Controversy after Hezbollah decides to beam leaders' images to iconic Raouche rock

Hezbollah’s decision to illuminate Beirut’s iconic Pigeons’ Rock (Rock of Raouche) with pictures of its slain leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine to mark their first assassination anniversary has stirred controversy in the country.

A Hezbollah spokesman said the move would take place from 5pm to 7pm on September 25, accompanied by “sea activities.”

The announcement prompted several Beirut lawmakers to declare their rejection of the move.

MP Waddah al-Sadek said the move is “unacceptable on all levels.”

“They are not official figures and their pictures will be displayed in a city whose most residents reject their policies, not to mention that some accuse them in taking part in the murder of their leader (ex-PM Rafik Hariri),” Sadek added, noting that Hezbollah “has not obtained any permission from the municipality of the (Interior) Ministry” to carry out the activity.

“What’s worse is that their party, as usual, warns against being dragged into a civil war but wastes no chance to provoke Beirut’s residents. We must also not forget that the ‘glorious day’ is still carved in the memory of the Beirutis,” Sadek went on to say, referring to Nasrallah’s description of the May 7, 2008 day, when Hezbollah and its allies staged an armed takeover of parts of the capital.

“The government, which has shown its strength in its (latest) decisions (on arms monopolization), must prevent Hezbollah and others from making any provocative moves in order to preserve civil peace in the country,” Sadek added.

Beirut MPs Fouad Makhzoumi and Nabil Bader also wrote similar posts on the X platform.

On social media, Hezbollah supporters meanwhile reminded that the rock had been illuminated in the past with pictures of Saudi King Salman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and the Saudi, French and Emirati flags.

Hezbollah’s historic and revered leader Nasrallah and his successor Safieddine were killed in huge Israeli airstrikes on their underground bunkers during last year’s Israeli war on the group.

The Raouche Rocks are iconic natural limestone formations off the coast of the Raouche area in Beirut. Named Pigeons' Rocks for the wild rock doves that historically nested in them, these two massive rock islets have been shaped by erosion and are a popular spot for tourists and locals to admire from the nearby corniche or through boat tours that navigate through the arch of the largest rock.