Ashley Pham

8/29/14
6th

Master Puppeteers
There are times when the word protection may seem like a word that is
defined as a brutal, unending war for peace. This is the case for many civilians and
even soldiers who live within the extreme terrorists that exist in this world. Some
civilians may not even consider the extremists as a threat, but as a barricade that is
serving as a wall boarding their haven. Extremist groups use propaganda to recruit
new members, however, if that doesnt work, theyll use force to recruit members.
The extremist groups use a variety of methods to gather members such as sublimal
messages within show/cartoons, advertisements, media, fear, or by forceful means.
The word Hezbollah translates into The Party of Gods in Arabic.
Hezbollah is distinct among other extremist terrorist groups because they are
extremely organized and deeply engrained into the Lebanese populace. Hezbollah
uses religious justices to justify their methods of suicide attacks, bombings, and
commitments of violent exploits. Hezbollahs initial reason for being created was to
resist Israel invasion in 1982 as a small- scale guerrilla group, the creation of
Hezbollah is closely interlaced with Israels vicious actions in Palestine. The current
major objectives of the Hezbollah as military and political movements are to, end
foreign occupation and fight against Israel and end its inhuman practices in various
places in the Middle East, to present the true picture of Islam, a religion thats
logical, faithful, and responsible.
The Hezbollah today claimed that people joining because of
multidimensional motives. Sheikh Khodr Noureddine, when he was a Hezbollah
political chief told the author of an article titled Analyzing Hezbollah the Party of God
Our fighters are driven by complex motives- patriotism and Islamic motives, our
Islamic beliefs make these young men refuse to accept injustice. They will do
anything to resist Islamic beliefs. They will do anything to resist Israel. I know the
West does not understand, but your youth cannot live with Israel. They recruit the
younger members easily since the Hezbollah are located near places where theres
corruption, discrimination, and disorder. This is effective because where there is
disorder; it is easier to manipulate the minds of the corrupted. The people are
fearful, desperate, and they are open to anything that is like a salvation to the
people. The Hezbollah recruit members by using a glory affect, Hezbollah glorifies
and justifies their extreme deeds by claiming that they can help regain the meaning
of Islam, logical, faithful, and responsible. A veteran Hezbollah fighter explained in
2009 why he still served with the Islamic Resistance even though Israel had
withdrawn from Lebanon; Its like this. If you have a house or a villa and someone
powerful takes it over, you have a long struggle and after a while he gives you a

room. You struggle a bit longer and then he gives up and hands back the house to
you. You might think the struggle is over, but then he parks his car in your parking
spot outside the house. Do you accept this? We are in the south because Israel is like
this powerful usurper and there is no government to protect us and the UN cant
protect us, either. Thats why we need the resistance. The veteran felt as if no one
could aid or protect them from the cruel and hated world.
Given Hezbollahs long-term strategic perspective and commitment to
building a society of resistance, the process of mobilization and radicalization of
its potential recruits begins at an early age. Children as young as six are encouraged
to contribute in Hezbollahs youth movement, the rst step on the long path to
becoming a resistance ghter as a young child; this is very similar to Hitlers Third
Reich during the rule of the Nazis. The children grow up over the watch of the
Hezbollah and at a young age, they tend to not remember much of the past so its
easier for the group to manipulate the mindset of the young. The childrens activities
include lectures, plays, and sporting events through which the young participants
are immersed in Hezbollahs moral, religious, political, and cultural milieu.
Hezbollah-afliated cultural associations and publishing houses churn out books
and pamphlets and hold seminars and conferences to spread the creed of resistance.
Other institutes produce materials that range from explaining Hezbollahs
perception of jihad and encouraging hostility toward Israel. Some of the concepts
are intended for a young crowd, they have cartoon books telling stories of resistance
ghters and fairy tales featuring the villainous Israelis and gallant Palestinian and
Lebanese children. These are the most effective ways that the Hezbollah uses to
brainwash the younger members as they grow up in the group.
The Hezbollah along with many other extreme terrorist groups use basic
emotions to brainwash the people, fear, pride, and salvation at a young age most of
the time. If the people did not think that they need help from their current life, they
would not need to join something that promise them the heavens, forgiveness, or
escape. These extremist groups are masterminds at being the puppeteers as they
slowly shape their creations into what their group wants in a puppet.