Nasrollah Stresses on “Imam Khamenei’s” Fatwa

After remaining hidden from public view for years, the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah Seyed Hassan Nasrollah took the risk to come out and publicly reiterate the continuation of the armed struggle by his group and his support for Bashar Assad’s regime, and in this way send a message to all those “who plot or await changes” in the region. His remarks are being widely reported in Iran’s official media.

As reported by Fars news agency, while stressing that he was not “going to lay down his arms”, Nasrollah stressed, “We must not confuse the enemy with the friend. The enemy is the government of the United States and Israel is its tool in the region. We must note that after the US government failed in its plan for a new Middle East, which was caused by resistance movements in the region and deterrent states, including the resistance by Iran and Syria, it decided to pursue the goal through religious sedition and ethnic and religious conflict. We must remain clearly attentive to this.”

Speaking at the alZahie mosque in southern Lebanon, Nasrollah said that he did not think it appropriate to make any religious comments as these “would be in the interest of Israel and the US,” and then again stressed on the “fatwa issued by Imam Khamenei to support all symbols.”

Follower of “Imam Khamenei”

Since its creation in 1982, Lebanese Hezbollah has had clear ties and continuity of relations with the Islamic republic of Iran, but since 1992 when Nasrollah became its secretary general this affinity intensified through declarations of following the velayate faghih (rule by a cleric) and ayatollah Khamenei’s leadership of the Muslims of the world. Years earlier in 1981 Nasrollah had been appointed by ayatollah Khomeini as his representative for religious issues in Lebanon. He has repeatedly travelled to Iran and has expressly declared that he was a disciple and devotee of the leader of the Islamic republic and even kissed ayatollah Khamenei’s hand.  It was not without reason that following the 2009 presidential election turmoil in Iran some hardline Principlists mentioned Nasrollah, asking why others did not follow him to call Khamenei an “Imam.” Nasrollah on his part looks down on the followers of Khamenei in Iran and says they do not appreciate this spiritual and extra-ordinary personality. “We notice that many in the umma – Islamic nation – do not know much about him [ayatollah Khamenei]. We feel that he is alone and suffers. Enemies have surrounded him and friends do not acknowledge him. It is our duty to introduce him to the umma to benefit from this great leader.  This is a thinker who thinks about the good of today, tomorrow, this world and the afterworld of the umma .

Everyone of course knows that the Islamic republic of Iran provides military and financial assistance to Hezbollah, something that neither publicly confirms. But in his remarks Nasrollah also said this in admiration of his mentor: “I was present at a meeting when he [ayatollah Khamenei] was talking about military matters and I realized that he is also knowledgeable in types of weapons, military strategy and even military tactics and the use of arms.”

Alireza Zakani, a Tehran representative in the Majlis has narrated the proceedings of a meeting between Nasrollah and ayatollah Khamenei during the 33 day war between Israel and Lebanon when the former asked for Khamenei’s advice in these words: “After the 33 day war Nasrollah came to Iran and in a meeting that I had with him he said, ‘we were constrained in 2000 and had decided to retreat. This is what we had seriously concluded within Hezbollah. Then we came to Iran and spent three days talking to Iranian officials and concluded that we had to retreat. Then we went to see his excellency [ayatollah Khamenei] and described our situation to him. And when we described our decision to retreat, he said, ‘You have no right to retreat. Go back and resist.’ Our duty was to obey him and so we agreed. I thought to myself that we would be martyred and this movement would die. During a prayer session ayatollah Khamenei turned to us and said, ‘You shall soon witness victory and all of you shall be alive.’ We took this hope back to Lebanon and resisted. Until the enemy disgracefully retreated in 2000. That is when I said to myself: he heralded two events to us; one was victory and the second remaining alive. I realized after the victory that all of us who were at that meeting had remained alive.”

This week, after communicating his messages through tape recordings for five years, Nasrollah for the first time personally attended the Ashura mourning ceremonies in the alZahie section of south Lebanon unannounced and delivered a speech. “Our position regarding the events in Syria is clear and evident. We support reforms and shall stand by a regime that has been resisting and we say yes to all the reforms that the leaders of Syria have accepted and the people of Syria desire. But in Syria, there are also people who do not want peace and stability, but who want to destroy Syria. There are those who want to make up for their defeat of Iraq in Syria and they know well that a change in the situation in Syria is to the benefit of Israel. What is called the Syrian National Council and was set up in Istanbul is headed by Burhan Ghalioun who two days ago announced that if he succeeded in changing the regime in Syria, he would undoubtedly end his relationship with Iran and the resistance movement in Lebanon and Palestine. This is what he has guaranteed to outsiders. All of these are in the service of Israel and the US. So what is called for are not reforms, but the establishment of a regime of betrayal and Arab submission to the US and Israel.”

These remarks are published din Iran as Haaretz daily of Israel on Monday quoted senior Palestinian authorities in Hamas that the Islamic republic of Iran had threatened Hamas that there would be consequences for turning their back to Bashar Assad and that Iran would cut off its financial and military assistance to Hamas. According to Haaretz, Khaled Mashaal, the head of the political wing of Hamas, whose organization has also been the recipient of Iranian assistance, appears to be dissatisfied with the Islamic republic and would turn its back to its ally Syria.

Should this happen, the loyalty that Nasrollah has demonstrated shall not go without appreciation and reward among Iranian clerics. Ultra-conservative Iranian cleric Mesbah Yazdi, who is close to ayatollah Khamenei, has recently said that it was the duty of all to support Nasrollah, whom he named as a follower of ayatollah Khamenei and said that he hoped to benefit on judgment day from God’s love for Nasrollah.