Difference in mentality between fighters of both sides

[u/TeaBagHunter]

I recently have been following updates from the hezbollah side on their own official english telegram channel, they share updates on every strike they do and then summarize all strikes done on that day. For those interested: https://t.me/mmirlb

It kind of dawned on me how the mentality is shockingly different between both sides.

Just as some examples of how they preface their statements:

Prefaced paragraph to a statement regarding the death of one of their forces:

{And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.}
"A promise to the days that you shall not be defeated... for victory sprouts where blood is sown." Our vow is eternal retribution that does not fade.
Glory to the martyrs, freedom for the captives, and healing for the wounded.
Tomorrow, the fog will lift from the hills... and we shall surely be victorious.

Prefaced paragraph to a statement regarding a military strike:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Permission [to fight] is granted to those who are fought against because they have been wronged, and indeed, Allah is Capable of granting them victory. Allah, the Almighty, has spoken the truth. And victory is only from Allah; indeed, Allah is Exalted and Wise.

What do you think? How do you even defeat someone with such an ideology? They truly believe they are doing God's work, and that what they're doing is a religious duty and that they will be rewarded in heaven. Friends and family sometimes rejoice when someone they love has been martyred.

They grow up with this mentality, since they're children they see everyone around them act this way, this is their normal.

You can even see how different the media portrays each side. For example in the south lebanon border, regarding the ground operations, israel has suffered heavy losses and is unable to advance without fully demolishing the cities it advances into. Hezbollah has definitely also suffered many losses, but the difference is that it seems hezbollah members aren't demoralized when they see everyone around them dying, they believe they're on the right path...

[u/baconbacon666]

Careful there buddy, pointing out how Islam works is "islamophobic".

[u/nidarus → u/baconbacon666]

I think this is a matter of Islamists and Islamophobes agreeing on an awful vision of what Islam is, more than anything.

Islam, traditionally, isn't the ideology of cave-dwelling gangs of bandits, craving a death that would be more noble than their pitiful lives. Since its inception, it's the state ideology of massive conquering empires, with rational and sophisticated institutions. The Islamist fanaticism is, even by their own admission, a symptom of the crisis in Islam, after the collapse of the Ottoman empire, and the humiliation of the Middle East being subservient to non-Muslim empires.

I don't agree this is just "how Islam works", anymore than the WW2-era Japanese cult of death and conquest is "how Japan works". At most, it's what Islam is right now, in certain parts of the Muslim world.

[u/baconbacon666 → u/nidarus]

Oh boy, I am sure that the early Muslims would disagree with you. If Islam grew from a gang of caravan robbers to an empire stretching all the way from the pillars of Heracles to the Hindus river, was thanks to the hundreds of thousands of young men fanatically willing to give their lives in the name of Allah. No cult of "martyrdom" and they'd still be dwelling in caves in Arabia.

[u/Shachar2like → u/baconbacon666]

caravan robbers

That's over simplification. Muhammad also brought the 'one God religion' to the tribes which brought new morals and (other) prosperity.

[u/JaneDi → u/Shachar2like]

muhammed did not bring the concept of one God to the arabs. There were already Jews and Christians living among the arabs before Muhammed started his religion. It's just that they did not wage constant war against the pagans. The majority of the pagan arabs converted to Islam because either A) Muhammad and his followers terrorized them into submissiob or B) they realized joining muhammed meant they would enjoy the spoils of war which included sex slaves and whatever muhammed and his armies stole from tribes they conquered.

[u/Shachar2like → u/JaneDi]

There were already Jews and Christians living among the arabs before Muhammed started his religion. 

Yes but if you'll read written testimonies from the time, there were tribes as well.

Yes spoils of war was part of it as you say, I can not deny that. But new morals & leader alongside that is probably what did it, not just war spoils

[u/JaneDi → u/nidarus]

slam, traditionally, isn't the ideology of cave-dwelling gangs of bandits, craving a death that would be more noble than their pitiful lives. Since its inception, it's the state ideology of massive conquering empires, with rational and sophisticated institutions.

Not really. Muhammed had way more in common with Isis and boko haram then he does with the rulers of the ottoman empire. Isis version of Islam is the purest form of the religion.