Naim Qassem

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Naim Qassem

| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ar|نعيم قاسم}}}}

| image = Naim Qassem Visits Tasnim Office (3x4 cropped).jpg

| caption = Qassem in 2014

| order = 4th

| office = Secretary-General of Hezbollah

| deputy = {{ubl|Himself
(Sep–Oct 2024)|Vacant
(Oct 2024–present)}}

| term_start = 29 October 2024{{ref label|a|a}}

| term_end =

| predecessor = Hassan Nasrallah

| successor =

| order1 = 1st

| office1 = Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah

| 1blankname1 = Secretary-General

| 1namedata1 = {{ubl|Abbas al-Musawi|Hassan Nasrallah|Himself (acting)}}

| term_start1 = May 1991

| term_end1 = 29 October 2024

| predecessor1 = Position established

| successor1 = Vacant

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1953|2}}

| birth_place = Kfar Fila, Lebanon

| party = Hezbollah

| children = 6

| education = Lebanese University

| footnotes = a. {{note|a||Acting: 27 September – 29 October 2024}}

| otherparty = Amal Movement (until 1979)

}}

Naim Mohammad Qassem ({{langx|ar|نعيم قاسم|Naeim Qasim}}; born February 1953) is a Lebanese Shia cleric and politician who has served as the fourth secretary-general of Hezbollah since 29 October 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-29 |title=Hezbollah elects Naim Qassem to succeed slain head Nasrallah |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hezbollah-elects-naim-qassem-succeed-slain-head-nasrallah-2024-10-29/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Reuters}} He participated in the founding of Hezbollah in 1982, and previously served as the first deputy secretary-general from 1991 to 2024.{{cite news |title=Naim Qassem: Hezbollah's strategist, ideologue and now leader |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/profile/naim-qassem-hezbollah-strategist-ideologue-and-now-leader |agency=Middle East Eye}}

Born in Kfar Kila, Qassem received a master's degree in chemistry from the Lebanese University in 1977. He worked as a chemistry teacher, before joining Amal, a political movement led by Musa al-Sadr. He studied theology under Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.

Following the Iranian Revolution, he helped found Hezbollah. In 1991, he was appointed as deputy secretary-general under secretary-general Abbas al-Musawi, a role he retained under Al-Musawi's successor, Hassan Nasrallah. He led the party's electoral campaigns, and held a leading intellectual and ideological role.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-29 |title=من هو نعيم قاسم الأمين العام الجديد لحزب الله؟ |url=https://www.mc-doualiya.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7/20241029-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%88-%D9%86%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%85-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B2%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87 |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=مونت كارلو الدولية / MCD |language=ar}}

Following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024, he was appointed acting secretary-general. A month later in October, Qassem was elected as secretary-general after Nasrallah's possible successor Hashem Saffiedine was assassinated by Israeli strikes.

Early life and education

Qassem was born in February 1953 in Kfar Fila, into a Shiite family with origins in the town.{{cite news |title=Hezbollah picks cleric Naim Kassem to lead the Lebanese militant group |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/10/29/nx-s1-5170239/hezbollah-new-leader-naim-kassem-lebanon |access-date=29 October 2024 |work=NPR |date=29 October 2024}}{{cite news |title=Sayyed Nasrallah re-elected for another term |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sayyed+Nasrallah+re-elected+for+another+term.-a0214528324 |access-date=24 March 2013 |newspaper=The Weekly Middle East Reporter |date=5 December 2009}}{{Cite web |title=Hezbollah deputy Naim Qassem elected as chief after Israeli strike killed Nasrallah - UPI.com |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/10/29/Israel-Lebanon-Hezbollah-leader-Naim-Qassem-Nasrallah/4791730214095/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=UPI |language=en}} He grew up in Beirut. He studied theology and his teacher was Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. He received a bachelors and a master's degree in Chemistry from the Lebanese University, completing his studies in 1977.{{Cite web |title=شيخ من الرعيل الأول.. من هو نعيم قاسم الأمين العام الجديد لحزب الله؟ |work=التلفزيون العربي |url=https://www.alaraby.com/news/شيخ-من-الرعيل-الأول-من-هو-نعيم-قاسم-الأمين-العام-الجديد-لحزب-الله}}

Career

Qassem began his career employed as a chemistry teacher for a few years.

Qassem was one of the founders of the Lebanese Union of Muslim Students that was established in the 1970s.{{cite book |author1=Dominique Avon |author2=Anaïs-Trissa Khatchadourian |author3=Jane Marie Todd |title=Hezbollah: A History of the "Party of God" |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xOC6v4-XCHgC&pg=PA200B |via=books.google.com |access-date=14 April 2013 |date=10 September 2012 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-06752-3 |pages=210–211}} He joined the Amal Movement when it was led by Musa al-Sadr,{{Cite news |title=Who is Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy leader who spoke on Monday? |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-is-sheikh-naim-qassem-hezbollahs-deputy-leader-who-spoke-monday-2024-09-30/ |work=Reuters |date=30 September 2024 |access-date=29 October 2024}} but left in 1979. Qassem was the head of the Association for Islamic Religious Education from 1974 to 1988. He also served as the advisor for al-Mustafa schools. Qassem participated in the foundational activities of Hezbollah.

In 1991, he became the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah.{{cite news |title=Hizbullah Renews Nasrallah as Head of Shiite Party; Forms A New Shura Council |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Lebanon-Hizbullah.-a0213406603 |access-date=24 March 2013 |newspaper=The Daily Middle East Reporter |date=20 November 2009}} Abbas al-Musawi appointed him to this role, which he retained when al-Musawi was succeeded by Hassan Nasrallah in 1992.

Qassem has handled Hezbollah's political campaigns for parliamentary elections since the 1992 Lebanese general election, which was their first time participating.{{update after|2010}} In the years leading up to 2024, Qassem has "long been one of Hezbollah's leading spokesmen".[https://x.com/i24NEWS_EN/status/1851380692631822753 Naim Qassem Appointed as New Hezbollah Leader], I24 News, 29 October 2024.

= Secretary-General of Hezbollah =

Qassem was elected secretary-general of Hezbollah on 29 October 2024, following the Israeli assassination of the previous leader Hassan Nasrallah in the 2024 Hezbollah headquarters strike and his assumed successor Hashem Safieddine on 3 October.{{Cite news |last=Christou |first=William |date=2024-10-29 |title=Hezbollah elects new leader after Israeli killing of Nasrallah |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/29/hezbollah-elects-naim-qassem-as-new-leader |access-date=2024-10-29 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Works and views

In 2002, Qassem published a book, Hizbullah: The Story from Within, which was revised and updated four times, mostly recently in 2010. In August 2011, Qassem attended a ceremony for the eighth edition of his book, where he made the statement that "Billions of dollars have been offered to us to rebuild the deprived south Lebanon and in return to surrender our arms and stop the work of the resistance. But we told them we're not in need [of their money] and the resistance will go on regardless of the consequences."{{cite news |title=Hezbollah offered billions to disarm: Qassem |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Aug-01/Hezbollah-offered-billions-to-disarm-Qassem.ashx#axzz2ODDb0hpR |access-date=24 March 2013 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=8 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008044524/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Aug-01/Hezbollah-offered-billions-to-disarm-Qassem.ashx#axzz2ODDb0hpR |url-status=dead}}

In 2009, Mustafa Badreddine replaced Imad Mughniyeh as the head of Hezbollah's military activities.{{cite news |last=Barel |first=Zvi |date=25 February 2013 |title=Who's breathing down Hezbollah leader's neck? |url=http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/who-s-breathing-down-hezbollah-leader-s-neck.premium-1.505676 |access-date=22 March 2013 |newspaper=Haaretz}} Qassem did not support the move, favoring his relative Samir Shehade.