Nasrallah: Martyrdom ‘integral to our culture of life to protect our nations’

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has underlined the role of struggle and martyrdom in safeguarding Islamic states and protecting them from occupation.  

In a televised speech late Thursday on the fifth night of Muharram, Nasrallah said resistance fighters liberated Lebanese territories from Israeli occupation, preserved dignity, and fostered prosperity thanks to the culture of martyrdom.

Muharram, the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar, marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him), and his 72 companions in the Battle of Karbala against the huge army of Yazid in 680 in order to protect Islam.

“The concepts of struggle, perseverance and martyrdom are integral to our cherished culture of life, as they enable us to safeguard our nations and protect our natural wealth against occupation and plunder,” Nasrallah said.

Resistance fighters, he said, debunked the misconception that the culture of resistance equates fatalism.

The Hezbollah leader made a reference to the victorious wars of resistance fought in the history of mankind.

“The Vietnamese could reclaim their territory through resilience, patience, and solidarity [against US aggressors],” Nasrallah said, referring to the 1960s and 70s wars.

He also pointed to the Chinese nation’s steadfastness during the war against the Empire of Japan from 1937 to 1945 as part of World War II.

“Had the Chinese nation capitulated, they would have had to endure occupation. They would have most likely become a country much worse than many third-world nations. However, they emerged as a global powerhouse,” the Hezbollah chief said.

“Martyrdom is tantamount to the creation of a decent and good life; otherwise, occupiers could easily seize nations’ lands and loot their wealth,” Nasrallah said.

“Our fallen resistance fighters create life and victory in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and elsewhere in the region. The parties that promote destruction and bereavement are the US and its ally, Israel. They have acknowledged that resistance groups’ actions have deterred them.”

In June, the military leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, compared the war in Gaza to the monumental 7th century battle in Karbala.

“We have to move forward on the same path we started,” Sinwar wrote. “Or let it be a new Karbala.”

Nasrallah said US and British spy agencies created and nurtured Takfiri terrorist groups with the aim of fading the values of struggle, martyrdom, and resilience.

“Following the remarkable achievements of resistance groups in Lebanon and elsewhere in the [West Asia] region, attempts were made to distort the concepts of resilience, salvation and struggle in order to alienate nations from them,” Nasrallah said.

“Such moves resulted in the emergence of Takfiri terrorist groups created by US and British intelligence services.”