🇱🇧 Who is Shaikh Naim Qassem - the new secretary general of Hezbollah

Naim Qassem served as Hassan Nasrallah's deputy for many years. He is 71 years old. He often spoke on behalf of Hezbollah at various ceremonies. He has done so at least three times since Hassan Nasrallah's assassination.

He was always more of an ideologist than a military strategist and fighter.

Qassem entered politics in the 1970s as a member of the Shiite Amal party, then led by Imam Musa al-Sadr (disappeared in Libya).

Qassem is credited with helping Sadr found his Harakat al-Mahroomeen Movement, which later became Amal. He is fluent in French and completed his bachelor's degree in chemistry at the Lebanese University in the 1970s, while pursuing higher religious and theological studies under Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. He was a founding member of the Lebanese Muslim Students Union and head of the Islamic Religious Education Association from 1974 to 1988.

After founding Hezbollah, Qasem was responsible for overseeing schools in one of the movement's educational networks. He was elected secretary general of the party on May 22, 1991. The secretary general at the time was Abbas al-Musawi (who was killed by Israel in 1992). Qasem retained the post under Hassan Nasrallah.

Qasem served on Hezbollah's Shura Council and was responsible for overseeing its parliamentary and government activities.

Qasem is the author of numerous books on religious and political topics, including Hezbollah: An Inside Story.

Married, six children.

After Nasrallah's death, Sheikh Qasem was named as a successor, but it was believed that the post of Secretary General would be taken by Hassan Nasrallah's cousin, Hashem Safi ad-Din, but he was also eliminated by Israel.

There have been recent rumors that Sheikh Qasem has fled to Iran, fearing assassination. After three speeches after Nasrallah's death, he disappeared. The last speech was on October 15. On October 22, Safi al-Din's death was confirmed. And now, a week later, Hezbollah has a new secretary general, a month after Nasrallah's assassination on September 27.

Al-Hadath TV, citing an Iranian source, claimed about a week ago that Qasem had traveled to Tehran on October 5, accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who had flown to Beirut.

The source also claimed that Qassem gave his first speech after Nasrallah's assassination in Beirut, and that the two subsequent speeches were delivered from his residence in Tehran.

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⚡️Beit Lahya, Gaza; this morning

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