While many are calling for further restrictions on refugees or demonizing them in some way, it's notable that one political figure often depicted as intolerant and violent by U.S. media is doing the opposite.
Below is Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's speech of Nov. 14, the day after the Paris attacks and two days after the Beirut attacks. It's translated by Rania Masri @rania_masri and posted on her facebook page.] I didn't see any report of it in the U.S. media and only learned about it through As'ad AbuKhalil's "Angry Arab" blog.
Below is Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's speech of Nov. 14, the day after the Paris attacks and two days after the Beirut attacks. It's translated by Rania Masri @rania_masri and posted on her facebook page.] I didn't see any report of it in the U.S. media and only learned about it through As'ad AbuKhalil's "Angry Arab" blog.
ISIS of course claimed credit for bombing a Beirut neighborhood on Nov. 12 -- the neighborhood was depicted in much of the U.S. media as a "Hezbollah stronghold," seemingly implying that it was somehow a legitimate political/military target. Lebanon has taken in over 1.3 million Syrian refugees. The U.S. government -- after giving rise to ISIS by invading Iraq and fostering the Syrian civil war -- is proposing taking 10,000.
A few passages bear particular note: "First: We condemn the attacks by ISIS in France. The people in this region that have suffered under the earthquake of ISIS -- including Lebanon -- are the most empathetic to the suffering that has befallen the French people yesterday. We express our empathy and our solidarity with all who have suffered under ISIS. ...
"All that I have said about our Palestinian brothers also applies to our Syrian brothers in Lebanon. If one of the bombers is Syrian, that gives no one any excuse to attack Syrian refugees. We have been responsible in this regard as well, but it bodes repeating. many of the refugees support us politically, and others are opposed to the regime and are opposed to ISIS also. Yes, of course, there are some among the refugees who may support ISIS. We cannot generalize against all the Syrian refugees -- such is an ethical and religious responsibility...
A few passages bear particular note: "First: We condemn the attacks by ISIS in France. The people in this region that have suffered under the earthquake of ISIS -- including Lebanon -- are the most empathetic to the suffering that has befallen the French people yesterday. We express our empathy and our solidarity with all who have suffered under ISIS. ...
"All that I have said about our Palestinian brothers also applies to our Syrian brothers in Lebanon. If one of the bombers is Syrian, that gives no one any excuse to attack Syrian refugees. We have been responsible in this regard as well, but it bodes repeating. many of the refugees support us politically, and others are opposed to the regime and are opposed to ISIS also. Yes, of course, there are some among the refugees who may support ISIS. We cannot generalize against all the Syrian refugees -- such is an ethical and religious responsibility...
"And let me return to speaking to the Lebanese — if it has appeared that among this network of terrorism that are some Lebanese who belong to particular sects, such as the Sunni sect, such as the ones apprehended by this network, that does not mean, in any way, that any one can then hold the Sunni sect responsible for this terrorist attack. One of the objectives of the takfiris is to create a civil war between Shi’a and Sunni. All of us -- united throughout Lebanon, all of us who have been targeted or who could be targeted, need to be aware of sectarian discourse that fulfills the objectives of the enemy and weakens and threatens our country."
Here's the speech with some very brief comments from Rania:
First: We condemn the attacks by ISIS in France. The people in this region that have suffered under the earthquake of ISIS - including Lebanon - are the most empathetic to the suffering that has befallen the French people yesterday. We express our empathy and our solidarity with all who have suffered under ISIS
1 - We extend thoughts and prayers to the wounded of the terrorist attack in Burj el Barajneh [on Thursday] and extend our condolences to the martyrs
2 - We extend thanks to all the individuals who have helped from the first moment in saving and transporting the wounded, in responding to any need, and particularly the Red Cross and the National Defense and the hospitals (doctors and nurses) and the Lebanese Army, and to all the media who followed this painful tragedy, and to all the countries and governments and political parties and religious associations worldwide that condemned this crime and extended their sympathy to Lebanon.
3 - We must take a long pause - and recognize the personal stories of sacrifice and heroism, the stories of the orphan and the families who have lost loved ones, and the heroes, such as Adel Termos, and Nurse Khodr Alaa’deen, who rushed from his home to treat the wounded and was killed. Thanks to all the families of the martyrs and the wounded who responded barely to the criminal terrorists.
4 - By now, the story has become quite clear. I shall leave it to those responsible in the government to present the details of the story. I shall only discuss a few of the points relevant to my talk today.
The responsibility is clear: the murderous ISIS. ISIS has taken responsibility for the crime
There were two (not three or four) suicide bombers. No one was apprehended, as claimed by the press. The names that were stated in the press that first day have been proven to be false.
The local organizing network of this crime has been apprehended. This was the team that chosen the location and studied it, etc. This is a great victory. Until now - no Palestinian is among the arrested. The arrested are both Syrian and Lebanese.
The apartment that this network was using has been taken over by the Lebanese internal security forces — with full cooperation of the agencies in the Burj el Barajeneh refugee camp.
For the future, and the coming days, and in facing this kind of terrorism, we need to work together - as we faced the car bombs earlier. It is not enough to have checkpoints — what is needed is to search the entrance of the cars, to the transportation, to the logistical avenues, etc, to stop and break down the networks. This is what has happened by various agencies within the Lebanese government — and this caused the end of the car bombs for many long months. We need to to go the coordination and leadership that sends these networks to conduct terrorism in Lebanon.
When an enemy conducts an attack - they have an objective or series of objectives in mind. Who is killed in a war or because of a terrorist attack is a martyr. We cannot return the martyrs to this life, but we cannot allow the fulfillment of the objectives of the terrorists! In facing attacks - we need to identify the objectives of the enemy and work towards defeating those objectives. What are those objectives?
First: creating a division in Lebanon on a number of levels. The stated declaration of the false names (two Palestinian and one Syrian) by ISIS - and the location of the attack (beside the camp) - was clearly designed to create a division between Lebanese and Palestinians - specifically between the Dahiyeh/Southern Suburbs and the Burj el Barajneh Refugee camp, and to create a division between Lebanese and Syrian refugees. This objective failed — because of the awareness by this targeted community and this country. Also, the clear condemnations by the various Palestinian groups and the camps assisted. For what happened and what could happen, I say this to all those in Lebanon and particularly to the Lebanese: we need to always remember that the Israelis and the Takfiris both want a civil war in Lebanon - and this would fulfill the objectives of both Israel and ISIS; such is their objective: destruction of countries and armies. The Lebanese accomplishment is the prevention of Lebanon of going into this abyss. No matter what our wounds and our suffering, no matter what our analysis - we should always act with this awareness and this confidence. Where are the most targeted locations for those who want to create such divisions and violence? There is an objective to make the Palestinian people into an enemy for all those in the region. What happened on Thursday falls into that same vein. They are very wrong. No suicide bombers were Palestinian. Let’s assume that there were Palestinians involved in ISIS or Nusra. There is neither a religious justification nor a political justification nor an ethical justification for any one of us to then hold the Palestinian people or the Palestinian camps responsibility for this crime. We have a responsibility - and we need to speak and act with responsibility. Also, the Palestinians in the camps also have a responsibility to act as they can. The factions have a greater responsibility in this regard than Lebanese security forces. Their cause is our cause; our suffering is one; our battle is one. I ask today - of all the people in the Palestinian camps - to assist in stopping a particular house or neighborhood from becoming an organizing location for these terrorists - who are an offense to our religion and to our sacred cause of Palestine. Also, as we highlight the camps, it becomes necessary on us to call on our Lebanese government to support the Palestinian camps in the full capacity. All that I have said about our Palestinian brothers also applies to our Syrian brothers in Lebanon. If one of the bombers is Syrian, that gives no one any excuse to attack Syrian refugees. We have been responsible in this regard as well, but it bodes repeating. many of the refugees support us politically, and others are opposed to the regime and are opposed to ISIS also. Yes, of course, there are some among the refugees who may support ISIS. We cannot generalize against all the Syrian refugees -- such is an ethical and religious responsibility. Also, as we have asked our Palestinian brothers, we ask the Syrians: regardless of your political position with regards to the regime or the opposition, our shared goals does not allow your homes to become a location for the organization of terrorist attacks, and I ask all refugees to cooperate with the governmental agencies. There have been Palestinian and Syrian martyrs and wounded among the martyrs in Thursday’s attack. And let me return to speaking to the Lebanese — if it has appeared that among this network of terrorism that are some Lebanese who belong to particular sects, such as the Sunni sect, such as the ones apprehended by this network, that does not mean, in any way, that any one can then hold the Sunni sect responsible for this terrorist attack. One of the objectives of the takfiris is to create a civil war between Shi’a and Sunni. All of us - united throughout Lebanon, all of us who have been targeted or who could be targeted, need to be aware of sectarian discourse that fulfills the objectives of the enemy and weakens and threatens our country. My last comment on this issue: I ask all our youth on social media to note that there is always someone who intrudes and works to create divisions; all those who monitor or write on social media must be careful and know that these media sources also create tension. They need to write with responsibility.
The second objective of such terrorism is to put pressure on the Resistance and on Hezbollah - to withdraw from the battle in Syria or elsewhere. They know quite well that such killings will have contrary results. If they think that killing our men and our women and our children will weaken our will and our resilience or cause us to change our position and our analysis — they are very mistaken. We say to you today - that in our battles in Syria, we have fought ISIS and after this battle, we will search for new battles with ISIS and we will become stronger! I want to say to all who follow the events in Lebanon and in the region and worldwide - ISIS in particular has no future! ISIS has a short life. It has no future - neither in war or in peace. Its program is of death and destruction. It has the characteristics of self-destruction. ISIS in war is losing - in Iraq and Syria. And in peace, ISIS has no future. All who supported ISIS were using ISIS’s stupidity for fulfilling their own objectives and day by day, they have discovered the monster they have raised!
[Nasrallah then made some comments with regards to Lebanon’s governance] : I repeat my call for discussion and negotiations in Lebanon - to move our country out of paralysis. We should not wait for external advisors. The world is busy with its own issues. We as Lebanese can with our will and with negotiations pick our country up and face all the challenges. We do not have a lack of intelligence, and our leaders can make difficult decisions. [For the record, I disagree w/ his assessment of ‘our leaders.’]
Here's the speech with some very brief comments from Rania:
First: We condemn the attacks by ISIS in France. The people in this region that have suffered under the earthquake of ISIS - including Lebanon - are the most empathetic to the suffering that has befallen the French people yesterday. We express our empathy and our solidarity with all who have suffered under ISIS
1 - We extend thoughts and prayers to the wounded of the terrorist attack in Burj el Barajneh [on Thursday] and extend our condolences to the martyrs
2 - We extend thanks to all the individuals who have helped from the first moment in saving and transporting the wounded, in responding to any need, and particularly the Red Cross and the National Defense and the hospitals (doctors and nurses) and the Lebanese Army, and to all the media who followed this painful tragedy, and to all the countries and governments and political parties and religious associations worldwide that condemned this crime and extended their sympathy to Lebanon.
3 - We must take a long pause - and recognize the personal stories of sacrifice and heroism, the stories of the orphan and the families who have lost loved ones, and the heroes, such as Adel Termos, and Nurse Khodr Alaa’deen, who rushed from his home to treat the wounded and was killed. Thanks to all the families of the martyrs and the wounded who responded barely to the criminal terrorists.
4 - By now, the story has become quite clear. I shall leave it to those responsible in the government to present the details of the story. I shall only discuss a few of the points relevant to my talk today.
The responsibility is clear: the murderous ISIS. ISIS has taken responsibility for the crime
There were two (not three or four) suicide bombers. No one was apprehended, as claimed by the press. The names that were stated in the press that first day have been proven to be false.
The local organizing network of this crime has been apprehended. This was the team that chosen the location and studied it, etc. This is a great victory. Until now - no Palestinian is among the arrested. The arrested are both Syrian and Lebanese.
The apartment that this network was using has been taken over by the Lebanese internal security forces — with full cooperation of the agencies in the Burj el Barajeneh refugee camp.
For the future, and the coming days, and in facing this kind of terrorism, we need to work together - as we faced the car bombs earlier. It is not enough to have checkpoints — what is needed is to search the entrance of the cars, to the transportation, to the logistical avenues, etc, to stop and break down the networks. This is what has happened by various agencies within the Lebanese government — and this caused the end of the car bombs for many long months. We need to to go the coordination and leadership that sends these networks to conduct terrorism in Lebanon.
When an enemy conducts an attack - they have an objective or series of objectives in mind. Who is killed in a war or because of a terrorist attack is a martyr. We cannot return the martyrs to this life, but we cannot allow the fulfillment of the objectives of the terrorists! In facing attacks - we need to identify the objectives of the enemy and work towards defeating those objectives. What are those objectives?
First: creating a division in Lebanon on a number of levels. The stated declaration of the false names (two Palestinian and one Syrian) by ISIS - and the location of the attack (beside the camp) - was clearly designed to create a division between Lebanese and Palestinians - specifically between the Dahiyeh/Southern Suburbs and the Burj el Barajneh Refugee camp, and to create a division between Lebanese and Syrian refugees. This objective failed — because of the awareness by this targeted community and this country. Also, the clear condemnations by the various Palestinian groups and the camps assisted. For what happened and what could happen, I say this to all those in Lebanon and particularly to the Lebanese: we need to always remember that the Israelis and the Takfiris both want a civil war in Lebanon - and this would fulfill the objectives of both Israel and ISIS; such is their objective: destruction of countries and armies. The Lebanese accomplishment is the prevention of Lebanon of going into this abyss. No matter what our wounds and our suffering, no matter what our analysis - we should always act with this awareness and this confidence. Where are the most targeted locations for those who want to create such divisions and violence? There is an objective to make the Palestinian people into an enemy for all those in the region. What happened on Thursday falls into that same vein. They are very wrong. No suicide bombers were Palestinian. Let’s assume that there were Palestinians involved in ISIS or Nusra. There is neither a religious justification nor a political justification nor an ethical justification for any one of us to then hold the Palestinian people or the Palestinian camps responsibility for this crime. We have a responsibility - and we need to speak and act with responsibility. Also, the Palestinians in the camps also have a responsibility to act as they can. The factions have a greater responsibility in this regard than Lebanese security forces. Their cause is our cause; our suffering is one; our battle is one. I ask today - of all the people in the Palestinian camps - to assist in stopping a particular house or neighborhood from becoming an organizing location for these terrorists - who are an offense to our religion and to our sacred cause of Palestine. Also, as we highlight the camps, it becomes necessary on us to call on our Lebanese government to support the Palestinian camps in the full capacity. All that I have said about our Palestinian brothers also applies to our Syrian brothers in Lebanon. If one of the bombers is Syrian, that gives no one any excuse to attack Syrian refugees. We have been responsible in this regard as well, but it bodes repeating. many of the refugees support us politically, and others are opposed to the regime and are opposed to ISIS also. Yes, of course, there are some among the refugees who may support ISIS. We cannot generalize against all the Syrian refugees -- such is an ethical and religious responsibility. Also, as we have asked our Palestinian brothers, we ask the Syrians: regardless of your political position with regards to the regime or the opposition, our shared goals does not allow your homes to become a location for the organization of terrorist attacks, and I ask all refugees to cooperate with the governmental agencies. There have been Palestinian and Syrian martyrs and wounded among the martyrs in Thursday’s attack. And let me return to speaking to the Lebanese — if it has appeared that among this network of terrorism that are some Lebanese who belong to particular sects, such as the Sunni sect, such as the ones apprehended by this network, that does not mean, in any way, that any one can then hold the Sunni sect responsible for this terrorist attack. One of the objectives of the takfiris is to create a civil war between Shi’a and Sunni. All of us - united throughout Lebanon, all of us who have been targeted or who could be targeted, need to be aware of sectarian discourse that fulfills the objectives of the enemy and weakens and threatens our country. My last comment on this issue: I ask all our youth on social media to note that there is always someone who intrudes and works to create divisions; all those who monitor or write on social media must be careful and know that these media sources also create tension. They need to write with responsibility.
The second objective of such terrorism is to put pressure on the Resistance and on Hezbollah - to withdraw from the battle in Syria or elsewhere. They know quite well that such killings will have contrary results. If they think that killing our men and our women and our children will weaken our will and our resilience or cause us to change our position and our analysis — they are very mistaken. We say to you today - that in our battles in Syria, we have fought ISIS and after this battle, we will search for new battles with ISIS and we will become stronger! I want to say to all who follow the events in Lebanon and in the region and worldwide - ISIS in particular has no future! ISIS has a short life. It has no future - neither in war or in peace. Its program is of death and destruction. It has the characteristics of self-destruction. ISIS in war is losing - in Iraq and Syria. And in peace, ISIS has no future. All who supported ISIS were using ISIS’s stupidity for fulfilling their own objectives and day by day, they have discovered the monster they have raised!
[Nasrallah then made some comments with regards to Lebanon’s governance] : I repeat my call for discussion and negotiations in Lebanon - to move our country out of paralysis. We should not wait for external advisors. The world is busy with its own issues. We as Lebanese can with our will and with negotiations pick our country up and face all the challenges. We do not have a lack of intelligence, and our leaders can make difficult decisions. [For the record, I disagree w/ his assessment of ‘our leaders.’]