Earlier, the crowd marched in Hezbollah’s Beirut stronghold, rhythmically beating their chests in a sign of grief over Hussein’s martyrdom and chanting “Death to America, Death to Israel.” –Reuters
Lebanese Hezbollah supporters chant slogans as they mourn Imam Hussein, one of the grandson’s of Prophet Mohammad, during a ceremony marking Ashura in Beirut suburbs, January 30, 2007. (REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)
Hezbollah supporters marked the Ashoura Holy Day in Lebanon by chanting “Death to America, death to Israel and death to the great Satan.”Naharnet reports:
The Hizbullah leader said U.S. President George Bush “should be punished.”
He said the U.S. President and his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had “ordered the Zionists to launch war against Lebanon.”
He accused Washington of devising a “conspiracy to retaliate against resistance movements by instigating civil wars in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq.”
The alleged plot, according to Nasrallah, was to start “civil wars and inter-communal fighting” in states hosting resistance movements.
Syria was not mentioned by Nasrallah as a target of the alleged plot, presumably because President Bashar Assad’s regime does not permit resistance attacks against Israeli troops occupying the Golan Heights since 1967.
Nasrallah stressed that Hizbullah’s Islamic Resistance was “ready” to confront any Israeli aggression, stressing that whoever believes that it has weakened is “deluded.”
He pledged that Hizbullah would make Lebanon a “graveyard for invaders.”
The crowd in Beirut’s southern suburb responded by repeated chants of “death to America, death to Israel and death to the great Satan.”
The outspoken Hizbullah leader stressed that his party will “not be lured into using its weapons” against other Lebanese factions, and called for an independent judicial investigation to bring to justice culprits in the violence that swept Beirut last week.
A Shi’ite Muslim boy is covered with blood as he mourns Imam Hussein in Nabatieh, south Lebanon January 30, 2007. (REUTERS)
Here is Nasrallah’s spiritual message to his flock on this Shiite Holy Day,
via the Al Manar website:
“Brothers and sisters, you have gathered in Beirut’s southern suburb and you have pledged alliance to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). This is what your brothers and sisters have said as they gathered in every city and town in Lebanon to mark the 10th day of Muharram (Ashoura). You have always been sincere in your pledges as you were in 2006. You have been loyal to Imam Hussein. You have patiently confronted, sacrificed and triumphed in the war. Your men have revived Imam Al-Abbas (Imam Hussein’s brother), your youth have revived Ali Al-Akbar (Imam Hussein’s young son) and your women have revived Zeinab and Sukeina (Imam Hussein’s sister and daughter). Your destroyed houses brought back the scene of the burning tents of Imam Hussein’s household and companions. You have stood up to the Zionists, George Bush, Condoleezza Rice and all the criminals and killers who wanted to defeat you. Your voices in 2006 were the loudest when you insisted that you refuse to be defeated and humiliated and said “no to disgrace.” In July and August 2006, you showed that blood can triumph on the sword and the oppressed can triumph on the oppressor. This resistance in Lebanon has always been our “Karbala” in Lebanon and our strength and hope and our aspiration to the future.
Today, media outlets are passing on George Bush’s threats to Syria, Iran and Hezbollah. Why is Bush threatening Hezbollah? Is it because this party has been sowing chaos in Lebanon? Where is this chaos Hezbollah has been sowing in Lebanon? Who is really sowing chaos and sedition in this country? Those who sowed chaos, destroyed and killed in Lebanon are Bush and Condoleezza Rice. They were the one who ordered war against Lebanon. George Bush wants to punish you because you have triumphed and because, in the American era, you are not allowed to keep your heads raised. You are only allowed to be humiliated in front of the Americans.
Nasrallah sounds like Jane Fonda and Sean Penn and the rest of the ‘blame America first’ crowd from last weekend!
