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Hezbollah leader condems “Takfirist” groups for killing civilians | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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FILE – In this August 2, 2013, file photo, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah speaks during a rally to mark Jerusalem day or Al-Quds day, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)


In this August 2, 2013, file photo, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah speaks during a rally to mark Jerusalem, or Al-Quds, Day in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

In this August 2, 2013, file photo, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah speaks during a rally to mark Jerusalem, or Al-Quds, Day in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Lebanese Hezbollah, gave a speech on Friday afternoon during a rally commemorating the so-called victory in the July 2006 war with Israel in which he condemned Thursday’s bomb attack on a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut and warned his followers against sectarian violence.

After expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased and condemning the “silence of other countries who support terrorists,” Nasrallah spoke on both the 2006 victory and issues surrounding Thursday’s massacre.

The Hezbollah rally came a day after a car bomb left at least 20 dead and over 100 injured in the Dahieh neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters gathered in the southern Lebanese village of Ayta, near the Israeli border, which Nasrallah said is “a symbol of its people, the resistance and martyrs.” At the start of his speech, he recalled how Ayta remained steadfast under heavy fire during the 2006 war.

Speaking on Thursday’s bomb attack, he said that only further investigations could reveal whether or not it was a suicide attack and declined to speculate further.

Nasrallah also revealed that he had prior information that groups he labelled “Takfirist” (apostate) hoped to attack the Dahieh area. He said those “Takfirist” groups “kill Sunnis and Shi’ites and Christians alike”.

However, he stressed: “Whoever says Sunnis are in charge of the bombing is speaking with an Israeli mentality. These Takfirist groups are just murderers without a religion, a nation or a cause.” He called on Lebanese people to be “patient and aware” and asked his followers to send the message that no amount of bombings will bring Lebanon into a conflict. “Leave our differences to our politics,” he said.

The speech then went on to address the perpetrators of the attack, whom he labelled “murderers.”

“If you work for Israel, we will find out,” Nasrallah said.

He also spoke on the ongoing civil war in neighboring Syria, to which his organization is known to be sending fighters: “We are fighting in Syria against armed Takfirists and not against civilians. If you think attacking our women and children will change our path or goal or vision, you are wrong.”

Nasrallah also criticized the “deteriorating Arab media.” He called on people not to believe the “fabricated lies” about Syria, citing what he said were “divergent” reports from various channels about recent events in Egypt.

Throughout the speech, Nasrallah also emphasized the need for Lebanon to extract its energy resources from its coast and that Israel has no say in this or in any other Lebanese affair.