"Happy Mother's Day," came the wish from Lebanese terrorist organization Hizballah during the Arab world's celebration of the holiday on March 23. The group chose the time to honor mothers for all of their hard work and giving. It was also the time to encourage them to continue making sacrifices of their children, husbands, and themselves.
"A special tribute to the mothers of martyrs and detainees, and the mothers who gave their lives for the sake of their children, husband or homeland," said the message on Hizballah's media website, Al-Manar. "Happy Mother's Day for all revolutionary mothers in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, and all other countries seeking freedom and reforms."
"What young men and women achieved in Tunis and Egypt, and will achieve in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and elsewhere was historic and the sacrifices were large," the article stated. "The mothers of all the Arab martyrs had played their part in raising their children on sacrificing for the sake of justice and freedom."
Suhaila, the wife of a longtime political prisoner from the Tunisian Al-Nahda party, had her own message for mothers whose sons were "martyred" or detained. "[For] One day you were the mother and the father, so keep up this struggle and don't be weak," she said. "Your role shouldn't stop with your sons' or husbands' martyrdom or detention, but you should continue to raise small combatants to carry on this path and Inshallah (god willing) we'll be triumphant."
Likewise, Al-Manar saluted Tunisian protester Mohamad El-Bouazizi and his mother's sacrifice. El-Bouazizi torched himself while protesting Tunisian dictator Zein Al Abedein Ben Ali, an act that ignited the revolution.
"His death liberated Tunis and Egypt…Other Arab countries are following [in this] path by strength of the brave young men and women, raised by their mothers on self-esteem, courage, and readiness to sacrifice," Al-Manar said.