Hassan Nasrallah Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Here’s a look at the life of Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite Muslim militant group.
Personal
Birth date: August 31, 1960
Birth place: Beirut, Lebanon
Father: Abd al-Karim, who worked as a grocer
Marriage: Fatima Yassin
Children: Muhammad Hadi (died in 1997), Muhammad Jawad, Zeinab, Muhammad Ali and Muhammad Mahdi
Education: Islamic seminaries in Iran and Iraq
Religion: Shiite Muslim
Other Facts
Oldest of nine children.
Wears a black turban to signify that he is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
Timeline
1975 – After civil war breaks out in Lebanon, the Nasrallah family leaves Beirut and moves to a village near Tyre.
1976 – Nasrallah moves to Najaf, Iraq, to attend a Shiite seminary.
1978 – Is expelled from Iraq during a time of Shiite repression (President Saddam Hussein was a Sunni) and returns to Lebanon along with his mentor, Abbas Musawi. Musawi establishes a religious school in Baalbeck, where Nasrallah teaches and studies.
1978-1982 – Member of the Shiite Amal movement during Lebanon’s civil war.
1982 – Organizes a group to fight against the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. This group eventually evolves into Hezbollah.
1987-1989 – Studies at a seminary in Qom, Iran.
1991 – Musawi becomes the secretary-general of Hezbollah. Nasrallah returns to Lebanon.
February 1992 – Replaces Musawi as secretary-general of Hezbollah after Musawi is killed by an Israeli helicopter strike.
1997 – Nasrallah’s son, Muhammad Hadi, is killed in a clash with Israeli forces.
July 12, 2006 – Hezbollah militants cross the border into Israel and capture two soldiers during a raid; a 34-day conflict ensues.
September 22, 2006 – Nasrallah makes his first public appearance since the beginning of the conflict in July, addressing hundreds of thousands of people at a rally in Beirut.
November 30, 2006 – In a speech broadcast on television, Nasrallah calls for peaceful protests to secure the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the creation of a national unity government. The next day, security sources estimate that at least 200,000 protesters gather in the streets of Beirut.
May 2008 – Declares the government’s move to shut down Hezbollah’s communications network “a declaration of open war.” Armed conflict breaks out between Hezbollah fighters and pro-government militias.
May 21, 2008 – After five days of talks, representatives from the Hezbollah-led opposition and Lebanon’s Western-backed government reach an agreement ending the 18-month political crisis.
May 25, 2013 – In a televised speech, Nasrallah publicly acknowledges for the first time that Hezbollah fighters are in Syria battling in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
December 2017 – Joins calls for a Palestinian uprising following the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
October 25, 2018 – US President Donald Trump signs legislation imposing sanctions on Hezbollah. The legislation, known as the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act, was sponsored by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. The bill increases reporting requirements and places further financial and economic sanctions on the group.
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