Behind the Headlines
The Nasrallah Phenomenon: A Life and Legacy That Refuses to Die
Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, the general secretary of the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, was assassinated by Israel in late September, an event that reverberated across the region and beyond. According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), they decided to target Nasrallah after concluding that he would not accept a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon unless a ceasefire was also implemented in Gaza-a demand echoed by the vast majority of the international community and in UN resolutions for over a year.
To carry out the assassination, the IDF dropped 85 American-made bunker-buster bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds, on Beirut, leveling six residential towers and killing dozens of civilians in the process. President Biden described the action as a " small measure of justice" but omitted any acknowledgment of civilian casualties, despite the irony given the U.S. sensitivity to towers filled with civilians being destroyed. Nasrallah, who had openly condemned both Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 attacks, was nonetheless portrayed as a "type of terrorist" akin to bin Laden due to his role as the leader of Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and the U.K.
Following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in late September, hostilities between southern Lebanon and Israel have intensified. Throughout October, Israel launched a ground invasion aimed at securing its northern border. This campaign has resulted in significant casualties, with hundreds of Israeli soldiers killed or wounded and numerous Merkava tanks destroyed. Despite these efforts, rocket fire into Israel has escalated. Hopes that Nasrallah's death might de-escalate tensions were further dashed when a drone attack recently targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence.
Nasrallah, the man, may be gone, but his assassination appears to have galvanized his followers, raising a pressing question: Who is more dangerous-Nasrallah the man or Nasrallah the idea?
From Humble Beginnings to Regional Icon
At face value, it might seem surprising that Christians in the region have mourned Hassan Nasrallah as deeply as Muslims or that his image is appearing in murals across South America.
Hassan Nasrallah was born in 1960 in a small village in southern Lebanon, coming from humble beginnings. He spent his formative years studying Islam in the holy cities of Najaf and Qom, where he was mentored by Sayed Abbas al-Musawi, the previous secretary general of Hezbollah. Al-Musawi played a pivotal role in establishing Hezbollah as a movement to resist the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, which began in 1982, following an earlier invasion in 1978.
For a decade, Sayed Abbas led the fight against the occupation and eventually rose to lead Hezbollah. However, in 1992, the Israeli military targeted him, firing missiles from Apache helicopters at his family's vehicle in southern Lebanon, killing him along with his wife and 5-year-old child. Israeli investigative journalist Ronen Bergman later revealed that some Israeli military officials had opposed the assassination, cautioning that "Hezbollah is not a one-man show, and Musawi is not the most extreme man in its leadership... [al-Musawi] would be replaced, perhaps by someone more radical."
The death of his mentor, Sayed Abbas al-Musawi, prompted Hassan Nasrallah to return to Lebanon from his scholarly pursuits and assume the leadership of Hezbollah.
Nasrallah successfully stepped into his predecessor's role, using his leadership to galvanize an unprecedented number of fighters and implement new guerrilla tactics against the Israeli army. His legend grew further in 1997 when his 18-year-old son, Hadi, was killed in battle on the southern Lebanese front. Nasrallah appeared on live television shortly after receiving the news, expressing pride in his son for dying while confronting the enemy. He stated that he could now face the parents of fallen fighters with his head held high, as he, too, had become one of them.
Over the years, Nasrallah built a reputation across the Arab world as the leader of the only movement to inflict a military defeat on the Israeli army. This first occurred in 2000, when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon after an 18-year occupation. May 25, now celebrated as Liberation Day in Lebanon, became etched in national memory with scenes of Lebanese citizens returning to their villages, dancing in the streets, and reuniting with family members who had been held in Israeli prisons for years.
Hezbollah's second victory over Israel came during the 33-day July War in 2006. In a defining moment, Nasrallah broadcast the destruction of an Israeli battleship on live television, thanking his followers for their patience under relentless Israeli airstrikes.
"Fida al-Sayed"
Nasrallah's iconic status in Lebanon became one of his most powerful assets during conflicts. Despite the damage inflicted on Lebanese people and their homes, many would respond in interviews with the phrase "fida al-Sayed," meaning "may it all be sacrificed for him." This sentiment was echoed countless times by widows, orphans, and parents who had lost loved ones in airstrikes and wars.
Nasrallah recognized the symbolic weight of this devotion. In a 2007 speech, he addressed his supporters, saying, "Because of our Arab culture, you sometimes express yourself by saying 'fida al-Sayed,' but what you are truly expressing is your support for the resistance because you know that it is myself and my soul and my children who are sacrificed for all of you."
The Nasrallah phenomenon continued to grow throughout his life, with many comparing him to a modern-day Che Guevara. Legendary journalist Robert Fisk observed that Nasrallah's blend of religious and political rhetoric and "a fierce charisma" allowed him to project a powerful image of authority and resilience, saying, "he talks as if he's the Lebanese president." Edward Said, who once met Nasrallah, famously described him as a "remarkably impressive man."
This aura likely influenced Julian Assange's determination to feature Nasrallah as the first guest on his show in 2012. Assange explained his interest, noting that he wanted to understand why "so many millions across the world call him a terrorist whilst many other millions call him a freedom fighter."
Syria: A Divisive Stand, a Unifying Symbol
Nasrallah's involvement in Syria during the Arab Spring as an ally to Bashar al-Assad damaged his standing in much of the Arab world. In an interview, he explained his stance, acknowledging that Syria needed reforms and expressing support for the legitimate grievances of Syrian protesters. However, he said he could not support the toppling of an anti-imperial government, especially after the protests were, in his view, co-opted by the U.S. and its allies. He warned that Syria might suffer the same fate as Libya and beyond.
Nasrallah framed his role in Syria as a fight against ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other extremist groups allegedly armed by the U.S., which Hezbollah would battle for years. His support also extended to Syrian Christians whose churches were targeted by ISIS. Images of Hezbollah fighters lighting candles by statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus in Syrian churches went viral, highlighting the support he garnered from Syrian Christians and once again crossing religious divides and breaking stereotypes.
The Syrian conflict was often portrayed as a sectarian struggle, a narrative Sayed Nasrallah firmly rejected. His unwavering support for Palestine and Gaza, along with his rhetoric of unity, frequently emphasized respect for symbols and revered figures within the Sunni world. For many, this stance underscored his efforts to promote Islamic unity beyond Sunni-Shia divisions.
The Nasrallah Legacy
Perhaps the most unmistakable evidence of Nasrallah's commitment to cross-sectarian unity is the cooperation between the Palestinian Sunni group Hamas and the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah following October 7. On October 8, Hezbollah initiated operations against Israel to, as they described, "lighten the load" on Palestinian resistance by diverting a significant concentration of Israeli forces from Gaza to the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Since his assassination in late September of 2024, the Muslim world has seen an increasingly unified stance, as the leader of millions of Shia Muslims is regarded to have given his life in defense of Sunni Muslims in Gaza, putting to bed the whispers of sectarianism through his very death.
Rather than signaling weakness or defeat, Nasrallah's absence has only intensified Hezbollah's fight against Israel. The group has been introducing new weaponry into the battlefield near-weekly. Followers who once said, "May our homes be sacrificed for Sayed Nasrallah," now say, "May our homes be sacrificed for the soul of Sayed Nasrallah," underscoring how, in death, Nasrallah has evolved from a mere individual into an enduring symbol-an idea that Israel cannot seem to escape or eliminate.
Hussain Makke, a London native, holds degrees in Journalism, Religion, and Global Politics.