An Interesting Piece
Matthew Cassel, Electronic Lebanon, 8 December 2009
"....The new political document, however, contained few surprises for some observers like independent Lebanese journalist Bilal el-Amine. "It's not new for the people who have followed Hizballah over the past 20 years," he said. "The new document only formalizes Hizballah's process. [Unlike the 1985 letter] there is no call for an Islamic state which has been the de facto position for many years now; this shows their commitment to become an integral part of Lebanese society.".....
Today, Hassan Nasrallah is considered one of the most popular political figures among Arabs and Muslims around the world.....
"Hizballah reasserted its right as a resistance group but talked about it in the context of coordination between the state, the army and the resistance," el-Amine said. "The new document is a message to ease any worries internally in Lebanon about what Hizballah might be up to."
El-Amine added, "the document was heavy in its use of leftist terminology, much more than Islamist language and particularly in its strong rejection of neo-liberalism."
According to el-Amine, Nasrallah's references to Latin America -- where "Hizballah is heartened and inspired" by leftist leaders and movements that have taken strong positions against US dominance in the region -- "showed that Hizballah has much broader ideas."
Ghassan Makarem, a member of the Leftist Assembly for Change political movement in Lebanon, said the new document is representative of Hizballah's "political wing" because "their only other document is a call for arms. This is not a call for arms, this is a call for compromises.".....
Makarem criticized Hizballah, like most political groups in Lebanon, for paying "lip service" to initiatives aimed at eliminating political sectarianism, one of the most important issues for many Lebanese. However, few groups take practical steps to see that changes are implemented. "The document reflects a serious process of learning past lessons, but it also shows that it is more a program for [maintaining] the status quo," he said.
"All anti-imperialists say 'we support Hizballah when Hizballah is resisting,' but there is a big problem supporting the other policies," Makarem said. "They haven't really shown that they are willing to work on real economic reform, for example, and part of this is because they're still young politically," he said......"
Matthew Cassel, Electronic Lebanon, 8 December 2009
"....The new political document, however, contained few surprises for some observers like independent Lebanese journalist Bilal el-Amine. "It's not new for the people who have followed Hizballah over the past 20 years," he said. "The new document only formalizes Hizballah's process. [Unlike the 1985 letter] there is no call for an Islamic state which has been the de facto position for many years now; this shows their commitment to become an integral part of Lebanese society.".....
Today, Hassan Nasrallah is considered one of the most popular political figures among Arabs and Muslims around the world.....
"Hizballah reasserted its right as a resistance group but talked about it in the context of coordination between the state, the army and the resistance," el-Amine said. "The new document is a message to ease any worries internally in Lebanon about what Hizballah might be up to."
El-Amine added, "the document was heavy in its use of leftist terminology, much more than Islamist language and particularly in its strong rejection of neo-liberalism."
According to el-Amine, Nasrallah's references to Latin America -- where "Hizballah is heartened and inspired" by leftist leaders and movements that have taken strong positions against US dominance in the region -- "showed that Hizballah has much broader ideas."
Ghassan Makarem, a member of the Leftist Assembly for Change political movement in Lebanon, said the new document is representative of Hizballah's "political wing" because "their only other document is a call for arms. This is not a call for arms, this is a call for compromises.".....
Makarem criticized Hizballah, like most political groups in Lebanon, for paying "lip service" to initiatives aimed at eliminating political sectarianism, one of the most important issues for many Lebanese. However, few groups take practical steps to see that changes are implemented. "The document reflects a serious process of learning past lessons, but it also shows that it is more a program for [maintaining] the status quo," he said.
"All anti-imperialists say 'we support Hizballah when Hizballah is resisting,' but there is a big problem supporting the other policies," Makarem said. "They haven't really shown that they are willing to work on real economic reform, for example, and part of this is because they're still young politically," he said......"
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