Hezbollah

Founded in Lebanon following the Israeli invasion in 1982, Hezbollah (“party of Allah”) is a Shia Lebanese political party, a pan-Shia movement, and a regional client of Iran. Hezbollah has had a radical Shia Islamist ideology from the beginning, and its formation, backing, and training were largely shaped by Iran’s special operations Quds Force.

Hezbollah initially gained influence by uniting Lebanon’s Shia minority to end the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon – which it succeeded in doing in 2000. Hezbollah’s prestige as a military force was greatly enhanced in 2006 when it fought the Israeli army to a standstill after Israel invaded Lebanon – something no other Arab army has done!

Hassan Nasrallah has led Hezbollah since 1992, after his predecessor was assassinated by Israel. Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah has preserved its defining objective of eventually destroying Israel, while greatly expanding its local, regional, and global activities and influence. Its army has played strategic roles supporting the Assad regime in its war against Sunni rebels in Syria, and it serves Iran’s global vision militarily by working closely with Iran’s Quds Force.

Hezbollah controls much of what happens in Lebanon, and it maintains a large private army that operates with impunity. Because of its extensive social program serving Lebanese Shias (hospitals, schools, and services of all kinds), Hezbollah is quite popular in Lebanon and is supported even by Christian political parties. In order to try and remake itself into a political party in Lebanon, it is softening its rhetoric against Israel and cooperating somewhat with Lebanese Sunni and Christian factions.

Beyond its desire to set up a Shia Islamic republic in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s objectives include: eliminating the state of Israel, supporting Shias worldwide, undermining Arab Sunni states, supporting the Iranian Shia revolution, and challenging “Western imperialism.”

Hezbollah has significant support networks in Africa, Southeast Asia, North and South America, and Europe. As a paramilitary terrorist organization, Hezbollah has carried out terrorist attacks against Western and Sunni Arab interests all over the world for decades, including high profile attacks in all of the above listed regions. Recently it has become increasingly engaged in conflicts with Saudi and Western interests throughout the Arabian/Persian Gulf.

Despite Hezbollah’s military strength and prestige, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but…against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12). This is a spiritual battle against our adversary, the devil, who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8).

While holding to an extensive social program for its peoples is good, we hate the darkness and underlying evil, and we grieve the resulting bloodshed and pain. Yet Jesus still says, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). God’s love reaches not only those suffering under this oppression, but it reaches even into the ranks of Hezbollah. Just as God transformed Saul into Paul through an encounter with Jesus, so can He transform today’s persecutors into tomorrow’s evangelists. And He is doing just that.