February 14, 2008
Rifts In Lebanon's Christian-Muslim Coalition Growing
Once a beacon of moderation in the Middle East, the coalition between Lebanon's Christian and Muslim communities appears to be falling apart.
The "Paris of the Middle East" is divided today between two major rallies: one in support of the militant Shiite group Hezbollah and one commemorating the assassination of anti-Syrian former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. The conflict is essentially an argument about what the nation of Lebanon ought to be: a sovereign coalition between three major ethnic groups, or yet another Muslim state that views Israel with hostility.
Thousands of Hezbollah supporters turned out to mourn and vow vengeance for Tuesday's car bomb killing of Imad Mughniyeh, a forefather of modern-day Islamic terrorism. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel of engineering the assassination, and promised retaliation.
''You have crossed the borders," he said. '"With this murder, its timing, location and method -- Zionists, if you want this kind of open war, let the whole world listen: Let this war be open.''
Israel's security forces are on alert, particularly along the northern border, and the prime minister's office issued a raised terror alert for Israelis at home and abroad.
Today's clash of events comes as Lebanon remains without a president or Parliament: Elections have been repeatedly postponed because of deadlock between the pro-Syrian and anti-Syrian factions.
The Lebanese population remains largely pro-government and is still clinging on to the nation's unified past. Thousands of Sunnis, Shias and Christians participated in a joint rally to commemorate Hariri's death in Beirut, with church bells ringing and imams issuing the call to prayer simultaneously. (Play this NPR report for a listen.)
Meanwhile, the anti-government Hezbollah remains largely confined to ghettos outside Beirut and along the border, as was seen during Israel's failed war with the group in 2006. As with heavily armed Islamic militant groups everywhere, Beirut has found that ridding itself of these extremist elements is a very difficult task -- so much so that more and more of Lebanon's Maronite Christians are fleeing, according to a December Newsweek report.
Resentment toward Israel isn't confined to extremist elements in that neighborhood, of course, and the assassination of Mughniyeh threatens to ratchet up tensions even further. Peaceful coexistence with Christians used to be one of the hallmarks of Lebanon's position as a beacon of stability in that part of the world. As more Christians flee, the prospects for Lebanon's future seem ever more dim.
Hariri's son is leading calls for reconciliation, Reuters reports. See the Lebanon Daily Star for updates on the turmoil.
Posted at 1:02 PM
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