After war with Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon's Shia community mourn those lost and call for justice

Groups of men clad in white rhythmically tapped the blades of their swords against their bloodied foreheads as they marched through Nabatieh’s historic city centre. Women dressed in black followed in solemn procession, while others watched from the sidelines, some with tears in their eyes.

The ceremony, held on Sunday, was one of many across Lebanon marking Ashura, an annual religious event where Shia Muslims commemorate the death of Imam Hussein in the 680AD Battle of Karbala, in modern-day Iraq.

For Lebanon's Shia community, which makes up around one-third of the population, the memory of Imam Hussein's death remains a powerful symbol of martyrdom and resistance against oppression. 

"Imam Hussein is not just for the Shia or Sunnis, he's for the entire world, representing dignity for all," 19-year-old Selin Huzairi told The New Arab, attending the ceremony in Nabatieh with her sister and father. "Our message during Ashura is about standing up for your rights," she said.

This year’s Ashura, and the retellings of the Battle of Karbala, felt particularly vivid, unfolding in the shadow of Israel’s ongoing escalation in Lebanon, which has killed more than 4,000 people. “Ashura keeps the memory of our struggles alive,” Huzairi said. “No matter what [Israel] destroys, we will remain strong and continue to support the truth,” she said, before turning to rejoin the crowd.

Ashura’s traditions and sacrifice

The procession wound through Nabatieh’s historic town centre, where Israeli airstrikes had reduced Ottoman-era buildings to rubble. Crowds paused at the Hussainiyah Mosque for prayers before continuing to “Ashura Square” for a theatrical reenactment of the Battle of Karbala.

“Nabatieh is known for its Ashura, and for the traditional customs and sacrifices made by locals,” said Hassan Jaber, the town’s mukhtar (a local official responsible for civil records), speaking to The New Arab at the ceremony.

Nabatieh’s observance is one of the few in Lebanon where self-flagellation is still practised, a symbolic act of regret for not being able to fight alongside Imam Hussein.

Men, boys, and a few women made small incisions in their foreheads with razor blades. Blood poured down their faces as they struck their wounds with swords, chanting “Haidar, Haidar”, a reference to Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.

The practice is controversial. Hezbollah’s late leader, Hassan Nasrallah, denounced the ritual and urged supporters to donate blood instead. While the Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement organizes Ashura in Nabatieh — where the ritual continues — Hezbollah oversees commemorations in Beirut, where blood-letting is banned.

Faces of those killed by Israel floated atop the Ashura processions. In Beirut, hundreds held posters of the late Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. “Labayka ya Nasrallah!” (We are at your command, Nasrallah), rang through the crowds. 

In Nabatieh, some wore T-shirts with photos of their loved ones who had been lost in battle. A truck leading the procession carried a large poster of dozens of Amal fighters killed, surrounding a mystical image of Imam Hussein. 

Nabatieh’s mukhtar, Jaber, said 164 people from the city were killed, among them civilians and fighters. “We are mourning the martyrs, this war has made a tragic mark in our history,” Jaber said. “But thank God, while it has impacted our economic life and living conditions, it has not affected our morale,” he stated. 

Around the corner from Jaber, a young man stood with blood coating his forehead and shirt. Ali Mahde, 18, had already begun the blood-letting ritual, with his two brothers and friend from Iraq, who had travelled to Nabatieh for the Ashura ceremony, like dozens of others. 

This year, Mahde was also mourning his father, who was killed in an Israeli strike in October. “He was going to bring us food, and he was killed,” he told TNA, somberly. 

Ashura comes at a huge turning point

The religious event is also a time for Hezbollah to make political statements, critical to maintaining its support after the losses it suffered during the war. 

“This year, the Ashura comes at a huge turning point, when the Shia crescent has taken a major blow, and Iran’s influence in the region has been seriously damaged,” Sami Nader, the Director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, told The New Arab. 

Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, have suffered huge setbacks in the war with Israel, and following the fall of the Assad regime in December. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has embarked on a mass campaign to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state groups. 

“A lot of Shia are wary about Hezbollah giving away its weapons,” Nicholas Blanford, a Beirut-based Hezbollah expert with the Atlantic Council, told TNA. “Hezbollah needs to rally its base, and keep them motivated and within the party,” he added.  

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reaffirmed in a televised address during Beirut’s Ashura ceremony that the group would not surrender or lay down its weapons in response to the Israeli threats. “We are determined to continue the resistance and maintain security. We will not be part of legitimising the occupation in Lebanon, and we will not accept humiliating normalization. Our choice is a Husseini choice, unstoppable people will not accept humiliation and surrender,” Qassem stated.

Hezbollah was founded on the idea of resistance against Israel, Balford noted and relies on Iran to maintain its vast social welfare system — which may not continue to fund the group if it is unable to serve Iran’s strategic interests in the region. 

“If you strip away the weapons from an organisation like Hezbollah, you’re going to essentially hollow it out,” he stated. 

The root of resistance is Ashura

Back at the Ashura ceremony in Nabatieh, 55-year-old Laila Aoun rested in the shade of a graveyard, with her children and grandchildren. People strolled in and out around her, some stopping to recite prayers or leave flowers over the gravestones. 

“The root of the resistance is Ashura,” Aoun explained to The New Arab. “Hezbollah’s lesson is Ashura,” she added, “Someone doesn’t want to be degraded by being forced to leave their land, they don’t want anyone to come with weapons… They want to be free in their land.” 

Aoun is among those old enough to remember Nabatieh’s Ashura ceremony in 1983 during Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon. A convoy of Israeli soldiers broke through the procession, and the enraged crowds responded by throwing stones and rushing towards the troops. The soldiers responded with rifle fire and grenades, and an Israeli jeep was turned over and set on fire. 

Eventually, the Israelis withdrew and the procession continued. A statue near Nabatieh’s Asura square serves as a reminder of the event — often marked to have fanned the first flames of resistance against Israel within Lebanon's Shia community. 

“Ashura is very, very important to us… Even if there were rockets above our heads, we’d still come,” Aoun said. “It’s our lesson, it’s our role to pass these traditions to our children and our grandchildren.” 

Hanna Davis is a freelance journalist reporting on politics, foreign policy, and humanitarian affairs.

Follow her on Twitter: @hannadavis341