Joint Sunni-Shiite prayers in Beirut

Joint Sunni-Shiite prayers in Beirut

Mass protest set for Dec. 10 opposing U.S.-backed gov't in Lebanon

Based on a verbal report from Bill Cecil from Beirut, Lebanon

(Cecil of the International Action Center-USA and Samia Halaby of Al Awda, NYC, attended the Nov. 16-19 Solidarity with the Resistance Conference and stayed on in Beirut.)

Dec. 9, 2006--After more than a week of protests by the government's opposition here in Beirut, the biggest demonstrations yet are expected tomorrow, Dec. 10. The opposition anticipates substantial participation from organized labor.

Tens of thousands turned out to hear Sayid Hassan Nasrullah, the leader of Hezbollah, on giant TV screen the night before last, on Dec. 7, when he called for massive participation in the Dec. 10 action.

The opposition is known as the March 8 Movement. Hezbollah is a key element in it, but it consists of many other parties. They demand a more democratic national government in Lebanon to replace the U.S.-backed regime of Fuad Siniora, and they want U.S. imperialism to stop its intervention in Lebanon.

The important event of Dec. 8 was the joint Friday prayers by the Sunni and Shiite communities, led by a Sunni imam, Fathi Yakkan. Before leading prayers he told worshippers, "This massive protest will continue... until the defeat of the American plot... in the heart of the capital."

Yakkan also said, "This sit-in will foil the American project in Lebanon just as the resistance broke the myth of the invincible Israel during the July-August war. This massive protest can last not only for one more week or month but for years until it defeats the [U.S.] American plot. Lebanon will be the cemetery of the 'New Middle East.'"

Yakkan cited a U.S. intelligence memo--it was unclear what the source was--that said an assassination of "Mr. Lebanon"--Rafik Hariri--would surely be blamed on Syria.

Yakkan called on people to stay in the streets and join the massive protest Sunday. In time of struggle, this cleric added, Islamic law did not require women to obey their husbands or children their fathers. In other words, women and children would have permission to take part in the protests even if their families try to forbid them.

Every night at the camp there have been rallies and concerts by a different movement or party. Last Sunday, Dec. 3, was the turn of the Communist Party of Lebanon. The LCP led a feeder march of 25,000 people from the Hamra district downtown, and LCP General Secretary Khalid Hadadeh addressed the crowd. Tonight was Armenian night, with speakers from the Dashnak party and Armenian flags and banners. There are about 300,000 Armenians in Lebanon.

Every night as dusk falls, people start pouring in from the direction of Dahye, the mostly Shiite southern suburbs. Young people march in waving flags, vans unload families, flying columns of youth slipped through the streets on scooters flying giant yellow flags. They often face an attack as they travel near right-wing neighborhoods.

Security at the camp has been stepped up amid rumors--probably started by the regime--of a possible suicide bombing. But the threats have done nothing to dampen the people's spirits.

On Sunday, Dec. 10, people expect the biggest protest yet, and mass civil disobedience is expected the following day. This may escalate to a strike if the U.S.-backed regime remains intransigent.

The following is the report of Al-Manar TV on the Dec. 7 speech by Sayed Nasrullah.

Sayyed Nasrullah vows no retreat and no surrender; some ruling bloc figures asked U.S. to give Israel green light to crush Hezbollah

08/12/2006

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrullah made a fiery speech Thursday [Dec. 7] and addressed the Lebanese and the Arab World in a live television speech broadcast by Al-Manar channel and several other satellite channels. Sayyed Nasrullah vowed that the Lebanese opposition will not "surrender" in its mass protests to bring down the Western-backed government. "At the mass protest on Sunday we will show that those who are betting on our surrender are having an illusion. We will not go out of the streets before we achieve our objective to save Lebanon," he said. "We insist on our demands, for the formation of a real government of national unity... because it is the only means to prevent any foreign tutelage on Lebanon, so that we have Lebanese decision-making." "We reject any tutelage, from any party, whether it is the enemy, brother or friend," he said, signaling Syria, Iran and other states. But Nasrullah said "the opportunity is still there and the doors of negotiation are still open, let us change the current government into a government of national unity headed by Saniora." "But if you (ruling majority) remain stubborn... we will reach a stage in which we will not accept any of you to head the next government... we will form an interim government that will hold early elections," he said.

The Secretary General paid respect to the family of National Opposition martyr Ahmed Mahmoud who was shot in the back by supporters of the ruling bloc and insisted Hezbollah "will not be dragged into any strife even if you kill a thousand of us." "We will not raise our arms in the face of anyone in Lebanon. "When they killed Ahmed Mahmoud, they wanted to push us to clashes. I tell them that we refuse civil war and discord. Our weapons have only been raised against our Israeli enemy," he said.

Sayyed Nasrullah also blasted Arab and Western governments that have sided with Saniora's ruling bloc and called them to come to Lebanon and seek facts and remain neutral. He also reminded Saniora's bloc that the United States administration has been cornered by the Baker-Hamilton report on Iraq and that Lebanon is no longer a top priority on Washington's agenda. "You have been counting on American backing. It will not bring you any benefit. How can you count on Bush and its army when they are sinking in the mud of the region, in Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon?"

Sayyed Nasrullah accused "some members" of the ruling majority of having asked Washington to let Israel launch a war against Hezbollah in the summer to crush Hezbollah. His eminence said that those who made this request know themselves very well and "we know them by name," and called for an Arab probing panel to be formed to look into this issue. "I hope that I would not be obliged to name them in the future," his eminence said. "Can anyone accept that in a time of war, the prime minister ordered the Lebanese Army to seize weapons being delivered to us as we were trying to defend our country from Israeli attacks?" Nasrullah asked, also calling for an independent committee to investigate events during the war.

His eminence added: "We in Lebanon pay taxes to the government and the government pays the salaries of employees and security services personnel who are supposed to protect the Lebanese and their properties. During the war, some pro-ruling majority bloc security services were supposed to track down spies and Israeli networks that are giving information to the Israelis for bombing missions. But unfortunately, and I'm with calling for an independent committee to investigate events during the war, one of the security services loyal to the ruling bloc was operating during the war to identify and locate Hezbollah leaders and a unit of this security service had sought to locate the place where they used to stay during the war."

Sayyed Nasrullah called upon his supporters to "refrain from insulting and disrespecting ruling politicians." He also said that the Maronite Bishops' initiative deserves consideration and it has many positive points. Sayyed Nasrullah concluded that "the door is open for negotiations, but we will not leave the street before achieving the goal of saving Lebanon." "We will win with our voices, and not with our arms!" vowed Nasrullah, calling for a greater turnout for yet another mass demonstration on Sunday [Dec. 10] aimed at forcing the government to step down.

As a gesture of reunification among Muslim Shiites and Sunnis, he invited adherents of both sects to show up Friday "and pray at the same time" in the heart of the capital, with prominent Sunni religious figure, Sheikh Fathi Yakan leading the prayers.