Lebanese loyalty should be to state, not Hezbollah خالد أبو ظهر: الولاء يجب أن يكون للدولة اللبنانية وليس لحزب الله Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab news/February 28/2020
As the entire world looks for ways to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, in what seems destined to be a pandemic that threatens not only the health and well-being of millions but also the entire global economy, Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese pilgrims returning from Iran have reportedly refused state quarantine instructions, insisting they are part of a conspiracy against Tehran.
Meanwhile, as an International Monetary Fund (IMF) technical team visited Lebanon to give advice about debt restructuring and the necessary reforms, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy leader who has no official state position, stated in the name of Lebanon that “we will not accept submitting to (imperialist) tools.”These two seemingly unrelated events are in fact very revealing of how Hezbollah sees the world.
They underline that the militia is not willing to make any concessions to try and get Lebanon out of difficult situations, whether economic or even threatening to the well-being of the citizens of the country. They will only do what is in Iran’s interest.
These events also clearly show that Hezbollah not only undermines the state, but it encourages the Shiite community to disrespect state institutions too. This constant parallel stance, with Hezbollah and its supporters rebelling against state positions, makes the nation-building process difficult — if not impossible — for Lebanon.
To make things worse, Hezbollah also encourages, even forces, its community to have total blind loyalty to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
I cannot help but wonder what is needed to bring those that support Hezbollah out of their rebellious stance against everything the state represents.
How can we work together to bring them within the state’s confines and ensure they respect the state and its institutions and abide by its laws? How can their loyalty be first and only to the Lebanese state, not an armed militia and its foreign leader?
Every sectarian community in Lebanon seems to have gone through this phase of supporting an external ideology, belief or leader above their own country. Yet the majority of citizens have ended up renouncing this and committing to the Lebanese flag.
It is time for those who support Hezbollah to do the same. If this country is to survive, every citizen — regardless of their religious or social background — needs to respect the state and its institutions.
More importantly, the Lebanese state should have a monopoly on its leaders and citizens’ loyalty. There should be an exclusive and unbreakable loyalty to the state.
This is difficult to achieve when Hezbollah is disseminating false information, creating what can best be described as an alternate reality. It is doing what Tehran requires, which is exporting the regime’s Islamist revolution. This requires an exclusive and unique loyalty to the supreme leader.
This alternate reality applies to everything and resembles the propaganda messages of the ruthless regimes of the last century. Iran is depicted as invincible — no army or virus can bring it down. The whole world might crumble, but Iran will prosper. Obviously, Iran is in complete denial and has alternate “imaginary” views about everything — the coronavirus, its economic situation, its military capacity, etc. The only reality is the violent repression it is willing to inflict to crush any dissent, including on the community it falsely claims to protect.
Therefore, in Lebanon, the army also needs to break free and shield all communities from oppression.
If this country is to survive, every citizen — regardless of their religious or social background — needs to respect the state and its institutions.
Today, all Lebanese citizens need to participate in a true nation-building effort, regardless of their religion. There is, among all sectarian groups, a tendency to hide behind their “own” whenever there is a need for a favor or an exemption.
This has been too easily exploited by sectarian leaders, who portray themselves as the only and last resort for their community. Hezbollah, through its social and health services and, above all, its military, has exacerbated this situation; making it easy for its supporters to reject the state and what it represents.
In the face of the pilgrims refusing state-imposed quarantine and Hezbollah’s stance toward the IMF, the Lebanese institutions cannot do anything or use their legitimate and constitutional role; they can only look the other way for fear of Hezbollah’s violent reaction. Once again, the state comes out weakened and humiliated, on the brink of disappearance and putting all its citizens in danger. This needs to stop.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
