Michael Young
NOW Lebanon
21 May '10
Posted before Shabbat
Two news items on Hezbollah caught my eye in the past few days, showing why lucidity about the party can sometimes be a luxury.
The first is a report informing us that John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s assistant for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, recently told a conference in Washington that the United States sought to strengthen “moderates” within Hezbollah.
“There are certainly the elements of Hezbollah that are truly a concern to us [in] what they’re doing. And what we need to do is to find ways to diminish their influence within the organization and to try to build up the more moderate elements,” Brennan declared.
The second is an AFP news story reporting that around 500 St. Joseph University students were offered a field trip in the South by Hezbollah last weekend. The students were shown around by party guides, taken to the scenes of battles past and future, and even given an oral examination about Hezbollah lore (Who was the first Hezbollah martyr? What Israeli airport did Hassan Nasrallah promise to bomb in a new war? That sort of thing).
One guide, Muhammad Taleb, explained the purpose of the visit this way: “We want to familiarize young people with the achievements of the Resistance and show them how unjust the Israeli occupation was and how glorious the liberation by the Islamic Resistance.”
A bouquet of quotes helps us capture the mood that day. “It is overwhelming to be here. You feel invincible, and you feel ready to sacrifice yourself for your country,” declared Rim, a pharmaceutical studies student. Lama, a business major, admitted, “They have won me over. I learned a lot of interesting things about the south and Hezbollah’s weapons. It’s cool.” A French student added, “This is surreal, it’s like Disneyland. I never expected to see this.”
Perhaps John Brennan should take the tour as well. After all, if Hezbollah can recreate Disneyland, there must be grounds for cultural understanding between the party and the United States.
(Read full story)
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.
Two news items on Hezbollah caught my eye in the past few days, showing why lucidity about the party can sometimes be a luxury.
The first is a report informing us that John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s assistant for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, recently told a conference in Washington that the United States sought to strengthen “moderates” within Hezbollah.
“There are certainly the elements of Hezbollah that are truly a concern to us [in] what they’re doing. And what we need to do is to find ways to diminish their influence within the organization and to try to build up the more moderate elements,” Brennan declared.
The second is an AFP news story reporting that around 500 St. Joseph University students were offered a field trip in the South by Hezbollah last weekend. The students were shown around by party guides, taken to the scenes of battles past and future, and even given an oral examination about Hezbollah lore (Who was the first Hezbollah martyr? What Israeli airport did Hassan Nasrallah promise to bomb in a new war? That sort of thing).
One guide, Muhammad Taleb, explained the purpose of the visit this way: “We want to familiarize young people with the achievements of the Resistance and show them how unjust the Israeli occupation was and how glorious the liberation by the Islamic Resistance.”
A bouquet of quotes helps us capture the mood that day. “It is overwhelming to be here. You feel invincible, and you feel ready to sacrifice yourself for your country,” declared Rim, a pharmaceutical studies student. Lama, a business major, admitted, “They have won me over. I learned a lot of interesting things about the south and Hezbollah’s weapons. It’s cool.” A French student added, “This is surreal, it’s like Disneyland. I never expected to see this.”
Perhaps John Brennan should take the tour as well. After all, if Hezbollah can recreate Disneyland, there must be grounds for cultural understanding between the party and the United States.
(Read full story)
If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.
.
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