Peoples Geography — Reclaiming space

Creating people's geographies

Hezbollah Could Be Gaining Strength By Dahr Jamail

*Inter Press Service*

BEIRUT, Jul 26 (IPS) – The continuing Israeli bombing of south Lebanon
and south Beirut might just have strengthened the Hezbollah. *

The bombings appear particularly to have strengthened the hand of Sheikh
Hassan Nasrallah, the charismatic Hezbollah leader.

Hezbollah has over the years gained a strong following in Lebanon
primarily on the back of its engagement in social services, taking on
infrastructure projects, and looking after its followers. The Israeli
assault is giving Hezbollah scope to gain more such power.

Hezbollah now controls, for example, more than half of about 100 schools
in Beirut that have been converted into refugee shelters.

“These attacks show the true force of Israel,” a young man told IPS at a
refugee camp in a city park. “I was with Hezbollah before, but now I
want to join them so I can fight the Israelis, who only want our land,
and want to attack Islam.”

A Hezbollah member in charge of a group of fighters in southern Beirut
claimed that support for Hezbollah has increased dramatically since the
Israeli attacks began two weeks ago.

“People are afraid, and in need, and we are protecting them and helping
care for the refugees created by this Zionist aggression,” he told IPS.
“The longer this fight continues, the more support we will have. We are
prepared to fight to the very end.”

Support for the Hezbollah appears to be stronger among younger people.
And some Christians too are speaking in support of Hezbollah. Ramzi
Semaan, a 21-year-old Christian told IPS that “Hezbollah was defending
this country, and the Israeli response was being planned months in
advance. So Hezbollah is helping to defend Lebanon from the Zionists.”

But most of the Christian population seem to blame Hezbollah. Of the 3.8
million people in Lebanon, about 60 percent are Muslims, mostly Shia,
and most of the remaining 40 percent Christian.

Views on the Hezbollah fall largely, though not entirely, along
religious lines. Most of the large Shia population obediently follow
every word of Nasrallah.

Many who have their doubts about Hezbollah still speak of their need for
Hezbollah protection against Israeli aggression. And most agree that
Hezbollah is a strong political force, and will have to be negotiated
with. It is clear that there can be no peace in the region without
including Hezbollah in any process towards cease-fire and further, any
lasting solution.

The widespread destruction of infrastructure has been decisive in
turning popular anger against Israel, rather than Hezbollah.

“Israel is protecting itself because Hezbollah made their operation
against her soldiers,” said Fuad Rashed, 33-year-old Christian owner of
an electronics store in the capital. “Their reaction is too strong
though, because now they are destroying our country.”

A 50-year-old Christian, Nassan Hanin, said “Hezbollah was wrong to
carry out their operation, and Israel is wrong in their extreme
reaction. I’m happy that Hezbollah was hit for what they did, but this
has been at too great a cost for us now.”

Many who lived through the worst of the civil war in the eighties blame
both.

“We can barely believe there is war here again,” a 52-year-old waiter in
the Hamra district of Beirut told IPS. “We thought we were finished with
it 1990. I believe it was wrong for Hezbollah to kidnap the Israeli
soldiers, but this level of reaction from the Israelis, of destroying
all of Lebanon, is completely unjustified. It is insane.”

_______________________________________________
(c)2006 Dahr Jamail.
All images, photos, photography and text are protected by United States and international copyright law. If you would like to reprint Dahr’s Dispatches on the web, you need to include this copyright notice and a prominent link to the http://DahrJamailIraq.com website. Website by photographer Jeff Pflueger’s Photography Media http://jeffpflueger.com . Any other use of images, photography, photos and text including, but not limited to, reproduction, use on another website, copying and printing requires the permission of Dahr Jamail. Of course, feel free to forward Dahr’s dispatches via email.

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This entry was posted on 27 July, 2006 by in Alternative Media, Empire, War and Terror, Human Rights, Israel, Lebanon.

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-- Aldous Huxley

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