Franklin Lamb – Lebanonizing Hezbollah or the obverse? Updating Resistance Projects
Posted: 01 Dec 2009 05:19 AM PST
Background to Hezbollah’s issuing yesterday’s “rebirth” Manifesto
Ideas for Hezbollah’s original 1985 Manifesto evolved over 30 months following the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, during which the new resistance movement worked to establish itself in the turbulent period of military invasions, occupations and numerous internal and external conspiracies against it. Many secret discussions were held concerning all manner of subjects including what the new organization would be called. Many favored the name “The Islamic Movement of Lebanon” but before the matter came up for a vote, another of the more than 20 new local resistance groups preempted that name. Others thought the name “Nation (Umma) of Hezbollah” was more inclusive. Under time pressure to agree on a name before the “Open Letter” was to be issued, the name “Hezbollah”, (“Party of God”) found in the Quran was agreed upon.
The Open Letter, addressed to “The Downtrodden in Lebanon and in the World'" was published on February 16 1985, a date purposely chosen because it was the first anniversary of the Israeli assassination, of the much loved pre-Hezbollah resistance organizer Sheik Ragheb Harb, from the south Lebanon village of Jibsheet.
Hezbollah first Manifesto was first read at the al-Ouzai Mosque, down the hill and near the Mediterranean seashore, from the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp, by one of the founders of Hezbollah, the official spokesman for the nascent group, Sayeed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, who has served for 28 years on its Shura Council and today heads Hezbollah’s political council. Perhaps by coincidence, on the same day that Hezbollah’s public manifesto was issued; Israel began a 10 week withdrawal from 168 towns and villages, comprising 55 percent of South Lebanon.
(Comment: With respect to Shatila Camp and neighboring Burj al Barajneh camp—and later Rashidiyye Camp down south in Tyre -it was several weeks following Hezbollah ‘going public’ that the “War of the Camps” (May 1985-July 1988) would cause more death and destruction to Palestinians than the Sabra-Shatila Massacre. Despite pressure from their fellow Shia – the Amal militia – to join them in attacking the Camps to settle plenty of still festering pre-1982 scores from PLO abuses and crimes against the southern Shia, as well as to help Syria eliminate pro-Arafat partisans and gain sole control of the “Palestinian Card”, the newly organized Hezbollah insisted that its only enemies were the Israeli occupiers, which it was busy attacking. At the same time it repeatedly admonished Amal and Syria to end their assaults on Palestinian refugee camps. Eventually Syria, under Soviet and Arab pressure, called a halt to the criminal attacks, but to this day few Palestinians have forgiven it for this slaughter which killed more than 4,000 and wounded close to 7,000. Like Amal, Syria does not like to discuss this black chapter and some of its officials express regret and shame.)
With its “Open Letter” declaration Hezbollah entered a new phase, shifting the Party from secret resistance activity free from political or media interactions into public political work.
As noted above, from the day it was promulgated, some have been advising the Party to amend and ‘tone down’ the 1985 language which reflects a different period of Lebanese history and international conflict. Others aver that we are still in the same period only more deeply. The original Hezbollah manifesto document reflects various views of the founders as well as the political thinking of senior Shia cleric Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. Some in Dahiyeh still call Fadlallah “the father of Hezbollah” not for his active Party involvement which has never existed Hezbollah sources attest (not withstanding his name on the US terrorism list) but for his public speeches and sermons that inspired a generation of Resistance fighters in Lebanon and the region and continue to do so.
Need for a clearer view of the Resistance
Some critics have used the Introduction to Hezbollah’s 1985 “Open Letter” to smear the Party as religious fanatics and appearing too ‘foreign’ and too Iranian:
It reads: “We are often asked: Who are we, the Hezbollah, and what is our identity?
We are the sons of the umma (Muslim community) – the party of God (Hizb Allah) the vanguard of which was made victorious by God in Iran. There the vanguard succeeded to lay down the bases of a Muslim state which plays a central role in the world. We obey the orders of one leader, wise and just, that of our tutor and faqih (jurist) who fulfills all the necessary conditions: Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini. God save him!
By virtue of the above, we do not constitute an organized and closed party in Lebanon.
nor are we a tight political cadre. We are an umma linked to the Muslims of the whole
World by the solid doctrinal and religious connection of Islam, whose message God
wanted to be fulfilled by the Seal of the Prophets, i.e., Muhammad. This is why whatever touches or strikes the Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines and elsewhere reverberates throughout the whole Muslim umma of which we are an integral part. Our behavior is dictated to us by legal principles laid down by the light of an overall political conception defined by the leading jurist (wilayat al-faqih).
As for our culture, it is based on the Holy Koran, the Sunna and the legal rulings of the
faqih who is our source of imitation (marja' al-taqlid). Our culture is crystal clear. It is
not complicated and is accessible to all.
Some Party officials, as well as supporters, felt Hezbollah needed to issue a new document that would provide a clearer and wider vision on the resistance and its current political work and future social and ideological plan.
Against this backdrop, Hezbollah’s 7th Party Conference drafted a more contemporary 32 page Manifesto reflecting 28 years of political maturity. Not to recant its 25 year old “Open Letter” but rather to define issues not addressed in the party’s first manifesto and to set its future political path for “homeland of our fathers, ancestors, grandchildren, and the coming generations."
The detailed document, in Four Parts, provides many specifics on how Hezbollah plans to work with the new Unity Government to improve Lebanon and the lives of its entire population.
Misleading mainstream media reports
For many who rely on MSM reports such as offered by US and European ‘news outlets’ a dramatically skewed view was presented the morning after yesterday’s release of what Hezbollah’s new political program as a large news conference in al Jinen Hall in Dahiyeh.
A typical MSM report on yesterday’s event:
Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) – “Hezbollah's chief on Monday announced the group's new "manifesto," which calls on all countries to "liberate Jerusalem" and declares the United States a threat to the world.
"American terrorism is the source of every terrorism in the world," Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech from an undisclosed location. Hezbollah, a political party in Lebanon, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel.
Nasrallah does not appear in public amid concerns for his safety. "We invite and call on all Arabs and Muslims and all countries keen on peace and stability in the world to intensify efforts and resources to liberate Jerusalem from Zionist occupation and to maintain its true identity and its Islamic and Christian sanctities," Nasrallah said.
Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks. It has been linked to attacks against American, Israeli and other Western targets….He praised Iran and Syria, which are Hezbollah's chief backers”.
Only then is the reader advised that Hassan Nasrallah “also touched on domestic issues.” In fact Hassan Nasrallah spoke for 80 minutes about domestic issues, the subject of and reason for the new Hezbollah manifesto.
What the mainstream media failed to report.
Hezbollah’s new political program calls for “The elimination of political sectarianism as the main pre-condition to establish a true democracy as the Taif Accord stipulated and the formation of a national council for this end.” The Hezbollah manifesto blames sectarianism “for being a strong obstacle to achieving a true democracy, whereby the elected majority can rule and the opposition can exercise its role.”
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