Religious Conflicts in Lebanon - Essay Example

Religious Conflicts in Lebanon Introduction Religion is intertwined with Lebanese identity and society in that, in Lebanese society, individuals are either Sunni Muslims from Beirut, Maronite Christians from Jounieh or a Shiite Muslim from the south (Obeid 104). The interfaith conflict between the Maronite Christians and Sunni Muslims is an evidence of how religion affects Lebanese society. For a long time, Lebanon has experienced civil conflict that involves its competing religious and ethnic groups, and this includes the conflict between the Maronite Christian minority and the Muslim majority, the Sunnis. Moreover, there is conflict between the Sunni Muslim majority and the Shiite Muslim minority who been engaged in conflict for a long time and up to date, they are not at peace with each other. The Druze is another distinct fraction in Lebanon, they are also the minority in Lebanese society, and they have been into conflict with the Christians in the 1840s when the country was known as Mount Lebanon. Until today, there is tension between these religious groups as they are trying to build a stable democracy. It can be therefore noted that the chaos among religious groups in Lebanon is as a result of failure to establish a working power sharing system between these groups. This paper explores the religious conflict in Lebanon and it is organized in three sections. The first section presents sectarianism in Lebanon, followed by an analysis of the root of the conflict, identifying the actors and their interests. Lastly, the paper discusses possible solutions and consequences of different policy solutions. Religious conflict in Lebanon Mostly, the conflict in Lebanon is presented as a sectarian conflict, which involves the moderate Christians and the extremist Muslims (“Troubles a test…”). Apart from religious differences between the Christians and the Muslims, there is also conflict within the Muslim community, between the Sunnis and the Shiites. The Muslim society was divided in Sunni and the Shiite because of the power struggle over succession (Tomass 714). The entire population including the Christians and Muslims speak Arabic language; however, sectarianism is a dominant socio-political reality in Lebanese society despite the features they have in common. Sectarianism is not a new in Lebanon, historical Lebanon also called Mount Lebanon used to be shared mainly by Druzes and the Maronites. They did not coexist in peace and harmony as they fought over land ownership and distribution of political power among other issues. But these two groups have coexisted in harmony until the Christians were favored over the Druzes (Kisirwani 691). There have bitter conflicts between Christians and Druze since 1842 and the proposition that Mount Lebanon be partitioned into Christian and Druze parts led to the division of Lebanon into two districts, a northern district ruled by a Christian deputy governor and a southern district under a Druze deputy governor. However, this division increased animosities between these two groups leading to conflict between them as early as 1845. There have also been differences between Christians and Muslims, Sunni Muslims in particular. Many Lebanese Christians advocate for an independent Syria with Lebanon as a separate province within it, but many Lebanese Muslims do not want the Ottoman Regime to be liberalized but to maintain it. Actually, the Sunni Muslims even want to be identified with the caliphate and so the two conflicting interests has been the main source of conflict between these two groups in Lebanon. However, the Shiite and Druzes, being the minority group in Lebanon, fear to take sides but they tend to favor an independent Lebanon. Notably, the political competition between the Maronite Christians and Sunni Muslims has been the main cause of tension between sectarian communities in Lebanon. The political competition between the Maronite Christians and Sunni Muslims has been the main cause of tension between sectarian communities in Lebanon. After Lebanese independence from France, a new government was formed and the government representation favored Christians over Muslims with a Christian president, a Sunni prime minister and a Shiite Muslim as the speaker (Schwerna 33). Since then, sectarianism has evolved to represent a hallmark of national inclusion (Weiss 707). The root of the conflict, actors, their positions and interests Religious differences in Lebanon can be looked in two ways, first, the composition of Lebanese society into different Christian and Muslim sects. Currently, there are 17 religious communities in Lebanon that have been officially recognized (Schwerna 33) with the three major sects, the Maronite, Sunni and Shiite communities, comprising of about 80 per cent of population. Second, it can be looked in respect of intense division between Christian and Muslim communities. These communities have fighting for equitable sectarian political power sharing among the Muslim community and the Maronite community, and so it is important to consider Lebanon’s two broad religious communities when analyzing the cause of religious differences and conflict in Lebanese society. The conflict in Lebanon is mainly between religious sects this is because there are many religious groups in Lebanon with the Muslims forming the larger percentage of the total population. The Sunnis have been the dominant Muslim group in Lebanese and they currently constitute about 28 percent of the total population. Sheikh Mohammed Qabbani who acts as a mediator in political disputes and other matters affecting the group leads the Sunni religious group in Lebanon. There are many Sunni Muslims in Lebanon and most of them live in urban centers and those in the upper class of this group belong to the ruling class, that is, they are the landlords and rich merchants. On the other hand, the Shiite Muslims in Lebanon occupy the lowest stratum of Lebanese society and they have dominated the poor areas in Lebanon as they are mainly workers and peasants. Shiites were a smaller population and lagged behind other religious sects including the Sunnis, Christians, and Druzes in development. Although they have been the Muslim minority in Lebanon, they currently account for about 30 per cent of the Lebanese population. The Christian sects also form part of the population in Lebanese society and the main sect here is the Maronites, and generally, most of them are rural people, some are property owners and they are generally scattered around Lebanese society. The Maronite church is the dominant institutional presence in Lebanon Christianity, which was established in 745 by the Monophysites after failing to accept the Monotholite doctrines which suggested that Christ was of two natures (Tomass 712). Maronites comprise of a quarter of the population and Patriarch Bechara who assists in translating spiritual authority into political mediation currently leads it. Other churches also played important moral role in Lebanon, for instance, they have helped in promoting stable democracy and preventing any civil war from occurring. Arguably, the Maronite Christians are historically known to belong to the highest stratum of Lebanese society and they have had more political power as compared to other groups in the region. Another concern is about the phalange, the social democratic party, which is mainly supported by the Maronite Christians. This party advocates for transitioning Lebanon into a Christian state. This clearly indicates the varied ethnic and religious nature of Lebanese society. Another group is the Druze, which is a new version of Islam (“Troubles a test…”), and the majority of this group resides in rural areas. The Druze comprise of about five per cent of the population and just like other leaders, Lebanese Druze leader helps in uniting the community and reconciling deep internal political rivalries splitting his people. There are many causes of the religious conflict in Lebanon but the primary cause of religious conflict in Lebanon, particularly between the Sunni and Shiite communities, is the deepening sectarian divisions and violence in Syria. For instance, the Shiite militant organization, Hezbollah’s support for Syrian president brutal regime resulted in sectarian blowback in the country from the disappointed Sunni community. Notably, Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian civil by helping the Syrian regime to fight the Sunni rebels is the root of sectarian conflict in Lebanese society (Trofimov). Therefore, Lebanon’s sectarian dynamic is out of control because the sectarian hatred has deepened and has spread to encompass a larger part of the society. Lebanon’s Sunni management vacuum is filled by essential elements that inspire the Sunni Muslims to establish militia to enable them take on Hezbollah accordingly. The Sunnis are attacking their fellow Shiite Muslims because they believe that the Hezbollah in Syria are fighting them and this enrages them. For a long time, Hezbollah has defended Lebanese territorial integrity and sovereignty (“Lebanon is a ticking…”). The rise in Sunni militancy has led to increased and indiscriminate bombings as these Sunni extremists imitate the tactics used in Iraq. On the contrary, Lebanon’s Shiite community, irritated by brutal attacks in Shiite areas, rejects peace talks and it has instead initiated revenge attacks. The Sunni terrorist suicide bombings in Shiite strongholds have really created fear and anger thought the Shiite population. This has in turn increased sectarian killings between the two communities. In addition, mobilization of sectarian-based militia across communities has increased tension between Sunni and Shiite members. The leaders have also lost control of their communities, which are using bombings and assassinations to attack their rivals. There is still violence among the Sunni and Shiite communities following the assassination of a major Lebanese leader, the Sunni leader, and attack on Shiite shrine. There are many reasons behind the conflict experienced in Muslim community, between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims but the most important one is lack of democracy and socio-economic development in all communities in the region. The socio-economic conditions serve as the source of friction between different groups in Lebanon. The struggle between the rich and poor is inevitable between these groups as the educated Christians and elite Sunni Muslims struggle to be on top. A third of the population is considered poor and most of these individuals are the Shiite Muslims. Notably, the social classes make their demands known to the public through sectarianism and this shows that the conflict in Lebanon is not only a matter of faith but also class differences. Nevertheless, the conflict in Syria has significantly destabilized Lebanese society as seen in the clash between the religious sects, particularly those supporting and those opposing the Syrian regime. As a result, many civilians have lost their lives in clashes between Hezbollah gunmen and Syrian rebels within Lebanon and Hezbollah strongholds have been bombed because of their stance in Syrian regime. Possible solutions and consequences of different policy solutions Possible solutions to religious conflicts in Lebanon include deescalating sectarian tensions. Reducing sectarian tensions among the two groups can be assist reduce the conflict between them. Considering the interests of the two major religious groups so that to reduce the tension between them and prevent them from voicing their demands through violent activities. Another way to address the religious conflict in Lebanon effectively is by strengthening the national dialogue process. That is, national dialogue can be used to seek agreement among Lebanon’s rival religious groups. Truly, strengthening the society’s national dialogue process will be a very important step to resolve political tensions among various sects and the major focus in this dialogue should include how to diminish sectarian tensions in the country by promoting cooperation from different groups and enhancing internal security measures. More so, national dialogue can also be useful in urging Lebanon’s polarized political fractions to shun away from participating in the Syrian conflict because the sectarian violence in Syria greatly influence the rise of sectarian conflict in Lebanon. Therefore, developing a regional dialogue that includes states that facilitate the rise of sectarian violence in Lebanon such as Syria and Iraq is necessary. One of the government’s strategies to deal with sectarianism in Lebanon is “to deter the non-state actors and flush them out of Lebanese soil” (“Lebanon is a ticking…”). In addition, there is need to solve the conflicts in countries surrounding Lebanon to be able to work towards democracy and stability in Lebanese society. More so, different religious groups in Lebanon need to be discouraged from supporting Syrian regime. Strengthening security institutions is necessary in order to reduced religious conflicts in Lebanon. Enhancing Lebanese society and focusing on the training efforts on Sunni militants is essential in order to control the activities of these militants in the society and prevents cases of bombings and assassinations. More so, the security forces should be keen on the effects of Syrian conflicts on Lebanese society particularly on different religious sects. Increased security will help in preventing these religious groups from organizing attacks on their rivals and others from initiating revenge. There should be increased monitoring of extremist elements operating in Lebanon to be able to reduce the tension in the country. More so, the government should use all available sources to track sectarian violence. In addition, socio-economic differences among Lebanon’s different groups should be addressed. For instance, the economic development programs should be expanded in order to enable those living in impoverished areas to develop. This can be useful because socio-economic differences are one of the major causes of persistent religious conflicts in Lebanon. Further, it is essential to initiate meetings with religious and political leaders in Lebanon as a way of encouraging consensus building on critical issues. Leaders of different religious groups in Lebanon can be advised and encouraged to take control of their communities and preach peace among them. They should also encourage their communities to air out their views peacefully and coexist with other religious sects harmoniously. Leaders of these three major religious sects in Lebanon do cripple the state institution whenever they disagree on the issue of power sharing among them (Tomass 722). If Lebanon wants to be successful in ending religious conflicts, the political parties that represent the three major Lebanese religious sects have to meet and work towards creating stability in the region. Conclusion The religious conflicts experienced in Lebanon can be looked into two main ways, that is, the composition of the Lebanese population, which is arranged in difference religious sects, and the differences in various religious groups in Lebanese society. The three major religious sects in Lebanon include the Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and the Maronite Christians. Another group that comprises Lebanese population is the Druze. Sectarianism is not something new in Lebanon as the differences in religious groups can be traced back in 1840s. The Christians and the Druze never lived in harmony in Mount Lebanon especially after the Christians were favored over the Druzes. Later on, the battle between the Christians and the Muslims emerged because the two groups had different interests. Moreover, there is also conflict between the Muslim majority community, the Sunnis, and the Muslim minority group, the Shiites. This is an indication that religious conflict in Lebanon is not only between the Christians and Muslims but also among the Muslim communities who have conflicting interests. The Sunnis and Shiites have been involved in conflicts with the Sunnis using borrowed tactics such as suicide bombings and assassination to attack the stronghold of the Shiite community. The Shiites have in turn refused to calm and coexist in peace and they have initiated revenge. Some of the possible solutions to religious conflicts in Lebanese society include reducing sectarian tensions by considering the interests of all religious groups in region; strengthening the national dialogue and organizing talks among rival religious groups though their leaders. Strengthening security institutions to assist in monitoring extremist elements in the region and track sectarian violence effectively; and lastly expanding socio-economic programs to address the socio-economic differences among various religious groups. However, these policy solutions can in turn increase the conflict in the region among different religious groups if they have been implemented effectively. Works Cited “Lebanon is a ticking time bomb of tensions; Viewpoint: Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates).” Spectator [Hamilton, Ontario] 29 Oct. 2014: A18. Global Issues In Context. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. “Troubles a test for land of religious diversity.” New Zealand Herald [Auckland, New Zealand] 2 Apr. 2011: 8. Global Issues In Context. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. Kisirwani, Maroun. Foreign Interference and Religious Animosity in Lebanon. Journal of Contemporary History. Vol. 15, No. 4, 1980, 685-700. Obeid, Maurice. A Lebanese confession: why religious politics is bad for Lebanon. Kennedy School Review. 10 (2010): p104. Schwerna, Tobias. Lebanon : A Model Of Consociational Conflict. Frankfurt am Main [Germany]: Peter Lang, 2010. Print. 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