Sheikh Maher Hammoud is the President of the Union of Resistance Scholars and the Imam of Al-Quds Mosque in Sidon, southern Lebanon. He is one of the Sunni scholars of Lebanon who is considered a supporter of Hezbollah and the Axis of Resistance.
Sheikh Hammoud spoke about the importance and priority of Palestine in the eyes of Martyr General Qassem Soleimani and the ethical qualities of the late general. He mentioned that he had met with General Soleimani twice.
Sheikh Hammoud explained the qualities of Martyr Soleimani, saying: "What has remained hidden of Martyr Soleimani's role is much greater than what has been revealed. Therefore, no matter how much we speak, there are still deeper and more important aspects that remain unseen. However, if we were to discuss this, we would say that Soleimani's role was truly significant, extending from Palestine and Gaza to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen."
He emphasized: "All of these are part of the Resistance Axis and the Quds Axis. Everything happening in the region is linked to Quds. That is why the U.S., Britain, France, and the whole world are aligned with Israel to ensure Quds remains in their hands."
The President of the Union of Resistance Scholars stated: "Despite all the concessions made at certain points in history by Palestinians, Quds was never compromised or traded. Therefore, it has always been stated that the capital of Palestine is one, and that is Quds, not just Eastern Quds. Palestine is summarized in Quds, and this is also mentioned in the Qur'an."
He continued: "Thus, the role of Martyr Soleimani is extremely important, and we have touched upon some of these roles. The resistance in Palestine, which continues from Gaza to the West Bank, was part of the strategy of Imam Khomeini, which was continued by Imam Khamenei, and as we have repeatedly said, Martyr Soleimani worked in the same direction. Despite wars and sanctions, Palestine remained the top priority for the Islamic Republic. This is not a simple matter; when a country stands firm on the same principle for ۴۴ years, it’s a significant achievement."
Sheikh Maher Hammoud remarked: "We have seen many revolutions across the Arab world, Islamic world , and the globe—revolutions that started with grand slogans but became limited to specific parties, or governments after ten years. Except for Iran, which has maintained these slogans with strength, and Martyr Soleimani was the reason for this perseverance and resistance. He had immense capabilities. Secondly, he was a comprehensive and complete commander, and Palestine had a significant impact on him, making it his priority, just as it is the priority of the Islamic Republic."
This prominent scholar described his direct meetings with General Soleimani: "I met with General Soleimani twice in Beirut. If I want to describe him, I would first refer to his humility and modesty. This man, whose image was featured on the front pages of major American newspapers, and whom the U.S. and the world were chasing, when you sat next to him, you felt you were sitting next to an ordinary person. No formalities were needed to speak with him, and you felt a sense of closeness. As you can see in the image, he showed respect to the host even more than the host showed him. Naturally, his expertise was in military affairs, a subject I would not delve into with him. However, from observing the developments in Syria and Lebanon, one could discern his vision, objectives, sincerity, and the many qualities that made him a historic commander."
He continued: "It is evident that after the martyrdom of Soleimani, the resistance remains strong. The U.S. knows that the missile attack on Ain al-Asad was a special response to Soleimani’s assassination. Although they don’t talk about it much, only the Americans know what the attack on Ain al-Asad meant. We still don’t fully understand the meaning of that attack. This is the strategy of resistance, which is not often discussed in the media, but the enemy knows its significance. The second point is that in ۲۰۱۹, Trump intended to launch a drone strike on Iran, under the assumption that Iran's missiles would not be able to reach the drones. However, contrary to his expectations, the missiles intercepted the drone, and Trump abandoned his plan for a direct attack on Iran. "
Sheikh Maher emphasized: "Trump should have thanked Iran for not targeting the team controlling the drone, even though they could have done so. This is a great acknowledgment that the power of resistance in Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine is increasing, and this is evident in Israel, where they acknowledge that they cannot attack Gaza or the resistance forces."
He concluded: "As we have seen in the past ۲۴ hours, ۲۰ resistance operations have taken place in the West Bank. Israel is powerless. Their hands were tied in Gaza, and now they are helpless in the West Bank. In addition, they have admitted that the power of resistance in Lebanon is now beyond their control.