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Hezbollah’s Iranian identity: Ceremony of Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon with conspicuous personality cult of Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei

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The audience in the hall raises the photo of Ali Khamenei during the “Song of the Pledge of Allegiance” (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)

The audience in the hall raises the photo of Ali Khamenei during the “Song of the Pledge of Allegiance” (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)

The audience in the hall raises the photo of Ali Khamenei during the “Song of the Pledge of Allegiance” (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)

The audience in the hall raises the photo of Ali Khamenei during the “Song of the Pledge of Allegiance” (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)

Chairman of the Executive Council Sayyid Hashem Safi al-Din delivers a speech at the ceremony. The logo designed for the event is visible in the background: A silhouette of a boy, a student and a man wearing a cap decorated with a red band (a sort of a desired “life cycle” for a Hezbollah supporter, according to which Hezbollah’s civilian infrastructure has been created: from infancy, through studies, to military or civilian activity in the ranks of Hezbollah) (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)

Chairman of the Executive Council Sayyid Hashem Safi al-Din delivers a speech at the ceremony. The logo designed for the event is visible in the background: A silhouette of a boy, a student and a man wearing a cap decorated with a red band (a sort of a desired “life cycle” for a Hezbollah supporter, according to which Hezbollah’s civilian infrastructure has been created: from infancy, through studies, to military or civilian activity in the ranks of Hezbollah) (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)

Overview
  • Since its inception, the Lebanese Hezbollah has been inculcating the ideology of the Iranian Islamic Revolution in the Shiites in Lebanon, establishing the personality cult of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Imam Ruhollah Khomeini, and emphasizing that Hezbollah is totally subject to the Supreme Leader (see appendices A, C and D). On the other hand, time and again senior Iranian leaders have stressed Hezbollah’s complete loyalty to Iran and its commitment to the Iranian leadership (see Appendix B). Cultivating Khamenei’s personality cult is evidence that Hezbollah regards Iran and its leader the highest source of authority for its strategy, including its military moves against Israel.

An up-to-date example of the personality cult of Ali Khamenei can be found in the opening ceremony of Hezbollah’s summer activity in southern Lebanon, attended by operatives of Hezbollah’s military and civilian infrastructures. At the end of the ceremony, the participants sang the “Song of Pledge of Allegiance” to the ruling Islamic jurist (wali al-Faqih[1] ) Imam Ali Khamenei. The song is also called “We Love Loyalty.” The contents first and foremost express commitment and loyalty to Iranian Leader Khamenei (“We love loyalty, loudly do we pray for Ali Khamenei”). Another motif in the song is solidarity between Hezbollah and other countries where Iran handles proxies among the Shiite communities. The common denominator between Hezbollah and the Shiite communities mentioned in the song (Bahrain, Yemen, and Iraq) is loyalty to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iranian Leader Khamenei’s personality cult at the Hezbollah ceremony in southern Lebanon
  • On June 28, 2019, Hezbollah held the opening ceremony of its Executive Council’s summer activity. The ceremony, entitled “Our Generations are the Message of Victory,” took place in the hussainiya (a Shiite social/religious club of sorts) of the city of Nabatieh. It was also attended by the chairman of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, Sayyid Hashem Safi al-din. Hezbollah operatives from the military wing and political institutions took part in the ceremony, as well as Shiite clerics. The venue was decorated with posters honoring Hezbollah’s shahids, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei. During the event, a film about the forthcoming activity of Hezbollah’s civilian infrastructure in the summer of 2019 was screened (Facebook page of the Rassed network[2], June 28, 2019).
  • The audience attending the ceremony partly consisted of members of the institutions and organizations comprising the extensive civilian infrastructure established by Hezbollah among the Shiite population in Lebanon. Representatives of some of the institutions and organizations were in uniform. Thus, for example, representatives of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts,[3] the Islamic Health Organization,[4] the Sports Mobilization[5] and more could be seen among the audience (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Alongside the representatives of the civilian institutions, the event was also attended by operatives of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and a group of Shiite clerics.
Photos from the ceremony

Chairman of the Executive Council Sayyid Hashem Safi al-Din delivers a speech at the ceremony. The logo designed for the event is visible in the background: A silhouette of a boy, a student and a man wearing a cap decorated with a red band (a sort of a desired “life cycle” for a Hezbollah supporter, according to which Hezbollah’s civilian infrastructure has been created: from infancy, through studies, to military or civilian activity in the ranks of Hezbollah) (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)
Chairman of the Executive Council Sayyid Hashem Safi al-Din delivers a speech at the ceremony. The logo designed for the event is visible in the background: A silhouette of a boy, a student and a man wearing a cap decorated with a red band (a sort of a desired “life cycle” for a Hezbollah supporter, according to which Hezbollah’s civilian infrastructure has been created: from infancy, through studies, to military or civilian activity in the ranks of Hezbollah) (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019)

Representatives of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Pictures of Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyid Abbas Mussawi are visible in the background.      Clerics attending the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019).
Right: Clerics attending the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Left: Representatives of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Pictures of Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyid Abbas Mussawi are visible in the background.
Representatives of the Islamic Health Organization who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Pictures of Sheikh Ghareb Harb and Hajj Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah’s most senior shahids, are prominently displayed in the background.      A group of people wearing uniforms attending the ceremony. Apparently, these are operatives of the military wing (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019).
Right: A group of people wearing uniforms attending the ceremony. Apparently, these are operatives of the military wing (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Left: Representatives of the Islamic Health Organization who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Pictures of Sheikh Ghareb Harb and Hajj Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah’s most senior shahids, are prominently displayed in the background.
Apparently, members of Hezbollah’s ballot committees in the 2018 elections for the Lebanese Parliament (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Pictures of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Imad Mughniyeh are seen in the background.     Representatives of the Sports Mobilization who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019).
Right: Representatives of the Sports Mobilization who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Left: Apparently, members of Hezbollah’s ballot committees in the 2018 elections for the Lebanese Parliament (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Pictures of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Imad Mughniyeh are seen in the background.
Representatives of the “Lebanese Companies of Resistance to the Israeli Occupation” who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). A poster with the Hezbollah emblem and the picture of Sayyid Abbas Mussawi, Nasrallah’s predecessor who met his death in a targeted killing, are visible in the background.      Representatives of various unidentified Hezbollah institutions (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019).
Right: Representatives of various unidentified Hezbollah institutions (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). Left: Representatives of the “Lebanese Companies of Resistance to the Israeli Occupation”[6] who attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Rassed network, June 28, 2019). A poster with the Hezbollah emblem and the picture of Sayyid Abbas Mussawi, Nasrallah’s predecessor who met his death in a targeted killing, are visible in the background.

Song of praise for Ali Khamenei, sung by Hezbollah operatives in the ceremony

  • Following is the ITIC’s translation of the song (as posted on the YouTube channel of the Union of Rijal Allah (i.e., the Men of Allah) on January 7, 2018):

This is the entire story we love Wilayah[7] Loudly do we pray for Ali Khamenei Sayyidi [i.e., Khamenei] son of Al-Hussain[8] we are the sons of Khomeini Loudly do we express our loyalty to Ali Khamenei Nasrallah, for us you will always be a guide and a secretary-general Victory is there, no doubt, and we shall eliminate the infidels Heaven and earth will testify that Khamenei is a role model Loudly do we express our loyalty to Ali Khamenei Sayyidi [i.e., Khamenei] son of Muhammad these souls testify We shall wear our sacrifice uniform for Ali Khamenei Bahrain, standing fast whose men are like lions Cry “We do not need sleep!” smashing all shackles The same call is heard, it is a Karbala resoluteness![9] Loudly do we express our loyalty to Ali Khamenei Yemen, the land of challenge your supporters are calling, Mahdi[10] The Wahhabi (i.e., Saudis) will not pass for I shall stop him This assertive and proud land will be soaked with blood Loudly do we express our loyalty to Ali Khamenei We, supporters of the Aqila[11] only saw a wonderful thing[12] Promise from the lord of heavens to Ali Khamenei Land of the Euphrates and Tigris its [Popular] Mobilization[13] is a Hussayni line Led a clear victory against a cursed organization[14] A sky-high aspiration from the blood of shahids Loudly do we express our loyalty to Ali Khamenei

  • Two main motifs stand out in the song:

Personality cult of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the father of Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini. Apart from the personality cult, Imam Khomeini’s conception of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist was also inculcated. The main target audiences of this personality cult, indeed attending the ceremony, are the younger generation (school and university students), Hezbollah’s military and civilian operatives, and the Shiite population in general. The personality cult was intended to entrench Hezbollah’s control over the Shiite population and strengthen the population’s solidarity with Iran, and at the same time create new generations of Hezbollah operatives inspired with Khomeini’s ideology, who will take part in the military campaign against Israel.

  • Solidarity with the Shiites in Iran and with Shiites in other countries in the Middle East where Iran handles proxies (Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain). This motif of pan-Shiite solidarity stands out in Hezbollah’s indoctrination since late 2018 and comes into expression in various events, for instance: a donation campaign for child victims of the war in Yemen (Facebook page of the Al-Qard al-Hasan Association, a Hezbollah quasi-bank, November 30, 2018); donation campaign for victims of the floods in Iran (Twitter account of the Al-Imdad Association, April 8, 2019; Facebook page of Al-Mumahidun Resistance Media, April 9, 2019); and sending volunteers to assist the victims of the floods in Iran (Sputnik, April 20, 2019); memorial ceremonies for Shiites killed in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (Ra msey Twitter account, May 2019) etc.
Members of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts in the village of Sreifa in southern Lebanon at a memorial ceremony for Shiite shahids in Saudi Arabia (Ra msey Twitter account, May 2019)     Members of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts in the village of Sreifa in southern Lebanon at a memorial ceremony for Shiite shahids in Saudi Arabia (Ra msey Twitter account, May 2019)
Members of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts in the village of Sreifa in southern Lebanon at a memorial ceremony for Shiite shahids in Saudi Arabia (Ra msey Twitter account, May 2019)

Advertising the possibility of donating to the children of Yemen through account No. 8142301 in the Al-Qard al-Hasan Association, a Hezbollah quasi-bank (Facebook page of the Al-Qard al-Hasan Association, November 30, 2018)
Advertising the possibility of donating to the children of Yemen through account No. 8142301 in the Al-Qard al-Hasan Association, a Hezbollah quasi-bank (Facebook page of the Al-Qard al-Hasan Association, November 30, 2018)

Appendices
  • For further examples of Ali Khamenei’s personality cult and Hezbollah’s utter subordination to the Iranian regime, see the following four appendices:
    • Appendix A: Statements by Hezbollah’s senior officials
    • Appendix B: Statements by senior officials of the Iranian regime
    • Appendix C: Books and booklets distributed in Lebanon by Hezbollah
    • Appendix D: Examples of material seized by the IDF in the Second Lebanon War

[1] Wilayat al-Faqih is Imam Khomeini’s concept that the regime should be entrusted in the hands of the Islamic jurist. According to this concept, the jurist has the authority to be the arbiter of all matters of state. ↑
[2] The page was shut down by Facebook around July 20, 2019 (Twitter account of the Rassed network, July 20, 2019). ↑
[3] See the ITIC's Information Bulletin from July 11, 2019, “The Imam al-Mahdi Scouts Association: Hezbollah’s youth movement which indoctrinates youth with Iranian radical Shiite Islam and serves as a source of youngsters who join Hezbollah” ↑
[4] See the ITIC's Information Bulletin from July 24, 2019, (Hebrew), “The Islamic Health Organization: A Hezbollah institution providing health services to Hezbollah operatives and the Shiite population in general as a means for gaining influence and creating a Shiite mini-state within Lebanon” (the document is currently under translation). ↑
[5] See the ITIC's Information Bulletin from July 29, 2019, “Sports in the service of terrorism: Hezbollah’s Sports Mobilization conducts extensive sports activity, using it for indoctrinating and preparing youth to join the ranks of Hezbollah” ↑
[6] A voluntary military unit established in the late 1990s upon Hezbollah’s initiation. Intended for Lebanese of all sects, its establishment was designed to create an impression that fighting against Israel is national, all-Lebanese, and not only Shiite. In practice, the initiation proved ineffective and Hezbollah was and remained an organization of Shiite sectarian nature. ↑
[7] Wilayah may be translated as either loyalty or guardianship. ↑
[8] The third Imam, a key figure in Shiite Islam – the son of Ali (the Prophet’s cousin) and Fatima (the Prophet’s daughter). ↑
[9] The Battle of Karbala, waged in 680 CE between supporters of Imam Hussain and the army of the Umayyad Caliphate, is a formative event in Shiite Islam. Many values which Shiite fighters still regard as a model for fighting are reflected in this battle. These values are, first and foremost – fighting until death and sacrificing the body and soul for a sublime cause. In the song’s text, “Karbala resoluteness” means willingness to die as shahids for the cause (the context is incitement of Shiites in Bahrain to revolt against the regime). ↑
[10] Imam al-Mahdi, one of the titles of the Twelfth Imam, a key figure in Shiite Islam. ↑
[11] One of the titles of Sayyida Zaynab, sister of Imam Hussain. ↑
[12] Based on a quote by Sayyida Zaynab after the Battle of Karbala. When asked, “How do you regard what Allah has done to your brother Hussain and to his family members?” she replied, “I have only seen a wonderful thing. This is a group that Allah has sentenced to death and now they rest in peace.” ↑
[13] Reference to the Popular Mobilization, the umbrella framework of the Shiite militias in Iraq. ↑
[14] Reference to the Islamic State (ISIS). ↑

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