In his speech on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Institution for Education – Al-Mahdi Schools (PBUH), Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, emphasized the need for the spirit of hope in these challenging times, stating that the resistance’s weapon was hope and faith.
Sayyed Nasrallah criticized the United States in his speech on Thursday and urged Lebanese people to find solutions instead of giving in to international pressures. He pointed up that despite corruption being a problem caused by Lebanese individuals, America is also a partner in this corruption by blocking deposits, loans, and investments from entering Lebanon.
Sayyed Nasrallah vowed that Hezbollah would not surrender and urged the need for cooperation and courage in finding solutions to the economic and political crisis in Lebanon.
“In the face of this despair, the resistance’s weapon was hope and faith in God, and the determination to confront and resist the enemy,” Sayyed Nasrallah stated, emphasizing that “the resistance’s hope and faith were the source of strength that enabled it to achieve victory and liberate the land.”
His eminence also noted that God has provided humanity with two significant saviors, namely Jesus Christ and the Imam Mahdi (PBUH), and the resistance is the force that brings hope and leads to victory against the Israeli enemy.
“In the current situation in Lebanon, where the economic crisis and the political situation are causing despair and frustration among the people, we must hold on to hope and faith in God, and work to confront and resist the challenges and difficulties we are facing.”
“When the Israelis occupied Lebanon, they aimed to spread a spirit of despair with political and social consequences, which could lead to the acceptance of the occupation without dignity, sovereignty, and honor,” he said. Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the resistance, with its hope, continued its struggle against the Israeli enemy, and withstood it in 2006.
“In the past, the occupiers used killings, massacres, displacement, and the demolition of homes to strengthen the spirit of despair among the Lebanese people,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, giving an example of the Bir al-Abed massacre, where more than 75 martyrs lost their lives. He pointed out that America was behind the car bomb attack that aimed to spread terror and despair. Furthermore, he highlighted the involvement of some individuals claiming sovereignty in Lebanon in this massacre.
Yesterday marked the 38th anniversary of the Bir Al-Abed massacre, which took place on March 8, 1985 in the southern suburb of Beirut. The massacre was a result of a failed assassination attempt by American intelligence agencies and their allies against Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, who had been described as the spiritual leader of Hezbollah in the early eighties of last century.
The majority of the victims were women and children, and the massacre occurred on International Women’s Day.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the goal of such attacks is to create terror and despair in people’s hearts, and the attempt to assassinate Sayyed Fadlallah was a severe blow. He stated that threats of death, military war, and starvation do not intimidate us.
“We refuse to surrender, submit or give up because despair leads to surrender, and we will not allow that to happen.”
Sayyed Nasrallah expressed his admiration and support for Al-Mahdi Schools and affirmed his belief in the institution’s administration, teachers, and workers. He pledged to provide the necessary support for its development and expansion, given the importance of its work in maintaining the scientific and educational levels.
“Despite the challenging circumstances over the past 30 years, the institution has naturally and gradually developed, serving generations and transferring experience,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, emphasizing the institution’s steadfastness and appreciating the efforts of its workers, especially in recent years when the effort has doubled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficult living conditions in Lebanon. He also pointed to the importance of education and building a good society to pave the way for a promising future.
Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized that the role of teachers and educational institutions must not be limited to a profession, but rather it should be infused with a missionary and human spirit. He cautioned against those who use their knowledge to exploit others and take advantage of adverse conditions, underscoring the importance of education in building immunity against such exploitation. He also noted that education plays a vital role in shaping the moral and cultural values of a society, and lamented the negative influence of Western culture on curricula in many schools.
In early January, Lebanese public-school teachers went on strike to demand better compensation for their salaries, which are paid in Lebanese pounds that have significantly dropped in value against the dollar, leading to increased prices across the country. They also demanded improvements to their healthcare coverage and transport allowances. After two months on strike, many teachers returned to class on Monday, but they refused to teach afternoon classes to Syrian refugee children. Contract teachers, however, remained on strike.
Discussing the challenges facing the education sector in Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah acknowledged that educational institutions have been severely impacted by the prevailing circumstances, especially with the prolonged closure of public schools. He stressed the need for teachers to be good role models and to prioritize the welfare, success, and excellence of their students. In regards to private schools, his eminence suggested that increasing premiums to improve teachers’ salaries could be considered a humanitarian contribution, but cautioned against schools that prioritize profits over the well-being of their students and staff, calling such greed “hideous” and “inhumane”.
Sayyed Nasrallah concluded by stating, “We must maintain the educational process, especially in these difficult circumstances, and we must continue to work in order to educate generations, and we must maintain our educational institutions and provide them with support and assistance to enable them to perform their role in the best possible way.” He emphasized the importance of education and its role in building a good society, and urged everyone to contribute to this mission.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
