Nominations for The Muslim 500, 2024 edition are Now CLOSED

Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah is serving his sixth term as the current and third Secretary-General of Hezbol­lah (the Party of God). Hezbollah is a Twelver Shia Islamic political party, social and paramilitary organ­isation based in Lebanon which seeks social justice through Islamic ideals.

Military Power: Hezbollah remains a de facto se­curity force in southern Lebanon, and its military presence is felt throughout the country. The military successes Nasrallah had in the late nineties are seen as the main factor for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, and the repulsion of Israeli forces in July 2006 earned Nasrallah many more support­ers. Hezbollah fighters have been key in strengthen­ing the Syrian regime during the Syrian civil war, and their presence there has pushed out da’ish but draws reactions from Israel. Hezbollah has continued to de­velop its arsenal, as well as developing accuracy. The latest estimates include at least 100,000 rockets and missiles.

Social Services: Hezbollah has also won significant grassroots support by cultivating a social welfare sys­tem that provides schools, clinics and housing in the predominantly Shia parts of Lebanon. These welfare activities are run with efficiency and rival those car­ried out by the state, giving the organisation even broader appeal. It also runs Al Manar—an influential television station.

Popularity: His popularity peaked just after the 2006 conflict with Israel, when many Sunni Muslims looked to him as a figure of defiance against Israel. Since the Syrian conflict, however, many if not all of these supporters have left him because of his sup­port of the Syrian (Alawi) regime against the Syrian people, the majority of whom are Sunnis. His claim that the Syrian conflict is not sectarian in essence is not one that many Sunni Muslims agree with. He is widely seen as one of the main victors of the Syrian conflict. Nasrallah recently declared “victory” in the Syrian war, adding that what remained was “scattered battles”.

Current Issues: Nasrallah has been very critical of recent peace initiatives with Israel and recently met with Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, during the lat­ter’s first visit to Lebanon in 30 years. Also, the after­math of the huge blast in Beirut in August 2020 has led to a crippling political and economic situation.

“In the history of mankind, this has happened many times, occupation leaders cling on to the land that they’re occupying. People fight to liberate their land. But in the end, the people’s will is what achieves victory.”

3rd Secretary General of Hezbollah

Over 45 thousand active duty troops and reservists in Hezbollah