Sheikh Naim Qassem: Hezbollah is after defending Lebanon

“The Islamic Resistance seeks to achieve two goals by participating in power; first to prevent Israeli aggression on Lebanon and second to solve the living problems of the people,” the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah stated.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the committees associated with Hezbollah in Nabatiyeh, Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah said, “there are many problems and crises currently facing Lebanon, especially in the political arena, and the government is unable to solve these problems.”

He added that any plans to implement a plan to solve Lebanon’s mounting problems must be for the benefit of the people and that those who are involved in corruption must be removed. In this situation, the government has two options – to implement a plan with the participation of the corrupters or to completely suspend the plan.

The Lebanese cleric went on to add, “corruption in Lebanon is rooted in the foundations of the political system and naturally, the political system in need of radical reform.”

Shaykh Qassem added that sectarianism and ignoring the people’s rights is at the root of all the country’s problems. “Hezbollah as a party is a component of the Lebanese state and carries a burden of responsibility and is striving to solve the problems of the people,” he said.

The senior Hezbollah official stated that the Islamic Resistance seeks to achieve two goals by participating in power; the first goal is to prevent Israeli aggression on Lebanon and the second goal is to solve the living problems of the people.

He added that it is clear that Hezbollah is in no way political polluted by the rampant corruption in Lebanon’s political system, but some people are trying to accuse Hezbollah and the resistance of being involved in cases of corruption.

Shaykh Qassem referring to the popular protests that began in Beirut against the country’s mounting garbage crisis and corruption, stressed that these protests began as an excuse over the accumulation of waste on the streets but have since grown to encompass other issues, such as the right of the people to protest.

He explained that Hezbollah decided not to be a part of these events and will achieve their vision for Lebanon through other appropriate means in order to achieve the best interests of the people.

The Lebanese cleric explained that some think due to its great influence, Hezbollah can solve Lebanon’s problems, but he stressed that Hezbollah cannot solve any problem without the cooperation of the government.