate committees. We have declared our stance previously. I have declared it more than once. The brethren ministers, deputies and officials have announced it too: We are with decisively solving this issue. We back the call for a rapid extraordinary session. We hope that His Eminence the President and the Premier would not bet on who runs down first. Nor the economic committees – with our great respect to them – have the right to threaten the government as they do.

We call for an extraordinary session for the government that would last for 6, 7, or 8 hours. This issue deserves to be wrapped up decisively and referred to the parliament. Remarks to the effect that the mere act of referring it to the parliament would lead to a financial collapse or the collapse of the economic status are not true. This is mere intimidation. That's because referring it to the parliament does not mean that it has become a decision or a law as that requires discussion in the parliament. In the parliament, all blocs are represented and the stances of the blocs would be revealed. Well, after all it is not good to talk with syndicates in one way, and in another place talk in another way.

No, in the parliament discussions are open. Economic committees as well as syndicate committees would show up, and their opinion would be heard. Thus the issue would be wrapped up decisively. This issue must not remain in the hands of the government, and it must not go on being handled in such a way.

Thus we call for a session which we hope would be held rapidly, and we hope it would be extraordinary and open to wrap up this issue one way or another and to refer it to the parliament. Thereof, the dialogue might be long, broad, and wide among all the concerned sides and in which all risks and fears might be taken into consideration.

Fourth, I want to talk about the kidnapping phenomenon which has become a dangerous and very disagreeable phenomenon in the Lebanese situation.

It goes without saying that we classify it as a dangerous criminal phenomenon. I call for national cooperation. Indeed, it's the responsibility of the state, security apparatuses, and judicial sides to seriously exert their utmost efforts in this perspective.

We as well as others have a call to uncover any kidnapper or any kidnapping group – because the reasons for kidnapping which some might take as a pretext at times exist for everyone. So no matter who the kidnapper is, he must be arrested, pursued, and raided on. There is no place which is closed before the army and the security apparatuses. This phenomenon must be wiped up decisively and absolutely, and we back this inclination. If you want us to talk about national obligations, this is a national obligation. If we are talking about moral obligations, this is a moral obligation. If we are talking about religion and religious obligations, here I am telling you this is a religious obligation. So I call on all citizens to cooperate altogether with the various security apparatuses without any exception to confront this phenomenon whether through revealing the culprits, providing information, blocking the way before the kidnapping operation, or cooperating with the security apparatuses to reveal the kidnappers and liberate the kidnapped. This is one of the national, moral, and religious obligations as well, and we all have to cooperate as far as this issue is concerned.

I also want to tell some of the kidnappers as well as some of the families of the kidnappers: Money which is acquired in such a way is one of the most loathsome forbidden kinds of money. It destroys families and houses. It destroys them in this world as well as in the Hereafter. Thus we must cooperate altogether in a serious way to confront this phenomenon.

The fifth point: I want to make a brief comment on the events taking place in the region bordering with Hermel or Reef Qasir. That's because last week there has been an enormous clamor in the media on these events. They also touched on us saying that in one of these events, the Free Syrian Army shelled Hezbollah posts in Hermel and I was there, and I was wounded. Likewise, they invented a piece of news yesterday that says that in Jdeidat Yabous, a leadership convoy for Hezbollah was blown up and our brethren Sheikh Naim Qasim was wounded. Indeed, all of these are mere groundless fabrications and lies. However, I want to comment on the event of Reef Qasir because it was put in a new dangerous framework. I do not want to reiterate the very old speech. However, I will go back to it because it has been put in a new dangerous framework. What is this new dangerous framework?

Media outlets reported that the US Ambassador to Lebanon – who did not deny indeed though she did not confirm - as saying to the Lebanese that there is a project agreed on by Hezbollah and the regime in Syria to occupy – that's the term they used – or to control a number of Sunnite villages – also using their very terms and unfortunately we have to use it – in Reef Qasir which is near the Lebanese border with Hermel to supply the villages with Shiite residents inside Syria from the border to the villages resided by Alawites within a plot of division and consequently forming ant Alawi state and the like.

When these events took place in the past few days and it appeared forcefully in the media, clashes were evoked in this framework. Indeed that is new and dangerous. That was tackled by many media outlets accompanied with clamor, intimidations and threats. Every official in the Syria Opposition and in the Syria Free Army (whether actual or discharged) threatened, analyzed, talked and commented on the events that took place in that region.

Indeed, I will talk in a while that in fact what we need most to know facts and to take a correct position is to get acquainted with the events. So let's say what events say. When you tell me there is a plot or a project, you have to provide me with your evidence and tangible data or given or proof.

I want to comment on this issue by saying the following:

First: I absolutely assert to you that what has been said about a plot or a project of this kind is groundless lies and fabrications. There is no evidence or data to this effect.

Second: Field indications which I will tackle in a while prove the very opposite. In that region the Lebanese residents – who are mostly Shiites and some of them are Hezbollah members and this does not need any evidences because I have tackled this point previously on the TV – did not ever up to this very moment – and they do not have any such project for the future but I am saying to this very moment to talk about events taking place on the ground – control any Sunni village or any village resided by Sunnites.

Third: What took place is the very opposite. The armed opposition had in the few past months controlled villages resided by Lebanese Shiites and displaced them and even blazed some of them as what happened in the village of Um Addamamel which is a known village. Its residents have been displaced and they are now in border villages or in Hermel, and all media outlets can ask them: Where are your homes? Where is your village? Who occupied the village? Well, this is classified as a Shiite village. There are also Shiite neighborhoods in towns resided by a Sunnite majority; these neighborhoods were displaced as well. There are many details which I do not want to tackle now.

So what is taking place is the very opposite. You have watched some calls and statements on TV outlets and on the You Tube in the past few days. Well, No! There is in fact a broad military campaign made by hundreds of armed men to displace the residents of these villages and to control them. They want to terminate the residents' presence there. They want to expel them out of the borders.

O Lebanese! O Syrian! O people who are following up the situation! What is taking place is the very opposite.

The story that is taking place now is that the residents who remained in these villages have from the very beginning held arms to defend themselves. This is what I had made clear previously. They want to defend themselves, their houses, their properties, and their fields. They exist on that land from hundreds of years and not tens of years. However with Sykes-Picot delineation they came to be within the Syrian territories though their nationality is Lebanese. They have the right to defend themselves, their properties, and their existence. This is what all wise men agree on. If we are talking from an Islamic perspective, all Muslim scholars agree on this, and whoever is killed for this sake is a martyr. All Muslim scholars agree on this, and all wise men all through history have asserted that. That does not need a fatwa from here or there.

This is what is taking place there.

On the other hand, these people do not make aggressions. They did not kill civilians. They do not violate the honor of people. They do not spoil people's money. All what they aspire for is that they are not aggressed against. Here I am asserting to them and to all those who are present there – some of them are our brethrens: Your religious right is only to defend your villages, existence, blood, yourselves and to fight the armed men who aggress on you. So no matter to which sect the civilians there belong or whether they have an opposing political track, that does not make their blood, money, dignity and honor permissible. This is what we stress on, and I want to stress on too. Even in confronting armed men, guarding captives and refraining from killing the wounded are required, and they know that. They also know that this is taking place. They know that the wounded who fall next to the armed men are being conveyed to Lebanese hospitals through villages where that are Lebanese who fight to defend themselves.

These are facts known by the residents of that region. Even more, I tell you that all through the previous period of time, some times mediators, wise men, and dignitaries in the region used to make reconciliations because people know each other and used to live with each other for hundreds of years. However armed men from outside the region in Syria or not from Syria used to interfere. They consider that they have a battle so why this region is to be kept aside. So they used to cripple any possibility for reconciliation or any truce among the residents of the region at the time I back and call and renew the call for the residents of the region to invest and benefit from any chance for reconciliation and truce to spare their blood and to guard their souls, wealth, properties and fields and to block the way before everyone who wants to cause fighting, ordeal or a bloody struggle in that region.

Moreover, I want to say another thing. Well, I want to ask these Lebanese or these people who criticize: What has the state done for thirty thousand Lebanese who exist there? They are not all Shiites. They are rather from various sects. What did it do for them? What did it seek to do for them?

I do not mean that we dispatch the Lebanese army to the Syrian territories to defend the villages resided by Lebanese. However, has any political effort been exerted? Has any diplomatic effort been exerted?

These armed men are influenced by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and the beloved on many – meaning the United States of America. Has any effort been exerted? We all know that this opposition and that many of these groups are held some where regionally and internationally. Has anyone from the Lebanese political forces or on the international level exerted any effort to halt this aggression, or invasion, or demographic change or mass displacement, or even religious and factional purgation which is taking place in the border villages?

None made any move. On the contrary, they philosophize on us saying you have orders from so and so or you have a project or you have a plot. These are all groundless lies. Our aspirations for Syria are that it remains united and that it remains adherent. In fact, we are not with dividing Syria because that is a strategic danger that is threatening the nation and the region as a whole. This is an Israeli project. We do not back it, and we are not ready to share even with 200 meters in such a project of division of this kind.

Hereof I want to usher into the internal situation in Lebanon. I want to tackle for a while the internal circumstances and daily concerns of the Lebanese apart from the political study, the System of Ranks and Salaries, the election law, and kidnapping because even kidnapping is an individual phenomenon which has to do with gangs. There is something more important and more dangerous than that. Everyone has been talking about this clearly, and I want to tackle it so as to search for ways to address it and not to intimidate on anyone. No! These are facts. We are not allowed to hide before our fingers saying no there isn't anything. That is not true. On the contrary, here I am telling you so as not to hide things: Some are pushing Lebanon in an extremely rapid way to sectarian fighting. Some are working day and night to keep the country uncomfortably heading towards sectarian and factional fighting – especially a Sunni-Shiite fighting. All facts assert this. Are we to give up to this status quo? No! We all know that a Sunnite-Shiite fight is neither for the interest of Shiites nor for the interest of Sunnites, for the interest of the Lebanese, or for national, regional, or religious interest…. Any sectarian fighting or any internal sedition whether between Muslims and Christians or among Muslims or among Christians is dangerous and is rejected by all norms and standards. I would like to tell those who are standing up the hill happily waiting for a sectarian fighting of this kind: Do not cheer up because such a fighting destroys all and burns down the country. This is for no one's interest. If anyone considers that that he has an interest in such a fighting, he is mistaken.

Well, if we want to address the issue, we must talk. We must be rational, and we must be responsible. Some might come to the middle, and all sides must clarify things. That is if we care for our country if we are talking from a worldly perspective. Here I tell the religious people in specific who believe in Doom's Day and the Day of Judgment. We must care for our Hereafter. Allah Al Might will question us. I mean we must be sure about events. We must not just move with the mob. We must not echo what others say. We must not bend with every wind. Here I am telling all Shiites, Sunnites and the rest of Muslims and Christians. I do not mean any specific side or person. No! I am addressing all of us. We all have to scrutinize and be sure of data. That's because how does an ordeal take place? An ordeal or fighting or using arms in face of each other comes as a result of congestion that reaches a level in which minds stop to work and logic is blocked while feelings and fanaticism rule wills. Thus people fight each other madly and kill each other.

Where does this congestion mainly spring from? It springs from endless instigation. Well, what does instigation depend on? Does it depend on facts or on lies and illusions? This is what we must scrutinize. We must start from here. If it depends on facts, let's face each other with these facts. If it depends on illusions and fabrications, let's clarify these illusions and fabrications to each other so as not to ablaze the country and not to go where our enemies want to go as that is not to our interest and the interest of our children, grandchildren, and generations.

Well, anyone may say now: You Hezbollah or Shiites – if we are to talk from a sectarian perspective because some people do not talk except from this perspective – are doing such and such and such. Well there is no problem in that. Let's see what these things are. Indeed we hear everything in the media and in sessions. Well, let's see how we are to address this issue.

Moreover, even if there are facts – suppose they are fact – no one has the right to put 10% or 20% facts and add to them 20% illusions and fabrications, and thus you attack me and I attack you and go to the great congestion that leads to an explosion.

I want to talk with transparency. Some might consider that there is no interest that I talk as such. However, I believe that there is an interest as the hard rhetoric is for the hard times. I believe – and this is clear and there are evidence from statements, declarations, conferences and speeches made in TV, and I do not need to provide special documents – that some deputies and some sheikhs from the from the dear Sunnite sect are taking an escalating instigating track which is very dangerous and indeed no one is asking them: O dear sheikhs, O dear brethrens, O dear deputies where do you want to reach to?

Now if what they are saying is wrong, there are many wise men in the country. We must work at addressing these facts and events. However, part of what they say is based on illusions and accusations that are mushrooming and would lead to congestion which leads for bad intentions at every incident whether trivial or serious. This is at a time in which Hezbollah is absolutely innocent. I am talking about Hezbollah and the Shiite duo – Amal and Hezbollah. They are both guiltless. No Shiite has anything to do with them. Still some instantly head to accuse Shiites and Hezbollah. Until when is this to take place? What interpretation may anyone provide us with or might we give to ourselves?

I will give examples in the few remaining minutes before I wrap up.

When the incident took place at the cross point in the North and led to the martyrdom of Sheikh Ahmad Abdulwahid and Sheikh Mohammad Miraib, the deputies and the sheikhs in the north accused Hezbollah of killing the two sheikhs. This is clear oppression. This is obvious fabrication. Where is Hezbollah? Is Hezbollah on the cross point to kill the two sheikhs? Later on analysis says that the army intelligence executes the orders of Hezbollah. Well, this cross point is not for the intelligence. Then it comes that the entire army follows the orders of Hezbollah. This is also fabrication. Who says that the Lebanese Army or the intelligence of the Lebanese Army follows the orders of Hezbollah? My brother, you make a claim, and you suit a file against me that leads to a civil war and to an ordeal among Muslims. Where is your evidence on what you claim? Where is the proof so that the wise men come and see the proof for your claim? As for me before any act of justice or trial or whatever, even if you deny my oath, it is you who have to provide the evidence. It's not I who has to provide the evidence that the leadership of the army follows the orders of Hezbollah. You are supposed to provide the evidence. I deny that. I absolutely disclaim that. Well, in the cause of killing the two sheikhs in the north, they accuse Hezbollah of killing the two sheikhs!

Afterwards came the cause of the detained Islamists. Who is crippling the trial of the Islamist detainees? It is Hezbollah! That's because Hezbollah controls the Lebanese Court. This is lying.

First, Hezbollah does not control the Lebanese Court.

Second, if there is any place in which Hezbollah may have some influence on any person in the Lebanese Court, Hezbollah did not cripple the trial. Hezbollah will never cripple the trial of the detainees. On the contrary, Hezbollah is calling on doing justice for them. If you claim so, you have to provide the evidence. There are hundreds of Islamist detainees and Sunnite families in Beirut and abroad who are listening that there have been hundreds of Islamist detainees in prisons for five years. Who is crippling their trial and doing justice to them? Hezbollah! Where does this lead us to?

The criminal assassination of General Wissam Hassan took place. The man was martyred, and before any investigation or scrutiny – so far they are still investigating and scrutinizing – and since the very first moment those deputies, Sheikhs, politicians and media outlets claimed that Hezbollah killed Wissam Hassan. This was announced from the very first moment up till this very moment. It is being circulated as if it is for granted. So you are not accusing. You are confirming the accusation and building repercussions on it. This is very dangerous. Where would this lead the country to?

After that came the group of Tel Kalakh. This group crossed the Lebanese-Syrian borders to the Syrian territories. Clashes took place with the Syrian troops. Some were killed, others fled, and others were wounded. Then some show up to say that it is Hezbollah who penetrated the group, supplied the Syrian Army with information, erected the ambush in Tal Kalakh, and killed your children…. Well there is a Hereafter. There is Resurrection Day. This is one of the definite evidences for the need for the existence of Resurrection Day and the Day of Judgment because in this world no one does justice to others. However, there is a Hereafter. So when you say that we supplied information, we killed, we erected the ambush, where are you proof, evidence, and information? Don't you fear Allah?

Then we came to the incident of Irsal. It was a great incident that led to the martyrdom of martyrs from the Lebanese Army who are dear to their families and their institution, and the institution is dear to all Lebanese. From the very first moment and without investigation and even before seeing the people and before the villages came to know what took place, they accused Hezbollah. The group who entered Irsal and wanted to carry out a kidnap operation, and clashed and killed is Hezbollah. When it came to be that this speech is groundless, some started to say that the army follows the orders of Hezbollah. Hezbollah ordered the army to go to Irsal to arrest and do so and so.

What is all of this speech based on? Where are the evidences? What are you doing when issuing these accusations?

Irsal is a Bekai town in Baalbeck – Hermel. It is amid a Shiite milieu. Most of this milieu is Hezbollah and Amal. If you tell the residents of Irsal that Hezbollah dispatched the army to enter Irsal and kidnap and kill, where would you be leading the region to? Do you have evidence? Let me see it then. Let the wise men see it.

Where does all of this lead to? We must not hide behind our fingers.

Some might say: O Sayyed! What are you doing? This is what we must say today. I am, one of the people who started to believe that some want to make few days – and not months or years – separate us from an ordeal. This necessitates frankness and openness to make righteousness apparent.

Now we come to Sidon. Though today in Sidon we have many allies and dear ones from the various sects especially the dear Sunni sect, however there are thousands of Shiite families there for hundreds of years by now. We have thousands of voters in Sidon. Now it came that residing in Sidon needs permission from this side or that! Now it is that some might show up to say I allow so and so or such Shiite family or women or children to reside in this house or in that house!

We are part of those who fought in the south for the liberation of Sidon. There are Shiite men from Sidon who also fought to liberate Sidon and the south next to all the resistance men. Following the Israeli withdrawal from Sidon, we in Hezbollah have owned offices, apartments, houses, mosques and compounds for over 20, 23 and 25 years. Some people want to make us a retroactive effect. We have offices in Abra before the mosque was built there. We did not open an office near the mosque. Some people came and built a mosque near our office which exists for over 20 years. Where are you heading to? They always say offending words. We will not answer or respond. We will not be dragged by offensives. No one will make a field response to offensives. Praise be to Allah there is a great degree of commitment, and here I assert to all our dear audience and people that it is forbidden to make any response to these offensives because that would lead to sedition.

Sometimes they create a battle in the media. At other times they make a battle of banners, apartments, or compounds.

Well, I have a quest to the residents of Sidon and to all our brethrens in the region: Aren't there wise men, responsible people and a state that assumes personality?

Well do they mean to drag us to sedition? All evidences say so. We will tolerate and be more patient. Anyway, I will stop here saying: This situation needs a pose. Some people must assume personality. We are very careful, but let no one make wrong calculations with us. I will reiterate: We are very much careful, but let no one make any wrong calculations with us.

We do not want to enter anyone's home or mosque. We do not want to threaten anyone. We do not want to aggress against anyone. We do not want to control anyone. We are day and night preoccupied in preserving our readiness to confront what Israel is scheming for against Lebanon, the region, and the Palestinian people. Let no one take us to any other place. At the same time, let no one make any wrong calculations with us.

We are all responsible for this country. We all care for this country. We must all exert every possible effort to guard our country. The state is responsible in the first place. It must assume its responsibility in all regions. We are through with stories about closed zones. Well, where is there any closed zone in Dahiyeh? Every now and then they accuse Dahiyeh. In the past, we used to have a security zone. Now we opened it. The situation prevailing now must not carry on. We hope some would head for addressing the situation, and we hope that everyone would assume his responsibility. We ask Allah Al Mighty to guard this country and the people of this country.

Indeed our stances differ over Syria. However, this is not a Sunni-Shiite conflict. The stance of many of the Sunnites in Syria is like our stance. Moreover, the stance of many of the Sunnites in Lebanon is like our stance. The stance of many of the Sunnites in the Arab and Islamic world is like our stance. So this is a political conflict. Why do you want to change it to a Sunnite-Shiite conflict? That is not true.

Well, if we differ in the stance, in the classification and even in performance, let's contain this conflict. Why should we drag it everywhere? Why do we conceive fabrications and oppressions and open battles which have no excuses and are not based on any sense of logic at all?

Anyway, may Allah bless you and bless us. May Allah help all of us to cross this stage with responsibility, reason, clarity, insight and faithfulness as well as with commitment and steadfastness.

In case they spread new rumors on me, I will show up again. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.