The Shi'a Al-Qaeda: Considering The Unforgivable Crimes Hezbollah And Iran Are Committing In Syria?
15 March 2013By Tariq Alhomayed
If an observer were to take a look at our region, he
would find that we are face to face with mounting
evidence of the "Shi'a Al-Qaeda"—otherwise known as
Hezbollah—in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, as well as in the
Gulf States, most notably Bahrain, and even in Libya
and North Africa. Iran's adherent groups are acting
along the same lines as the Sunni Al-Qaeda; seeking to
cement a presence in the region's hotspots and apply
the Hezbollah model there.
The Shi'a Al-Qaeda is drawing its inspiration from
Hezbollah's experience in Lebanon and applying it to
Yemen, via the Houthis, with the aim of creating a
front against Saudi Arabia and, of course, the entire
Gulf region. Similarly, in Iraq, the Shi'a Asaib Ahl
Al-Haq—an adherent of Iran that has carried out
killings and bloodshed—has entered the political arena
with the aim of undermining the Sadrist movement and
consolidating Nuri Al-Maliki's stance. This is
reminiscent of Hezbollah's endeavors to hijack the
Shiite leadership in Lebanon from the Amal Movement
there. In Bahrain, armed terrorist militias are being
formed while the Shi'a Wefaq movement continues to
work under a civil guise, seeking to penetrate Western
institutions along the lines of Hezbollah by using an
armed wing and a political one. It is ironic that this
is all happening at a time when the West is currently
considering imposing sanctions on Hezbollah, in both
its military and political forms.
In Syria, the situation is even uglier. Now we see the
Free Syrian Army (FSA) giving an ultimatum to
Hezbollah, threatening to target its sites. Hezbollah,
alongside the Iranian Quds Force, are seeking to quell
the Syrian popular revolution and protect Bashar Al-Assad,
or at least ensure that Hezbollah and Iran have a
foothold in the post-Assad era. In order for Hezbollah
to accomplish this objective, they are trying to form
an affiliate party there. In a similar manner to
Hezbollah, this party will later on base its
legitimacy on the premise of targeting Israel from the
Golan Heights, and thus any affront against it would
be akin to defending Israel. Furthermore, this all is
happening under Iranian auspices.
In spite of the crimes of his group, and up until
around 2004, Osama Bin Laden was known as "Sheikh".
Similarly, in the Shiite case, some continue to refer
to Hassan Nasrallah as "Sayyid" (an honorific title in
Shi'a Islam). As for Iran's agents who adhere to
Hezbollah, they are not only infiltrating the Arab
media or Arab parliaments, but also Western research
centers that continue to promote them in a naïve
manner, similar to how Al-Jazeera promoted Al-Qaeda in
the late 1990s.
What is most frustrating about the story of the Shi'a
Al-Qaeda—Hezbollah—in our region is not the Western
ignorance of it, but rather the silence of rational
Shiites, even as Iran trades on their issues and
causes. It is odd for some to argue, for example, that
Israel is seeking to provoke sectarian strife in the
region, when the question that should be raised is:
Why is Iran allowed to exploit the region's Shiites to
accomplish Israel's objectives? Aren't there any
rational Shiites willing to challenge this,
particularly considering the unforgivable crimes
Hezbollah and Iran are committing in Syria?
Therefore, it is important to heed the warnings about
the spread of the Shi'a Al-Qaeda in our region, for it
is no less dangerous than its Sunni counterpart.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq
Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that
position. He holds a BA degree in Media studies from
King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also
completed his Introductory courses towards a Master's
degree from George Washington University in Washington
D.C. He is based in London.
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