Hezbollah; Co-opting Socialism

Whilst many progressives have cheered Hezbollah's successful resistance to Isreali occupation and murder, few have noticed that what is essentially a right-wing social movement has been drapping itself in the flags of socialism on the grounds of being oppressed. The following comes from a Turkish newspaper interview with Hasan Nasrallah:

It is possible to see the posters of Che, Chavez, Ahmedinecad ve Hezbollah side by side in the streets of Beirut. Are these the signs of a new polarisation?

Hasan Nasrallah: We salute the leaders and the peoples of Latin America. They have resisted heroically against the American bandits and have been a source of moral for us. They are guiding the way for the oppressed peoples. Go and wonder around our streets..! You will witness how our people have embraced Chavez and Ernesto Che Guevara. Nearly in every house, you will come across posters of Che or Chavez. What we are saying to our socialist friends who want fight together with us for fraternity and freedom, do not come at all if you are going to say Religion is an opiate. We do not agree with this analysis. Here is the biggest proof of this in our streets with the pictures of Chavez, Che, Sadr and Hamaney waving along together. These leaders are saluting our people in unison. So long as we respect your beliefs, and you respect ours, there is no imperialist power we cannot defeat!

While I completely support the cause of Palestian liberation and am against the Isreali invasion of Lebanon (for a variety of moral and political reasons based upon human right, basic ethical theories, and anarchist principles), I do not support Hezbollah in the slightest. Think about it, if I lived in a counrty controlled by Hezbollah (or any one of a variety of similar-style theocracies), I'd be in jail, on the run, or shot with a distinct lack of dignity, and, quite frankly, so would you. There seems, at least on the left, a fair amount of confusion between the reasons for being against oppression and for the so-called 'liberators'.

Source: 14 August 2006, "Leader of Hezbollah Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah: United front against Imperialism", Roza Çi dem Erdo an / Mutlu ahin*, Beirut/EVRENSEL - Turkish Daily