Support NeoGAF

[Eric-GCA]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=12&u=/nm/20050219/ts_nm/lebanon_dc_51

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Saturday that popular agitation against Syria's grip on Lebanon after the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri could plunge the country back into civil war.

Opposition leaders are urging Lebanese to join a peaceful "independence uprising" to free their country from Syria's military and political dominance, intensifying a war of words after Hariri's assassination in a huge bomb blast Monday.

"God forbid, if the roof collapses, it collapses on all of us," Nasrallah told at least 100,000 Shi'ite Muslims gathered for Ashura, the most solemn event in their calendar.

"Today we are responsible for a nation that came out of the civil war ... but we face acute problems, especially this year and in the past few months," the black-turbaned cleric said.

"As Lebanese, we have no choice for remedying our crises and problems except to discuss and meet, even if we are angry and tense," he said. "We must not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Hizbollah, backed by Syria and Iran, is now a formidable Lebanese political party as well as an anti-Israel guerrilla force that still controls much of south Lebanon since helping end a 22-year Israeli occupation in May 2000.

The death of Hariri, a wealthy Sunni Muslim businessman, sparked an outpouring of public grief mixed with anger against Syria, instinctively held responsible by many Lebanese.

The anti-Syrian sentiments now uniting many of Lebanon's Christians, Druze and Sunnis have not been voiced by Shi'ite leaders counted among the most loyal allies of Damascus. Shi'ites form the country's biggest religious community.

Damascus, which denies involvement in Hariri's killing, echoed Nasrallah's warning. Its allies have often justified Syria's troop presence as a barrier against renewed civil war.

"We agree on how critical the situation is in Lebanon and that it must not be used to stir civil strife," Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara said in Damascus.

Hizbollah, the only militia to retain its guns openly since the civil war ended, could come under intense pressure to disarm, in line with U.N. demands, if Syria left.

Nasrallah, who visited Hariri's family Friday night to give condolences, called for a speedy investigation into his killing but rejected international involvement in Lebanon.

 

[BigJonsson]

I have a feeling that Israel will support the Lebanese forces trying to get rid of Hezbollah and Syria

 

[Tarazet]

I get the feeling sometimes that the Middle East is like one big Fight Club, and they hire politicians to give the impression that they actually have a reason for bombing the crap out of each other.

 

[Eric-GCA]

I dont have much knowledge about the whole Lebanon-Syria connection. Could someone here summarize why there are groups in Lebanon so loyal to Syria? I'm sure there are some posters here that are from Lebanon themselves who'd know.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

I dont have much knowledge about the whole Lebanon-Syria connection. Could someone here summarize why there are groups in Lebanon so loyal to Syria? I'm sure there are some posters here that are from Lebanon themselves who'd know.

I'm sure someone from Lebanon can anwser better than I but, I believe as with almost all things in the middle east loyality cuts via sectarian lines. I believe that Syria and the ruling party in Lebanon are Shia Muslims. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[FightyF]

Hizbullah is a Shia organization as well.

 

[Eric-GCA]

Hmm, are Shia's and Shiite's the same thing? or not?

 

[Amused_To_Death]

I dont have much knowledge about the whole Lebanon-Syria connection. Could someone here summarize why there are groups in Lebanon so loyal to Syria? I'm sure there are some posters here that are from Lebanon themselves who'd know.

Lebanon is a beautiful country, with beautiful beaches, mountains, and people who are full of life with care-free and fun-loving attitude. It had the highest concentration of Christians of any Middle Eastern country. It was often referred to as the Paris of the east...

It was too good to be part of the middle east, so they fucked it up.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Hmm, are Shia's and Shiite's the same thing? or not?

Yes.

 

[Firest0rm]

I'm sure someone from Lebanon can anwser better than I but, I believe as with almost all things in the middle east loyality cuts via sectarian lines. I believe that Syria and the ruling party in Lebanon are Shia Muslims. Correct me if I'm wrong.

No Syria is not Shia, about 75% of the country is Sunni. However the ruling power are Alawites, who claim they have some connection to Shi'ites but thats not for certain. And also the ruling power in Lebanon is not Shia, although they have much influence nowadays. Christians still have the most control, however I might be mistaken. One of our fellow Lebanese posters hopefully will correct me if a said anything wrong.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

The ruling party in Leabanon is backed by Syria so I'm thinking that they are not Christians.

 

[Tarazet]

Hmm, are Shia's and Shiite's the same thing? or not?

Both Islamic, but disagreed on the descendancy of Mohammed. One believes it has to be by bloodlines, the other believes that you become a descendant of Mohammed by rapture or something similar, if my command of the situation is at all accurate...

 

[Firest0rm]

The ruling party in Leabanon is backed by Syria so I'm thinking that they are not Christians.

The President is Christian, The Prime Minister is Sunni, and the Speaker of the Legislature is Shia. I'm not 100% sure about this, but i believe in Lebanon's case the President has more power than the Prime Minister. Also the Majlis is half Muslim and half Christian (128 in total, 64 for Muslims and 64 for Christians)

 

[Firest0rm]

Both Islamic, but disagreed on the descendancy of Mohammed. One believes it has to be by bloodlines, the other believes that you become a descendant of Mohammed by rapture or something similar, if my command of the situation is at all accurate...

Thats Sunni and Shia, Shia and Shi'ites is the same thing. Just that Shia is how its pronounced in Arabic, but in English its pronounced Shi'ites.

 

[Miburou]

Both Islamic, but disagreed on the descendancy of Mohammed. One believes it has to be by bloodlines, the other believes that you become a descendant of Mohammed by rapture or something similar, if my command of the situation is at all accurate...

No, that's Sunni and Shiite. Shia, Shiite, Shi'ite, etc. are all different ways to write the same incredibly-hard-to-pronounce-in-English word.

 

[Amused_To_Death]

I dont have much knowledge about the whole Lebanon-Syria connection. Could someone here summarize why there are groups in Lebanon so loyal to Syria? I'm sure there are some posters here that are from Lebanon themselves who'd know.

http://www.meforum.org/article/546