NasMoqawama have (finally) put up a full English translation of Nasrallah's famous and increasingly relevant May 26th 2000 speech:
Full Speech of Secretary General of Hizbullah, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, during the Festival of Victory in Bint Jbeil City on May 26, 2000
On the Resistance and Liberation Day, the day of the great, grand historic victory, we meet here at the heart of the region that has retained our nation and has been retained by the nation. In the forty-day commemoration of Abi Abdullah - the Martyrs' Master, Imam Hussein Bin Ali (Peace be upon him), we meet to iterate, anew, his saying and his path and to prove, again, that here blood conquers the sword, that here blood has conquered and defeated the sword, that here blood has smashed every cuff, and that here blood has humiliated every tyrannical and arrogant person.
We meet here to celebrate the victory that martyrdom has attained and that blood has attained. Once we speak about this victory, the land liberation, man's freedom, the homeland's dignity, and the nation's esteem, we must remember all of the persons who have participated in attaining this victory.
Firstly and lastly, we, the slaves of God, announce to the whole world that God - to Him be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty - has granted us this victory. He has guided us to the resistance path, and He has shown us the right way. He has kept our hearts firm since long years, and He has filled our hearts with assurance and ourselves with adoration of martyrdom. He has shot, and He has hit. He has destroyed the sites, and He has demolished the forts. He has killed the mighty persons, and He has attained this victory. We thank Him, praise Him, extol Him, and repent to Him. We ask Him for forgiveness, submit to Him, and pray to Him that he perfects our victory by liberating all of the land, all brothers, and this entire oppressed and tortured nation.
And once we speak about the people God created, we must firstly remember the martyrs - all of the martyrs: the martyrs of the resistance, whether they belong to Hizbullah, Amal Movement, or the national Lebanese forces. We must remember, too, the martyrs of the Lebanese Army, of the Syrian Army, and of the Palestinian resistance. We must acknowledge the first and grandest grace of these martyrs after God's grace - to Him be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty. We acknowledge the grace of the Master of the Resistance Martyrs - Sayyed Abbass Moussawi, the Sheikh of the Resistance Martyrs - Sheikh Ragheb Harb, and a dear brother who adored martyrdom and was a resistance man - fighter and Sheikh Ahmad Yehya, who has recently been martyred. He was a sanctified fighter and worshipper, and he would insist on being the first Sheikh to perform a self-sacrifice operation in the history of struggle with the Israeli enemy. We must acknowledge the grace of these self-sacrifice martyrs: Ahmad Qaseer, Billal Fahs, and Ammar Hammoud.
Their pure blood has attained victory. We must acknowledge the grace of the fighting, resisting, and sacrificing persons who left their homes, families, universities, and work to spend their fresh youth and age sustaining jihad and fighting. We must mention the martyrs' families. We must remember the captives who are still in prisons. We must remember the wounded persons, and we must mention the families of all of these people. We must remember everyone who raised the generations, prepared them, and laid the foundation of this resistive jihad path in Lebanon. Still, we must remember the Imam of the Fighters and Martyrs - Imam and Sayyed Rouhollah Al Moussawi Al Khomeini (Sacred is his secret). We must remember the first founder of the path of the resistance on the Lebanese territories, His Eminence, the abducted Imam - Sayyed Moussa Sadr (God bring him back safely).
We must remember all the sacrificing savants and all of who worked to make the people here, in Lebanon, believers, fighters, and resistive people ready to offer sacrifices. We must remember the residents of the previously occupied borderline, who have suffered and tolerated afflictions, and we must remember the residents of the villages by the confrontation frontiers, who would be shelled every day. Besides, we must remember the general public stance that fosters the resistance, and so for the political forces, committees, characters, parties, and clubs. We must commend the general, formal stance - particularly in this era of His Excellency, President Emile Lahoud, and in the time of this government of MP Salim Al Hoss. Besides, there are two men who stood by Lebanon and must, thus, be mentioned, and there are two states whose grace we must acknowledge and to whom we must attribute this victory, too. By that I mean: the Islamic Republic in Iran Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and the grand Arab leader - President Hafez Al Assad.
Actually, whoever wants to be just and fair when it comes to appreciating facts must admit that this truth involves the Leader, Grandest Ayatollah Sayyed Khamenei, who has - day and night- supported, assisted, stood by, and prayed for the fighters so that God grants them victory. This truth also involves the Islamic Republic that has stood by Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, supporting them, and tolerating a lot of horrifying and threatening on one hand, in addition to different kinds of temptation and enticement on another hand so that it renounces its support.
However, the Republic has refused this since such stance is of a creed, ethics, and humanity.
This truth further involves Al Assad's Syria that has protected, fostered, and guarded the resistance ever since it's very beginning through all of the difficult stages. Who can forget Syria fighting on the Lebanese territory in 1982? Who can forget what President Al Assad did in the July War in 1993? Who can forget what he did in the April War in 1996? Who can forget his firmness and steadfastness in Damascus at a time the whole world met in "Sharam Sheikh" to convict the resistance and describe it as a terrorist militia and to defend Israel? Here I am, on the day of victory, the Resistance and Liberation Day, thanking - on behalf of all of you - every Lebanese, Arab, Muslim, and free person in the world who has stood by the resistance, assisted it, and backed it with words, stances, writings, money, prayers, support, or even a smile.
The first victory has been represented by the liberation of a big part of our land and a big part of the detainees in the Occupation prisons and by defeating the enemy upon jihad, resistance, steadfastness, and sacrifices. We're here today feeling free and safe, for the enemy's aircraft do not dare fly above you, and I tell you that because the Israelis are scared of and horrified by a wooden miniature, a toy, or a statue of a Katyusha launcher in Kafarkila. So they are too coward to attack you on a day like this. Today we're here on our land because of our martyrs' blood and because of our people; thus, we're obliged to the grace of none. The United Nations, which has been too helpless to execute its Resolution 425 for 22 years, is not graceful. Not the International Security Council, not the unjust judge (the United States of America), and not the negotiations are graceful. Neither is the government of (Ehud) Barak that has gone out of this land because he has had only one choice: getting out of this land. For the first time ever, these sacrifices have perfectly retained an Arab land upon the resistance and force...
The second victory has been represented by the way the enemy has been forced to withdraw. You have imposed the timing, tactic, and way on the enemy. And you have proved to be a nation that deserves victory after the withdrawal. The Israelis were planning to withdraw after several weeks, to hand over their sites gradually to the Lahd militia, and to keep some sites as Shkief fort and Dabsheh Site, in addition to some other bordering ones so that when the Security Council would decide what to do and the UNIFIL would arrive to be in charge of the borders, the enemy would ensure a quiet and peaceful withdrawal, claiming favor by releasing our captives in Al Khiyam Detention Center. However, you've refused this, and so was the first breaking into Al Qantarah, Deir Seryan, Al Qaseer, and Taybe Towns. Then the towns commenced getting liberated as the sites were falling and the Lahd militias were collapsing (one after another). In a night, the borderline shifted into two halves, the total collapse began, and the enemy's miniature government held a meeting, finding it had two choices: either reoccupying the sites to confront the resistance and suffer more casualties, or quickening its withdrawal. Hereupon, it chose the second choice and left hurriedly, leaving you all of those tanks, halftracks, sites, and cannons and, thus, confirming that what happened in the South of Lebanon is a perfect Israeli defeat.
You have imposed the way and time of withdrawal on the enemy, and you have frustrated the enemy's mine represented by the Lahd militia, for the enemy was betting that this militia would get to its sites and fire before the United Nations' envoy would come to negotiate with the government, whereby the criminal and traitorous agents would receive pardon in return for evacuating the sites. This matter has come to an end, too. It has ended with the most extreme humiliation of those agents, and you have seen their photographs exposing their humiliation at the gates of occupied Palestine. You've seen how this enemy abandoned them. Afterwards, the whole world and the Israeli enemy itself were betting that this region wouldn't exult upon a victory nor celebrate liberation. The enemy was betting that great darkness would mask this region that unlimited civil unrests would happen, that the families of a village would revenge from other families in the same village or in another, and that a confession would assail another. The enemy thought that the region would witness the demolition of towns (as what happened to Haneen Town) and the perpetration of bloody massacres and carnages.
Nevertheless, in harmony with the Lebanese government, you and the resistance have proved that Lebanon's people, state, resistance, and total confessions are worthy of victory and are celebrating victory. After Israel's withdrawal, light has shattered the darkness and brightened this region after 22 years of affliction and detention of civilians by the Lahd militiamen, whose parents and families are still here, in spite of the coercion and houses demolition that the militiamen practiced, has any man been killed? I said this a few days ago: When the Nazi Army in France collapsed, the civilized French resistance executed ten thousand French agents without setting them on trial. Therefore, Lebanon, where the resistance is more civilized than France and this whole world, has anyone been killed? Has anyone even been beaten? Has a single blood drop fallen onto any part of this land? This is the perfect scene that has astonished the world! And it is the scene of the political and military victory that's been achieved. Well, some mistakes may be committed in such case; the world has been surprised because people know that when such circumstances occur in the other places of the world, killing, demolition, massacres, thefts, and robberies are committed.
Yet, what has happened here? Some thieves and sneaks might have committed some errors, but this is a simple part of this image. So why do some people insist on placing us in front of two scenes: Such civilized and great scene versus a scene given the same size and level and containing errors committed in this region? Hence, I say to them: Expel your fears, get rid of your malice, and be true Lebanese people and true patriots at this historic moment. So, this is the second victory achieved.
His Eminence has listed the points he wanted to show upon the talk about both victories:
First, this accomplishment and this victory must be preserved, strengthened, and fortified, and this actually needs greater effort, sacrifice, and modesty from everyone.
Second, we must prove to this region that we are worthy of victory, and so we have done in the recent days. But don't let anyone meddle with this during the coming days and weeks. I'm not expressing fears; however, we are close to an enemy that cannot bear to see such joy on your faces rather than the pain and sadness that used to mask your faces. The enemy cannot bear to see happiness in your eyes rather than the tears it used to see. Hereupon, none must have fears - neither Christians nor Muslims. I'm not going to list the villages and towns, but I say: This is everybody's responsibility, and everybody must bear responsibility. When a simple matter happens, we'll solve it, but if we enlarge upon it, then we miss the chance of common living. Therefore, let's give things their real sizes. After this whole dark history, this region needs fortification. It is the responsibility of Muslim and Christian scholars, the political forces present in the region, the effective and noble people, the educated, and our families to work all together in order to bring the people and families of every town closer.
Third, the agents represent a moral to all of the Lebanese people, and this is a new experience. You've seen how these agents have been humiliated and how they accuse their leader of betraying them. The agent Antoine Lahd says, "For 25 years, we've been loyal to Israel, but it betrayed and left us in one night. This must be a moral for every Lebanese Muslim and Christian: Israel doesn't care at all for anyone in Lebanon. It lies to both, the Christians and the Muslims, when it claims to be caring for them. What matters to Israel in Lebanon and in the region is represented by its interests, benefits, and greed. In the eyes of those Zionists, we - Muslims and Christians - are mere servants and slaves to the chosen people of God". So, isn't it time for some Lebanese people to understand this truth and learn from all of these morals?
The Lebanese people must recognize that their choice has to be a national one, and they must not make the wrong sectarian calculations which lead them to Israel. It is the interest of all confessions in Lebanon to have a national choice and an Arab one. In order to fortify the nationalistic security in Lebanon and to fortify this region, the judiciary must set the agents on trial and punish them very severely so that they make a moral for the future and so that no rebellious and provoked person or a lurking and malicious one exploits a mine or wick.
Fourth: On the Day of Victory, I announce that we, Hizbullah, do not wish to be an alternative of the government as regards the authority over this region. We're not a security authority, and we're not going to be so. We're not a security reference, and we won't be so. The government is in charge of this region, which has been retained to the State's sovereignty. The government decides who to send: security forces or other security systems. And it decides if it is going to reinforce security departments. We absolutely bear no security responsibility in this region.
Fifth: There exists the developmental and reconstructive responsibility. The immense demolition in this region requires the acting of the government. Certainly, Hizbullah has offered blood and sacrifices, and we shall not forsake assisting such regions with the best of our modest giving. However, it is the government's responsibility to handle the developmental situation in this area - urgently and exceptionally. Hereupon, I reiterate that the size of work required at the levels of development, reconstruction, and services cannot be merely performed by an institution or a ministry. All of the government's ministries must be alarmed so that they come here and handle their responsibility, which involves the liberated regions of the South and of West Bekaa that represent the confrontation villages tolerating the burden of the resistance more than other places did, for they were continuously shelled, assailed, and attacked. Still, when we talk about developing and reconstructing these regions, we must remember a region that has done a grand favor to this resistance. This region is Baalbek-Al Hermel, which witnessed the foundation of the Islamic Resistance and fostered fighters from Beirut and the South. Baalbek would constantly be attacked by airstrikes. It has suffered economic and developmental losses. Also, it has offered hundreds of its citizens for martyrdom. In fact, in Bekaa - particularly in Baalbek-Al Hermel Region, it is rare to find a village that hasn't offered martyrs for the sake of liberating the South and West Bekaa.
This region has been patient for all those years because liberation has been its priority, and its people have been convinced - just like we have been- that the liberation priority deserved patience and tolerance. These people, who have offered their children as martyrs for the sake of liberating the South, have tolerated hunger and deprivation. Thus, developing this region must be consistent with the development of that region, and this means there must be an emergencies committee for both regions in case we wish to be loyal to the oppressed, deprived, tortured, and poor people who have fought and attained victory.
Sixth, to all of the Lebanese people, I say: You need to realize that this victory belongs to all of the Lebanese people, for it is not merely the victory of a party, movement, or discipline. It's not about the victory of a confession and the defeat of another. Faulty and ignorant is who believes or says so. This is Lebanon's victory; this resistance has been a force of the nation, and so it will be. Whenever this resistance was victorious, it would be humble. Whenever it was honored by offering martyrs, it would be humble, too. I tell you: You're going to find Hizbullah and the Islamic Resistance, in particular, more modest than any time ever, for this victory makes us feel the greatness, power, mightiness, and ability of our God. How weak we, humans, are! If we depend on ourselves, then we remain defeated, so we must depend on God - the Almighty and most Esteemed. I promise you that none will use this victory on behalf of this nation or any part of the people of this dear nation.
Seventh: Today, (Ehud) Barak asks Lebanon to consider that Israel's withdrawal is a message of peace. This is deception because he had no choice but to leave. Besides, he asks us to consider that this withdrawal represents peace after Israel's killing of tens of thousands of civilians and at least 1276 martyrs of Hizbullah. If we add to them thousands of martyrs of the brothers relative to the Lebanese national and Islamic forces, what will the result be? Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in Lebanon. Our country, in addition to our economy, has been destroyed. Our people are still captives in the Israeli prisons, and our dear land, Shebaa Farms, is still occupied.
On the contrary, Barak is now welcoming the millionth Russian Jewish immigrant and announcing his readiness to receive a million immigrants to Palestine through the coming years. Barak refuses to let the Palestinians, who have resorted to Lebanon or to other countries, return to their homeland and houses. What kind of peace message does Barak talk about before he commences threatening and horrifying Lebanon? Confronting his horrifying, threat, and promise, I tell you: Sheikh Abdul Kareem Obeid, Abu Ali Ad-Deerani, Sameer Al Kintar, and every captive in the Israeli persons shall soon return to you - God willing. Barak and his government have no choice, so I advise him to leave Shebaa Farms and solve this problem. Anyway, days are going to prove he has no other choice, and we're not interested in international resolutions; we merely understand that there exists an occupied Lebanese land that Lebanon has to retain. The captives are going to be back, and the rest of the land is going to be freed. Therefore, this enemy, which has been defeated in Lebanon, is going to have no choices. As for the Israeli threats, they do not scare us. The Israelis along these borders and this borderline are scared. They've been scared of some women and children standing by the Iron barrier. They're scared of a stone that anyone might throw at them, too.
Right now, you're here in Bint Jbeil, safe and happy, whereas along the settlements of northern Palestine, they are scared and terrified by the unknown future. The era when we would fear the Israeli threats is over, and Barak knows that the era when his aircraft would violate our sky is over. He recognizes that the time when his tanks would profane our land is gone, and that the time when his boats would violate our regional waters is history. He knows that any aggression against Lebanon isn't going to be confronted with a complaint to the Security Council nor with tears; it shall be encountered by the resistance. If Israel assails Lebanon, then it shall pay expensive prices.
Eighth, the Lebanese people, there are grand dues ahead of you: The due of sustaining the liberation, bringing the captives back, and sustaining the establishment of the governmental institutions. When such harmony between the resistance and the government exists and when the nation is united, we can face all dues and build a country named Lebanon for ourselves and our coming generations. The power of the new Lebanon lies in its strength, blood, steadfastness, mightiness, and resistance against all political storms and hurricanes. The new Lebanon is a nation of true common living, for from now on, no Muslim or Christian shall allow the Zionists to manipulate our generations, our youth, or us. The new Lebanon is a country of severity in confrontation with the invaders, and a country of mercy as respects the treatment of its people, categories, and confessions with each other.
Ninth, we offer this victory to our oppressed people in Palestine and to the peoples of our Arab and Islamic Nation. From liberated Bint Jbeil, I address the oppressed, tortured, and afflicted Palestinian people: Our people in Palestine, your destiny lies within your reach, and you can retain your land with your will, with Ezzeddine Alqassam's choice, and with the blood of Fatehi Shiqaqi and Yehya Ayyash. You can retain your land without receiving the favor of an alley here or a village there that the Zionists can give you. You can bring your families back home with pride and esteem, begging none. Even in case the whole world renounces you, you can retain your land and legitimate rights.
Put these proofs and reasons aside. The people of Palestine, your way to Palestine and to liberty is the path of resistance and insurrection, which means a serious resistance and a real insurrection rather than the insurrection in the shadow of Oslo or in the service of the concessive negotiation in Stockholm. You should take the path of the insurrection and the resistance that only accept the perfect right - as Lebanon has done, whereby the whole Lebanese people refuse to keep a small part of their land occupied. Hence, we offer this noble Lebanese model to our people in Palestine. To free your land, you don't need tanks, a strategic balance, rockets, and cannons; you need to follow the way of the past self-sacrifice martyrs who disrupted and horrified the coercive Zionist entity. You, the oppressed, unarmed, and restricted Palestinians, can force the Zionist invaders to return to the places they came from. Let the Falasha go to Ethiopia, and let the Russian Jews return to Russia. The choice is yours, and the model lies right in front of your eyes. An honest and serious resistance can make the freedom dawn arise. Our brothers and beloved Palestinians, I tell you: Israel, which owns nuclear weapons and the strongest war aircraft in the region, is feebler than a spider's web - I swear to God.
However, if you wish to depend on the Soviet Union as the case used to be, then you'll get no result. If you are waiting for the international community, then there won't be an outcome. And in case you are betting on equations, then you won't be getting a result.
The people of Palestine, if you obey God, then He will alter you victorious and steady. The people of Palestine, if God alters you victorious, then none shall defeat you.
And I tell our Islamic and Arab peoples: The Arab Nation, the Islamic and Arab World, shame, defeat, humiliation, and disgrace have become history. This victory lays the foundation for a new era of history and shuts the door to a past historic era. Overcome your despair and make hope your weapon. Get rid of feebleness and be determined and resolute. Representing all martyrs and oppressed people in Lebanon, I request that the Arab governments terminate the normalization with Israel and end their relation with it. I request that they impose their stance and decision on Israeli, and I request that the Arab peoples support Palestine and its people and refuse any form of normalization with the enemy. The resistance has defeated the grand Israel. The resistance is conquering the great Israel, and resisting normalization is an important part of the resistance.
I greet all fighters who defend Lebanon, the country of victory, of nationalistic, Arab, and Islamic esteem, of honor and sacrifice, and of resistance and martyrdom. Also, I tell them, the Islamic Resistance, the Lebanese Brigades for resisting the Occupation, the Lebanese-Resistance Battalions of Amal, the National Resistance Frontier, and this people: The Lebanese people, we live close to a conspiring enemy, whereby the attitude of the Israelis is represented by terror and aggression, for this discriminative attitude makes them seek continuous conspiracies. That's why we must all stay in perfect readiness, preserving our resistance, army, state, and national and inner unity so that we fortify this victory and prove that Lebanon is the fort that withstands political storms, hurricanes, and even the strongest political earthquakes.
Congratulations for all of the Lebanese people, the Arabs, the Muslims, the Christians, and all of the oppressed people of the World. Congratulations for the soul of Imam Khomeini, Moussa Sadr, Leader Khamenei, President Al Assad, and every Lebanese person, martyr, and honorable Arab person. Congratulations for this victory that has brought the whole Nation to the gate of the stage of the coming victories and that has placed Israel at the gate of the stage of the coming defeats.
On the Resistance and Liberation Day, the day of the great, grand historic victory, we meet here at the heart of the region that has retained our nation and has been retained by the nation. In the forty-day commemoration of Abi Abdullah - the Martyrs' Master, Imam Hussein Bin Ali (Peace be upon him), we meet to iterate, anew, his saying and his path and to prove, again, that here blood conquers the sword, that here blood has conquered and defeated the sword, that here blood has smashed every cuff, and that here blood has humiliated every tyrannical and arrogant person.
We meet here to celebrate the victory that martyrdom has attained and that blood has attained. Once we speak about this victory, the land liberation, man's freedom, the homeland's dignity, and the nation's esteem, we must remember all of the persons who have participated in attaining this victory.
Firstly and lastly, we, the slaves of God, announce to the whole world that God - to Him be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty - has granted us this victory. He has guided us to the resistance path, and He has shown us the right way. He has kept our hearts firm since long years, and He has filled our hearts with assurance and ourselves with adoration of martyrdom. He has shot, and He has hit. He has destroyed the sites, and He has demolished the forts. He has killed the mighty persons, and He has attained this victory. We thank Him, praise Him, extol Him, and repent to Him. We ask Him for forgiveness, submit to Him, and pray to Him that he perfects our victory by liberating all of the land, all brothers, and this entire oppressed and tortured nation.
And once we speak about the people God created, we must firstly remember the martyrs - all of the martyrs: the martyrs of the resistance, whether they belong to Hizbullah, Amal Movement, or the national Lebanese forces. We must remember, too, the martyrs of the Lebanese Army, of the Syrian Army, and of the Palestinian resistance. We must acknowledge the first and grandest grace of these martyrs after God's grace - to Him be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty. We acknowledge the grace of the Master of the Resistance Martyrs - Sayyed Abbass Moussawi, the Sheikh of the Resistance Martyrs - Sheikh Ragheb Harb, and a dear brother who adored martyrdom and was a resistance man - fighter and Sheikh Ahmad Yehya, who has recently been martyred. He was a sanctified fighter and worshipper, and he would insist on being the first Sheikh to perform a self-sacrifice operation in the history of struggle with the Israeli enemy. We must acknowledge the grace of these self-sacrifice martyrs: Ahmad Qaseer, Billal Fahs, and Ammar Hammoud.
Their pure blood has attained victory. We must acknowledge the grace of the fighting, resisting, and sacrificing persons who left their homes, families, universities, and work to spend their fresh youth and age sustaining jihad and fighting. We must mention the martyrs' families. We must remember the captives who are still in prisons. We must remember the wounded persons, and we must mention the families of all of these people. We must remember everyone who raised the generations, prepared them, and laid the foundation of this resistive jihad path in Lebanon. Still, we must remember the Imam of the Fighters and Martyrs - Imam and Sayyed Rouhollah Al Moussawi Al Khomeini (Sacred is his secret). We must remember the first founder of the path of the resistance on the Lebanese territories, His Eminence, the abducted Imam - Sayyed Moussa Sadr (God bring him back safely).
We must remember all the sacrificing savants and all of who worked to make the people here, in Lebanon, believers, fighters, and resistive people ready to offer sacrifices. We must remember the residents of the previously occupied borderline, who have suffered and tolerated afflictions, and we must remember the residents of the villages by the confrontation frontiers, who would be shelled every day. Besides, we must remember the general public stance that fosters the resistance, and so for the political forces, committees, characters, parties, and clubs. We must commend the general, formal stance - particularly in this era of His Excellency, President Emile Lahoud, and in the time of this government of MP Salim Al Hoss. Besides, there are two men who stood by Lebanon and must, thus, be mentioned, and there are two states whose grace we must acknowledge and to whom we must attribute this victory, too. By that I mean: the Islamic Republic in Iran Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and the grand Arab leader - President Hafez Al Assad.
Actually, whoever wants to be just and fair when it comes to appreciating facts must admit that this truth involves the Leader, Grandest Ayatollah Sayyed Khamenei, who has - day and night- supported, assisted, stood by, and prayed for the fighters so that God grants them victory. This truth also involves the Islamic Republic that has stood by Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, supporting them, and tolerating a lot of horrifying and threatening on one hand, in addition to different kinds of temptation and enticement on another hand so that it renounces its support.
However, the Republic has refused this since such stance is of a creed, ethics, and humanity.
This truth further involves Al Assad's Syria that has protected, fostered, and guarded the resistance ever since it's very beginning through all of the difficult stages. Who can forget Syria fighting on the Lebanese territory in 1982? Who can forget what President Al Assad did in the July War in 1993? Who can forget what he did in the April War in 1996? Who can forget his firmness and steadfastness in Damascus at a time the whole world met in "Sharam Sheikh" to convict the resistance and describe it as a terrorist militia and to defend Israel? Here I am, on the day of victory, the Resistance and Liberation Day, thanking - on behalf of all of you - every Lebanese, Arab, Muslim, and free person in the world who has stood by the resistance, assisted it, and backed it with words, stances, writings, money, prayers, support, or even a smile.
The first victory has been represented by the liberation of a big part of our land and a big part of the detainees in the Occupation prisons and by defeating the enemy upon jihad, resistance, steadfastness, and sacrifices. We're here today feeling free and safe, for the enemy's aircraft do not dare fly above you, and I tell you that because the Israelis are scared of and horrified by a wooden miniature, a toy, or a statue of a Katyusha launcher in Kafarkila. So they are too coward to attack you on a day like this. Today we're here on our land because of our martyrs' blood and because of our people; thus, we're obliged to the grace of none. The United Nations, which has been too helpless to execute its Resolution 425 for 22 years, is not graceful. Not the International Security Council, not the unjust judge (the United States of America), and not the negotiations are graceful. Neither is the government of (Ehud) Barak that has gone out of this land because he has had only one choice: getting out of this land. For the first time ever, these sacrifices have perfectly retained an Arab land upon the resistance and force...
The second victory has been represented by the way the enemy has been forced to withdraw. You have imposed the timing, tactic, and way on the enemy. And you have proved to be a nation that deserves victory after the withdrawal. The Israelis were planning to withdraw after several weeks, to hand over their sites gradually to the Lahd militia, and to keep some sites as Shkief fort and Dabsheh Site, in addition to some other bordering ones so that when the Security Council would decide what to do and the UNIFIL would arrive to be in charge of the borders, the enemy would ensure a quiet and peaceful withdrawal, claiming favor by releasing our captives in Al Khiyam Detention Center. However, you've refused this, and so was the first breaking into Al Qantarah, Deir Seryan, Al Qaseer, and Taybe Towns. Then the towns commenced getting liberated as the sites were falling and the Lahd militias were collapsing (one after another). In a night, the borderline shifted into two halves, the total collapse began, and the enemy's miniature government held a meeting, finding it had two choices: either reoccupying the sites to confront the resistance and suffer more casualties, or quickening its withdrawal. Hereupon, it chose the second choice and left hurriedly, leaving you all of those tanks, halftracks, sites, and cannons and, thus, confirming that what happened in the South of Lebanon is a perfect Israeli defeat.
You have imposed the way and time of withdrawal on the enemy, and you have frustrated the enemy's mine represented by the Lahd militia, for the enemy was betting that this militia would get to its sites and fire before the United Nations' envoy would come to negotiate with the government, whereby the criminal and traitorous agents would receive pardon in return for evacuating the sites. This matter has come to an end, too. It has ended with the most extreme humiliation of those agents, and you have seen their photographs exposing their humiliation at the gates of occupied Palestine. You've seen how this enemy abandoned them. Afterwards, the whole world and the Israeli enemy itself were betting that this region wouldn't exult upon a victory nor celebrate liberation. The enemy was betting that great darkness would mask this region that unlimited civil unrests would happen, that the families of a village would revenge from other families in the same village or in another, and that a confession would assail another. The enemy thought that the region would witness the demolition of towns (as what happened to Haneen Town) and the perpetration of bloody massacres and carnages.
Nevertheless, in harmony with the Lebanese government, you and the resistance have proved that Lebanon's people, state, resistance, and total confessions are worthy of victory and are celebrating victory. After Israel's withdrawal, light has shattered the darkness and brightened this region after 22 years of affliction and detention of civilians by the Lahd militiamen, whose parents and families are still here, in spite of the coercion and houses demolition that the militiamen practiced, has any man been killed? I said this a few days ago: When the Nazi Army in France collapsed, the civilized French resistance executed ten thousand French agents without setting them on trial. Therefore, Lebanon, where the resistance is more civilized than France and this whole world, has anyone been killed? Has anyone even been beaten? Has a single blood drop fallen onto any part of this land? This is the perfect scene that has astonished the world! And it is the scene of the political and military victory that's been achieved. Well, some mistakes may be committed in such case; the world has been surprised because people know that when such circumstances occur in the other places of the world, killing, demolition, massacres, thefts, and robberies are committed.
Yet, what has happened here? Some thieves and sneaks might have committed some errors, but this is a simple part of this image. So why do some people insist on placing us in front of two scenes: Such civilized and great scene versus a scene given the same size and level and containing errors committed in this region? Hence, I say to them: Expel your fears, get rid of your malice, and be true Lebanese people and true patriots at this historic moment. So, this is the second victory achieved.
His Eminence has listed the points he wanted to show upon the talk about both victories:
First, this accomplishment and this victory must be preserved, strengthened, and fortified, and this actually needs greater effort, sacrifice, and modesty from everyone.
Second, we must prove to this region that we are worthy of victory, and so we have done in the recent days. But don't let anyone meddle with this during the coming days and weeks. I'm not expressing fears; however, we are close to an enemy that cannot bear to see such joy on your faces rather than the pain and sadness that used to mask your faces. The enemy cannot bear to see happiness in your eyes rather than the tears it used to see. Hereupon, none must have fears - neither Christians nor Muslims. I'm not going to list the villages and towns, but I say: This is everybody's responsibility, and everybody must bear responsibility. When a simple matter happens, we'll solve it, but if we enlarge upon it, then we miss the chance of common living. Therefore, let's give things their real sizes. After this whole dark history, this region needs fortification. It is the responsibility of Muslim and Christian scholars, the political forces present in the region, the effective and noble people, the educated, and our families to work all together in order to bring the people and families of every town closer.
Third, the agents represent a moral to all of the Lebanese people, and this is a new experience. You've seen how these agents have been humiliated and how they accuse their leader of betraying them. The agent Antoine Lahd says, "For 25 years, we've been loyal to Israel, but it betrayed and left us in one night. This must be a moral for every Lebanese Muslim and Christian: Israel doesn't care at all for anyone in Lebanon. It lies to both, the Christians and the Muslims, when it claims to be caring for them. What matters to Israel in Lebanon and in the region is represented by its interests, benefits, and greed. In the eyes of those Zionists, we - Muslims and Christians - are mere servants and slaves to the chosen people of God". So, isn't it time for some Lebanese people to understand this truth and learn from all of these morals?
The Lebanese people must recognize that their choice has to be a national one, and they must not make the wrong sectarian calculations which lead them to Israel. It is the interest of all confessions in Lebanon to have a national choice and an Arab one. In order to fortify the nationalistic security in Lebanon and to fortify this region, the judiciary must set the agents on trial and punish them very severely so that they make a moral for the future and so that no rebellious and provoked person or a lurking and malicious one exploits a mine or wick.
Fourth: On the Day of Victory, I announce that we, Hizbullah, do not wish to be an alternative of the government as regards the authority over this region. We're not a security authority, and we're not going to be so. We're not a security reference, and we won't be so. The government is in charge of this region, which has been retained to the State's sovereignty. The government decides who to send: security forces or other security systems. And it decides if it is going to reinforce security departments. We absolutely bear no security responsibility in this region.
Fifth: There exists the developmental and reconstructive responsibility. The immense demolition in this region requires the acting of the government. Certainly, Hizbullah has offered blood and sacrifices, and we shall not forsake assisting such regions with the best of our modest giving. However, it is the government's responsibility to handle the developmental situation in this area - urgently and exceptionally. Hereupon, I reiterate that the size of work required at the levels of development, reconstruction, and services cannot be merely performed by an institution or a ministry. All of the government's ministries must be alarmed so that they come here and handle their responsibility, which involves the liberated regions of the South and of West Bekaa that represent the confrontation villages tolerating the burden of the resistance more than other places did, for they were continuously shelled, assailed, and attacked. Still, when we talk about developing and reconstructing these regions, we must remember a region that has done a grand favor to this resistance. This region is Baalbek-Al Hermel, which witnessed the foundation of the Islamic Resistance and fostered fighters from Beirut and the South. Baalbek would constantly be attacked by airstrikes. It has suffered economic and developmental losses. Also, it has offered hundreds of its citizens for martyrdom. In fact, in Bekaa - particularly in Baalbek-Al Hermel Region, it is rare to find a village that hasn't offered martyrs for the sake of liberating the South and West Bekaa.
This region has been patient for all those years because liberation has been its priority, and its people have been convinced - just like we have been- that the liberation priority deserved patience and tolerance. These people, who have offered their children as martyrs for the sake of liberating the South, have tolerated hunger and deprivation. Thus, developing this region must be consistent with the development of that region, and this means there must be an emergencies committee for both regions in case we wish to be loyal to the oppressed, deprived, tortured, and poor people who have fought and attained victory.
Sixth, to all of the Lebanese people, I say: You need to realize that this victory belongs to all of the Lebanese people, for it is not merely the victory of a party, movement, or discipline. It's not about the victory of a confession and the defeat of another. Faulty and ignorant is who believes or says so. This is Lebanon's victory; this resistance has been a force of the nation, and so it will be. Whenever this resistance was victorious, it would be humble. Whenever it was honored by offering martyrs, it would be humble, too. I tell you: You're going to find Hizbullah and the Islamic Resistance, in particular, more modest than any time ever, for this victory makes us feel the greatness, power, mightiness, and ability of our God. How weak we, humans, are! If we depend on ourselves, then we remain defeated, so we must depend on God - the Almighty and most Esteemed. I promise you that none will use this victory on behalf of this nation or any part of the people of this dear nation.
Seventh: Today, (Ehud) Barak asks Lebanon to consider that Israel's withdrawal is a message of peace. This is deception because he had no choice but to leave. Besides, he asks us to consider that this withdrawal represents peace after Israel's killing of tens of thousands of civilians and at least 1276 martyrs of Hizbullah. If we add to them thousands of martyrs of the brothers relative to the Lebanese national and Islamic forces, what will the result be? Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in Lebanon. Our country, in addition to our economy, has been destroyed. Our people are still captives in the Israeli prisons, and our dear land, Shebaa Farms, is still occupied.
On the contrary, Barak is now welcoming the millionth Russian Jewish immigrant and announcing his readiness to receive a million immigrants to Palestine through the coming years. Barak refuses to let the Palestinians, who have resorted to Lebanon or to other countries, return to their homeland and houses. What kind of peace message does Barak talk about before he commences threatening and horrifying Lebanon? Confronting his horrifying, threat, and promise, I tell you: Sheikh Abdul Kareem Obeid, Abu Ali Ad-Deerani, Sameer Al Kintar, and every captive in the Israeli persons shall soon return to you - God willing. Barak and his government have no choice, so I advise him to leave Shebaa Farms and solve this problem. Anyway, days are going to prove he has no other choice, and we're not interested in international resolutions; we merely understand that there exists an occupied Lebanese land that Lebanon has to retain. The captives are going to be back, and the rest of the land is going to be freed. Therefore, this enemy, which has been defeated in Lebanon, is going to have no choices. As for the Israeli threats, they do not scare us. The Israelis along these borders and this borderline are scared. They've been scared of some women and children standing by the Iron barrier. They're scared of a stone that anyone might throw at them, too.
Right now, you're here in Bint Jbeil, safe and happy, whereas along the settlements of northern Palestine, they are scared and terrified by the unknown future. The era when we would fear the Israeli threats is over, and Barak knows that the era when his aircraft would violate our sky is over. He recognizes that the time when his tanks would profane our land is gone, and that the time when his boats would violate our regional waters is history. He knows that any aggression against Lebanon isn't going to be confronted with a complaint to the Security Council nor with tears; it shall be encountered by the resistance. If Israel assails Lebanon, then it shall pay expensive prices.
Eighth, the Lebanese people, there are grand dues ahead of you: The due of sustaining the liberation, bringing the captives back, and sustaining the establishment of the governmental institutions. When such harmony between the resistance and the government exists and when the nation is united, we can face all dues and build a country named Lebanon for ourselves and our coming generations. The power of the new Lebanon lies in its strength, blood, steadfastness, mightiness, and resistance against all political storms and hurricanes. The new Lebanon is a nation of true common living, for from now on, no Muslim or Christian shall allow the Zionists to manipulate our generations, our youth, or us. The new Lebanon is a country of severity in confrontation with the invaders, and a country of mercy as respects the treatment of its people, categories, and confessions with each other.
Ninth, we offer this victory to our oppressed people in Palestine and to the peoples of our Arab and Islamic Nation. From liberated Bint Jbeil, I address the oppressed, tortured, and afflicted Palestinian people: Our people in Palestine, your destiny lies within your reach, and you can retain your land with your will, with Ezzeddine Alqassam's choice, and with the blood of Fatehi Shiqaqi and Yehya Ayyash. You can retain your land without receiving the favor of an alley here or a village there that the Zionists can give you. You can bring your families back home with pride and esteem, begging none. Even in case the whole world renounces you, you can retain your land and legitimate rights.
Put these proofs and reasons aside. The people of Palestine, your way to Palestine and to liberty is the path of resistance and insurrection, which means a serious resistance and a real insurrection rather than the insurrection in the shadow of Oslo or in the service of the concessive negotiation in Stockholm. You should take the path of the insurrection and the resistance that only accept the perfect right - as Lebanon has done, whereby the whole Lebanese people refuse to keep a small part of their land occupied. Hence, we offer this noble Lebanese model to our people in Palestine. To free your land, you don't need tanks, a strategic balance, rockets, and cannons; you need to follow the way of the past self-sacrifice martyrs who disrupted and horrified the coercive Zionist entity. You, the oppressed, unarmed, and restricted Palestinians, can force the Zionist invaders to return to the places they came from. Let the Falasha go to Ethiopia, and let the Russian Jews return to Russia. The choice is yours, and the model lies right in front of your eyes. An honest and serious resistance can make the freedom dawn arise. Our brothers and beloved Palestinians, I tell you: Israel, which owns nuclear weapons and the strongest war aircraft in the region, is feebler than a spider's web - I swear to God.
However, if you wish to depend on the Soviet Union as the case used to be, then you'll get no result. If you are waiting for the international community, then there won't be an outcome. And in case you are betting on equations, then you won't be getting a result.
The people of Palestine, if you obey God, then He will alter you victorious and steady. The people of Palestine, if God alters you victorious, then none shall defeat you.
And I tell our Islamic and Arab peoples: The Arab Nation, the Islamic and Arab World, shame, defeat, humiliation, and disgrace have become history. This victory lays the foundation for a new era of history and shuts the door to a past historic era. Overcome your despair and make hope your weapon. Get rid of feebleness and be determined and resolute. Representing all martyrs and oppressed people in Lebanon, I request that the Arab governments terminate the normalization with Israel and end their relation with it. I request that they impose their stance and decision on Israeli, and I request that the Arab peoples support Palestine and its people and refuse any form of normalization with the enemy. The resistance has defeated the grand Israel. The resistance is conquering the great Israel, and resisting normalization is an important part of the resistance.
I greet all fighters who defend Lebanon, the country of victory, of nationalistic, Arab, and Islamic esteem, of honor and sacrifice, and of resistance and martyrdom. Also, I tell them, the Islamic Resistance, the Lebanese Brigades for resisting the Occupation, the Lebanese-Resistance Battalions of Amal, the National Resistance Frontier, and this people: The Lebanese people, we live close to a conspiring enemy, whereby the attitude of the Israelis is represented by terror and aggression, for this discriminative attitude makes them seek continuous conspiracies. That's why we must all stay in perfect readiness, preserving our resistance, army, state, and national and inner unity so that we fortify this victory and prove that Lebanon is the fort that withstands political storms, hurricanes, and even the strongest political earthquakes.
Congratulations for all of the Lebanese people, the Arabs, the Muslims, the Christians, and all of the oppressed people of the World. Congratulations for the soul of Imam Khomeini, Moussa Sadr, Leader Khamenei, President Al Assad, and every Lebanese person, martyr, and honorable Arab person. Congratulations for this victory that has brought the whole Nation to the gate of the stage of the coming victories and that has placed Israel at the gate of the stage of the coming defeats.
No comments:
Post a Comment