Today, we are before an army who are in their positions. They are more frightened than frightening. This is the truth. I am not exaggerating. It is not only the "Israeli" soldiers on the borders who are frightened. You can see how they sit in their armored garrisons which are fortified with iron. Even when they carry out a land survey at the barbed wire, they resort to robots and remote-controlled unmanned vehicles. To this extent they are frightened and horrified. Fear does not end at the border. In the internal front also, the enemy's political leaders, military generals, and the usurping community of settlers are afraid of this resistance.
There is fear from the readiness of this resistance.
Whenever a shovel is used, they ask themselves what that man is doing. Whenever a house is built on the border they wonder what they are doing here.
So the issue has to do with fear. That means that the enemy looks at the other side as a serious side which is fully ready. Thus they view every sound, every movement, every activity, every construction, every act of planting, and every act of picking as directed against them. They are frightened.
Now on this very day, I tell you: As on May 25th, 2000 you roamed on the borderline and along the bribed wire, as you held weddings and raised banners. Carry on doing these things. Build and construct. Plant and roam around and do not ever fear this enemy at all. This legend has been reduced to a story from the past with small children have pleasure narrating. This enemy will never dare, and they know they will never dare. We do not want to make haste. As long as things which are being addressed are being settled, never mind. However, I will be precise, if they reached a point which required the intervention of the resistance, the resistance will not remain silent on any insult, offense, or aggression on any member of our proud loyal people along the international borders. Everything is being tackled relatively and in a proportional way. The resistance has courage, capability, and wisdom too. It considers precisely what it can do to prevent this status quo that the enemy seeks to consolidate at the border. Well this is a topic and an important issue… the status quo with the "Israelis".
The other topic is Syria.
Like on this day last year – meaning on May 25th, 2013 – from the town of Mashghara – the town of martyrs and the town of Leader Martyr Abu Hassan Bjiji and his companions, I tackled the events in Syria. I presented Hizbullah's vision of what is taking place: the scheme, the risks, the threats, the chances, and the challenges resulting from this situation on Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and the entire region as well as the entire nation especially on Palestine and its cause as well as on Lebanon, its resistance, and its people. Indeed, I do not want to reiterate what I said in that speech. All through the past year, my brethrens and I along with our allies and friends and all those who agree with us on this vision have elaborated this point on occasions, the various communication networks, TV and radio stations…. On that day, I said that we will assume the responsibility. We will not stand as audiences. I determined the stance.
In our viewpoint, the events that took place this year assert the validity of all the analyses we did and the soundness of this stance. In general, I will reiterate again why we stand with Syria, back it, and defend it.
I only want to remind you in a couple of lines that Syria was and is still the core of Arabism. Syria stood in face of the "Israeli" extension. It guarded the Arab East including the Gulf countries against the hand of "Israel" which was seeking to found "Major Israel" from the Nile River to the Euphrates. In fact, its aspirations had no limits. Syria alone stood next to Egypt, and it is and was the only fortress of steadfastness and confrontation. It chanted of Arabism "Here is Cairo". It alone is still carrying the honor of having no communication with the enemy or agreement with the enemy or having any kind of ties with "Israel". It has guarded, supplied, and supported the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance and is still doing so. It paid the price for doing that too. It is still fighting for that. For these reasons, we are defending Syria. Why don't we have the right to defend our points of strength, our back and the source of pride for this nation, and the steadfast Arab lighthouse in face of nationalization and succumbing to "Israel"? This is at a time we find that Zionist foreigners are being brought along from all around the world to the entity usurping Palestine to defend a superstition they fabricated in their minds which are mad of crimes, killing, and racism. We believe that our stance and the reasons behind our stance are very clear.
On the contrary, today and a year following that speech, the project is even clearer. We have always used to say that there is a scheme in the region which seeks to divide the region on racial, sectarian, and factional grounds.
However – brothers and sisters – when we see what is taking place now in Syria and in more than one Arab country, we find out that the scheme is partitioning the region even more and more not only on sectarian grounds but also on the grounds of emirates, districts, and a state for every armed group. Every armed group would have its own state. Thus there would be five or six or seven states.
In the past, they used to say that they would divide Syria to three or four states and Iraq to three parts. They wanted to divide Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia. It seems that this has become part of the past. They are now talking about dividing our Arab and Islamic countries according to the number of armed groups and not according to the number of races, sects, and factions. Even in case the leaders of the very organization disagree, two states would be formed such as the state of Daesh and the state of Nosra. This is the worst images of chaos that begets chaos. This scheme must be confronted.
Today when we confront this scheme and the tools of this scheme, I want you to recall the Zionist movement - those who made "Israel" - this usurping entity. Who said that they were a group who wanted to come to Palestine? They were a group who wanted to have a state in any place in the world. Argentine was one of their choices. Uganda was another. I think that Yemen too was one of these choices as well as Palestine. It was the English who brought the Zionist Movement to Palestine. It was international colonialism and world hegemony…call it whatever you want. They brought it along to Palestine to be an advanced, military, security barrack in the heart of our region to distort our region, to destroy it, and to waste all chances for human and economic development as well as all choices of unity and raising the Arab and Islamic region. They wanted us to remain preoccupied with our wars and to move from one war to another and from one front to another until we get exhausted. They wanted us to resort to the maker of our enemy to seek power and protection from. Well, it was they who brought along the Zionist project to Palestine. It was they who brought the Zionists along from all around the world to Palestine. This is a historical sin. Today, this sin is reiterated. But how? Indeed, they sought and gained Arab support and signatures from Arab leaders in exchange to securing their thrones. This took place some sixty or seventy years ago.
Today this scene is taking place again. America and the West and those who are with them are bringing along all the terrorists and Takfiri groups from all around the world. They are offering facilitations, visas, funds, arms, media and political cover, and an international decision…. They are bringing them along to Syria? What for? They are doing so to destroy Syria and to destroy the axis of the resistance which is by now threatening the very existence of the Zionist scheme in the region. This is the major new modern sin.
Or else, is this a coincidence? They were brought along from all around the world to Syria. This never took place in any other place… Even in Afghanistan, that did not take place to that extent, level, and magnitude. They are brought along from all around the world, and they are offered facilitations. Governments are doing that. Intelligence bodies are running that. They are brought along from Syria to get engaged in this tough, harsh, and fierce battle.
Anyway, this understanding is expanding in Syria, in the Arab world, in the Islamic world, and in the entire world. Many of the questions which were not being posed at first are now being posed and raised intensively on a broad scope.
Well, based on this vision and understanding, we said that we assume this responsibility, and actually we assumed this responsibility. Thus we went where we went. As you know, we actually do not tackle this issue in details in the media. Well, we went where we went and in broad daylight. We said that this is the topic, these are the reasons, and this is the target.
Today, where did the situation in Syria reach? Where did this scheme reach?
No doubt, the scheme which targeted Syria and the region retreated to a great degree today. It was afflicted with several defeats. No doubt several elements contributed to that whether local – meaning on the level of Syria – regional, or international – meaning world events. However, the main element remains the battlefield. Among all these changes and elements, the battlefield remains the main element. It is the steadfastness of Syria and its leadership, army, and people. Consequently, here comes the importance of the extra element: the allies and the friends whether in the political, media, security, military, or popular position. Hadn't Syria –and its leadership, army, and people - remained steadfast itself in face of this global war, all the other extra elements wouldn't have been decisive and essential.
One of the important elements is the exposure of the truth about the fighting groups in Syria or most of the fighting groups and the truth about their ideas, conduct, and struggles. That caused a major chance in the Syria public opinion itself as well as the Arab and international public opinions.
It was made crystal clear that those who were brought along to threaten Syria had themselves turned to be a threat to everyone. This is also among the repercussions. They are threatening the states that provided them with funds and that brought them along and supported them and backed them and encouraged them. They had become themselves a threat to everyone and to the world which dispatched them to Syria. I said before that they dispatched them to destroy Syria and the axis of the resistance to get rid of them. However, it seems that this world found out that Syria and the axis of the resistance did not collapse and that many of those whom they dispatched to be killed are still alive and some of them want to return to their first field – to Europe or to other place. Thus today there is a cause titled "the fighters returning from Syria" which is threatening European, international, and world security. How are the states to deal with this threat?
One of the most important factors which we must pose before is the disclosure of the "Israeli" involvement in the events taking place in Syria. Previously, when we used to say that "Israel" is supporting the fighters, they used to tell us that we are exaggerating. Now things are taking place openly. It is not the case of a "kind wall" as was the case here. It is not the issue of submitting an injured to a hospital. No, there are relations, policies, and political meetings. It seems that the despair of the so called opposition coalition had reached a stage in which they are meeting with desperate enemies such as Monafiqi Khalq or other opposition groups in Europe. That proved to be fruitless. No! Now there are ties with the "Israelis". There are cooperation, logistic aids, and military aids at the borders of Golan Heights. That means that there are targets for the Arab Syrian Army which are being shelled by the "Israelis" to the benefit of the armed opposition and the armed groups. Today, we are before a new project at the border line in Golan Heights. This is a threat. Here I am telling all the Syrians: This painful and tough experience would not devolve upon the Syrians, the Palestinians, and everyone but with despair and shame as the experience that took place at the borderline in Lebanon.
There is also the exposure of the magnitude of the threat posed by these groups also on the neighboring states in particular including Lebanon.
Now in the light of all of these elements which I mentioned and which I did not mention, we can say that Syria currently has remained steadfast, the axis of the resistance has remained steadfast, the axis of the resistance is intact, and Syria is intact. To say that the other scheme would make a true or decisive victory is over. Now Syria is advancing and the axis of the resistance is advancing. Syria is advancing in the battlefield. This is what you are following up with. Popular reconciliations are advancing pursuant to the change in the public disposition and inner reconsiderations for many of the political forces and the popular groups. Syria is advancing towards presidential elections which all intimidations and mockery made by the so called friends of Syria could not cripple, prevent, or thwart. Thus the Syrian people are advancing towards polls and we will see the scenes. Now they are resorting to crippling the elections in Syria where it is possible to carry elections with the power of iron and fire.
All of us have heard yesterday on the news that Daesh – in the region of Hasakeh for example among other regions – had announced that it is forbidden that anyone partake in elections even in regions which are not under its control but still within the reach of its fire. It has sentenced to death penalty anyone who partakes in the elections.
Well, see this great alternative which was brought to the Syrian people. I have a political viewpoint, and I want to vote. I might vote for President Bashar Assad or another candidate. This civilized alternative which was presented by the friends of Syria is saying that should I go to the ballots, my blood would be permissible and I would be sentenced to death penalty. Indeed, that is not something new. This is the mentality of Daesh – meaning the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham – which had judged on all Iraqis who partake in elections in Iraq whether Shiites, Sunnites, Muslims, or Christians as disbelievers. It bombed them and dispatched to them booby-trapped cars. It judged them as disbelievers, apostates, and even as fighters against Allah and His prophet. So they do not only label you as a disbeliever; they even judge on you as a fighter against Allah and His prophet. Thus you are sentenced to death. This is the ideal sample being presented now in Syria.
What I am saying is that Syria is advancing towards elections, and the true challenge is that you allow the Syrian people – especially in the regions under the fire of the armed groups to express their viewpoint and to go for ballots. Indeed, this is not allowed because under the state of Daesh, the state of Nosra, and the state of Al Qaeda, elections are prohibited. They are not only prohibited; they are even viewed as a show of disbelief and apostasy. Elections are a war against Allah and His Prophet. Well, if you have your own jurisprudence and your own viewpoint, why are you imposing them on all Muslims? Many Muslim scholars and jurists and senior authorities whether among Sunnites and Shiites have another viewpoint. They have another juristic vision on elections.
Anyway, today and after all of these developments, I may say as I wrap the Syrian topic that:
In 2006, there was a scheme at the level of the region; however, the battle was in Lebanon. That was tackled by Condoleezza Rice as the "Neo Middle East". Well, the battle was in Lebanon. We – the Lebanese resistance with all its factions and forces, the Lebanese Army, and the Lebanese people - fought that scheme and aborted it. Syria was by our side. Iran was by our side. Many of the honorable people in the world were by our side. That version was toppled in 2006. So it was not the scheme of the "Neo Middle East" which was toppled, but rather it was that version of that scheme which was toppled. Now they brought along a new version for that scheme to the region; however, this time the battlefield is in Syria. Those who are fighting there are the Syrian leadership, the Syrian Army, and the Syrian people. Their friends are standing by their side. Let's not exaggerate. There were some exaggerations at one time to the effect that Syria as an army, leadership, and people are somewhere else, and that those who are fighting in Syria are the so and so side and the such and such side.
That is not true. There are a people, an army, a state, and a leadership which are fighting in the Syrian square. The friends are offering a kind of aid which might vary from one place to another.
Now this front is steadfast. That scheme has started to collapse. As we are in the era of victories, here I am telling you that Inshallah this scheme will be toppled in Syria, and that Syria and the axis of the resistance will gain victory. This nation will not allow the American scheme to impose its agenda, ideas, and goals on us. Listen to me. Here we are scoring against each other. Indeed, I am making an analysis, and surely I trust in Allah Al Mighty and the divine promise pursuant to the reasons, results, and the preludes leading to such results…
Who was to say that Syria would be as steadfast as it is today? Who was to say that a day would come in which we would see this situation in many of the Syrian cities? Three or four years ago, they used to say that in two or three months, Syria would collapse.
A day will come in which all facts will be revealed and on that day the peoples of the region, the governments of the region, the states of the regions and even many of the world states would thank Syria, its leadership, its army, and its army for their steadfastness and victory because they will discover that in its steadfastness, Syria had kept away many catastrophes and risks. It had prevented many repercussions on the level of the entire region on top of which come Palestine, the Palestinian cause, and the Islamic and Christian sanctities in Palestine. Here I am telling you that a day will come when even the governments which conspired against Syria and offered money and instigated – and some are still doing so – will regret their deeds and thank Syria for its steadfastness, firmness, and victory. The same applies to Lebanon and to all those who criticized our intervention in Syria. It is the very story as in the case of the resistance. A day will come on which they will hail us. Now, they might not say that in the media, but under the table many are saying so even now….
The last point which I will very briefly tackle is the local file.
Indeed the main issue is the presidential issue. At this moment I want to say that we are before a very important and critical stage that started from this very day (May 25).
Exchanging accusations is something very broadly widespread in Lebanon. It is something very normal. The men want to get occupied; so they start accusing: You crippled. You caused the lack of quorum…. There are also the regional and local influences… Well, in fact, there is no need to stop before all these stories. This is normal. This took place and will continue to happen. But this is not serious. In fact, in rumors and accusations, one can say whatever he wants.
I want to say that we must deal with this sensitive and critical stage with repose and without tension. Indeed, some people said this is a serious event. We do not argue over that. However, that does not mean that people lose their temper, and the country plunge into the unknown. We must be calm and precise. We must reserve this level of civil peace and internal stability while people sit somewhere to talk together and negotiate over the presidential issue. I am talking about the internal forces and not about the regional forces. What is important is that all of us exert every effort possible to shorten the time span and to have a president elected as soon as possible. Let no one really have the intention to waste time waiting for regional changes or international alterations….
We call for dealing with this matter seriously.
Indeed we do not have enough time to tackle the presidential topic elaborately. I will only say this. There is still a true, internal, Lebanese chance to elect a strong president who is able to reserve stability and peace in the country and who enjoys a true popular status in his milieu and on the national level and who is also able to appease the various political forces and sides and to offer Lebanon a true helping hand to overpass this hard stage at the local, regional, and international levels.
This chance is still available. There is an overt serious negotiation taking place between the Reform and Change Bloc and the Future Movement or the leader of the Future Movement. They have been negotiating and having a serious argument for a period of time by now.
I do not want to start an argument. I only want to describe in a couple of phrases what has been taking place so far. It is challenging candidacy that is blocking the way before a serious candidacy. What has been taking place so far is presenting challenging candidates which do not aim at reaching the presidential post or carrying presidential elections. Everyone knows that this candidate has no chance of reaching the post of the president neither by two thirds of the votes nor by the half plus one equation. So this candidacy only aims at blocking the way before a serious candidacy which is being discussed in national lobbies.
As today is already May 25th there is no problem in saying – on my responsibility and based on my information and the contacts that took place with us and with many of our friends – that the true project in the past days, weeks, or even months was not at all electing a president before May 25th. I mean that the project of the other bloc was not true election but rather extending the term of the president. That was their true project. So let no one say elections were crippled. They didn't want to elect a president. They wanted to extend the term of the president. This is the truth. It is to say things as they are. For this extension, many tempting offers were made. I do not want to disclose secrets now. Actually, I don't usually play this role. However, no secrets are kept in this country. Everything would be revealed in some days.
So what happened so far concerning the elections is that a challenging candidate who won't win the election by any chance as is well-known was nominated to block the way before a serious candidate who might reach the presidential post. Thus electing a president was crippled for the interest of extending for the president. This is what flopped. The project of extension flopped.
Now, what are the reasons? Why was this stance taken? What are the reasons? This is what took place. Let no one say otherwise.
No! The chance available for the parliament was never a chance of electing of president. It was rather a chance of extension only.
Well, what is important now is to continue working. Indeed, between parentheses I will say what I said at the very beginning. In case any of them said that we – The Loyalty to Resistance Bloc – are the bloc to be most blamed, we will have no problem in that – meaning in them holding us responsible. Let them say whatever they want. Let them say we crippled the country, we crippled the elections, and we crippled many things.
Aren't you who are saying that the status of the president and the person of the president are great in this country? So there is no place for courtesies and joking or embarrassing the other. This is an issue of historic national responsibility because we are in a critical historic stage.
Thus there is no problem. Here I am telling you. We – Hizbullah and the Loyalty to Resistance Bloc – on behalf of our brethrens the deputies assume the responsibility. This is exclusively our hanger. Hang on it what appeals to you. There is no problem in that.
What would be added to all what we have been hearing in all the past years? You want to cripple. You want vacuum. You want to change the country. You want to change the state. You want to change the regime. Say whatever appeals to you.
What is important here is the serious endeavor. People must carry on negotiations seriously to reach somewhere which might open the gate for getting out of this vacancy.
This is concerning the presidential issue. Indeed, we are open, responsive, and serious. We want a president as soon as possible. We want a president but indeed we were not with extending the term of the president.
Let me say this word today though I wanted to postpone it to a future occasion. However, as today is the Day of the Resistance, I will say that we do not want to bear the presidential issue what it can't bear. We want a president who secures stability.
We have an internal inclination. However, at times the terms used in speeches prevail. We agreed with the brethrens that there is no need to use even the term "we want a president who protects the resistance". There is no need for such terms.
On May 25th, 2014, I tell you that we are not searching for a president who protects the resistance in Lebanon. We are not searching for that. The resistance in Lebanon protects the state, the people, the nation, the entity, the honor, the sovereignty, and the nation.
Our goal is humble. We are not saying we want a president who protects the resistance. I will remind you of 2006 and what I said in 2006. We want a president who does not conspire against the resistance. We want a president who does not stab the resistance in the back. We want a president who has a firm stance from the resistance. That's what we want.
We are not putting a hard condition. Anyway, is such an option available in the country? Yes, it is.
Also as far as the local issue is concerned, no matter what situation we are heading to, we have a wish to make today. Call it a wish. Call it a recommendation. Call it a shout. Call it whatever you wish. There is a file called the series of ranks and salaries which has to do with the employees and the public sector - with the teachers and the militants who are holding their blood on their palms in more than one region in this country. We hope that this would remain detached from the conflict and the dispute to come. Let it be an exception along with the Lebanese University. Let these two files at least be detached. We call, recommend, demand, and hope that the government, the parliament, and the political forces hear our call. It is not allowed that these files be postponed until after settling the political issues.
We are all saying that we want a president and we want a state for the sake of the people. Don't sacrifice the people for the sake of the president or for what must be at your service. We hope that this would be taken into consideration.
Dear ones! On this occasion – the anniversary of the victory of May 25th – we must all trust our power and our capacity to confront challenges – whatever kind of challenges. We must all trust our power and capacity to make victories no matter how fierce confrontations are.
Thanks for the golden equation, we do not fear "Israel" and its intimidations, greed, and threats. The scheme of attacking the region and the axis of resistance in the region and the nation in the region started to break down. The axis of the resistance is intact. It is advancing, and it will gain victory. What is important here in the Lebanese internal is that we guard our country and its civil peace and coexistence. We must consider our choices very well. We must make the choices that guard and preserve this country and the future of this country.
Our oath to all the leaders: to the leader and founder of the resistance Sayyed Mussa Sader (May Allah restore him and his friends safe and sound) and to the martyr leaders: Sayyed Abbass, Sheikh Ragheb, and Hajj Imad, our oath to our nation, to our people, to our peoples, and to all the honorable people that we will stay adherent to this position together. We will remain steadfast and firm. We will resist and make victory in this era of victories.
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
