Hezbollah’s MOU With Salafists
Hezbollah’s Memorandum Of Understanding with Salafi groups is not only fair game, but it’s also a masterful political stroke.
Naharnet called it “controversial” and quoted a Salafist sheikh who characterized it as “bad for Sunnis.” The Future Movement remained silent -Update: Future Movement member Samir Jisr said that Mr. Hariri was not aware of the agreement and that the FM has nothing to do with it. Mr. Jisr said that comprehensive agreements are better than bilateral ones- But today’s M.O.U between Hezbollah and Salafists is a reminder to March 14 that if they want to compete with Hezbollah, they will have to be as pro-active and creative.
One can argue that Hezbollah’s Salafist partners are marginal, but one can’t deny that the M.O.U has achieved many objectives for them:
- It has calmed the nerves of Hezbollah Shiite supporters who were concerned about Iraqi-style terrorist attacks on their mosques and markets
- It has received wide acclaim in Lebanon and among Arabs for seeking to prevent intra-Islamic bloodletting
- It has added a dent to Hezbollah’s reputation (some would say manufactured) as a sectarian Shiite Movement
- It undermines the rationale of many pro-March 14 Sunni extremists who support the Future Movement because they believed Hezbollah’s project is an existential threat to Sunnis in Lebanon
In other words, it was exactly the kind of show Hezbollah needed to put up. In fact, this M.O.U is so politically effective that Hezbollah’s opponents will find it very difficult to portray it as “bad” or “evil”. For now, the best they can do is grumble in private and call it “controversial”
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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.
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Does this mean that the salafists have to be selective who to kill? Would the druze for example fall under the category of to kill, or of not to kill? Probably all Christians are fair game, right?
What a disgrace!!! This country should burn in hell!!
Terrorists making deals with terrorists. Nothing to grumble about the fact that extremists found each other.
Two extremists groups have joined have joined hands, oh happy day! The only ray of hope is that it has been refused and labeled as a disgrace by those who founded the Salafist. Enough hatred already, enough talk of joining forces against all those who oppose our views. All this bigotry should be banned and outlawed!
Religion is a practice and should not be used for political purposes.
kiss of hell….soon
Two backward movements uniting forces to monopolize Muslim representation in Lebanon. Shi byesharrif!
My cat just signed MOU with my dog.
It didn’t last.
.
bu bu but i thought its the FM who are the wahabi/salafi harborers and supporters, i mean thats what the m8ers used to tell me all the fucking time!! what are you saying? they where full off shit?
on a serious note: this agreement is worth as much as a toilet paper for the average sunni joe, and if they want to appeal to a controversial and conservative sunni group shoot for al-ahbash.
JUST WAIT AND SEE ; its just water under the bridge.
The Nazis signed a non-aggression pact with Stalin’s Russia on August 23/24, 1939. It remained in effect until Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 in Operation Barbarossa. Strategy, not brotherly love, was the motivating force. “Masterful politics” this time around? – there must be a few people who study history. The second time around shows limited imagination and should arouse some suspicions. Not so the first time.
JUST WAIT AND SEE: i know more than this L. person and mustapha the disco king, put together, with one hand tied behind my back, therefore i will profess: it is not water under the bridge.
george bush is the real terrorist. he is the worst president the united states has ever had. his conservative handlers and zionist partners and local arab lackeys are old news. hizbullah defeated them all. what will any of you do besides talk here on this forum? nothing.
my grand father whas prime minister of lebanon.
He want to be president but he can’t because he whas muslim.
and me I am a little bloody.
The philosophy of this MOU is clear: “I’ll kiss you on the cheek today with an intent to screw you as hard as I can when the time comes!” It’s a game and quite a few have fallen to this charm offensive by HA. You associate yourself with the devil and he will surely devour you when you least expect it.
Freeze!!!
But it will be ok to kill and hurt anyone else (and non arab – non moslem)…that is the implication
Why would an agreement even have to me written if it were an actual and universal truth (that moslem shouldny kill moslem)
They know their time is up…
they only exist to hate israel..
no “greivance” = no power
my grandfather was a farmer, and he couldn’t become prime minister because he was a shiaa muslim.
and me, i’m a little bloody and a little disgruntled..
to downright lovely :
hahahahahahaha
[...] Mustapha at Beirut Spring posted an earlier article that reflects his opinion towards the benefits of this MoU: One can argue that Hezbollah’s Salafist partners are marginal, but one can’t deny that the M.O.U has achieved many objectives for them: It has calmed the nerves of Hezbollah Shiite supporters who were concerned about Iraqi-style terrorist attacks on their mosques and markets It has received wide acclaim in Lebanon and among Arabs for seeking to prevent intra-Islamic bloodletting It has added a dent to Hezbollah’s reputation (some would say manufactured) as a sectarian Shiite Movement It undermines the rationale of many pro-March 14 Sunni extremists who support the Future Movement because they believed Hezbollah’s project is an existential threat to Sunnis in Lebanon [...]