Hezbollah leader in anti-film protest

18 Sep 2012, 8:08 am   -   Source: AAP
The leader of Hezbollah has called for protests to continue against an anti-Islam film. (AAP)

The leader of Hezbollah has called for protests to continue against an anti-Islam film. (AAP)

The leader of Hezbollah has called for protests to continue against an anti-Islam film during a rare public appearance in Beirut.

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The leader of Hezbollah has made a rare public appearance at a rally in Beirut, calling for sustained protests against an anti-Islam film that already has provoked a week of unrest in Muslim countries worldwide.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has rarely been seen in public since his Shi'ite Muslim group battled Israel in a month-long war in 2006, fearing Israeli assassination. Since then, he has communicated with his followers and gives news conferences mostly via satellite link.

On Monday, Nasrallah spoke for about 15 minutes before tens of thousands of cheering supporters, many of them with green and yellow headbands around their foreheads - the colours of Hezbollah - and the words "at your service God's prophet" written on them.

"This is the start of a serious movement that must continue all over the Muslim world in defence of the prophet of God," he said to roars of support. "As long as there's blood in us, we will not remain silent over insults against our prophet."

Nasrallah last appeared in public in December 2011 to mark the Shi'ite holy day of Ashoura. But he spoke only briefly and did not give a full speech.

He has called for a series of demonstrations this week to denounce the video.

Hezbollah's rallies seem aimed at keeping the issue alive by bringing out large crowds. But the group also appeared to be trying to ensure it did not spiral into violence, walking a careful line.

Notably, Hezbollah held Monday's protest in its own mainly Shi'ite stronghold of Dahieh in south Beirut, far from the US Embassy in the mountains north of the capital or other international diplomatic missions.

For the group, anger over the low-budget movie that denigrates the Prophet Mohammed provides a welcome diversion from the crisis in Syria, which has brought heavy criticism on Hezbollah for its support of President Bashar al-Assad. But stoking riots in Beirut could also bring a backlash in the tensely divided country.

The movie portrays Islam's Prophet Mohammed as a fraud, a womaniser and a child molester. Protesters have directed their anger at the US government, insisting it should do something to stop it, though the film was privately produced. American officials have criticised it for intentionally offending Muslims - and in one case, acted to prevent it being shown at a Florida church.

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