Al-Arab, London, February 15
It is difficult for anyone who loves and cares about Lebanon to recall the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri 14 years ago this week. This horrific crime changed the course of our nation for years, if not decades. Sadly, Hariri’s Lebanon, which was meant to be a thriving sovereign state, has fallen under the guardianship of Iran and its mullahs. The situation has become so bleak that in his recent visit to Lebanon, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described Lebanon as a close ally of Iran. Zarif came to Beirut not in the interest of the Lebanese people, but in the interest of Iran. He has seen his country’s hard work pay off: Lebanon has turned into another one of Iran’s proxy states. Zarif spoke about arming the country against Israel. But what is the value of Iranian weapons if we cannot exercise our own sovereignty? Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who is well aware of the fact that the Iranians stood behind the killing of his father, remains one of the last Lebanese people standing in defense of our nation. He is unafraid to speak truth as it is. He has the courage the point fingers at Iran and warn the Lebanese public of what it is doing to our country. Lebanon was always sought by Iran. When Saad went to Tehran in 2010 as prime minister, the Iranians demanded three things of him: that he sign a defense treaty with Iran, allow Iranian citizens to enter Lebanon without visas, and that he allow Iran entry into the Lebanese banking system. He opposed all three proposals and paid the ultimate price for it. Today, it becomes clearer than ever before why his father was right. The latter immediately recognized the Iranian expansionist project and rejected it. He did everything in his power to stand up to the mullahs. Fourteen years after his death, Rafik is missed more than ever before. As Iran extends its influence in Lebanese politics and society, what we are desperately missing is the steadfastness and patriotism of the belated Rafik Hariri. – Khairallah Khairallah (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)