During the second Lebanon war IDF soldiers seized documents in the possession of Hezbollah members. Among them were publications and material intended for the dissemination in Lebanon , all relating to the ideology of the Iran 's 1979 Islamic revolution. The Iranian-Shi'ite-Islamic material has been translated into Arabic and distributed by publishing houses operating in Lebanon , some of which belong to Hezbollah. ¹ The documents make almost no reference to Lebanon , and when they do, it is modest and marginal within the general Islamic context.

As a strategic arm of the Iranian regime, Hezbollah makes an active effort to spread and inculcate the doctrine of the Islamic revolution. That is done to increase motivation among its fighters and deepen Lebanese Shi'ite identification with Iran and with the Shi'ite-Muslin ideology it represents. Hezbollah makes a special effort among children and adolescents to ensure that they espouse the Hezbollah cause and join its ranks in the future. ²

The publications foster hatred for Israel (“the Zionist enemy in Palestine ”) and the United States (represented as an enemy of Islam and the “source of global terrorism”). They glorify jihad and shahada (death as a martyr for the sake of Islam), the principles behind Hezbollah's campaign against Israel , and spread the personality cult of the Iranian leader ‘Ali Khamenei. ³

This Bulletin will present information about a number of Arabic publications which focus on the doctrines of the Ayatollah Khomeini and ‘Ali Khamenei. The original publications, seized in Hezbollah operatives in villages in south Lebanon , are in the library and archives of the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies at Gelilot (near Tel Aviv).

Posters of the Ayatollah Khomeini and ‘Ali Khamenei
at a Hezbollah base in south Lebanon

The booklet was seized by the IDF in the village of Yarun on August 15, 2006. It was published by the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts, Hezbollah's youth movement, and includes biographical information about ‘Ali Khamenei. He is represented as a role model for youth and an example of a dedicated jihad fighter who made a major contribution to the first stages of the Islamic revolution in Iran .

It should be noted that during the second Lebanon war a calendar for 2006 was found which was also distributed by the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts, and replete with radical Iranian Shi'ite Islamic slogans. For example, the main events of April are Islamic Unity Week and Leader Day , i.e., ‘Ali Khamenei Day.

The Hezbollah calendar for April, with a picture of ‘Ali Khamenei
at the upper left. The large letters in the center read “Leader Day.”

During the second Lebanon war four copies of a book entitled Al-Jihad were seized from Hezbollah operatives in the village of Marun al-Ras. Published in 2004 by the Imam Khomeini Cultural Center in Beirut , ⁸ it analyzes the importance of jihad as reflected in ‘Ali Khamenei's worldview.

According to ‘Ali Khamenei, the significance of jihad is a holy war against the west aimed at foiling “imperialist greed.” Khamenei also stresses the revolutionary message of jihad and represents it a central component of the Islamic revolution . He preaches jihad in the traditional spirit of Islam based on the Qur'an (with clear Shi'ite traditions) to make it acceptable to Sunni Muslims, and uses modern terms taken from the doctrine of the Ayatollah Khomeini .

The book was most probably written for the Iranian armed forces, especially the Revolutionary Guards . It contains many of Khamenei's quotes, who is described as wali and imam , two titles given to the individual who stands at the head of all (Shi'ite) Muslims. For Khamenei, jihad is an ideology, i.e., both a doctrine and a modus operandi through which a Muslim, if he is observant and faithful to Allah, and overcomes the psychological barriers, can “sacrifice his life for the sake of Allah and achieve paradise.” The apex of jihad is shahada , the death of a martyr for the sake of Allah. Jihad and shahada are two central components of the worldview of the Ayatollah Khomeini and his heir, ‘Ali Khamenei, and thus Hezbollah's as well, as applied to its campaign against Israel .

A reexamination of The Path of Eloquence ⁹

The Path of Eloquence was seized by IDF forces in Kafr Kila on August 7, 2006. The first edition was published by the Markaz Baquiyyat Allah al-‘Azam lil-Dirasat ¹⁰ in Beirut in 2000. It is a collection of three lectures given by ‘Ali Khamenei and one of his 14 books which were translated into Arabic and published by the Center. ¹¹ It was originally written in Farsi and translated into Arabic in Qom , Iran , the holiest city for Iranian Shi'ites. ¹²

The pamphlet was seized by IDF forces in the village of Rajamin on August 10, 2006. It was published by Hezbollah and is undated. From the contents it can be assumed that it was published in 2003 or later. Khamenei condemns the mass murders taking place all over the globe, among them the “activities of the Zionist enemy in Palestine .” With regard to the United States , he says that terrorist attacks against it were the reaction to its desire to rule the world. He also refers to what he calls the “use the United States makes of the media to inflame hatred against Muslims.”

The book was seized by IDF forces in the village of ‘Inata on August 15, 2006. It was written by ‘Ali Khamenei and issued by Dar al-Hadi Publishers in Beirut in 2000 (first edition) ¹⁵ and deals with ‘Ali Khamenei's doctrine . Pages 17-19 are devoted to the idea of jihad in the sense of fighting for Islam on the battlefield , faith in Allah and every action which is carried out in confrontation with the enemy.

It should be noted that during the second Lebanon war, other publications of Khamenei's speeches, translated into Arabic and disseminated by Hezbollah in Lebanon were found in south Lebanon in the possession of Hezbollah operatives. The following are two examples:

The booklet was found by IDF forces in the village of Marun al-Ras on July 26, 2006 and was published by the Imam Khomeini Cultural Center in Beirut in 2002. It surveys the importance of prayer, the cleric and mosque gatherings for the spread of the ideas of the Islamic revolution. The booklet's many references and quotations are taken from various books written by Khomeini and are accompanied by explanations. It stresses the political, social, educational and jihad functions of the mosque as a way of spreading the spirit of jihad and of mosque gatherings for the sake of Islamic wars.

The booklet was seized by IDF forces in the village of Marun al-Ras on July 26, 2006. It is one of a series of booklets dealing with Khomeini's doctrine and was published by the Imam Khomeini Cultural Center in Beirut in 2002. It stresses the importance of women in Islamic society and their role in fighting for Islam, i.e., fighting within the jihad. To that end Khamenei states that it is the woman's duty to actively defend the state and Muslim nation and to take part in military actions against the enemy (pp. 47-50).

The booklet was seized by the IDF in the village of Dir Sirhan on August 24, 2006 and published by the Imam Khomeini Cultural Center in Beirut in 1999. It is an illustrated biography of the Ayatollah Khomeini and was apparently intended to provide adolescents with information about his deeds. It describes a series of events in which Khomeini participated, the most important of which were the overthrow of the Shah and the Iran-Iraq war. The book ends by referring to the work of the Ayatollah Khomeini as being continued by the “leader,” ‘Ali Khamenei .

The booklet was seized by IDF forces in the village of Marun al-Ras on July 16, 2006, and produced by Hezbollah, intended to provide help for Hezbollah fighters in writing their last wills and testaments . There are blank spaces for personal details, names of heirs, an appeal to parents and siblings, an appeal to jihad fighters in general, thoughts about jihad and the request for a burial site. It also contains praise for jihad and self-sacrifice for the sake of Islam.

The pamphlet was seized by IDF forces in the village of Rajamin on August 10, 2006 and contains the text of a speech by Khomeini. It bears neither date, place of publication or name of publisher. The speech condemns corruption and warns against Satan and hell. It also notes the responsibility of clerics to guide the Islamic nation. It deals with jihad, stating that it must go on despite difficulties, and encourages youngsters to die the death of martyrs.

¹ This Bulletin does not deal with the other ways Hezbollah spreads the ideology of the Iranian Islamic revolution, such as conferences and rallies or the media it controls, especially Al-Manar TV.

² For further information see our Information Bulletin entitled “Hezbollah's Shi'ite youth movement, “The Imam al-Mahdi Scouts,” at http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hezbollah_scouts_e.htm or http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hezbollah_scouts_e.pdf .

³ Recently, Hezbollah reliance on Iranian ideology in its campaign against Israel has been manifested in statements made by the organization's representative in Iran, ‘Abdallah Safi al-Din, who noted that the Hezbollah “victory” was a turning point in the Islamic campaign against Israel, and that “the perception of the struggle with Israel originates with the fundamental ideas of Iran…Obeying the experts in Islamic jurisprudence proved that even with empty hands and limited force it is possible to stand firm against the fourth [strongest] army in the world [i.e., the IDF]…” ( Fars , the Iranian news agency, September 22, 2006).

⁴ For further information see our Information Bulletin entitled “Hezbollah as a strategic arm of Iran ,” at http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/iran_hezbollah_e1b.htm and http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/iran_hezbollah_e1.pdf .

⁵ ‘Ali Khamenei personally appointed Hassan Nasrallah as his religious representative in Lebanon in the mid-1990s. In recent years Nasrallah was apparently forced to give up the title, which is held today by his deputy, sheikh Muhammad Yazbek. Nevertheless, the media and Internet sites sometimes still refer to him as such. De facto, he is ‘Ali Khamenei 's senior representative in Lebanon .

⁶ Wilayat al-faqih , is a form of government where the ultimate say on all matters of state rests under the Islamic jurisprudence, and according to it, those knowledgeable about Islamic law (Shari'a) should assume a legislative role in society.

⁷ In addition to the current context, the term Qaadi means both political and military leader, thus ‘Ali Khamenei is both Iran 's political leader and the commander in chief of its armed forces.

⁸ A center for spreading the Ayatollah Khomeini's doctrines in Lebanon . It belongs to Hezbollah and is located in Harat Hurayk in southern Beirut in a Hezbollah-dominated neighborhood. The center has many Lebanese branches : http://www.al-shia.com/html/ara/others/index.php?mod=marakez&id=17 , http://www.yabeyrouth.com/pages/index1616.htm

⁹ The term Nahj al-Balagha (“The Path of Eloquence”) refers to a series of Shi'ite religious books, including the sayings of ‘Ali bin Abu Talib, the fourth Caliph of Islam and the first Shi'ite imam. It was edited by Muhammad bin al-Hussein, better known as Al-Sharif al-Radhi, who lived in the 10 th century AD, and by his brother, known as Al-Sharif al-Murthada. Eloquence is a quality which, according to Shi'ite tradition, was characteristic of the Imam ‘Ali.

¹⁰ A religious Shi'ite publishing house which focuses on books related to the Islamic revolution in Iran , especially the doctrines of ‘Ali Khamenei and the Ayatollah Khomeini. See http://baabooks.com/index.php?language=en . It apparently also is connected to Hezbollah.

¹¹ According to the book's introduction.

¹² According to the introduction, page 12.

¹³ The term “may he be blessed with long life” ( dama zilluhu , literally, “may he cast a shadow for a long time” is an expression of admiration and awe of a Shi'ite Muslin for a revered leader.

¹⁴ “The elite” here are the genuine Muslims who were chosen by the nation.

¹⁵ Dar al-Hadi is a publishing house owned by Hezbollah and named after Hassan Nasrallah's son, Hadi Nasrallah, who was killed in a clash with the IDF in south Lebanon in September 1997.