In Hizbullah Children's Magazine, Not Fairies but Fighters
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
It's aimed at children, but instead of princes and princesses, fairies and magicians, the heroes of Lebanon's "Mahdi" magazine are the "fighters who fell resisting the Israeli enemy".
Produced by Hizbullah for the last 11 years, Mahdi aims to teach a new generation the group's ideology of "resistance" to the Jewish state.
Packed full of stories inspired by the lives of Hizbullah militants, its cartoons represent bearded fighters and its puzzles teach children how to avoid Israeli landmines.
Critics accuse it of glorifying violence, but its publishers insist the monthly magazine is not about indoctrination or military propaganda.
"What we want to do is teach children the values of the resistance," the magazine's general manager Abbas Charara told Agence France Presse.
"We don't encourage carrying of weapons, we're just making sure they know about the exploits of the resistance," he added.
"We tell them: 'Just as these great people resisted and were victorious, so too can you resist and be victorious, and that starts with your education'."
The magazine is part of broad youth outreach -- schools, scout troops and summer camps -- for Hizbullah, the powerful movement that detractors accuse of being a "state within a state" in Lebanon.
Established in 1982 by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hizbullah has been a key nemesis for Israel.
The group carried out numerous attacks against Israeli forces during their 22-year occupation of Lebanon, which ended in 2000 with a withdrawal that Hizbullah claimed as a victory.
- 'It's something really dangerous' -
In 2006, Hizbullah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers prompted a massive military response by the Jewish state, but it failed to deal a death blow to the group.
The group is the only party in Lebanon that failed to disarm after the country's 1975-1990 civil war, and it remains a powerful political and military institution, with supporters revering its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Mahdi is named after the ninth-century Imam al-Mahdi, the last of 12 imams venerated by Shiite Muslims who believe he will reappear as a savior at the end of the world.
One recent edition of the magazine featured stories set in the three decades when Israel occupied southern Lebanon.
One told of a fighter who detonated a bomb against an Israeli patrol in his occupied village, another of a "hero" Amer, who confides in his mother that he will participate in "a martyrdom operation".
Amer blows himself up, killing and wounding 25 Israeli officers and soldiers, and his name is not revealed until 2000, when Nasrallah praises his bravery.
Hizbullah's strong Iranian influence is also reflected in the magazine, with the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Khomeini hailed in its pages in a feature on "the best leaders".
Critics have said the magazine exposes children to violence and teaches them that their identity as Shiite Muslims takes precedence over being Lebanese.
"It goes too far in making guns and violence part of the kids' imagination. It's something really dangerous," said Fatima Charafeddine, an author of children's books.
The magazine also emphasizes "religious identity with virtually no mention of their Lebanese identity," she told AFP.
- 'Resistance and fun games' -
Charara said Mahdi is not exclusively focused on religious and political issues, noting its articles on figures like Alexander the Great, Victor Hugo, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison.
Still, there is little ambiguity to a game encouraging children to color in grenades and automatic weapons, nor to a puzzle in which readers draw a route around mines and bombs left by the Israelis in south Lebanon.
The magazine's monthly circulation of 30,000 issues includes three editions -- one aimed at four- to seven-year-olds, one at eight- to 12-year-olds, and one for 13- to 17-year-olds.
Eight-year-old Zahraa, who was born while her father was fighting in Hizbullah's ranks against Israel in 2006, told AFP she enjoyed Mahdi's "stories on the resistance and fun games".
"I like the stories about imams, and especially those talking about victory," the veiled girl added, a smile on her thin face.
02 December 2014, 07:14
39
a culture or better a cult based on hatred, death, and destruction. Lebanon's real and existential problems are not the so called takfiris residing outside its borders but those inside who claim to be Lebanese and instill a culture of violence and revenge.
02 December 2014, 09:40
92
The real stories about martyrs, are better than any western fairy tales out there, good thing the youth are growing up so full of knowledge. No to American values
02 December 2014, 09:54
38
This comment is another proof that you are yourself part of a culture of hatred, violence and war.
02 December 2014, 09:57
38
What you want is that when these children grow up they become terrorists like you.
02 December 2014, 09:59
36
Another proof that Ebola, Nusra, ISIS, Takfiris...are identical.
02 December 2014, 09:57
36
@mystic You are very Delusional... A lot of shee3a live in western countries... No westerners live in Iran or want to live in iran... because people know the American or western lifestyle, governments allow the freedom of speech! at least western ideology gives value to humans. try to speak your min in Iran or try to protest... you will get murdered or jailed and tortured. 7.2 billion people on earth and 7 billion do not agree with your ideology. Are you kidding me?? you keep blaming everything on Americans and westerners why? because they are living in peace and all work hard and earn and have the right to live the way they like.
02 December 2014, 10:03
92
Some of us, unfortunately had to grow up in a western infested Lebanon, but the youth will not go that path, they are self educating, and loving towards their Resistance. Lebanon is an eastern country, and it can surely blossom without Western influence.
02 December 2014, 10:05
36
Inept...zero for such a comment void of humanism and human rights
02 December 2014, 10:08
36
Honestly...why don't you go and place your stupid comments somewhere else...in Iran for example...where you will be applauded.
02 December 2014, 10:22
82
It is amusing how people that've never been in Iran. Claims to know anything about it, turn off your Western media for a minute, and travel overthere, see for yourself and judge.
02 December 2014, 16:26
14
sure Mystic, just read this
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/157591-iran-urged-to-drop-death-sentence-over-facebook-post
Iran Urged to Drop Death Sentence over Facebook Post
02 December 2014, 10:07
82
Iran, saved themselves from the West, during the revolution, when they overthrew the corrupted Shah. Destroyed the empire, and implemented justice for all. The western collaborators fled, and the people was free.
Same goes for Lebanon, when the Resistance saved Lebanon from the U.S Invasion in year 1983. Glorious moment, that we all remember dearly.
02 December 2014, 10:20
35
@mystic, i guess you are closed and simple minded?? hmm you just avoided every question i asked you and diverted them the nasrallah/khomieni/assad way... you just avoided the hole concept of human rights... for instance in 2013 when Lebanese people protested in front of the iranian embassy and one got killed and a few injured... why?? for speaking the truth? what a joke
02 December 2014, 10:31
62
Actually, I feel you are the one joking with me Mcdonalds. This video you send me, reminds me of another western propaganda, movie clip some other western, send me here on Naharnet, yes the film about the woman apparently in Iran, gets stoned to death.
Yet, we do not hear about the U.S capital punishment, sentencing dozens of innocent people to the electric chair. Nor did we hear, any mourning for the Vietnamnese, Koreans, Iraqis, Libyans etc. You killed in cold blood, or any condemnation of Israeli killings of palestinians.
Human rights? It is a joke, when we hear it from you Americans.
02 December 2014, 10:46
33
Why do you always talk about the criminal Geagea and never about the agent-traitor-corrupt caporal?
02 December 2014, 18:03
01
Mystic, surely you must be joking! I can only suppose you "do not hear about the U.S. capital punishment, mourning for the Viet Namese and Iraqis, or condemnation of Israeli killings of Palestinians" because you do not look at Western media. Have you not seen the level of protestation by the actual American people, for instance, against the impending illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003? Millions of Americans, from New York to L.A., from Seattle to Miami, condemning it.
Don't just look at ultra-conservative Republican rags like FOX News and then claim that all Americans are of that ilk.
And that's just talking of the U.S.. You haven't yet heard of the European West...
02 December 2014, 19:08
10
U.S and European West, all the West is the same garbage Max. I do not really care about them. I don't want them to interfeer in the middle east, and for the actual good people that lives in the U.S, I feel sorry for them. Getting spied upon by their government everyday.
02 December 2014, 19:46
00
@Mystic: In respect to not wanting "the West" to interfere in the Middle East, we're on the same page here, you and I. But to dismiss the whole "West" as garbage, I probably wouldn't agree with you there. You know there's more to "Western" culture than Justin Bieber and Bill O'Reilly.
And at present, I personally think that "the West" is fighting a reactionary cultural battle with, among others, Iran, Saudi, ISIL, and everybody else who's got an anti-Western cultural stake in Lebanon. We're probably the most culturally rich nation in the region. We don't have inanimate riches like oil, but we have Human talent and open minds and a consistent reputation for diversity. I personally think that among the things that make Lebanon so unique and great is that we're at the confluence of both Western and Arab cultures - at the "multa2a al nahrayn", so to speak. No need for the two to conflict each other when a marriage is perfectly feasible, wouldn't you agree?
02 December 2014, 11:16
62
What about U.S barbarians? They slaughtered the indians, and stole africans to become their black slaves. We do never hear about these issues.
02 December 2014, 18:08
01
@Mystic: What the Americans did to the Natives in the name of Manifest Destiny, we Lebanese have done to each other in the name of politics and religion. The same sort of enslavement that the American South had imposed on the kidnapped Africans up to the 19th Century, the Lebanese are presently still doing to Sri Lankis, Philippinos, Ethiopians, Sudanese, Syrians, etc.. Remember that proverb about people who live in glass houses?
02 December 2014, 18:36
20
Maxx, you tell me like if I had any immigrants working for me? I do not, you should instead look at the rich areas of Lebanon. These immigrants hopes for a better life in Lebanon, but gets humiliated and treated as slaves I know.
02 December 2014, 20:04
00
@Mystic: You're right, and I apologize; I didn't mean to accuse you personally of anything, and I'm sorry if I didn't express myself correctly. But my point is that we have this problem of modern slavery in Lebanon, and having a clear conscience because we do not practice it ourselves isn't going to change the facts on the ground any more than Abe Lincoln's freeing of the slaves had changed the history of how the U.S. was built (i.e., on the backs of African slaves). I was just trying to point out that Lebanon isn't that different from the U.S. in that respect.
And as for the immigrants who come to Lebanon in hope of a better life for themselves and their descendants; don't you find it bitterly ironic that so many Lebanese leave Lebanon in search of the same elsewhere?
02 December 2014, 10:53
25
You are a lost case.
I am totally and entirely for life, love, and happiness.
You are for violence, hatred and war.
There is a small difference....
02 December 2014, 10:58
25
There are no excuses. There can never be any excuse for destroying the life of children...only criminals and new hitlers can do that.
02 December 2014, 12:42
25
"Lebanon detains Islamic State leader Baghdadi's wife". I wonder why bashar al Assad or nasrallah were never able to detain her or any high ranking isis? God bless the Lebanese army.
02 December 2014, 13:52
23
if hezballah children want to read fairytales all they need to do is browse the posts of the hezballah full timers that festoone naharnet daily. Especially the posts of phyomaniac with the multiple accounts and 16 hour shifts, the imagination on that guy. Or just watch any of Nasrallah's speeches.
02 December 2014, 16:44
14
Dude why are you spamming by posting this unrelated link twice? Here's little trick that might help you filter your posts; I learned it from watching folks in Dahieh on parade, I think it was their Santa Claus parade because they were carrying a giant picture of a dude in a gray beard. If there is a soundtrack playing inside your head that you tell yourself "this is so interesting I will share it with other". Stop immediately! Grab a heavy stick, preferably made of iron, and smash your head with it repeatedly while jumping and chanting religious stuff until the soundtrack is dislodged and seeps out through the front of your head a warm deep red lotion, you know how to do that don't you? Now go ahead do it, you can thank me later.
02 December 2014, 16:59
00
Just have them listen to Nasrallahs Speeches if you want to educate your helpless shiite youngsters with fairytales. His fairtytales of death to america and death to the west. Now that is a fairytale at its best, one that Disney should be contemplating on taking on.
02 December 2014, 18:15
10
In Hizb children's magazine, not fairies but "fighters". In Hizb children's future, not life, but nightmares. Wonderful! Looks like the 1001 Nights have been abandoned by the Arabs and left to the Westerners to enjoy...
02 December 2014, 18:38
30
More like, the western can keep their sorry tales to themselves. The rest of us, are sick and tired of Western influence over the youths.
02 December 2014, 20:15
00
No need necessarily for Western tales; but why expose children prematurely to things that they hardly will be able to get away from once they're older anyway? Why not give them Arabic fairy tales? I seriously don't think that there's such a dearth of brilliant Arabic - and even Lebanese - tales that nurture the imagination and promote creativity in children so that they're obliged to read about tales of death and killing the same way that we had no choice but to live through when we were growing up during the Civil War. I think our generation has already suffered more than enough; let's give our kids the chance to be kids that we never had.
02 December 2014, 19:41
03
Established in 1982 by Iran's Revolutionary Guards: Case in point :)
02 December 2014, 21:52
02
poor miss tic ... associating fairy tales with western culture.... seems he has no knowledge and culture... but from a hezbi lover what to expect? he is soooo brainwashed that he does not care to brainwash innocent children from an early start instead of letting them dream....
pathetic
02 December 2014, 21:53
03
brainwashing kids from an early start is only a sign of FANATISM that has nothing to envy alqaeda or nusra.... same sh...!
