From the party of Allah to the party of the devil

AHMET HAKAN

Hezbollah is a legend. A Middle Eastern legend.

* It has been only Hezbollah that was able to put a smile on the faces of Middle Eastern children who grew up with defeat after defeat.

* It has been only Hezbollah that made Israel go back since 1982, the country no power was able to move an inch.

* Israel, which has the superpowers behind its back, was unable to cope only with Hezbollah.

* The invader Israel only once had to withdraw from a region it had invaded because of Hezbollah resistance.

* Not only in 1982 but also in 2006, Israel experienced the biggest of all fiascos only before Hezbollah.
It is this Hezbollah that our Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ has announced should have its name changed to “Hezb-evil.”

Why? Because it is supporting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Mr. Bozdağ, who does not have it cross his mind to call Putin the “devil” even though he also supports Bashar al-Assad, does not hesitate to call Hezbollah the “devil.”

Mr. Bozdağ, who understands the reluctance of Russia for several reasons, one being energy trade, etc., does not exert the slightest effort to understand what is troubling Hezbollah.

Bekir Bozdağ said, “Bashar al-Assad is massacring children… And Hezbollah is supporting this massacre.”

Well, Mr. Bozdağ, why does this organization that has been able to make the Zionist regime withdraw, that has been able to put a smile on the faces of Middle Eastern children, that has been able to succeed in standing up to superpowers, why does it all of a sudden support a murderer who is killing children?

An organization that had been the party of Allah until yesterday, did it take a decision saying, ”Enough, we are tired of being God’s party, let’s be the devil’s party a little bit”?

This organization that has not been caught in the sectarian fanaticism, has it suddenly become “sectarian”?

Could it be that Hezbollah has another trouble?

Why don’t you lend an ear to Hezbollah? Why don’t you ask, “What is your trouble?” instead of calling them “the devil” and pulling away?

Hezbollah is saying:

* The imperialists and the Zionists have a plan.

* They will first cut out Syria, and then they will come for us.

* The real issue in Syria is to wipe out the resistance in the Middle East.

* When Syria is down, then next is Hezbollah. When Hezbollah is down, next comes Iran.

* It is an issue that children are being massacred. The opposition is massacring also.

Right or wrong, this is what Hezbollah says and how it regards the issue.

Mr. Bozdağ, don’t you have anything else to say but “the devil” for an organization that has made these statements? Doesn’t Hezbollahs chief Hassan Nasrallah deserve to be listened to and regarded as an interlocutor, at least as much as Russian President Vladimir Putin?

And the real question, most important of all:

Why doesn’t the entire Islamic world, with its Hezbollah, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Egypt, say, “This much bloodshed is enough… Both Bashar al-Assad and the opposition should immediately cease fire… All operations should stop. Shedding of the brother’s blood should come to an end. Let’s not further destroy the beautiful city of Damascus”?

Why does one side support al-Assad and the other side the opposition and change the pool of blood into a sea of blood?

Why doesn’t anyone extend a microphone, only one, to the Syrian opponents who say, “Cease fire, immediately,” in Syria and for this reason have incurred the wrath of both sides?

Why? Why? Why?

Ahmet Hakan is a columnist for daily Hürriyet, in which this piece was published on May 28. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.