IDF says it will defend Druze suburb of Damascus from Syrian regime forces
KEWLNEWS

IDF says it will defend Druze suburb of Damascus from Syrian regime forces
KEWLNEWS
Netanyahu’s office admits intelligence officer didn’t pass on warning hours before October 7 attack
KEWLNEWS
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah died for Gaza
A bottle of soil from Al-Aqsa Mosque was set to be buried with Hezbollah’s late Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. While nearly the entire world stood by and watched the Zionist entity commit the first live-streamed genocide, the Lebanese leader refused to let the people of Gaza die alone, even if that meant he would be take
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah died for Gaza
A bottle of soil from Al-Aqsa Mosque was set to be buried with Hezbollah’s late Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. While nearly the entire world stood by and watched the Zionist entity commit the first live-streamed genocide, the Lebanese leader refused to let the people of Gaza die alone, even if that meant he would be taken with them.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah transcended the traditional role of a leader, he represented hope, provided a sense of moral guidance, and offered shrewd political analysis, and when he spoke, everybody listened; whether friend or foe. On the issue of Palestine in particular, he was perhaps the most significant leader in the Arab world, why? Because he was the man who led the first-ever Arab victory over the Zionist regime, expelling them from South Lebanon in 2000, and greatly outwitting them during the 2006 war.
In October of 2023, Sayyed Nasrallah delivered his first speech during the Gaza genocide. In that address, he pledged that the movement he commanded, Hezbollah, would never abandon the people of Gaza, no matter where it took the region. Although he did not commit to war, he set one red line and made a pledge: “Hamas will win!”
In a recent press conference, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan recounted a conversation between the late Hezbollah Secretary-General and leaders of the Palestinian group, stating that Hamas did not request anything from Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Yet, the Hezbollah leader took the decision to immediately open a support front against the Israelis, which began on October 8 when the group fired upon Zionist military positions in the illegally occupied Sheba’a Farms area.
Hezbollah would go on to sacrifice hundreds of its men in thousands of operations targeting Israeli military positions and settlements, all of whom were given the title of martyrs “on the path to al-Quds”. Although his Israeli enemies would go on to commit civilian massacres and assassinations in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, with war seeming inevitable, Sayyed Nasrallah refused to capitulate.
In a speech 100 days into the Gaza genocide and as the fighting was intensifying on the Lebanese front, he remarked that “we fear nothing and will fight without limits and without borders,” in response to the Zionist regime’s threats. His conditions were always clear, Hezbollah does not stop firing until there is a durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Throughout his life, he never backed down from supporting the Palestinian cause, providing weapons and expertise to all Palestinian groups, and helping to devise a unified strategy in order to launch a unity of fronts against the Israeli occupation.
Even down to his very last speech – which was delivered right after the Israelis launched their terrorist booby-trapped pager attack on Lebanon that killed and injured thousands, many of whom were civilians – he made the promise that Hezbollah will never abandon Gaza and will fight for the people of Palestine no matter the costs, no matter where the region heads.
Nasrallah also repeatedly imparted wisdom onto the Arab regimes that stood idly by as the atrocities were being carried out against the people of the Gaza Strip, asking them how they could watch and not act. He extended this question to the entire Arab and Muslim World, asking how it was possible for the people to go about their business as usual when Gaza was suffering so horrifically.
He also stressed that if the Arab world did nothing, the Zionist entity would expand its territorial control into their nations and would not stop only at their plan to ethnically cleanse Palestine. Now, as the Arab nations scramble to put together a plan that can offset the proposals of US President Donald Trump to commit a mass ethnic cleansing of Gaza, his words have more relevance than ever before. Indeed, the Zionists now occupy southern Syria, threaten Jordanian sovereignty as Sayyed Nasrallah had warned, and are even making threats against Egypt.
In the end, the main reason that the Zionist entity provided – for their decision to assassinate Sayyed Nasrallah by dropping multiple 2,000-pound bunker-busting munitions that ultimately took down a collection of civilian buildings in southern Beirut – was that he could not be convinced to abandon Gaza.
In 2006, Sayyed Nasrallah’s iconic speech in southern Lebanon – following the war – dedicated perhaps its most powerful segment to the Palestinian people, urging them to continue their path of resistance and stressing that just like the people of Lebanon, they too could achieve their liberation.
A Palestinian woman, who is from Gaza and whose identity will be hidden for security purposes, told me on the day that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s martyrdom was announced:
“His father had a dream, and in that dream, Prophet Muhammed – peace and blessings upon him – told him his son’s name was Hassan. He woke up that morning and told his wife, good morning Um Hassan (mother of Hassan), before he was even born, that’s how he was named. Allah gave us Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, so he can never be taken away. He told us, he was going to pray at Masjid al-Aqsa… He can’t be gone now, you will see, he’s alive, you will see.”
This is just a sample of what Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah meant to so many Palestinians, some of whom could not even accept his passing and still can’t properly comprehend it. In a world of darkness, death, and confusion, amid the genocide, there were Palestinians who had held back tears upon the announcement that their own friends and family were killed but broke down into tears over Sayyed Nasrallah.
Nasrallah lost his own son – who was martyred in a battle – along with many other members of his extended family, and in the end, he sacrificed his life for the suffering people of Palestine. He may have not been able to pray at Masjid al-Aqsa as he once told interviewers he believed he would, but as was recently announced by Hussein Fadlallah, who heads the committee organizing Sayyed Nasrallah’s funeral, a Jerusalemite managed to send a bottle of soil from Al-Aqsa, which was set to be buried with him.
As for Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s pledge that “Hamas will win,” a ceasefire/prisoner exchange was finally declared on January 19, after which the Palestinian political party emerged displaying the signs of victory.
While in the West Hezbollah is described as a “terrorist organisation”, their media and governments fail to comprehend what Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah truly represented to the people who supported him. Sayyed Nasrallah was not just the leader of an armed group, in fact, the support for him had little to do with the military organization he commanded. He was loved and trusted as a symbol of hope, a shining light that with his powerful speeches inspired the people when they most needed it, a symbol of reliability.
Sayyed Nasrallah was also a symbol of pride for a people who had been disposed of, turned into refugees, lost their loved ones, lost their homes, lost all worldly possessions and/or were humiliated physically by their oppressor. The Arab people are treated by the media and governments of the collective West as subhumans, and their lives aren’t afforded worth, they are a people spoken down to as if they are intellectually inferior and incapable of deciding their own destiny. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave the people a reason to feel pride in themselves. As the age-old idiom goes, the pen is mightier than the sword, and so too is the spoken word stronger than any missile.
Robert Inlakesh
Source: Al Mayadeen
Israel will adopt the proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza for the Ramadan and Passover periods, the prime minister's office said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/02/world/politics/israel-us-ceasefire-gaza-pm/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians #hamas #benjaminnetanyahu #iran #lebanon #hezbollah #us
https://www.europesays.com/1882400/ Hezbollah $2.5 million detained in Lebanon Beirut airport for terrorist group #Beirut #Conflicts #Hezbollah #Israel #Lebanon #terrorists #WorldNews
Live updates: What is going on in Israel, Lebanon, and Gaza? | Israel News https://www.byteseu.com/?p=785798 #DonaldTrump #Gaza #GazaHostages #Hamas #HamasNews #Hezbollah #hostage #HostageDeal #Iran #Israel #IsraelHamasWar #Lebanon
IAF eliminates Hezbollah terrorist in Lebanon – Israel News https://www.byteseu.com/?p=785779 #Conflicts #Hezbollah #IAF #Israel #Lebanon
“Britain’s Secret Overseas Meddling Machine”
by Kit Klarenberg in Al Mayadeen English
“The #Westminster #Foundation for #Democracy (#WFD), a British #intelligence #cutout, covertly funds and orchestrates political destabilization and regime change efforts worldwide under the guise of democracy promotion”
https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/analysis/britain-s-secret-overseas-meddling-machine
https://www.europesays.com/1879392/ Israeli airstrike hits Eastern Lebanon, two Hezbollah members killed #1701 #breaking #Conflicts #Gaza #Hezbollah #Israel #IsraeliAirstrikeHitsEasternLebanon #Lebanon #TwoHezbollahMembersKilled
« Dans le sud de #Beyrouth, et malgré quelques tentatives de dissuasion, des centaines de milliers de Libanais, auxquels se sont jointes des délégations internationales, sont venus accompagner le cortège funèbre de Hassan #Nasrallah. Reportage. »
https://orientxxi.info/magazine/liban-des-funerailles-historiques-pour-le-chef-du-hezbollah,8045
#Liban #RésistanceLibanaise #Hezbollah #ProcheOrient #SudLiban @lebanon @israel
Israeli airstrike kills a “Hezbollah member” in Eastern Lebanon https://www.byteseu.com/782645/ #Beqaa #breaking #Conflicts #Hezbollah #Israel #IsraeliAirstrikeKillsA"HezbollahMember"InEasternLebanon #Lebanon
“The funeral that sealed Hezbollah’s unbreakable covenant”
by Pepe Escobar in The Cradle
“Hassan #Nasrallah’s funeral in #Beirut became a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of resistance, as millions gathered to honor his memory amidst the wreckage left by the Israeli aggression in south Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut”
https://thecradle.co/articles/the-funeral-that-sealed-hezbollahs-unbreakable-covenant
Graffiti left by Israeli soldiers turn south Lebanon homes into a canvas of war https://www.byteseu.com/779476/ #2024MideastWars #Conflicts #GeneralNews #HassanNasrallah #Hezbollah #international #Israel #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Religion #WarAndUnrest #WorldNews
Mossad director says beeper operation 'broke' Hezbollah, reveals new details.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-843710
"The first shipment containing only 500 beepers arrived in Lebanon a few weeks before the October 7 massacre," the Mossad chief revealed.
New York City: Vigil for Hassan Nasrallah in the Heart of the Empire
Yesterday, in New York City and in conjunction with the historic funeral, where 1.5 million people participated in Beirut, a vigil was held to honor the revolutionary Hezbollah martyrs Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine. Alongside photographs of the martyred resistance leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Qassem Soleimani, our gathering affirmed that millions around the world are mourning and celebrating leaders whose legacies have ignited indigenous resistance in Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, and beyond.
At the Beirut funeral, in a calculated attempt to undermine the gathering, Zionist warplanes flew at dangerously low altitudes directly over the attendees. This act of intimidation was designed to instill fear in those mourning at the funeral. Similarly, here in New York City—at the very heart of the empire—Zionist thugs, including those holding political office, attempted to silence our solidarity with the resistance through threats and intimidation. Yet, as one organizer declared:
“Their threats did nothing to weaken our resolve. We stand here unafraid. Repression does not silence us—it only breeds more resistance and fuels our determination to honor our martyrs.”
The indigenous peoples of the world continue to rise up, uniting against Zionist repression and imperial domination. Our stand in New York City not only reflects a steadfast commitment to remembering our late martyrs but also reinforces that no act of repression—whether in Beirut or the heart of the empire—can extinguish the flame of revolutionary struggle.
In the spirit of resistance, we joined millions worldwide—whether gathering in Beirut, Kargil, Ramallah, or in neighborhoods here in NYC—demonstrating that the struggle against imperialism and colonialism transcends borders and sectarian divisions. Our collective mobilization in the streets is proof that attempts at intimidation only forge stronger bonds among the oppressed, fueling our determination to dismantle Zionist colonialism and imperial terrorism.
Long live resistance.
Glory to the martyrs.
Words from the vigil (1/2): “Today we honor the revolutionary lives of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Saffiedene. They join the ranks of the great revolutionary martyrs…Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Louverture and Kanafani. Harriet Tubman and John Brown. Brendan Hughes and Dolours Price of the Irish Republican Army. Ho Chi Minh. Mao Zedong. Yahya Sinwar and Patrice Lumumba. Ulrike Meinhoff and George Jackson. All of these heroes have built off of the work of one another, an International constellation spanning decades, centuries and thousands of miles. They exist in a continuum with one another, speaking through history to build the international resistance against imperialism, colonialism and western hegemony. Without them, we would not exist and in many ways, we owe them our lives. It was Nasrallah who said “We uphold the global resistance against global imperial terrorism.” We know full well, as did Nasrallah, that it is the United States of America, the country that we are sitting in the center of, that is the main exporter of this imperial terror. This is why it is unsurprising that the US has created such vile monsters as the vigilante pigs of Betar, who threaten us with death and put bounties on the heads of Palestinian women militants. We are unintimidated. They are lowly scum and the only reason they are trying to attack our movement is because we are strong, not because we are weak. They want to attack a mosque in Bay Ridge this Wednesday and we will resist them.Our movement knows no borders, our numbers here are small but we stand with the global majority who gathered 1.4 million strong today in Beirut to honor Hezbollah’s martyrs. Everyday the popular cradle grows and it is the duty of every revolutionary from the West Bank to Derry to the arch of Washington Square Park to build the popular cradle of resistance. No matter what obstacles stand in our way…”
Words from the NYC vigil for Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (2/2):“The counterinsurgent wing of our movement functions to delegitimize and contain resistance, funneling militant energy back into the NGO sector and electoral politics. They throw out those who push the limits, abandoning solidarity to protect their own skins and class privilege in the belly of the beast. Beware of those who claim easy victories, who condemn certain forms of protest for not being “peaceful” enough, who try to contain Palestine as a single issue struggle whenever we threaten to grow into a full-fledged movement against imperialism. Remain vigilant and refuse compromise. Remember that peace in the U.S. is a lie. As long as this entity exists the people of the world will face annihilation. There is nothing more violent than amerikan peace.
The so-called “United States of America” is on its last legs. Our role as revolutionaries here is to do everything in our power to hasten its collapse and serve the colonized people within its borders. The mass mobilizations of working class youth against ICE deportations, the militant uprisings spreading across prisons, the growing anti imperialist consciousness on college campuses and the use of political violence against individual members of the ruling class—these are all actions that attack US empire at its internal pressure points. As revolutionaries, we must build the popular cradle of resistance that can support and sustain these actions in the long term, as well as strategically direct them as the fourth reich evolves.
“We should thank Trump for revealing yet again the true face of the U.S. administration—a racist, criminal, murderous, bloodthirsty entity that confiscates freedoms, plunders wealth, conspires against oppressed peoples.”
We are not intimated by the new administration or the worms at Betar or the New York Pig Department. Why should we be? Today we gathered 1.4 million strong. The resistance grows against all odds.
A message to the scum of nations and the pigs of the earth:
Glory to he who makes the occupier taste bitterness.
Long Live the Axis of Resistance and the International Popular Cradle of Resistance.”
People of the World Bid Farewell to Sayyeds Nasrallah, Safieddine in Lebanon
A momentous funeral procession was held on Sunday in Beirut for Hezbollah’s two late secretaries generals, leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine. The ceremony took place at Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, where tens of thousands of mourners gathered to pay their final respects.
As the coffins of the two leaders entered the stadium, the crowd erupted in chants of allegiance, “Labbayka Ya Nasrallah” (At your service, Nasrallah), “We remain committed to the pledge, Nasrallah,” and “Far from us is humiliation.”
The stadium and the dozens of large screens and speakers spread throughout the Lebanese capital were echoing with iconic speeches made by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as the world bid farewell to the great leaders.
The two leaders, in their caskets, donned with Hezbollah flags, were driven out onto the stadium as people could be seen crying and weeping out of sorrow over the great loss they endured.
In the midst of the ceremony, the Israeli occupation forces violated Lebanon’s sovereignty and airspace, flying fighter jets at incredibly low altitudes over the Lebanese capital. The roar of the engines were met with deafening roars from the people, who chanted in support of the martyred leader, affirming that they would not be deterred by a petty attempt at intimidation.
The funeral ceremonies began at 1:00 PM in the stadium and proceeded towards the burial site of Sayyed Nasrallah on the outskirts of Beirut’s Southern Suburb. Sayyed Safieddine was buried on Monday in his hometown of Deir Qanoun Al-Nahr in southern Lebanon.
Massive crowds flooded the stadium and surrounding streets from early morning, with one reporter describing the scene as a “human tide” converging from all regions.
Dignitaries and official delegations from Lebanon and abroad attended the funeral. The Supreme Funeral Committee confirmed the participation of representatives from approximately 79 countries, including both official and popular delegations. Organizers also noted the presence of high-ranking figures from Iran, Iraq, and a plethora of other nations.
A behemoth procession
The funeral is taking place under heightened security measures implemented by Hezbollah and Lebanese security agencies. The stadium’s seating capacity exceeds 50,000, but tens of thousands more are expected to gather in the surrounding streets to join the funeral march. By 7:00 AM, just an hour after the gates opened, all designated spaces inside the stadium were already occupied.
According to event organizers, the stadium will accommodate over 23,000 seats on the field and 55,000 more in the stands. In the surrounding areas, 35,000 seats have been allocated for men and 25,000 in a separate section for women.
Large screens have been installed along the procession route, while dozens of tents to accommodate visitors and participants have been set up along the streets leading to the funeral site.
To ensure the safety of attendees, the Islamic Health Society has deployed 1,500 medical volunteers, including paramedics, doctors, and nurses, across 60 medical tents. Additionally, 100 ambulances have been stationed along the funeral route.
For days, preparations have been underway to accommodate the massive crowds expected to attend the funeral, with Beirut’s Sports City Stadium set to host both official delegations and the large numbers of mourners.
Sheikh Naim Qassem addresses crowd
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem paid tribute to martyrs Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine in a speech honoring their legacy, describing Sayyed Nasrallah as “a historic, exceptional, patriotic, Arab, Islamic leader, the model of the free people of the world.”
“Sayyed Nasrallah loved the people and they loved him,” Sheikh Qassem said. “He led both hearts and minds, with his objective always being Palestine and al-Quds.”
Emphasizing Nasrallah’s contributions to the Palestinian cause, he affirmed, “Sayyed Nasrallah’s contribution was great in reviving the Palestinian cause; we will preserve this trust and will continue to tread this path.” He vowed that Hezbollah would remain steadfast, declaring, “We will continue on Sayyed Nasrallah’s path, even if our houses should be destroyed over our heads, even if we are all killed.”
Addressing the gathered crowd, Sheikh Qassem praised their dedication, saying, “The mass mobilization today is unmatched in Lebanese history. You are a loyal and generous people.” He also expressed solidarity with Hezbollah’s prisoners, pledging, “We hail our prisoners and tell them that we will not leave them with the Zionists.”
He denounced the actions of the Israeli occupation and its backers, stating, “We confronted the Zionist entity and its tyrant backers, the United States, which stood against Gaza, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran.” Despite the immense challenges, he emphasized Hezbollah’s resilience, “The amount of pressure faced by the Resistance, its fighters, and its popular base was unprecedented. But on the other hand, their resilience was also unprecedented.”
‘An indomitable people’
“You are an indomitable people,” he told the crowd. “We will stand together and make our pledge together. We will remain true to the pledge, O’ Nasrallah.”
Regarding the ceasefire, Sheikh Qassem explained, “We agreed to the enemy’s request for a ceasefire because we had no interest in continuing the fight without any foreseen political or military future.” He stressed that Hezbollah remained committed to its principles, saying, “Our point of strength is that we agreed to the enemy’s request for a ceasefire based on our principles.”
As for the ongoing Israeli violations of the agreement, he asserted, “We have fulfilled our commitments under the agreement, while Israel has not. The state’s jurisdiction comes into play now that the deadline for the enemy’s withdrawal has passed.”
Sheikh Qassem reiterated the movement’s unwavering commitment to resistance and national sovereignty. “The Resistance is on the ground, and it enjoys paramount manpower and equipment. The inevitable victory is coming,” he declared.
Moreover, he demanded that “Israel” withdraw from the areas it continues to occupy, emphasizing that “Resistance comes from conviction and righteousness. This is the life of the free—liberation. No one can take this right away from us.”
‘The Resistance persists’
Sheikh Qassem called for steadfastness and defiance, urging, “Let your rage consume you. The Resistance persists. It is an established fact. We will not allow the tyrannical United States to control our country.” He reaffirmed Hezbollah’s guiding principle, stating, “We were brought up on the ideal of ‘far from us is humiliation.'”
Criticizing those who claim to be for the “sovereignty” of Lebanon, he said, “Wake up, proclaimed sovereignty advocates, and speak up even once against ‘Israel’ or the United States.” He reiterated that “Resistance is our sole option. It is our conviction. The occupation persists and we will follow up on the actions taken by the state to expel it.”
Sheikh Qassem also addressed regional challenges, vowing, “We will confront Trump’s ethnic cleansing plan alongside the remainder of the liberation forces in the region.”
Touching on Lebanon’s future, he stated, “We will participate in building a strong, just state, and we shall contribute to its renaissance as per the Taif Agreement.” He emphasized Hezbollah’s commitment to resistance and national development: “We are committed to expelling the occupation and reconstruction. We are keen on safeguarding national unity and civil peace.”
Affirming Hezbollah’s place within Lebanon’s social fabric, he said, “Lebanon is a nation for all of its people, and we are part of its people. We will never clash with the Amal Movement.” He concluded with a message of support for the Lebanese Army: “We support the efforts of the Lebanese Army, and we shall remain by its side.”
Sayyed Nasrallah’s Martyrdom – the Fruit That Bore Through the Rubble
It has long been emphasized by supporters of the Resistance, including Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah himself, that the Resistance is an idea that cannot be extinguished, rather, it is strengthened and grows through martyrdom.
However, we can’t deny the gravity of Sayyed Nasrallah’s loss. In his last speech, he cautioned against both aggrandizing the enemy’s power to the point of self-inflicted defeatism and underestimating the enemy.
In remembering his words of caution, it’s critical that his understanding of the enemy extends to assessing the gravity of his impact. While our faith in the Resistance and Hezbollah remains firm after his martyrdom, the aftershocks of its impacts are undeniable, an impact of a figure who was the operational leader – along with the coordinator for the whole Axis of Resistance.
As Sayyed Nasrallah’s daughter said in the latest Al Mayadeen interview, the Master of the Ummah’s Martyrs educated and motivated his followers, like his family, to follow the path of righteousness and truth.
“We were never coerced into thinking a certain way,” Sayyed Nasrallah’s daughter Zeinab said, referring to her father’s parenting style which extended to his relationship with his community.
It was out of pure love and conviction that Sayyed Nasrallah’s children followed his path, and his followers trod the Holy Path out of love and loyalty and not fear. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was reminiscent of a leader who embodied the lessons of Imam Jaafar al-Sadiq, a popular, beloved, and charismatic leader and Imam who cautioned believers against the “slave” worship of fear and into the righteous worship of love.
The road to the liberation of al-Quds is paved with martyrdom, and, on the evening of September 27, 2024, the most precious of blood was spilled as the Zionist entity razed the Southern Suburb of Beirut through nonstop bombardment, tearing the ground amid a week-long campaign by the Zionist entity to uproot the Resistance, and especially the very leader that had given it its first taste of defeat in the ‘90s.
Nasrallah ushered in the “Era of Victories,” instilling a sense of pride and dignity in a community that had been historically marginalized and a people that internalized the defeat of Arabs in the face of “Israel” and the shame of marginalization from a deeply classist and colonized society – breaking it from his famous greetings of “ya ashraf al-nas (oh, most honorable of people)” to his people in speeches.
He himself hailed from modest beginnings – a working-class family of 10 headed by a simple fruit seller originally from Bazourieh, Tyre. He was an early disciple of Sayyed Musa al-Sadr, the original leader of the Amal revolutionary Islamic movement and an early student of Sayyed Baqir al-Sadr, traveling to Najaf, Iraq, at the age of 16 to further his Islamic studies. He was nurtured in the cradle of the growing Revolutionary Islamic movement, which culminated in the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the seeds of Revolutionary Islam planted in Lebanon years prior.
Sayyed Nasrallah showed how victory could be attained despite the modest means of those resisting the most well-funded and equipped occupations in the world, giving, for the first time, a sense of pride in a people who had spent years internalizing their own humiliation.
The Sayyed was an original leader who, in the vein of Sayyed Musa al-Sadr, fulfilled, expounded on, and furthered a legacy of the original holy sheikhs and leaders of Jabal Amel, such as Sheikh Sharafeddine, whose booming anti-colonial speech at the 1920 conference of Wadi al-Hjeir called to action an anti-colonial movement from the same valley that dealt “Israel” its “massacre of the Merkavas” in 2006.
His shrewd command of religious knowledge equipped him with the basira (deep insight) to understand society, politics, and most importantly, the enemy. In contrast to American exceptionalist understandings of the Israeli-American relationship, such as the Mearsheimian emphasis on the “Israel lobby” as the decisive, driving factor of American foreign policy, Sayyed Nasrallah kept the focus on American imperialism as the primary root of international arrogance worldwide – in line with Imam Khomeini, who identified America as the Great Satan.
Defying Western characterizations of Hezbollah or Islamic Resistance as irrational, dogmatic, or backward, Sayyed Nasrallah was a brilliant analyst and orator who spoke to many different global segments, and through his religious dimension, his analytical dimension, his role as an anti-imperialist icon, and a scholar, he garnered a global following of those who loved and revered his service to the oppressed.
While having large success in fostering a sense of national unity, Sayyed Nasrallah came under additional challenges amid the US-engineered economic crisis in Lebanon and the subsequent color revolution, where American and European-backed narratives, whether in billionaire-funded “independent” media or through NGOs, attempted to break the domestic unity coalition and replace the Lebanese government with an unelected American and World Bank technocracy, falsely pitting Sayyed Nasrallah as a supporter of corruption and Lebanon’s domestic problems. These same sponsors attempted to usher in themes and discourses of normalization in Lebanon in the template of Ukraine’s 2014 Euromaidan.
Dialectic philosophy is dictated by the unity of opposites, and the truth lies in this unity. By uniting different segments of society – Muslim and Christian, Sunni and Shiite, secular and religious, toward a common effort of national and regional sovereignty, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah masterfully seamed together the sectarian and social fissures inflicted by ages of imperialist divide-and-conquer counterinsurgency.
The populist developmentalism of Hezbollah cemented under Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, through credit union Qard al-Hassan that provided low-cost loans; Dar al-Hawraa, an affordable community clinic providing a wide range of services; and Jihad al-Binaa, which immediately and expediently moed on the postwar reconstruction of homes in Dahieh and the South, at a speed and efficiency that baffled civil engineers. Jihad al-Binaa also supports farming and beekeeping, including workshops, seed distribution, and technical assistance, embodying Hezbollah’s commitment to industry and agriculture as the labor-oriented backbone of building Lebanese society, a contrast to the finance-capital oriented economy that otherwise comprises Lebanese state institutions.
The US, shaken by the colossal challenge imposed by the Palestinian Resistance at the outset of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, sought to salvage itself against the existential threat the Resistance dealt it and the Zionist entity, moving from soft power to hard war tactics to enforce (and force) their consensus of normalization, which Sayyed Nasrallah spent his life to fight and keep out of Lebanon. Referring to the Camp David Accords in speeches, Sayyed Nasrallah articulated a structuralist understanding of the relationship between normalization, neoliberalism, and what he always referred to as an “imposition of a humiliating political process on the Palestinians and Arabs,” under the guise of empty promises of political stability and prosperity that otherwise ushered in further pauperization of population that siphoned state assets for US financial capital, enriching itself and the Washington-aligned comprador class.
To impose this very political reality on Lebanon, the Zionist entity bombed – over 80 times – the apartment buildings over Sayyed Nasrallah with American Mark 84 multi-ton bombs. The gravity of the force that they unleashed to kill one man was a testament to the weight of the figure he was, and despite the damage meant to turn mountains into craters – with bombs known to evaporate bodies – Sayyed Nasrallah’s martyred body remained intact.
Ideologically, spiritually, and institutionally, Sayyed Nasrallah built a Hezbollah that ensured a loss in leaders did not mean a loss in leadership. The Sayyed’s spirit pushes through the concrete rubble, where the fruits of Resistance naturally bear through a history of siege and martyrdom. Mourners are arriving, putting their personal lives on hold or politically motivated obstacles in transit to attend the funeral of a leader matched by so few in his impact and level of resonance worldwide. Millions came to attend the funeral of the man who changed the world, challenged Israeli and American arrogance, and won the hearts of millions. Where “Israel” tries to bury a martyr, a thousand more warriors and followers rise from the rubble – from the ideological and spiritual seeds Sayyed Nasrallah planted.
With Sayyed [Nasrallah’s] planning, Hezbollah grew step by step, patiently, logically, and naturally […showing] the effect of its existence on enemies in different stages: ‘a pure being like an immaculate tree whose roots are firm in the ground and whose branches are in heavens, yielding fruit in every season by permission of its Lord? Allah draws such comparisons for men so that they may take heed” (Quran 14:25) – Sayyed Khamenei.
The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively. Julia KassemPeople of the World Bid Farewell to Sayyeds Nasrallah, Safieddine in Lebanon
A momentous funeral procession was held on Sunday in Beirut for Hezbollah’s two late secretaries generals, leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine. The ceremony took place at Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, where tens of thousands of mourners gathered to pay their final respects
Sayyed Nasrallah’s Martyrdom – the Fruit That Bore Through the Rubble
It has long been emphasized by supporters of the Resistance, including Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah himself, that the Resistance is an idea that cannot be extinguished, rather, it is strengthened and grows through martyrdom.
However, we can’t deny the gravity of Sayyed Nasrallah’s loss. In