Hassan Nasrallah is General Secretary of Hizbullah,
the radical Shiite Muslim organization that is the defacto power in southern Lebanon.
Nasrallah is known for his fiery anti-Israel rhetoric and is considered a hero by many Muslims, particularly following the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.
Nasrallah was born in 1960 in the Lebanese village of al-Bazouriyah, Lebanon. He grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in east Beirut. He returned with his family to his birth village after civil war erupted in Lebanon in 1975.
In 1976, he moved to the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, where he remained until 1978. After his return to Lebanon, the Amal movement, another Shi'ite group in Lebanon, appointed him to the post of political officer in the Beqaa region.
In 1982, Nasrallah and a group of Amal members split from the group. He went on to hold various positions in Hizbullah, which was founded that year, while furthering his religious education.
He left for the holy city of Qum, Iran, in 1989 and returned to Lebanon a year later. In 1992, he was elected Secretary General of the Hizbullah, a position he holds to this day.
In 1997, Nasrallah’s eldest son was killed by Israeli troops.
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