When Hezbollah is a way of life, a way of death

[Violet_Crumble]

Sabrina Tavernise, Ainata, Lebanon
August 19, 2006

FOR Zahra Fadlallah, a serious 17-year-old, Hezbollah was always family. Two of her brothers were fighters. Her mother was an activist. A distant relative is a hard-line Hezbollah member in Parliament.

When the war hit, she stayed in this village to help her mother bake bread for the fighters. Both were killed in an Israeli air strike in late July. Their bodies were dug out of the rubble this week.

Israel's goal of uprooting Hezbollah from southern Lebanon has frequently been questioned by critics who say the group is deeply woven into society and cannot simply be cut out. An afternoon with the Fadlallah family in this southern Lebanese village shows that the group not only is part of society, but also helps form the shape of life itself. It has a vast social network that pays for health care and education, performs weddings and reduces electric bills — important considerations for Shiites in the south, who are some of the country's poorest citizens.

Israelis, noting that their troops left Lebanon six years ago, say that the southern Lebanese should have no basis for ill-will towards them. But this is a culture of long memories, and six years is not a long time for the wounds of the 18-year occupation to heal.

When Zahra was 10, her mother was arrested. She watched while Lebanese working for Israeli authorities put a bag over her mother's head and led her out of the house. Her father was taken on the same day, and Zahra spent three days in the house by herself. Her brothers and sisters, already military age and deeply involved with Hezbollah, had moved to Beirut, north of the Israeli zone. Later, she hid while soldiers searched the house for weapons.

"It made a wound in her," said Ali Fadlallah, one of Zahra's brothers, who spoke in the living room of their family house as mourners came and went through a central hallway.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/when-hezbollah-is-a-way-of-life-a-way-of-death/2006/08/18/1155408020605.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[TomInTib]

1. I saw this in NYTimes today

Can you imagine the youth of our country taking a stand like this?

Good Dog a'mighty.

We cannot even begin to grasp the strength of that degree of conviction.

[Kagemusha]

2. Uhmmmm. I think the US had it during the Revolutionary War.

Certainly not in ALL Americans, lots of royal sympathizers, but I can't imagine myself NOT reading of this level of conviction, when the US was occupied by what it then regarded as a foreign invading power on a free people's soil, post Declaration of Independence.

Remember, Israel occupied the place for 18 long years. Occupation is something that, therefore, everyone above the age of 6 (or say 9, to get everyone to toddler and up) has personal experience with... conviction would come to the US a lot faster if it was occupied by a foreign power. Should be grateful such conviction is not required at present.

[TomInTib]

4. Ohh... I've got it

I only wish that string of strength was universal.

This was our country, once, was it not?

[pelsar]

8. sure you can...

just like the guys who drank the kool aid....thats not the kind of "conviction" a democracy can live with

[maalak]

3. i might be more receptive to this attempt to justify Hezbollah's actions..

... if the price for their social services didn't come in the form of channeling weapons for attacks on Israeli civilians... or maybe even if they just stopped calling for the destruction of Israel and the death of Jews.

that would be a good start, wouldn't it?

[Kagemusha]

5. I don't see this as an attempt to justify anything.

Frankly, it's a horrifying tale, that an organization that does something that no rational person on Earth prefers - running a state within a state, that is well entrenched and armed like a porcupine - is being so successful. I think the better response is precisely to be horrified by it and gaze in awe and fright upon how they're doing this as basically the best guerillas in the business... right on Israel's doorstep.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Seeing it wasn't an attempt to justify Hezbollah's actions...

Maybe you should try reading the article before commenting?

[papau]

13. Hez actions can't be justified - IMHO - but this is a pain of war that we

all can understand - sort of a Robert Fisk article where obvious bias is kept under control as the writer tries to be objective as they describe the horror of war.

The Iranian money has bought social services that have won the hearts of the population - Hez is popular.

I just wish they had only a social service function - and would lose the terrorist militia marching about getting kids into evil side.

[catmother]

23. that certainly would be a good start, but unfortunately it doesn't

look like that's going to happen.

[azurnoir]

6. At this point in time

Hezbollah is doing more to aid the Lebanese people than any other group which will most likely make them more popular then ever before. In cases where large groups of people have been abandon by the authorities they had trusted to help any group can step in. Just think if Hezbollah or any other group went to NOLA and made real repairs and was effective in assisting people with getting their lives together, would these people be still loyal to the government that betrayed them if forced into a choice?

[pelsar]

7. there was definitely a vacuum

filled in not so much by Hezballa....without funds and arms they would be no more than a local bunch of fanatics shaking down the locals for food and money. They're funding comes from iran and syria...and thats whats gives them the ability to not just afford the military equipment but run hospitals, finance schools, pickup the garbage etc.

Of course the locals are loyal to them, its the same story over and over again in all societies. One can see it in israel, secular parents send their kids to religious nurseries because they have longer hours, better food etc......and then vote for those same religious parties even though they themselves are not.

Whats far more interesting and not surprising because again one sees it in all religious fanaticism, is the way they "live off of past atrocities". Instead of getting on with ones life and making it better for the next generation the "keeping the fires burning, the hatred is what keeps them going..keeps the cults intact.

They only reason for keeping the past so alive with hatred is to keep the war going, people can be educated to move on, one doesn't have to love ones enemies but one can certainly get along with them for the benefit of the next generation...

not only is Hezballa not doing that, they're not interested in doing that, they need the war, the hate, its part of their identity, the removal of the state of israel, of which they have made it clear.

and on that note: Hizballa fought in much the way the japanese did in WWII, using sucide tactics....such things also represent a cultish mentality, which is a very dangerous combination: cult/religion/arms/financing

[azurnoir]

10. Suicidal behavior in warfare

maybe cultish but unfortunately time honored, it happens when one side out numbers or out guns to a large degree the other. The British, Americans and Israelis have all had moments of this behavior themselves and glorify the "honored dead"
My point was however that maybe Hezbollahs growth could be stunted if another power stepped up for the Lebanese in as big or bigger way Britain, America and yes Israel are missing a hell of a chance here. As for Britain and America the same goes a hundred fold in Iraq, I don't like the source but "if you broke you bought it" is the truth and we surely broke it.

[izzie]

11. Sounds like it is moving into a political party

Has some of the feeling of the old ward boss style. I just do not feel this is just a terrorist group. The army part seem to do like an army does even in marching on the street but I think they have the "art of war' as their West Point. Could it be that Israel's army is based on the old style army and this group is setting up theirs like the ones in Vietnam and other guerrilla types as one that now work? It seems these great land armies have not worked in a long time and I am not so sure a profit eco. like ours wants to face the fact. Small arms do not have these great money tags.

[azurnoir]

12. It always has been

since the mid to late '80's Hezbollah has run most if not all the civic services in southern Lebanon.

[pelsar]

14. its far more than a mere political party...

that makes them sound very "innocent"....its more like iran....a fanatical theocratic dictatorship than hangs little girls with sharp tongues, hangs homosexuals, stones adultresese, places women in potatoe sacks.

just keep those things in mind when you see them entering the political arena...if they're not stopped, lebanon will become Iran II, which is not a very nice prospect for the citizens of lebanon nor the geographic area.

[izzie]

15. Yes I see your point as this always happens if religion takes it over

But it may not go that way. Iran its self is having some problems along that line. Iran is educating the people and often when people get into more education that do see the evil in that. I could, as an out sider, in Saudi Arabia see when time for church came the people jumped into their cars so they would not have to go. Small thing but it grates on people to have churches tell them what to do. Course I do not mean 'churches' but you get my point. The zealots do not always win. Lebanon seems to be an educated country. Many from out side the Middle East. I am sure that is put into the thinking. It does seem to be a Middle Eastern thing but for the Turks. Even Israel, I understand, has grades of being equal to what religion you are. Course our own country was pretty much WASP until Kennedy put others into high places.

[pelsar]

16. i'm a bit more pessamistic...

Iran is an educated country....and i know that for the most part when the education is liberal the original "zealots' ideas dont go down so well. Case in point are the israeli kibbutzim, the few that have survived have had to make major ideological changes to keep their "next generations." And true about Lebanon being an educated, secular country known for its open, western culture, however, i dont believe that makes them immune from the "evils of fanatisicm", First thing Kohmenni did was hang the left, intellectuals who helped him with his revolution...

if Hezballa gets to expand his education system by offering free education, free meals, transportation to and fro, free health care.....everybody and i do mean every body will start to join, its just way too appealing and not just to the poorer sections, the lower middleclass loves it to....and that sucks in the next generation.

the kids slowly ask their parents questions and the parents dont want to confuse their children so they "agree" with what hizballa is teaching, then they have to adapt their house to and "holidays" to meet hizballas traditions (yellow flag, etc)....and it just keeps on going, getting deeper and deeper.

Israel has the usual "mess of religions"...when "shas" (semi fanatics) started with the free lunches, transportation, etc and increased their influence, the secular education dept did the same in the poorer cities and reversed the trend. A far more difficult area will be the settlers because like Hezballa their funds come from outside sources who have a lot invested in their beliefs, and that is far more difficult to modify, but for a country to survive intact they do have to contained....i just wonder if Lebanon can do it.

[izzie]

17. We can not judge what they end up with like our own. .

Each country will have the govt. that is best for them and I think in the long run the Middle East will go to a vote for the people. Look at how few their were at the end of WW2 and look at the world to day. It may have not moved as fast as one would like but it is coming along. I do believe that. I an sure their is a pony in the room full of horse shit and I am willing to look.

[pelsar]

18. i disagree.....

there is no guarantee that a govt will be good: germanys nazis, USSR communisim, Cambodias Pot Pol, Irans Kohmenni, Saudi Ararbia, Zimbabwa, Afganistans Taliban....all horrendous govts. The list of non democratic govts are far greater than those that are democractic...more so democracy is far more then voting, it involves civil rights etc.

and though i wish democracy could be forced upon a country, it no longer seems possible...true with info passing faster and getting to every corner of the globe there is hope (and i do not apologise for believing that democracy is the best of the various govt styles and that there is no place for dictatorships in my view), but there is a lot of resistance to be overcome and it will be violent.

[izzie]

21. I do not think it will be forced but from the bottom up.

Once the thought is out in to the peoples mind it can not be just taken out. I sure do not like what the USSR did but it is better than the Czar and Lenin, I just believe it will happen. I understand if you do not go along with me but I still think that way I do because I believe it. What Americans always did was give hope to the world on the power of people. It was a shocking thing in the late 1700's and it has moved around the world since. It comes from the thinkers of the enlightenment and I do not think it can ever be put back into the bottle. It is just how I think.

[pelsar]

22. the american optimist....

living in america so far from the real evils of the world is a real luxuary....one that should be cherished, appreciated and above all protected. The constitution, bill of rights, have few parrallels in the modern world. More so Americas history all in all (with a few 'hicups here and there) shines far above all others.......I can only hope that the fanatisim i see doesnt reach Americas shores more than it has already.....

You have every right to believe as you do, its that optimism that is essential for the future.

[Scurrilous]

19. Mubarak says Hezbollah 'part of the Lebanese national fabric'

<snip>

"Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appears to have softened his stance on Hezbollah, calling the militant group "part of the Lebanese national fabric," according to a published report.

"Resisting the occupier is a legitimate right under the condition that it springs from free will and in accordance to the supreme national interest," Mubarak told the semiofficial weekly Akhbar el-Yom newspaper.

Mubarak was among some Arab leaders who initially blamed Hezbollah for carrying out an "uncalculated adventures" when the group kidnapped two Israel Defense Forces soldiers on July 12, sparking the deadly conflict that lasted 34 days before a cease-fire went into effect Monday."

<snip>

"Mubarak also said that the United States should refrain from taking military action against Iran because doing so would create instability not just in the Middle East but around the world.

"The conflict between the United States and Iran should be solved through diplomacy and direct dialogue because striking Iran means the end of stability in the region and the world," Mubarak said."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/752194.html

[pelsar]

20. and so is the

muslim brotherhood part of the Egyptian fabric.....

[breakaleg]

24. and so is the oppression of Palestinians a part of the Israeli fabric.