Zaynab, Daughter Of Hizbullah Leader Hassan Nasrallah: When My Brother Hadi Was "Martyred," My Parents Did Not Shed A Single Tear; We Are Embarrassed That Our Sacrifice Was That Small

Zaynab Nasrallah, the daughter of Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, said in a November 10, 2022 show on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) that when her brother Hadi Nasrallah was "martyred" by Israeli forces in 1997, her father and her mother did not shed a "single tear." She said that her mother was not being obtuse by not crying, but rather that she was convinced of the path of Jihad that Hadi had chosen from a young age. Zaynab elaborated that her mother had said that Hadi had "made a shortcut" to the afterlife and had not allowed an atmosphere of mourning after his death. Rather, Zaynab said that there was an atmosphere of pride and honor. The show host then invited Zaynab's son, who is also named Hadi, to the stage, and he brought with him the uniform that Hadi Nasrallah had worn while "waging Jihad." Hadi Nasrallah was killed in battle with the Israeli military in September 1997.

Zaynab Nasrallah: "You can say that we have sacrificed much less than many other families of martyrs, who sacrificed an only child, or two or three children. We are embarrassed that we have made such a small sacrifice.

[...]

"When it became clear that [my brother Hadi] was one of the martyrs – when [his] pictures emerged on Israeli websites and it was clear he was martyred – [my mother] did not shed a single tear. When people started coming to congratulate..."

Interviewer: "Excuse me, Zaynab, but some might see this as obtuseness..."

Nasrallah: "No, it's not obtuseness."

Interviewer: "Then what is it?"

Nasrallah: "It is a manifestation of the fact that she accepted that her son had set out on Jihad from a young age. It is [a display of] conviction in this path. The first thing she said when she learned that Hadi had been martyred, and the people were coming to congratulate us – we don't say they were coming to extend condolences... There was this atmosphere, with one woman crying, another getting emotional... My mother said: 'If you don't mind, I don't want this atmosphere. Hadi just made a shortcut.'

[...]

"I don't remember ever seeing my father shedding a single tear over the martyr Hadi."

Interviewer: "Never?"

Nasrallah: "Never. Even my mother. Back then, I never saw her crying. We have never gathered and had a memorial service or anything. Absolutely not. The atmosphere is one of pride and honor."

[...]

Interviewer: "I would like to invite [your son, who is also called] Hadi. We asked sister Zaynab to bring something left behind by [her brother, the] martyr Hadi. Welcome, Hadi. Make yourself comfortable. Welcome, brother Hadi."

Hadi: "Hello."

Interviewer: "Tell us what you carried in and gave to your mother."

Hadi: "I gave her something left behind by my uncle – the uniform he was wearing while waging Jihad."