Nasrallah calls on Lebanon gov’t to offer Syria refugees safe passage to Europe

In his latest speech, Secretary-General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has called on the Lebanese government to help facilitate the safe passage of Syrian refugees into Europe by sea, stressing that this would give Beirut more leverage over the EU.

Nasrallah made the remarks yesterday evening during a televised speech commemorating the birth anniversaries of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his descendent and sixth Shia Imam, Jafaar Al-Sadiq, which also coincided with Islamic Unity Week.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: "The party responsible for the displacement of Syrians to #Lebanon is the one responsible for igniting the war in #Syria, the #UnitedStates." https://t.co/dUs2wxBYpt

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 2, 2023

The Hezbollah leader addressed the ceremony held at the Sayyed Shuhada complex based in the movement’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh.

Highlighting the country’s Syrian refugee crisis, Nasrallah placed the primary blame on the US for the mass displacement of Syrians, stating that Washington had instigated the war in Syria by supporting terrorist groups, creating the “first wave” of displacement, followed by sanctions enacted by the Caesar Act creating another wave.

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“The main party responsible for the influx of refugees into Lebanon is that who kindled the war in Syria, that is, the US government,” the Hezbollah leader said.

“Following the implementation of the Caesar Act, the United States is also responsible for the economic crisis in Syria. Those who believe that Syrian refugees are a threat to Lebanon must tell Washington that Lebanon would be saved through the abrogation of the Caesar Act,” Nasrallah added.

Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometre in the world, with an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees and some 13,715 refugees of other nationalities.

Among other issues raised, Nasrallah also took the opportunity to denounce the push for Muslim-majority states to normalise with Israel, stating that: “Any country that moves toward normalisation of its relations [with Israel] must be condemned, because this step amounts to abandoning Palestine and bolstering the [Zionist] enemy, which must not be tolerated.”

He also praised the large-scale commemorations marking the Prophet’s birthday in Yemen despite the hardships in the war-torn country, calling on other Muslims to follow their model in expressing love for the Prophet.

from the birthday anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH in Yemen pic.twitter.com/NibyiCsnpn

— سیده‌زینب (@SZainabHuda) September 28, 2023

He also condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan which targeted Muslims celebrating the occasion, killing at least 59.

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