Playing Dirty?

How fair is it for the March 14 group to invoke a 9-year-old Nassrallah statement to further their political objectives?

In today’s edition, the March 14 official website digs up an obscure Nassrallah interview with Assafir back in November 1997. In the interview, Hezbollah’s head said that civil disobedience in principle is unacceptable unless it is ordered by Al-Wali al-Fakeeh, (a supreme supra-nationalist Shiaa authority.)

Supporters of such tactics would argue that Nassrallah’s interview revealed his ideological convictions, and that such convictions do not change with time. In other words, the forthcoming civil disobedience by Nassrallah would be based on orders from outside the Lebanese territories. Some would even say that this interview is aimed at Christian Aounists who believe that today’s struggle is a pure Lebanese matter. But is this a wise PR move by March 14?

The move is wrong for two reasons. One is moral, the other is tactical.

First, people change. You can’t discount the amount of experience one can get in 9 years. We as human beings are subject to constant experiences that continuously mold our personalities and beliefs through time. Did you know for example that Hariri as a student was a communist?

The other reason why such PR tactics are ill-advised, is purely one of self interest. Most of March 14’s houses are made of glass and throwing stones at opponents can backfire. The last thing the Lebanese need is Al-manar TV, Al-akhbar, New TV and NBN, getting filled with old speeches by Jumblat waxing poetics on Lebanese-Syrian fraternity, or with recording by Samir Geagea admitting to killing people…

The tactic smacks of cheap pettiness and should be immediately revised.