Sunday, August 13, 2006

Possible links of Hezbollah and IRI

First time, I ever heard the word Hezbollah was during a post-Islamic revolution dissident rally in Tehran. It was a small rally compared to the then revolutionary standards of marches in Iran. We were just approaching the then Prime Minister's office, Mehdi Bazargan, and I could feel trouble was looming. The march organisers got some of the male participants, including myself to link hands and form a human chain to protect the women and the elderly in our small rally.
An angry mob had gathered in a side street to disrupt our march. Those of us who were forming the chain had to get face to face with them as we passed the side street. Our crowd were chanting for freedom and pluralism and the angry mob in the side street were chanting 'Hezb faghat Hezbollah, rahbar faghat Rouhollah' - 'The only party is the party of Allah, the only leader is Rouhallah (Khomeini's first name).

Despite all the noise and the chants from both sides, I could almost hear my own heart pounding as we got closer. I was a young teenager, thoughts quickly flashed past me. "Will these be the last breaths I take?", "Will I wake up in a hospital next with an eye, or a limb missing?", "should I swallow my pride, let go of the chain, run and save myself?". And just then, bang it went, the angry Hezbollah chanting mob lost their patience and attacked our crowd. The human chain we had formed was no match for them, this was a clash between hired petty hoodlums, used to street fighting, and ordinary decent people who wanted to stop Iran from being monopolised by one narrow minded monopolistic sect.

Our protest march had come to a halt, there was a melee in the middle section of our rally ahead of where I was standing. It was shortly after the revolution, the mullahs had not fully consolidated their power yet and women could still walk around without Islamic head covers. Those women without a scarf were a particular target for the Hezbollah mob. How could I run away now, when the women were attacked? I had to help whatever happened, I tried to reach the trouble spot, predicting unpleasant consequences . Luckily, this was yet another situation in my life where sheer luck somehow saved me. God knows from where but from somewhere, the Air Force Cadets (Homafar) appeared, rifles in their hands, they rescued the women from the Hezbollah mob by shooting in the air. The Cadets managed to push back the Hezbollah chanting mob into the side street. We formed the human chain again, although this was now more symbolic than anything. We carried on walking past the Hezbollah; but fortunately with the Air Cadets forming a human wall between the two sides. I looked at the Hezbollah's faces as I went past them, they were faces of ignorance, hate and brutality.

As the mullahs secured absolute power in Iran, the Hezbollah were no longer just the hoodlum mob paid to break up demos that I came face to face with several times, they were now a sophisticated, well funded offshoot of the Shiite clerics in Lebanon.

It makes me laugh when some Western reporters still say "possible links of Hezbollah with Iran"! Possible links?? Are you kidding? How much more obvious and possible must these links be? Aren't the posters of Ayatollah Khomeini, Khamenei and Ahmadi-Nejad in Hezbollah strongholds of Lebanon proof enough? Perhaps my friend Amir Irani Tehrani's weblog and his account of Lebanon in the one month he was there will give a few clues of possible links with IRI!

I hear that Hezbollah receives $100M a year from the Islamic Republic of Iran just in cash funds - let alone all the hospitals, schools, arms, missiles and trade favours. The reports are keen to mention that the Hezbollah have grass roots support in Lebanon. Well with that much funding, who wouldn't have grass root support?

The picture in this post shows a recent "East Tehran Women's Olympics" parade. Possible links between Hezbollah and IRI? or do Iranian sportswomen love Hezbollah's leader so much that they spontaneously carry his posters? Hmmm, I wonder...


Winston said...

And I think that's the reason why most Iranians hate the Lebanese hezbollah for the same reasons they hate iranian version of it.

The word hezbollah reminds us the oppression we have suffered since 1979

Melvyn said...

It seems that trying to convince the Iranian leadership to disarm Hizb'Allah is not an option. Do you believe the Lebanese could ever do this? UN Security Council resolution 1701 obliges them to but they're already looking for ways to avoid the responsibility (Time Magazine).

Azarmehr said...

The Lebanese people have to decide whether they want to have a national Lebanese army running the country or an armed group in the pay of the Islamic Republic, in control of the country.

Winston said...

Have you noticed that Hoder the idiot has mentioned you in his english Bullshitlog?

Hanif Leylabi said...

I was in Iran recently and I can tell you for sure that most Iranians do not hate the Lebanese Hizballah.

In this time of massive imperialist agression it is crucial to give solidarity to the Resistance. I salute all the shaheed from Hizballah and the Hizb Communist Lobnan.

If Israel wins then Iran loses and her people will face starvation, a hail of bombs and god knows what else.

Javeed Moqavamat!

Azarmehr said...

"Most Iranians do not hate the Hizbollah". Hanif, how did you manage to speak to most Iranians? Do you mean most Iranians you met?
Also tell us about "the Hizb Communist Lobnan" - The Hizbollah in Iran used to regularly beat up and murder the Iranian Communists.
"dAs, chakosh setAreh - soosool neh bAr miAreh"
"Hammer, Sickle and star - sure recipe for making a poof" was one of their frequent slogans against the Iranian Communists.

Anonymous said...

As I have advised you before, you need to face reality and not live in a dream.

As someone who visits Iran regularly, I can confirm what Hanif is saying about Iranians liking Hezbollah. I mean real Iranians and not the ones in Finchley and Hollywood.

I hate Hizbollah more than all of you put together for personal reasons but when it comes to facts, the facts prevail whether Azarmehr likes it or not.


Hanif Leylabi said...

Azarmehr - Most Iranians I talked to. Including Persians, Azaris, Armenians, Muslims, non Muslims rich and poor.

Only two or three people I talked two approved of the Iranian regime however. The two are seperate things.

The Lebanese Communist Party fought along side Hezbollah in the recent conflict and two of their Comrades were martyred.

Their comrades also comprised most of the suicide bombers in the last Israeli occupation of Lebanon 1982-2000.

Do you want a military assault on Iran?

Azarmehr said...

Shut up, you tart! As Del boy would say to Rodney :) "Do you want a military assault"?
No I dont want a military assault and thats why I don't want to have anything to do with Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, North Korea, Lebanese Communist Party and their "two martyrs".

If we have a secular democratic state rather than our government getting involved in issues that have nothing to do with our national interests, then that would be the best safeguard against a military assault?

In any case, you think the Americans and the Israelis will decide on a military assault against Iran based on our conversation on my blog? :)))

Winston said...

Why god created Commies so dumb?

Azarmehr said...


In case you think my writings on Hezbollah and IRI may hasten an attack on Iran!! See what the IRI websites themselves write on the subject:

Hanif Leylabi said...

I was asking your opinion, not asking you to give a fatva.

National Interest? Do Iranian millionaries living at the base of the Alborz have the same interests as Iranians living in the slums of South Tehran?

I don't think so. What you mean is you want a government working in the interests of the middle class in Iran. Like in the good ol' days of the Shah.

How do you think we can get a secular government in Iran? Through foreign intervention or through mass popular movements?

If the latter, don't you think you should be doing everything necessary to overt war, rather than practically making the case for war on Iran?

Azarmehr said...

Actually yes all Iranians have certain common interests regardless of their class. Thats why its called "National Interest".
For example regardless of whether you live in North Tehran or the slums of Tehran, it is not in our national interest to help Hamas or Hezbollah and provoke war. What do any Iranians gain from sponsoring these groups?
Thats why the workers and teachers shouted: "felestino rahA kon, ye fekr beh hAle mA kon"
The money given to Hamas and Hezbollah should be spent in teh slums across Iran.

As for foreign intervention or popular mass movement? I think the later obviously. Which is why as expats we should help the movements of workers, teachers, students, youth, women, etc. by helping them and soliciting the international public opinion in their support so that these vanguard movements reach that critical mass needed.
What have you or the SWP done in this regard? I have asked you this question many times before? One example, one campaign in the last 27 years will suffice.

Hanif Leylabi said...

No they have nothing in common with each other apart from language and Kabaab.

A victory for the Iranian working class is a victory for every working class person in the world and vice versa.

Defeat for imperialism in the middle east is a working class victory so supporting resistance movements is crucial. Obviously I think money should be spent in Iranian slums but backing resistance movements is also possible.

Of course Hezbollah wouldn't be my first choice.

Azarmehr said...

Thank you Hanif. Once again you have avoided answering my question.
You and the SWP have carried out NO campaigns in the last 27 years for the Iranian pro-democracy movement.

A victory for Hezbollah is no victory for the Iranian working classes at all. It is a victory for the mullahs only.

We have no national interest in a conflict with Israel, we have no national interest in supporting anti-Israeli forces.
We have no territorial conflicts with Israel. It is not the Israelis who want to rename the Persian Gulf as Arab Gulf or capture our islands or Arvand-rood.
Israelis are our allies in the region against Arab imperialism, expansionism and despotism. Israel is a democracy. Israel has never harmed us, what ever project the Israelis have been involved in Iran in the past has been to the benefit of our people.

Anonymous said...

If Israel receives Arms , cluster bombs , and bunk busting bombs from America and 3 billion dollars from the US , why shouldnt iran help Hezbollah . the Arabs are a bunch of cowards and wont do a thing to upset their boss in the US, they wont help , hezbollah has no other choice really . i do not want them to take a dime from those coward and traitors either .

Anonymous said...

unfortunately the Lebanese army has been tested and has done nothing to kick the Israelis out it had to be Hezbollah who did it , and in summer 2006 , the Coward army was offering tea to the zionists in Maajeeyoun. but they can pound the Palestinian refugiee camps and show how brave they are .

Anonymous said...

the Iranians love Hezbollah in Lebanon and support it . I have seen most the callers who call to support Hezbollah on the Channel Al Alam are iranians. Many iranians leave messages of support on the Al Manar website too .

Anonymous said...

First off, there is no such thing as Lebanese Hezbollah. Hezbollah as it is known today was the political vision of Khomeini since the beginning. His insistence to establish this political party in Iran was what led to his exile to Iraq for almost sixteen years prior to the so-called Iranian Revolution. As any Iranian who had the misfortune of living through those dark days of pre-revolution in late 1978 would attest to, the chants of 'Hezb faghat Hezbollah, rahbar faghat Rouhollah' were always heard, especially at nights during the Marshall Law days. In order to make his presence known to the world and asserting itself as a political powerhouse within the region, the Lebanese version was created by Khomeini under the guise of assisting his Shiite’ brethren to fight against the Israeli military incursions and the possible American involvement in southern Lebanon. Well, the rest is history.