Hezbollah And The Saudi Terrorist: Tehran Threatening And Intimidating The Rational Voices Of Shi'ism To Remain Silent

04 November 2014

By Tariq Alhomayed

Just look and see who has issued a statement calling on international human right organizations to intervene in Saudi Arabia. It is none other than the terrorist Hezbollah group! Lebanon's Hezbollah took this decision in response to a Saudi judicial decision sentencing "terrorist" Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr to death. This is the definition of irony.

Hezbollah's defense for this convicted terrorist represents proof of the group's sectarian agenda, as well as the militia's lack of respect for state sovereignty. Hezbollah is nothing more than an Iranian group whose only mission is to undermine our states and incite sectarianism. There is no difference between Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr and any other convicted terrorist. However, the only reason that Hezbollah and other agents of sectarianism have come out to protest this decision is that Nimr is a Shi'ite. Hezbollah and other agents of regional sectarianism seem to believe that all Shi'ites should possess some kind of legal immunity from prosecution and be uniformly protected by international human rights organizations. While if it was a Sunni terrorist who had been sentenced to death, we would not have seen a response like this. In fact, this is something that Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, would support. At the same time, we always hear the mouthpiece of Shi'ite extremism in our region, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, equating between Sunnis and takfirism.

Now, Hezbollah has issued this ironic statement defending the convicted terrorist Nimr and describing the sentence against him as part of an "exclusionary and repressive policy" adopted by Saudi authorities. Hezbollah also claimed that Saudi Arabia cannot tolerate" free expression and peaceful struggle" as part of its condemnation of Nimr's death sentence. This is the same Hezbollah that occupied Beirut and destroyed Lebanese democracy. This is the same Hezbollah whose members today are fighting in Syria on behalf of the corrupt and criminal Bashar Al-Assad against the Syrian. This is the same Hezbollah that is today obstructing the election of a new Lebanese president. This is the same Hezbollah that is embroiled in Iraq and Yemen in the service of Iran's sectarian and expansionist regional project.

So after all this, how can Hezbollah seek to lecture Saudi Arabia about anything?

Hezbollah's statement confirms just one thing, namely that rational and moderate Shi'ite voices must be heard to confront Shi'ite extremism and terrorism—whether we are talking about Hezbollah or others in the region. We need more than occasional statements issued by one party or another. The rational and moderate voices of Shi'ism must organize themselves and work to effectively put forward the correct view and stand against Shi'ite terrorism.

Unfortunately, I find myself compelled at this point to say that Shi'ite intellectuals must confront Shi'ite terrorism just as we Sunnis addressed Sunni terrorism. This is something that is clear, from Beirut to Baghdad and from Bahrain to Yemen. While if Hezbollah—and behind it Tehran—are threatening and intimidating the rational voices of Shi'ism to remain silent, then this is as grave a threat as the one represented by Al-Qaeda, or before this Saddam Hussein, to the region's Sunnis who are committed to fighting extremism of all stripes, whether Sunni or Shi'ite. While it is Saudi Arabia that is leading this effort.

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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