Giant Soleimani 'Statue' Is Actually Just a Big Cutout Figure
Amid threats from Iran aimed at both Israel and the United States, the terrorist group Hezbollah on Saturday unveiled a mammoth figure of slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
The figure, which appeared to be a “heavy-duty cardboard” cutout of the former Quds force leader, according to The Jerusalem Post, was built in the southern Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras and has his hand pointing at Israel.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday said Soleimani’s killing has only fueled the belief of militant Muslims that the U.S is the “greatest Satan,” The Jerusalem Post reported.
“Palestine’s liberation will not be delayed by Soleimani’s death,” he said. “To the contrary, it will speed up because Soleimani’s martyrdom revived the spirit of resistance.”
The statue fared poorly as Twitter users realized it was not, in fact, a statue.
Check out the propaganda film below:
Just realised, it’s not even really a “statue”, looks more like a large wooden cut out “poster”…. pic.twitter.com/Vi5SBXSwmp
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) February 15, 2020
Budget issues :)))
— Emperor penguin (@freezedpenguin) February 15, 2020
Be careful of the wind so it doesn’t knock it down ?
— Nivlhel (@nivlhel) February 15, 2020
As someone on Facebook pointed out, in Islam it is actually forbidden to erect statues that look lifelike ? حزب النفاقhttps://t.co/KE6f9YVq7O
— Aboud Dandachi (@abouddandachi) February 16, 2020
The unveiling of the Soleimani memorial was part of ceremonies marking the 40th day since Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike. One top Iranian commander used the occasion to threaten the U.S. and Israel.
“If you make the slightest error, we will hit both of you,” Major General Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said at a ceremony in Iran, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“The cowardly and craven assassination of commander Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the Americans will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem, by the grace of God,” said Ramezan Sharif, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Reuters reported last week that Hezbollah will now take a lead role in working with pro-Iran militia forces inside Iraq to destabilize the Iraqi government.
On Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sounded a note of defiance and pictured Iran as an essential partner to secure peace, according to Reuters.
“Iran will never negotiate under pressure … We will never yield to America’s pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness. America’s ‘maximum pressure’ towards Iran is doomed to failure,” Rouhani said.
“Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran’s help,” he said.
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