Lebanon's Shiite Muslims mark Ashura amid calls for Hezbollah to disarm and security threats

First commemoration since the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah

Shiite worshippers take part in a procession for Ashura in Kfarkila, south Lebanon, with the scars of the Israel-Hezbollah war still clearly visible. AFP

Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon on Sunday marked Ashura for the first time since the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the group's long-time leader.

The commemoration came amid pressure on the Iran-backed faction to disarm, and security concerns surround the event that is one of the most important for Shiite Muslims around the world.

Events were held around the country but the largest was in the southern suburbs of Beirut – a densely populated area predominantly home to the Shiite community – and the target of heavy Israeli bombardment last year.

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Despite that devastation, many members of the community remain deeply attached to Hezbollah and are resistant to calls for the group to disarm.

“Israel won't kill us. Our weapons will stay with us. The weapons are for Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah," said Hassan Hayek, from Aadloun in south Lebanon, referring to the deceased long-time Hezbollah leader.

Dahieh bears deep scars from Israeli strikes as entire residential buildings still lie flattened on the ground. Thousands gathered in the suburb for the religious commemoration, one mired in grief, mourning and the ritual thumping of chests.

Banners and posters of the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah – dead and alive – were on display.

Ashura marks the commemoration by Shiite Muslims of the death of one of the Prophet Mohammed's grandsons, Imam Hussein, in the seventh century. The gatherings draw large crowds in Lebanon and are typically used by Hezbollah to demonstrate the strength of its support base.

“Imam Hussein, we learnt from him how to be brave … we have rights," said Mr Hayek. To many, Hezbollah and its armour are a means of resistance to Israel.

Imam Hussein's plight is also symbolic to many reeling from the war with Israel, who draw similarities to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza where war has been raging for 21 months.

This year's processions will be the first without a speech by Mr Nasrallah, the group's leader who was killed in an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs in September.

His successor Naim Qassem said the group was ready for peace and dialogue on the one hand, but "confrontation" on the other should such circumstances arise. "We are a people who do not submit, we will not give up our rights and dignity," he said on Sunday.

Mr Qassem said the group remained steadfast, despite the threat from Israel and others. "This threat will not make us accept surrender," he said.

“How can we confront Israel when it attacks us if we didn’t have them?" he asked, in reference to the pressure for the group to hand over its weapons.

"Who is preventing Israel from entering villages and landing and killing young people, women and children inside their homes unless there is a resistance with certain capabilities capable of minimal defense?”

Sunday's events were held under strong security measures. This is not unusual given that large crowds and attendance of senior figures, but recent arrests of cells linked to ISIS have led to fears of attacks targeting the Ashura procession.

Cars and bags were searched as The National was escorted by Hezbollah into the heart of Dahieh, passing through several checkpoints – first overseen by the Lebanese Army and then the militant group.

A number of masked Hezbollah members carried equipment scanning for bombs and explosives. They had already carried out extensive checks of the area the night before, it is understood.

The commemoration has already been steeped in controversy in Lebanon. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday ordered the arrest of armed men taking part in a procession related to Ashura.

Hezbollah is under pressure to disarm as the government seeks to remove weapons from all non-state actors. The group's top military leadership was killed and a large part of its arsenal destroyed during more than a year of war with Israel that ended with a ceasefire agreement in November that Israel has been accused of breaching more than 3,000 times.

Mr Qassem has said the group is ready for a dialogue on a national defence strategy, but not until Israeli troops have withdrawn from Lebanon and stopped their daily bombings of the country.

Hezbollah says the increased threat from groups such as ISIS is another example of its need to retain armed strength. The group is also concerned about the new rulers in Syria, who toppled the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad in a lightening offensive. Hezbollah was one of the most important supporters of the Assad regime throughout the 13-year Syrian civil war.

Hezbollah stayed out of the recent 12-day war between Israel and the group's main patron Iran.