Lebanon - creation of imperialism
Political anatomy of a organisations such as Islamic Jihad, must be seen within the context of a steady expansion of fundamentalism throughout Middle East — an expansion which, if not directly encouraged, certainly been welcomed imperialism.
A situation where a fundamentalist Jewish State of Israel, the rise of Muslim Brotherhood in Syria and Jordan, the fundamentalism Egyptian society, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, and a strong postKhomeini Iran helped by Israel and the US military technology, would all creale an area form which the Soviet Union would be totally barred
Syria has been the main loser of the war of the craps. miscalculation, they the powers of Amal, strains in the Amal/PSP alliance and underestimated Palestinian cohesion. Unable to act as it would have chosen SINCE April 1985, the Western Media have given unprecedented coverage events in Lebanon. accounts and interpretations of the war, laced with stories on the kidnaps Western diplomats personalities, have been at best shallow and simplistic.
For most of them, the latest rounds of the flare-up in West Beirut, with its heavy toll of between 2,000 and 3,000 dead, up to 10,000 wounded and over 50,000 new refugees, has described as a knock-out success for barbarian evildoers.
Lebanon as a whole is loosely depicted as a maelstrom of senseless violence, where civilised ethos and mores have vanished for ever with the latest vestiges of law Today sees the reign of the plug-ugly hoodlums and homicidal maniacs.
The cause? A hodge-podge of malevolent Arab bloodlust, terror masters explanation that put these events in the realm of the unpredictable and labyrinthic logic that so befittingly suits all the stereotyped projection of the Orient.
What the Western media try to avoid at all costs, is to explain the by remote
Islamic to intervene the has for fear of by precarious balances.
There are signs situation has
Amal, of the
PLO and few months.
of the old
Movement"
Out of overestimated about new political cleavages and overlooked the alliances that would open up a new phase in the Lebanese revolution.
sectarian state
By JACK GOLDBERG an to
Their of the Lebanese state.
gushy of and lor hegemony in the Middle East been particular — were awaiting to take
1918, they encouraged and nurtured and order.
Maronites' traditional extend what has century an autonomous province of psychology, plain with the towns
- or any
Beirut, Sidon, Tyre and the Bekaa valley
Lebanon",
Western both to the Western and Islamic world."
"National Pact"
Socialist Viewpoint No. 16 April 1987 p28 control, Syria has now been forced to send in troops in order and mould the new equation to its advantage. However its involvement is carefully measured upsetting any of the that the new already developed beyond Syria's reach. The turmoil in the Maronite camp, the isolation of the possible reunification of the growth of the fundamentalists are new parameters that grew from the events of the last
Most importantly, a reconstruction secular "National comprising principally the Lebanese CP and the radical Palestinians, could bring real historical causes for the break up considering that any cursory reading of its history quickly reveals that Imperialism has created Lebanon as a nation-state, propped it up as an economic entity, and finally made it in important component of its plans
As the dawn of the 20th century saw the progressive weakening of the
- French Imperialism
When the French established their demands to been for half Lebanon" — and add to it the coastal
"Greater a distinct entity oriented despite major
It was not until 1943 that the consolidated the
Valid Jumblatt state-idea of Lebanon. Signed by the Maronite President Bishara al-Khuri and Sunni Prime Minister Riad alSolh, the pact set out the patterns of political balance of power that has remained in force until today. The President was to be a Maronite Christian and Prime Minster a Sunni Muslim and the Chamber of Deputies (Parliament) to be elected on the basis of six Christians for every five
It was also stipulated that the position of Army Commander and the head of the Secret service would be ensured that Christians should seek Western protection, and Muslims should not try to make Lebanon a part of any larger Arab Islamic state.
It is on this basis that Lebanon was
"Greater Syria" and began life as an independent state in 1946.
From its early inception, was conceived as a sectarian state, whose constitution balanced between the most important population census has been taken in order to preserve the which have altered tremendously the religious population of the country.
Today the multiplicity of religious
communities - some 18 different denominations - appears confusing. But in effect, they belong to 3 main religions: Christianity, Islam and the Druze faith.
The four most important Christian communities are the Maronites, the Greek Orthodox, the Catholics and the (Orthodox) Armenians.
The Muslims are divided into Sunnis and Shiites.
third religious community. independent of Christianity and Islam, consisted of the followers of the post Islamic sect of the Druze.
About two-thirds of the Lebanese Christians are Maronites. Deriving their name from St Maron, a fourth century hermit who lived in Northeast Syria, they fought with Crusaders and united with the Roman Catholic Chruch, but retained their own liturgy and their own religious leader "the Patriarch of Antioch and of the whole Orient" They live predominantly in the Mount Lebanon region.
The Greek Orthodox consistently tied themselves Muslim rulers - their patriarch residing in Damseus. saw themselves as Christian and inheritors of the tradition of the Byzantine Empire. In Lebanon in Syria and Palestine — members of this Church have been intellectual leaders of the Arab left and the CPs during the last decade.
quite
They live mainly in Beirut, in the hinterland of the northern
Tripoli and in the southern Lebanese region of Marjayoun.
They live mainly
Greek
Gregorian province.
and settled in Lebanon only in the concentrated in the coast in Beirut,
Tripoli and
Muslims are the poorest of all the religious communities. The majority valley. Since 1970, the civil war and the economic deprivation have pushed themselves
Shi'ite families in their thousands to emigrate poverty belt of West Beirut.
which settled sect
Valleys of southern Lebanon, led by the most predominant clans of their have nobility.
to the constitution, the biggest religious
They always communities
Arabs political interest:
- as
Party, founded by Pierre Gemayel.
the
(PSP) was founded in 1949 by the
Socialist Viewpoint No. 16 April 1987 p29
Druze programme port of but predominantly
The Greek Catholic community.
families, in the southern towns of Sidon and Tyre, the town of
Zahla in the Bekaa and the Shouf
The Armenians fled permanently the
As for the Muslims, the Sunnis are later to
Movement"
The Shiite
South and the Bekaa the population.
several groupings.
The Druze constitute a post-Islamic finally the in port of Tripoli.
Because of the sectarian nature of have established parties to represent their
• The
1. The Phalange, or "Kateb"
2. The Progressive Socialist Party
Kemal Jumblatt. The PPS fights against the influence of religious denomination, its members remain Druzes and their formally constituted Jumblatt's feudal following. In the 1960s, the PSP adopted the pan-Arab programme of President Nasser. During the civil war of 1975-76, Jumblatt became spokesperson of the Lebanese left, a loose coalition called
"Front of National Struggle" become "the National
3. The "Tashnag", confessional political grouping of the Armenians which won them 5 seats in the 1982 Parliamentary elections in proportion to their estimated number of 3% of
4. The Sunnis are divided into political and regional
• The fundamentalist Sunnis under the leadership of Said Shaaban are mainly concentrated in the northern
• The Najjedeh Party (Party of the Saviours) developed out of a Sunni Youth organisation founded in 1936. During the past decade, the party has lost most of its influence.
Independent Nasserite Movement, led by Ibrahim Koleilat, stood for Arab nationalism and was influential particularly in Beirut until a rising Amal checked its strength by
destroying its fighting powers.
• The Nasserite Organisation, a rival of the INM, sought to work out an Arab socialism independent East and West, but remained and ineffectual. 5.Amal, led at first by Imam Musa Sadr, and after his disappearance by Nabih Birry, has become the most significant component of Lebanese political spectrum.
started as a the deprived" and fully-fledged political party based on of the Shite Community. small begun a5 aggregate of cells among the Shiite population of Baalbeck. Under the leadership of Moussavi, and with the the support of the Iranian Revolutionary
It Guards, it has played an important
Socialist Viewpoint No. 16 April 1987 p30 the today.
8.
essentially
1976 being
Lebanese left.
9.
founded
Chamoun
10.
religious them
Communists",
Matran.
14.
Party" known and governed with some bosses was built.
ungovernable.
1964 governments.
populist "movement of appointed developed as a been
6. The Hizbollah (Party of God)
strife.
politico-military army
1975-76 role in the latest Camps War and is making steady inroads into Amal support among the Shiites.
The other "political" parties, which played a role in the political life of country were essentially a collection of individuals around one leader (Zaim) or another.
7. The Constitution Union Party founded in 1930 by the Maronite
Beshara al-Khouri has little influence
"The National Bloc Party" - an Christian party founded in 1934 by the Maronite leader Emile Edde was an early rival of the Maronites. Raymond Edde, his son, tried unsuccessfully three times to capture the office of president - in the candidate of the The national Liberal Party in 1958 by Camille
The third type of parties are those with external affiliations:
The Syrian Nationalist Socialist Party (PPS) advocates the unification of Lebanon with Syria. Founded in 1934 by Antoon Saade, the SNSP has taken from the start an anti-denominational and antistand, and has members from all ethnic communities.
11. The Lebanese Baath Party is an affiliate of the Syrian and Iraqi Baath Party and is influenced by
12. The Communist Party which is a pro-Moscow Stalinist party.
The "Union of Lebanese party friendly towards Syria and led by Nakhle
The "Kurdish Progressive Kaari" and led by Faisal Fakhru.
As the Lebanese state is based upon sectarian lines, its executive parliament could considerations. In reality, power did not lie with the state institutions, clerics, semifeudal Lords, political and bankers, businessmen and professionals.
Confessionalism was the cornerstone on which the whole state
Despite a formal status quo, the inbuilt instability made the country since its inception almost
Between 1926 and Lebanon had 46 different Between 1964 and 1979, 22 different cabinets have been
The epitome of this instability has the disintegration of the Lebanese Army torn by sectarian
Predominantly a Maronite (62% of the officers were Maronites), the army split during the civil war: the Muslims formed the "Arab Army of Lebanon" under Ahmed Khatib and joined the "National Movement" , another group
PLO chief Arafat joined the right wing militias under the Maronite colonels Barakat and Malik. The bulk of the remained neutral while a fourth group deserted.
At a maximum of 20,000 soldiers, they were match for 100,000-strong militias dominated Lebanon since the 1970s.
Most of the political parties have powerful territorial strongholds in their respective communities. Almost all of them have recruited their own militias to defend their interests along communal lines.
As well as the Lebanese militias, Palestinian organisations have also been an important influence in the political life of Lebanon since their defeat in Jordan in 1970. All PLO organisations have established bases in the Lebanon and prominent role in the radicalisation of some communities and the erosion of the Lebanese state.
The fragmentation communities was not only the result of the sectarian divide, nurtured and encouraged Imperialism, but also a expression of economic structures. The division into social overlapped the religious divide, and economic inequalities had sectarian and regional expression.
The economy of Lebanon founded on total free enterprise for all, and almost no government intervention in the conomy strongly service-oriented dependent on income from abroad. The most important Lebanon's post-war development was its emergence as a major centre of finance. It became a medium between Europe and the oil economies of the Middle East, based on favourable interest rates banking secrecy - the "Switzerland" of the Middle East.
But this free-for-all economy only benefitted a tiny proportion of the
Amin Gemayel population. Because of the sectarian political divide, the distribution of officers wealth was uneven across divides.
the branches of the economy, we that the which played a of the which was by direct nearest contact.
classes magazine both
Name ..
was
Address and factor in
Trade Union economic
Labour Party
Telephone and
Socialist Viewpoint No. 16 April 1987 p31
Christians.
these
If we look at the distribution of
Christians and Muslims in different find majority of medium and
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Nabih Birry large-sized enterprises are owned by
Shipping, and much of the rail and wholesale trade are in the hands of Sunni Muslims. Many of the shopowners and artisans are Greek orthodox and Catholics. Druze are numerous in the agricultural sector many as small landowners. Shiites
are usually found among the ranks of unskilled workers.
It however emphasise that Lebanese capitalism is not entirely based on the Maronites it also includes Armenians, Catholics, Orthodox and even a tew Shiites. But in essence the Christians are better off and the Shiites are the poorest. The income of Christians is 16% higher than that of the Druze and 58% higher than that of the Shiites!
In most instances, deprivation has been powerful catalyst radicalisation of communities who fought for their class interests across the sectarian divide and the religious differences.
The intervention of foreign powers
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Zionism and Imperialism in has also triggered
- alliances that Joined together what was normally seen as irreconcilable enemies.
Lebanon has experienced two civil wars, in 1958 and 1975-76. The latest round of fighting since 1985 will degenerate sooner or later into a fully-fledged war. The destruction of the Lebanese state is an unavoidable political and structures and will continue to suck in foreign powers keen to prop up bourgeois order - final collapse would be a disaster for their plans in the area, but a prerequisite for any progressive to the problems of the
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