Sheikh Naeem Qasim has been elected the new head of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Qassem will replace former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27 this year. Sheikh Naeem Qasim had released a video message on October 8 in which he said: “The war between Israel and Hezbollah is about who surrenders first and I assure you that Hezbollah will not surrender.”
Qassem’s video message came just days after Hashim Saffiedine, a senior Hezbollah leader and potential successor to Hassan Nasrallah, was the target of an Israeli strike. We told you that on October 23, Hezbollah had confirmed the death of Safieddin in the Israeli attack. The United Arab Emirates-based Arem News website had said in its October 21 report that Sheikh Naim Qasim had left Beirut on October 5 on the plane in which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi , had made a state visit to Lebanon and Syria. Citing a source, the report said that due to fear of being assassinated by Israel, Iran’s top leaders had ordered Qasim to leave Beirut and head to a safe location.
Who is Sheikh Naeem Qasim?
On Hezbollah.org, Qasim has been described as one of the organization’s first members. He has played important roles in Hezbollah since its formation and is recognized as a key strategist within the organization. Sheikh Naim Qasim is also included in the network of influential Shiite leaders such as Abbas al-Moussaoui, Subhi al-Tufaili, Mohammed Yazbek, Ibrahim Amin al-Sayed and former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Kassim earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Lebanese University in the 1970s.
Furthermore, he also studied religious subjects with the influential Islamic scholar Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. In 1974, he became director of the Association for Islamic Religious Education and served until 1988. Qasim is also a co-founder of the Lebanese Union of Muslim Students. Following the assassination of Abbas al-Moussaoui in 1991, Sheikh Naim Qasim was elected deputy secretary general of Hezbollah. He also held a key position in Hezbollah’s executive body, the ‘Shura Council’. Here he oversaw government and paramilitary operations.
Qasim’s involvement in Hezbollah’s political and operational wings underscores his influence within the organization. Sheikh Naim Qasim, 71, was called Hezbollah’s “number two” in honor of Hassan Nasrallah. In addition to his leadership role, Qasim is also known for his writings. Sheikh Naim Qasim, who speaks fluent French, has written a book titled ‘Hezbollah: The Story from Within’, which details the formation of Hezbollah and its ideology. This book has been translated into six languages, including Arabic, English and Persian, demonstrating its international reach. Qasim is fluent in many languages, including French, English, Arabic and Persian.
