OUR RESISTANCE IS NOT FOR SALE; IT IS OUR EXISTENCE, OUR PRIDE AND DIGNITY: SG SAYED H. NASRALLAH

Addressing the electoral campaign ceremony in Tyre-Az-Zahrani district via a televised speech, in the afternoon of Saturday, April 21, 2018, the Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said “This ceremony is deliberately aiming at expressing popular and political support for the Hope and Loyalty list in Tyre and Az-Zahrani.” “We are here in Tyre, the city of Sayed Abdul Hussein Sharaf Ed-Dine and his Jihad field, the city that embraced Sayed Abbas Al-Moussawi in his early youth, where he spent the most beautiful days of his resistance journey, the city that remained resistant to sedition and that embraced and opened its homes for the Palestinian who were displaced from their lands in the wake of 1948.”

“Tyre, the city that resisted the Israeli occupation in 1982 and witnessed the first martyrdom operation against the Zionist enemy that broke out its prestige, and founded for its defeat. We are meeting here, in the city of Tyre, together with the Resistants, Mujahideen, Wounded Fighters and Liberated prisoners, we meet here in the anniversary of the April 1996 Israeli Aggression, which began on April 11 by hitting the Hezbollah military headquarters in Haret Hreik,” he added.

“As a result of its failure in 1996, the enemy resorted to attack on civilians by committing many massacres (…) the April 1996 Understanding was a major achievement for the Resistance as it succeeded in neutralizing the civilians,” Sayed Nasrallah reiterated citing that the chief of staff of the Israeli Army in 1996 said “April’s Understanding have turned us into a boxing bag.”

His Eminence said: “The sons of Imam As-Sadr in Amal Movement and Hezbollah have developed the concept of Resistance that led to victory.”

Pointing out that “Sayed Abdul Hussein Sharafeddine called on the Lebanese government to protect the South from the Zionist attacks, and when Imam Sayed Moussa As-Sadr came, his eminence followed the same path. The South and the Southerners had been waiting for the governmental authorities to come since 1948, but in vain. Until Imam As-Sadr came, relied on an alternative and founded the Resistance movement; the combatants at that time (1975 – 1976), used to bear half the cost of the arms and the movement the other half.”

In the same context, before 2006 “the Resistance was always asking the Lebanese army to come to the South. In 2006, the Resistance facilitated the entrance of the army to South Lebanon. The government was not ready to send the army to the border, then after the 2006 war, the army’s arrival at the border became an international demand.” Nasrallah added.

His Eminence mentioned that “the state did not respond to the calls, but turned its back on the South, it is not even the one that bought arms from its own money to defend the land and the honor,” adding “Our ‘crime’ is that we have carried arms to defend our land and sovereignty.”

“The Resistance was the dream of Sayed Sharaf Ed-Dine and Imam As-Sadr, it has now become a real force to be reckoned with. I can assure Sayed Sharaf Ed-Dine there is no humiliation today that is able to hit the land of Jabal Amel, not even in any day, as long as our guns and hands exclaim ‘Far away we are from accepting humiliation’” his Eminence Sayed Nasrallah vowed.

The Secretary General sent the very message of assurance to Sayed Moussa As-Sadr: “I say to my master and Imam Sayed Mousa As-Sadr the Resistance you have founded owes today the capability, the power, the technology and the missiles that can strike any target in the [Israeli] enemy’s entity. This Resistance came with great sacrifices and we are not to abandon it. It means our dignity and pride.”

Sayed Nasrallah called on the Southerners to vote for the Resistance: “Our Resistance is not for sale; it is our existence, our pride and dignity; your responsibility is to protect it, and that is what you will be doing on May 6, when you, the people of the South- from all the villages and communities- come and vote for the ‘Hope and loyalty’ list.”

He added: “We are waiting for you on May 6 because your voting is a message to the Lebanese and the whole world that, we in the South ‘will never leave the Resistance nor forsake it’.” Stressing that “Since 1920s, there has been no internal peace in the history of the South as it’s enjoying the pride and dignity for the past 12 years.”

He pointed out that Lebanon’s agricultural and industrial sectors are in their worst situation and the infrastructure, despite the disbursement of billions, is not that best, stressing that “Those who were in charge of the economic files for decades have failed, and the government must develop a clear economic vision so that the country does not go to the abyss.”

Commenting on the National Defense Strategy, he reiterated that after the elections Hezbollah will be “ready to discuss the Defense Strategy. Knowing that President Berri was the first to propose the discussion of such a strategy.”

“We call upon the new government to take the initiative in fighting corruption and stop wasting money. We also call on approaching the economic and financial files in a different way.”

Criticizing the way the State leaders deal with the issues, His eminence said: “Even Water has turned to a sectarian topic, Litani River, which is for all Lebanon is being dealt with in a sectarian way; it is seen to be the property of one community without the others.”

Sayed Nasrallah also called for a discussion among the Lebanese to put an end to sectarianism. “One can’t build a country on a sectarian basis, as most of the Lebanese leaders who lack a national project do; Lebanon is going down a dangerous path.” He declared.

His Eminence urged that “fighting corruption needs a firm political decision, and Lebanon needs a government of national unity, as no one should exclude the other.”

For the living subject, his Eminence called for more dialogue and communication between all Lebanese forces.

Going back to the candidates, Sayed Nasrallah emphasized that: “The Amal Movement candidate of the West Bekaa is the candidate of Hezbollah; and the two candidates of Hezbollah in Zahle and Jbeil are the candidates of Amal Movement; same as for Amal Movement’s candidate in Az-Zahrani district brother Nabih Berri, he is the candidate of the Resistance and the candidate of Hezbollah, he is the head of the list, and will be the Speaker of the upcoming House of Representatives.”

He added that: “President Nabih Berri represents us, not only in Az-Zahrani District, but in the Resistance and in all the major entitlements. Today, we trust him with our land and maritime borders.” Pointing out that President Berri is a national guarantee and his role is essential in protecting Lebanon’s stability.

Finally, His Eminence addressed the audience saying: “You are the people of loyalty and you will prove it on May 6. Don’t say the battle is settled, the list is in need of your votes and presence to convey a message of tranquility and coexistence on the path of the Resistance and the support of the Palestinian people; a message to the enemy that we are capable of confronting its threats, and we will not allow it to hurt our dignity. We will remain the people of the land and the Resistance, because we are the people of loyalty