On the first anniversary of October 7, the international media and world public opinion should ask themselves the following question: despite the deep religious divisions between Sunnis and Shiites that date back to the death of the Prophet, what unites the militants of Hamas (Sunnis) with those of Hezbollah (Shiites)?
On a practical level, we know it is the economic and military support of Iran. But there is a much deeper existential dimension: the promise that martyrdom will open the gates of paradise to oneself and one’s family.
This exaltation of earthly death (from the suicide of the kamikaze to being killed in combat) shines through in a striking interview by Seyyed Nasarralh to Der Spiegel on October 20, 1997 – a few weeks after the killing in battle of his son Hadi.
https://www.spiegel.de/politik/wir-lieben-den-tod-a-e81c76a1-0002-0001-0000-000008805772.
The title is emblematic “We Love Death”. Here are some excerpts:
…”We are proud of this fallen man. And I, as Secretary General of Hezbollah, am happy”. Q. Also as a father who lost his son? If I wanted to make you believe that the loss of my son does not hurt me, I would be lying. ……he died a martyr, and this is the highest feeling of joy that can inspire a father. …Q Are your political motivations stronger than the feelings of a father? We believe in God and according to our faith the martyr begins a new, much more beautiful life in heaven. … when the good and the bad stand before God, the martyr has the right to intercede for his family… So your son also sacrificed himself for the family? Hadi will surely take us to heaven; all the families of the martyrs will have this joy… Q.. Three years of training – that means that your son became a fighter at the age of 15. Can such a serious decision be left to a child? No, we see our children at this age as budding men who can make their own decisions. And I must admit that I was very pleased and happy with his decision. Each of these young people knows that the path he has chosen is the path of the martyr. Each of them awaits death and desires this martyrdom. We do not fear death, we love it and we thirst for it….
The love of death and the thirst for death do not belong to the vast majority of people (believers and non-believers or “differently believing” to use the expression of Norberto Bobbio). This is why the cry “Woman, life and freedom” of Iranian women sends a universal message that goes far beyond the political and cultural dimension of the West.
Marco Mayer
Lascia un commento