Naim Qassem

Qassem was born into a Shiite family in Kfar Fila in 1953.[2][3] He studied theology and his teacher was Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.[2] He also received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Lebanese University.[2]

Qassem is one of the founders of Lebanese Muslim students union that was established in the 1970s.[3] He joined the Amal movement when it was headed by Imam Musa Sadr.[2] Qassem was the head of the Islamic religious education association from 1974 to 1988.[3] He also served as the advisor for al Mustafa schools.[3] Then Qassem participated in foundation activities of Hezbollah and was appointed deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah in 1992.[2][4]

There were reports that Qassem had been killed alongside Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in the U.S. airstrike on the Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. Hezbollah issued a statement later that day refuting those reports.[5]

In 2009, Mustafa Badr Al Din replaced Imad Mughniyah as the head of Hezbollah's military activities.[6] However, Qassem did not support it, favoring his relative Samir Shehade.[6]

Qassem published a book, Hezbollah: The Story from Within, in 2006.[7] On 1 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."[8]