BEIRUT - Khadija Shukor says his father Fouad Shukor “always told us to hold firmly to the path of Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah.”

Fouad Shukor, the chief Hezbollah commander, was assassinated in an Israeli bombardment on southern Beirut on July 30.

In an interview with the Tehran Times, Khadija also says, “My father had a certain kind of dignity that influenced those around him.”

Following is the text of the interview:

How old were you when you found out that your father was a fighter and a commander in Hezbollah? How did you find out, and what was your reaction?

“As a child, my first awareness was the resistance knew its martyrs not when they were alive. So we didn’t know the mujahideen among us unless they were martyred. When someone was martyred we knew he was a mujahid. The evidence being that they were martyred amidst their role in the Jihad. 

Regarding my father and his friends, who were battlefield companions also, later these friends would be martyred as well. Those days, as a child, I connected the dots. He was with them; he was their friend and they got martyred. 

This was at the beginning. Later, the Islamic Resistance became a symbol, a military force amid the events that we saw and heard about as children. Also, the instructions we received as we grew up. These all made us aware that we are an environment of resistance. Any absence of my father, his friends, if it was for days or months, is for the sake of the resistance. 

Overtime, this definitely developed, I knew he was with the resistance, but with an education of awareness. Awareness about the importance of the resistance. At the same time, awareness about the issue of secrecy. 

My feelings were always a strong sense of pride and dignity. I understood what is occupation and what is Israeli oppression. So, I was very happy to be part of this environment standing in the face of the enemy. 

As for my knowledge, he was a commander. This took a very long time. He never spoke about it. Even when one of my siblings, after hearing rumors about his position and rank, used to ask him, he would always say he had no special position. 

To me, he would always say the resistance divides the commanders and its members for work-related matters, but all the mujahideen, all of Hezbollah, the entire resistance are all mujahideen for the sake of Allah. And that dividing the ranks is to adapt a system that works correctly, not because there is a team in Jihad, between a commander and anyone else. 

Later, I learned he was a commander. He confirmed that to me and many other things. Apart from feeling proud, I also felt a strong sense of responsibility. 

Being a son or daughter of a commander is not something that allows you to be open or relaxed. Every word you say has a responsibility attached to it, anything that risks security, the overall appearance [of the resistance], etc. So, at this point, apart from the sense of pride and dignity, I also felt I hold more responsibility.”

What are the qualities of martyr Fouad Shukor as a father and a human being?

“My father had a certain kind of dignity that influenced those around him. His gaze carried an air of seriousness and intensity, like that of a military leader. However, in contrast, he also had the qualities of highly distinguished people. It was immediately clear to anyone in front of him that, alongside his commanding presence, he possessed deeply humane traits, such as compassion, kindness, and a willingness to help others and bring happiness to people.

At times, we would witness a softer side, in stark contrast to his toughness and imposing presence. In an instant, even his gaze would shift, reflecting great gentleness, especially with his children, grandchildren, and other family members and loved ones. He was particularly kind in moments that called for human compassion. 

My father excelled at making others feel included and stood by them during their significant moments. He also had a sharp intuition about people, often knowing what they liked or disliked, which allowed him to connect with and empathize with them on a human level.

As for our relationship with him at home, it was a very beautiful one, despite his occasional strictness in raising us. He had certain non-negotiable boundaries in terms of discipline and the path he wanted us to follow. Yet, at the same time, he was always keen to surround us with care, helping us solve our problems in a way that was pleasing to God and for our own good.

He was an ideal husband to my mother, always striving to maintain a strong bond with her and with us, despite the challenges of life. He constantly wanted to know our news, follow up on us, and stay close to us. His kindness extended even to those outside the family. If he was that much compassionate with others, how much more so with us, his own children? He was our pillar, like a mighty rock, the strong support we all leaned on, and the warm embrace we sought in both good and difficult times. His strength, wisdom, and ability to protect us were ever-present, and when a situation called for tenderness, he was our refuge.”

Undoubtedly, life with your father had its own restrictions and difficulties. Can you tell us about them and how you adapted? 

“Regarding the issue of life with a commander as a parent, it is true that it comes with many restrictions and difficulties, more than what people outside the circle of knowledge about commanders and their lives can imagine. 

From the beginning of our lives with our father, our mother played a crucial role in compensating for his absence. She would try to make up for it and make us understand that his absence did not affect our lives. Sometimes, she would even make us believe that, while we were asleep, he came to see us and kissed us. 

The difficulty in this life has several aspects. The first is that a child feels the absence of their father, who plays a role in their life. This absence was incomprehensible to us, and we did not know how we could cope with it. However, our mother had the largest role in compensating for this absence, and she played the biggest part in handling it. When our father was present, he would make up for his absence in many ways. 

As we grew older, we stopped demanding his presence so that we wouldn’t affect his work, allowing him to focus on the issue of resistance.

The second part, and by the way, sometimes his absence would last for days, months, or even up to a year, without any verbal communication between us, except for letters, which would arrive very late.

The second part of the difficulties and restrictions is that we did not have the luxury of thinking that we had a father in the usual sense. I couldn’t ask my father to go and buy things for me. Even during my graduation, he wasn’t there. When we were young, he didn’t sit and play with us like other fathers do with their children. I remember, for example, during our graduations, even though he wasn’t physically present, he would try to create some sweet surprises to make us happy, either before or after graduation, to make us feel that he valued the occasion and that his presence was important.

Another challenge in this regard was our inability to go out with him to family events. Similarly, during holidays, when any child needs his father; he would sometimes appear suddenly and unexpectedly.

He always tried to resolve and alleviate these restrictions and difficulties for us, helping us understand the nature of this life. Over time, we became accustomed to it and learned how to handle these tough situations and turn the hardships into a better life. We came to appreciate our father’s absence in any special event or family gathering, and we would invest these challenges into family gatherings. He always taught us to be patient with difficulties and restrictions, emphasizing that participating in Jijad meant that both our mother, my siblings, and I shared this feeling during times of difficulty, and it never affected us when our father wasn’t present. We always wished he could be there, and we took pride in the fact that we never complained to him about the hardships we faced in life.

Any form of deprivation was considered a form of participation in Jihad and patience, and we never showed any pressure to our father. On the contrary, we felt that we were sharing in the reward and the Jihad.”

How do you assess the role of Commander Shukor in leading the resistance in Lebanon?

Honestly, assessing the role of any person in the resistance or my father in particular is not something I can conduct, nor do I have the capability and knowledge to do so.

Nobody can address this issue more than his eminence Seyyed [Hassan Nasrallah], who touched on many issues and will expand on other aspects later. 

I have nothing to add to what his eminence Seyyed [Hassan Nasrallah] has said. He is the highest [authority] to make such assessments, the role of my father, what my father offered to this resistance. 

Of course, if anyone wants to speak about this issue, they can go back to the speech of his eminence Seyyed [Hassan Nasrallah].

All I know is from what his eminence Seyyed [Hassan Nasrallah] and others close to him said, which is that my father was among those who played an essential role in starting the resistance.  

For me, this may be the most important issue. The era when the resistance was founded, my father, along with other brothers, had an essential role in it. 

As for the other issues about the commanders of the resistance, his eminence Seyyed [Hassan Nasrallah] spoke about it and, as I understand it, will expand on it again later.

Did you know if your father considered the possibility of martyrdom, like other commanders before him. Did you have concerns about this? Did your father discuss this with you?

The father didn’t consider martyrdom into the calculations of the other commanders. He wished for it. 

He always prayed that God will not end his life without granting him martyrdom and sought to find out the obstacles that were preventing him from reaching this conclusion to his life. To end his life with martyrdom. 

We saw the sorrow in his eyes every time other commanders were martyred from his friends a long time ago until the martyrdom of Sayyed Abbas al-Mousavi, Haj Emad [Mughniyah], Haj Dhulfiqar, Seyyed Hassan Lakkis. 

He was hurt a lot when he thought that God will not grant him this martyrdom and this extended to his prayers. 

He also urged us to pray for his martyrdom.

Naturally we felt his absence deeply when he was away but at the same time we knew his duties and when you consider we were born and lived with this faith of duty as well as the importance of his job. 

Also, in our faith, ideology that whatever the sacrifices for victory, and knowing that he wished for martyrdom, we never felt anxious about it. 

We always thought about the sacrifices of the families of the martyrs so if my father were to be martyred, we would be proud.

Moreover, our father taught us about the martyrs before him, patience, faith in God on this issue and to be pleased with these sacrifices. 

There’s no doubt that your father had a close friendship with General Qassem Soleimani. Tell us about this friendship and how your father felt after General Soleimani's martyrdom.

Firstly, it has become clear for all that commanders of the resistance fronts all have a relationship with each other. It’s also clear that these commanders have something common and this is the axis of resistance and the defense of countries. 

The relationship with Haj Qassem went beyond friendship and love. It was a wider relationship between Haj Qassem, his family and our entire family, not just limited to my father and Haj Qassem. 

This relationship was very beautiful and at a very high family level. Haj Qassem was like one of our neighbors and he was very much valued and highly respected. 

It will become more clearer later, through photos and videos how strong this bond was with Haj Qassem and our family. Their meeting reflected this, the manner of their meeting also reflected this. 

My father knew how much Haj Qassem had this desire all his life for martyrdom but certainly at the same time he felt after his martyrdom he felt the pain at the loss of a loved one.

Just like any person has someone dear and close to him and then he loses him. The loss of Haj Qassem wasn’t something little and it was hard. 

Despite how much he sought martyrdom, and despite how much the loss was painful, Haj Qassem also gave us a stronger push to carry on the same path as he did, which Sayyed Nasrallah mentioned. 

Can you tell us about the last time you met your father, and what you spoke about?

A: Less than 48 hours before his martyrdom. It was a casual meeting like any other between a father and his daughter. 

He gave me some advice about my work. We spoke about the children. He asked about the latest. I asked him about some things. We spoke about the family. 

It was a normal meeting. We learned from when we were children that with every meeting may be the last. This was especially true after the martyrdom of Haj Emad [Mughniyah]. 

But my father never allowed space for this. He always made us feel that there would be another meeting. Everyone says that if we knew this would be our last meeting, it would have been slightly different but thanks be to God in any case. 

Did he leave a will regarding public matters?

Yes. My father always told us to hold firmly to the path of Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah. 

And the importance of this path and to push our children on this path and on the resistance and its martyrs. 

And to advise my youngest brother to pray. 

To keep the line of the resistance alive. And this line is what divides us in the next life. 

What is the most important legacy that Commander Shukor left behind, in your opinion?

My father had a collection of inheritances, various types of inheritance.

He left a psychological legacy, represented by his emotional legacy for the family (for the mother, myself, and my siblings), showing us how to continue on this path.

The resilience you’ve seen in our family is the result of the moral legacy the martyr left for us. He also left a moral legacy for his brothers, for those younger than him, and even reaching the youngest generation. This moral legacy is embodied in the certainty of victory, which is one of the most prominent things he left behind.

There is also a cultural inheritance. My father had a very, very large cultural legacy. He was keen on giving cultural lessons related to religious, cultural, and Qur’anic matters. This legacy will continue because the martyr presented this heritage to many generations of varying ages, and as these generations grow, they will pass on this legacy among themselves.

As for the military aspect, as his eminence Sayyed Hassan [Nasrallah] said, many qualitative advances, strategic matters, and weapons that developed significantly were due to the martyr and the leaders who were with him, along with his companions. His eminence Seyyed Hassan [Nasrallah] also previously said something regarding all the martyr leaders: when Haj Imad Mughniyeh was martyred, he left behind thousands of fighters and combatants ready to fight Israel. The same goes for all the leaders.

Likewise, my father left behind many ready-made plans, many qualitative advancements in weapons and their utilization, and God willing, they will remain beneficial for the resistance. He also left behind many sons and daughters who carry the ideology and path of resistance, along with many fighters who were raised on his approach, the approach of his Eminence Seyyed [Hassan Nasrallah], and the approach of other leaders.

Many of the fighters drew their confidence in victory from him in the field, as they expressed through their messages. The father left behind a legacy in the realm of resistance that may hurt the enemy more than it did during his lifetime.

In summary, my father left a great legacy in all areas where he was influential during his life. Undoubtedly, the legacy he left is sufficient for us to continue his journey and influence on this path and the path of resistance with even greater momentum, God willing, than during his lifetime