In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the World. Peace be on our Master and Prophet – The Seal of Prophets – Mohammad and on his Chaste Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers.
Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessing.
Though my speech today is related to a special topic which is the conduct and performance of the International Investigation Committee and the international investigators under the General Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, as a lead-in, I see that it is my duty to mention the dangerous and serious incident that took place in the city of Umm Al-Fahm in Occupied Palestine in the territories occupied since 1948. It is a flagrant brutal aggression against our Palestinian brethrens there which we must view in the general conduct pursued by Netanyahu’s cabinet starting with the Nationality Law to the demand of acknowledging Israel as a Jewish state. What took place is neither ordinary nor incidental. It rather comes in a framework that puts the Palestinians living in the territories occupied since 1948 in the cycle of great risk. This must be noticed by all the governments and peoples of the Arab and Islamic world and worldwide so that they assume their responsibilities. The international and Arab silence on this incident and on what is taking place is quite remarkable.
What called on me to talk tonight was what took place yesterday when a delegation from the international investigators under the General Prosecutor visited the clinic of a gynecologist in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut (Dahiyeh) and asked the concerned doctor to let them have access to her patients’ archives – who are all women – since 2003 up to this day.
I will tackle in a while the argument that took place between them and the details of the incident. Well this is what held me today to address you and all audiences and listeners. It is because I believe we have reached a sensitive and very dangerous stage which has to do with our honor and dignity and which calls on all of us to take a different stance.
In fact, I did not wish to talk today had it not been for the local and foreign reactions and from high levels which I watched and heard yesterday. Today also there were more reactions whether from the General Prosecutor or the head of the STL or the concerned international parties until reaching the US State Department which condemned with the most forceful terms of condemnation – as it said – what took place in Dahiyeh.
Indeed American eyes are blind and American ears are deaf on what is taking place in Palestine and in Umm Al- Fahm – and that was what took place on one day only. No word was said on what took place in Umm Al-Fahm, though the magnitude and circumstances of what took place in Dahiyeh are not to be compared to the magnitude, circumstances and aims of what took place in Umm Al-Fahm.
This increased my conviction to carry on and talk tonight. In fact, another thing came to light; the Lebanese judicial authorities regained its vitality. I was amazed by the haste with which the State Prosecutor moved and with astounding promptness he opened an investigation on this case after remaining silent for long years on false witnesses. I thought he opened an investigation to apply the Lebanese laws but I heard that it is against the law. Anyway, the door of jurisprudence is open on whatever is called laws. However, aside from laws, we thought he made haste to defend our dignity and honor.
Anyway, this atmosphere affirms that the industrious US attempts – whether through Filtman’s visit and the contacts of Mrs. Clinton – aim at ruining all the Saudi-Syrian attempts to preserve this country’s integrity and stability. These US attempts are provoked by local and regional political forces which we know very well. Before starting my speech, I would like to tell you that few minutes ago I received some information which I hope is not true. It says that there are great US pressures on the General Prosecutor to hasten in issuing the indictment before its due date in December.
Anyway, when you see all these reactions you realize that what took place was not an accidental incident. It rather deserves contemplation and dealing with it as a turning point. What I will present to you and what I will ask from you is a turning point in the track in this issue.
However before moving to the sensitive side which has to do with our honor and the gynecologic documents, I would like to reveal the truth to the Lebanese and to all people: Until 5 or 7 minutes before my speech to you, there was a definite statue quo and a truth that was taking place and which I like to acknowledge. As many of the Lebanese, we in Hezbollah used to know the magnitude of security violation made by the international investigation and the international prosecutors of everything in Lebanon since 2005 until this very day. Still we remained silent on that. However indeed we will not remain silent tonight. Until no more than 7 minutes ago we were silent as many of the Lebanese in the country. Was that a right thing to be done or not is another point of discussion.
Why did we remain silent? We remained silent so that it won’t be said that there are some who want to obstruct the international investigation and block the way before revealing the truth on who assassinated martyr PM Rafiq Hariri. So we remained silent as we tried to observe the national and local sensitivities. We remained silent on all of these violations for years. Still these violations were taking place. I will present to you some quick titles of what the investigation committees demanded when it used to be called investigation committee and before the Special Tribunal was formed and then what was demanded by the General Prosecutor after the STL was formed. I will mention some and not all of the titles because I have a long list. Some of what was demanded by the investigation committee (what it was furnished with as some sides offered data while other sides showed reservation and other sides did not have enough information to offer is another field of research) is known by the Lebanese while some are not known by them.
For example, the international investigation asked for the files of the students in the private universities in Lebanon from 2003 to 2006. At least they demanded that from private universities and I do not know if they asked that from public universities. So all the files of university students – whether Lebanese or not – are with them. Henceforth were these files go, I will tell you in a while.
All so called communication data in Lebanon since 2003 – phone calls, sms… – whether from MTC, Alfa or Ogero from 2003 till this very day was given to international investigation and is updated regularly.
They called for fingerprints from the Passport directorate in the Public Security. All the fingerprints for passports with fingerprints on them were demanded. Argument took place on the issue. They made a settlement and fingerprints for 893 Lebanese persons were submitted.
They asked for all the DNA documents available in Lebanon. They asked for all the geographic documents and the Geographic Information System (GIS) in Lebanon. They want all what has to do with the Lebanese geography from the borderlines to the opposite borderlines: mountains, valleys, sensitive points, important points… This has its own world and terminologies. What does it have to do with the assassination of PM Hariri is another point of research? They demanded for statements for the subscribers in Elecricité du Liban. They spared no domain but they had access to it – apart from who gave them information and who did not. This is another point of discussion.
For all of this period of time we did not say a word though we knew that such data are much broader from investigating an assassination and though we knew that and especially in the last years the investigators worked at collecting information about Hezbollah much broader than what is linked to accusing a group or groups in the assassination of PM Rafiq Hariri and though we knew that this data reaches western security bodies and Israel. Copies of whatever the international investigators collect are transferred to Israel. Still we remained silent. Anyone in Lebanon and even from among our masses has the right to say we were mistaken or not in that. However I am only depicting what took place up to this moment.
Why did we remain silent? We remained silent only and only for having no one saying there are impediments. We know that used to cause much sensitivity in the country. We remained silent to show respect to the family of martyr Hariri, to the movement and to the general atmosphere in the country. For many and various considerations, that was what took place.
However, now we reached a point on which I believe we can not tolerate staying silent under whatever political, local or foreign considerations. Never! We can’t remain silent for the sake of anyone. Allow me to say here; what has the international investigation to do with gynecologic files for our women?
I am hesitant. Shall I speak out or not? However there are details which I will talk about later. Why? What do they need that for? Why do they come and ask for files from a specialist in a clinic which is most frequented by the women, wives and daughters of leaders, cadres and officials in Hezbollah? It is a very active clinic. They asked for the files at least from 2003 till 2010. I asked about the number of files and was told that they are for more than 7000 ladies (not examinations but ladies). So each file is for a woman which includes all examination, re-examinations and details.
The doctor argued saying: How come you make this request? These files have their privacy. After argument their demand was limited to 17 files. However the doctor might not have argued them and they might have had access to the archives as what might take place and did take place in other places. Still what do they have to do with these 17 files? What has the investigation to do with having access to gynecologic files for our women, wives, daughters and sisters? I would like to address the Lebanese officials with a question (because I heard some officials making statements in the media). I would like to ask the presidents, ministers, deputies, judges and even all the Lebanese: Who among you accept that anyone has access to the gynecologic file of his wife, mother, sister or daughter? Were they files that have to do with ophthalmology or otolaryngology, it might be acceptable. But when it comes to gynecology, who accepts that? Whoever accepts that in the country let him show up and say we accept and tolerate that and you also must tolerate that too! Let us know who this great honorable person in Lebanon is who can tolerate such an issue with such a magnitude!
Everyone in Lebanon and the region know that this can’t be tolerated. We can’t remain silent on that under whatever condition. If we talked in terms of human norms – with those who are still human beings indeed -, moral norms, traditions, customs and culture as Lebanese, as Arabs and as Easterners, religious considerations whether as Muslims or Christians and moral and religious norms, who accepts – without prior knowledge, consent and permission – that that takes place? Even from legal and judicial perspectives, this is debatable. I did not have time in fact to see if the laws in Lebanon and the judiciary system do not defend our honor. We have deputies in the Parliament. Let’s go then and work and call for laws that defend our honor though today I heard more than one side saying that on the legal level this is unacceptable or at least debatable.
Brothers and sisters! This scandalous development takes us back to point zero, to all the security violation taking place in Lebanon under the title of international investigation. We would not have wished to reach this but you have led us to this point. You have led us here. Is it still acceptable to remain approving of this violation as Lebanese whether we were in the presidential, governmental or parliamentary posts or in state administrations or as Lebanese people?
What is taking place is a violation. The investigation is over. The indictment they say will be issued has been written since 2006. It is the very indictment as was published in Dir Spiegel. Soon you will see. It is the very indictment as was published in Le Figaro. It is written and I have been informed of it no more than a few months ago. I have been informed of it in 2008.
Now I will not go more into details not to trouble the country anymore. The issue is over. All the investigations that are taking place are to make use of this cover to collect as much data as possible which will in fact make no difference as far as the investigation is concerned because it was inked with words of oppression, falsification, fabrication and aggression. It has been written already. Is it possible anymore to accept this violation of everything in this country: universities, companies, communication and gynecology?
There are doctors – we did not talk about that – who were contacted and who supplied them with scores of names and not only 17 or 20 names. They went themselves with the files with them. I knew of that. Still I told our brethrens: Well let’s have patience. This is not a gynecologic file. But when it reaches this limit, we will say no. Allow us! The whole world must allow us before this scandalous development: This is a particular conduct pursued by the international investigators, those behind them, those who support them and those who cover them. What is the responsibility now?
First: I call on every official in Lebanon and on every citizen in Lebanon to boycott these investigations and not to cooperate with them. The violation that has taken place already is enough. Because everything that is submitted to them reaches the Israelis and all the data and information and addresses reaches the Israelis, enough with this violation.
Second: I would like to say with all love and faithfulness. Let’s depict our statue quo. Carrying on cooperating with these will help on one hand in more violation of the country in all domains. On the other hand, it helps in aggressing against the Resistance. Any cooperation from now on with the international investigators will help them in aggressing against the resistance.
Third: I call on every official and every citizen in Lebanon from now on to deal with the demands of these investigators pursuant to his conscience, dignity and honor because in the past few weeks it seems that the investigators are running out of time and they want to benefit from the remaining time. Several doctors were threatened. Several persons were threatened by the International Investigation Committee. This is documented. Before whatever threat, I tell the people: You are before a responsibility which has to do with your honor, dignity, nationalism, morals and the fate of this country. Here I am calling on everyone to assume this responsibility.
This is an outcry and I want to stop here. Perhaps I had more details to say.
One of the professors called and asserted the applications and files of students in all the Lebanese universities – whether private or public – are with them i.e. with the Israelis. So the files of all your sons and daughters who entered the universities in Lebanon are with the Israelis. What does this have to do with the assassination of PM Hariri?
Anyway, I will stop here. I call on all officials to assume their responsibilities. I call on all people to deal with the issue according to their honor, dignity and nationalism. It’s time this violation of everything in Lebanon is over as it touched our honor – i.e. to the point one can’t tolerate and on which one can’t remain silent at anytime and not even for one moment. Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessing.