Friday September 14, 2018

I've Been Thinking:

The leader of Hezbollah was moved to tears during a speech he delivered yesterday. Not quite what you would expect from Hassan Nasrallah.

Nasrallah was begging his followers not to cut the faces of their children. Mutilation and self-mutilation are part of Shiite tradition, especially on Ashurah. Ashurah is the anniversary of the brutal death of Mohammed's grandson Hussein Ibn Ali during the battle of Karbala.

To reenact this historical event, Shiite Muslims whip themselves and others. They also cut themselves and each other.

Nasrallah said: "The whole world sees what is happening here today and I ask you all to restrain yourselves and to distance yourselves from anyone who seeks to create a negative impression about us." Then he started to cry.

ISIS, Nasrallah said, is the real enemy: "ISIS leaves an impression that causes the most harm to us. Islamic scholars condemn them."

Crocodile tears? Perhaps.

Effective? Time will tell.

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