hizbullah drops demand for islamic state from charter

[Sasha]

Nasrallah: Abolishing Political Sectarianism Basic Condition for Majority-Minority Rule

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday declared the party's new manifesto, the second in the group's history after the "Open Letter" in 1985 which called for the establishment of Islamic rule in Lebanon. This time, Hizbullah wants a country for all faiths.
At a press conference held at al-Jinan hall in Beirut Southern Suburbs, Nasrallah addressed the public through a giant screen.

Nasrallah was re-elected head of Hizbullah earlier this month following a congress that also adopted the new manifesto, which was not revealed at the time.

Hizbullah's first manifesto in 1985 called for the establishment of Islamic rule in Lebanon, but the party leadership has toned down its rhetoric in recent years as it gained political clout.

"Political sectarianism is blocking the development of the Lebanese political regime and standing as an obstacle in the face of a democracy where the majority rules and the minority opposes," stressed Nasrallah and added that abolishing political sectarianism is a "basic condition" for the implementation of the majority-minority rule.

Nasrallah said that Hizbullah's new manifesto aims to define the political vision of the party and includes its visions, stances, and aspirations.

"Lebanon is our homeland and the homeland of our fathers, ancestors, grandchildren, and the coming generations. It is the country that we gave our most precious sacrifices," stressed Hizbullah's leader.

Nasrallah said that Hizbullah rejects any kind of segregation or federalism in Lebanon, whether explicit or disguised. He added that his party wants Lebanon to be strong, active, and present in the geopolitics of the region.

"Our vision for the State that we should build together in Lebanon is represented in the State that preserves public freedoms … the State that is keen on national unity, the State that protects its land, people, and sovereignty," added Nasrallah declaring Hizbullah's new manifesto.

Hizbullah's number one added that Lebanon's presence "at the borders of occupied Palestine obliged it to bear national and pan-Arab responsibilities."

"In the absence of strategic balance, the Israeli threat obliges Lebanon to endorse a defensive strategy that depends on a popular resistance participating in defending the country and an army that preserves the security of the country -- in an integrated manner," added Hizbullah's Secretary-General.
On the other hand, Nasrallah said that "U.S. terror is the root of all terror in the world", adding that the current historical transformations "signal the retreat of the U.S. role and the demise of the Hebrew State."

"Hizbullah does not underestimate the size of current challenges and threats or the severity of the confrontation path. However, Hizbullah has now clearer choices and more trust in its people," added Nasrallah.

Hizbullah's leader said that the "resistance movements are at the heart of international transformations" and that they emerge as a strategic factor after performing a central role in producing those transformations in the region.

Beirut, Updated 30 Nov 09, 18:36

lipservice to be acceptable or genuine move?

[Guevaraist Insurgent]

freedom fighters up the HZ

[Pogue]

freedom fighters up the HZ

Stunning contribution, I honestly do find sloganeering really adds to the quality of conversation.

[Andropov]

TBH one thing about Islamic fundamentalists is they generally dont pay lip service to western sensibilities.
So I would take this at face value as a genuinley progressive move.

[Guevaraist Insurgent]

pogue i find being a trot counter revolutionary, deal with it

[ComradeMan]

The problem with this is that most radical Islamist parties/groups start off radical and move to the "centre" with time if and when they become more "established"- what then happens is a new radical group rised and denounces them as being anti-islamic and the process begins anew.

[Guevaraist Insurgent]

hezboullah is supported by suni shiite christian hindu

[Random Precision]

hezboullah is supported by suni shiite christian hindu

Hindus in Lebanon? LOL

[ComradeMan]

Hindus in Lebanon? LOL


Sunni Shi'ites? LOL?

[GPDP]

The problem with this is that most radical Islamist parties/groups start off radical and move to the "centre" with time if and when they become more "established"- what then happens is a new radical group rised and denounces them as being anti-islamic and the process begins anew.

Sounds like every socialist party ever.

[ComradeMan]

Sounds like every socialist party ever.

LOL!!! I know what you mean!!

[Sugar Hill Kevis]

pogue i find being a trot counter revolutionary, deal with it

I find being a caustic asshole counter revolutionary. Also, he's a syndicalist you dolt.

[Guevaraist Insurgent]

well hes not marxist leninist so hes a ****

[Dimentio]

The problem with this is that most radical Islamist parties/groups start off radical and move to the "centre" with time if and when they become more "established"- what then happens is a new radical group rised and denounces them as being anti-islamic and the process begins anew.

Much like communist parties then?

[Sam_b]

The important point is that Hezbollah have been gaining increased support from non-Islamic communities, most noteably the Christian population of Lebanon. It wouldn't surprise me if this is a move reflecting the increasing diversity of membership that the group has.

[Die Neue Zeit]

The important point is that Hezbollah have been gaining increased support from non-Islamic communities, most noteably the Christian population of Lebanon. It wouldn't surprise me if this is a move reflecting the increasing diversity of membership that the group has.

If only Hezbollah had come of the cold like this back a few years ago, then I would've been OK with the SWP's "We are all Hezbollah" slogan. :(

BTW, they work side by side with the Lebanese Communist party.

[Sam_b]

well hes not marxist leninist so hes a c***

Please be aware that this word is not acceptable on the forum. If you use it again you will likely face administrative action.

[Guevaraist Insurgent]

sorry he is a arsehole not a c***

[BobKKKindle$]

I think we have to remember when we are looking at developments such as this that Hezbollah is is a mass movement that is rooted in communities, and which has a crucial role in providing social goods like education. I'm not saying that this is a good or bad thing, I'm just giving a description of what Hezbollah is, and I don't think anyone here would dispute that if you want to understand Hezbollah (or Hamas for that matter) then it's important to avoid making simple comparisons which ignore the concrete political conditions of individual countries and which give the misleading impression that these movements are organized in the same way and have the same role as, for example, the British Labour Party. The mass character of Hezbollah is important when it comes to ideology because it means that the movement faces ideological pressures from a number of different sources, most importantly from its mass support base (which, as Sam_b points out, is not limited to the Shia community) and also from its leadership, and these conflicting pressures as well as the leadership's basic interest in maintaining mass support means that the ideologies of Hezbollah and other organizations that have the same role frequently shift over time, towards ideas that reflect the needs and interests of the support base, even when these ideas conflict with aims and principles of leaders, and cannot be easily reconciled with Islam.

The development outlined in this thread is by no means the first example of this dynamic, because for some time Hezbollah has moderated its demand for an Islamic state by arguing that such a state should only come into being after the return of the 12th Imam, who is regarded by Shia Muslims as the saviour of mankind - this is a classic example of how the leadership has sought to remain true to its core principles whilst also being responsive to pressure from below, this pressure deriving from the fact that Hezbollah's support base encompasses faith groups besides Shia Islam and also includes Shia Muslims who do not want to see the founding of an Islamic state. The same shift towards moderation can also be seen in the movement's willingness to tolerate activities that we would normally regard as irreconcilable with any kind of political Islam - a suburb of Beirut under Hezbollah control known as al-Ghubayri is also home to the country's biggest and apparently best liquor store, for example (Norton, 2007) which once again indicates that Hezbollah is not a simple phenomenon, but a broad coalition containing a large number of groups and interests, and that when we say things like "Hezbollah does X" as in the thread title we have to specify who we mean, and think about why they are acting in this way.

If only from a sociological perspective, I think it's fascinating how you get these dynamics between the mass membership and leaders of political movements, with such complex exchanges of ideas and power between and within levels.

So, in answer to the question posed by the OP: it's neither, because there's no single actor within Hezbollah that has complete control over the organization's ideology.

[Die Neue Zeit]

I think we have to remember when we are looking at developments such as this that Hezbollah is is a mass movement that is rooted in communities, and which has a crucial role in providing social goods like education. I'm not saying that this is a good or bad thing

I'll give you the rep point here, but why is this not a good thing? They are implementing a model than too many left groups refuse to attempt: establish an alternative culture model for the downtrodden as a means of getting political support.

[Spirit of Spartacus]

Good move. The more they mature, the more easy it will become for progressive forces in Lebanon to be able to engage with them and strengthen the resistance to Zionist and Yankee aggression.

Ultimately, if the Lebanese left is to succeed, it must take the wind out of the sails of groups such as Hezbollah, by out-performing them in the resistance, and proving to the working masses that their programme is better than any other for liberation and socialism.

Confessional and religious-sectarian politics will only divide the Lebanese resistance, and its good that Hezbollah has been recognizing that over the past few years.